On May 7, it was announced that Microsoft was closing four game studios, including Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin. Journalist Jason Schreier and The Verge published large notes talking about what happened at Microsoft before the dissolution of the teams.
Jason Schreier:
- Many employees were shocked by the unexpected news. Tango Gameworks would release a sequel Hi-Fi Rush and Arkane wanted to go back to the roots and make music Dishonored 3;
- According to Xbox president Matt Booty, studios would have to hire many new employees to develop new games – this was the main reason for the closure. Microsoft decided to close Teams to free up resources elsewhere;
- ZeniMax CEO Jill Braff hopes that the reorganization will allow more people to do fewer projects: “It is difficult to support nine studios around the world with a small central team and an ever-increasing workload”;
- Booty noted that Arkane Austin’s closure has nothing to do with it Redfall. We wrote about the problems with its development here;
- After purchasing Activision Blizzard, Microsoft management began keeping a close eye on Xbox’s success;
- According to analyst Mat Piscatella, the Game Pass service is experiencing stagnation: monthly spending on game subscriptions in the US has not grown since mid-2021.
The edge:
- Before Arkane Austin’s closure, the studio was working on a major patch and DLC for Redfall. The update would add an offline mode;
- Most likely, Microsoft will continue to release its games on competing platforms;
- Xbox employees fear the company will continue to make cuts;
- A day after the studios closed, Matt Booty announced at a general meeting that the company “we need small games that offer prestige and rewards”. Many were surprised by these words, as Microsoft recently fired the creators of Hi-Fi Rush.
We wrote that earlier too Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 could be the next Xbox game to come to PS5.
🔞 A collection of mini-games “Jackbox for adults” has been announced
Source: VG Times
Christina Moncayo is a contributing writer for “Social Bites”. Her focus is on the gaming industry and she provides in-depth coverage of the latest news and trends in the world of gaming.