Tang Gameworks was in the process of pitching a sequel to Hi-Fi Rush and wanted to hire additional staff before its sudden closure, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
The report, which sheds further light on the closures of Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin, claims that Xbox management felt the studios’ overall system was “too spread out,” with president Matt Booty l ‘would have compared to “peanut butter on bread”. ” IGN first broke the news of the closures on Tuesday with a report that Arkane Austin was working on DLC for Redfall before its closure.
Although little has been revealed about the proposed sequel, Tango Gameworks has reportedly been looking to hire additional staff despite founder Shinji Mikami’s departure in 2023. Xbox previously called Hi-Fi Rush “a success for us and our players in all key measures and expectations. “.
Tango Gameworks wasn’t the only studio considering a new game. Arkane Austin apparently wanted to return to his roots with a new single-player immersive sim, according to the report. Arkane Austin is famous for his work on Prey, which became cult following a rocky launch in 2017.
In a follow-up tweet, journalist Jason Schreier clarified that both projects were still in the pitch phase and therefore considered to be years away. Both studios were eventually shut down alongside Mighty Doom developer Alpha Dog Games, while Roundhouse Studios was absorbed by ZeniMax Online Studios. Xbox reportedly continues to cut costs as it offers severance to ZeniMax employees who choose to accept a voluntary buyout.
ZeniMax Studios principals Jill Braff and Matt Booty both attributed the closures to a desire to consolidate and focus more on a few projects.
“It’s difficult to support nine studios around the world with a small core team with an ever-increasing number of things to do,” Braff was quoted as saying during a town hall meeting. “I think we were about to tip over.”
Xbox has been significantly downsizing its studios for much of the year, including big cuts at Activision Blizzard in January. The budget cuts have sparked shock and anger throughout the video game industry, which has been rocked by layoffs throughout 2023 and 2024. Arkane Lyon boss Dinga Bakaba was among those who criticized Xbox for Tuesday’s shutdowns, asking leaders not to throw artists and entertainers into their “gold fever games.”
I just want to say that I love all the Arkane Austin people so much. Great times, hard times, we’ve been through so much together. Of course, today’s news is terrible for all of us. Your talent will elevate you and I will do everything I can to help you.
-Harvey Smith (@Harvey1966) May 7, 2024
According to a report from The Verge, there is uncertainty about what the future holds for Xbox as Game Pass slows down and Xbox sales plummet. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, scheduled for release on May 21, was briefly promoted in a tweet on Wednesday, but otherwise received little marketing. Xbox is also reportedly considering raising the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate again as it plans to bring Call of Duty to the service.
Meanwhile, developers are struggling to pick up the pieces, with former Arkane Austin developer Harvey Smith among those paying tribute to the shuttered studios. “I just want to say I love all the people at Arkane Austin so much. Great times, hard times, we’ve been through so much together,” he wrote. “Of course, today’s news is terrible, for all of us. Your talent will elevate you and I will do everything I can to help you.”
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Do you have any advice? Send him a DM at @the_katbot.
News Source : www.ign.com
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