Microsoft Closes Tango Gameworks (Hi-Fi Rush), Arkane Austin (Dishonored,Prey) and More...

What the hell is wrong with this industry? We get two of the strongest years ever in gaming and subsequently fire the talent behind that success...
Source:
www.ign.com/ar...
#microsoft #bethesda #gaming

[@kenpachi1989]

I remember a recent interview from Miyazaki, who was asked how they can deliver great games with reasonable budgets . His answer was something like "we retain our talented people, that's why". Looks like someone didn't get the fucking memo.

[@rewpertcone8243]

The CEO of Larian (publisher of bg3) said the exact same thing. Western developers have a serious problem of executives and CEO's only caring about the stock price (as the culture in the west wants this.) So CEO's fire all their devs to get better stock prices for the next year, but then it starts tanking years later. Happening to ubisoft right now, will happen to xbox very soon

[@kenpachi1989]

@@rewpertcone8243 well Larian is independent, their accountability is towards customers end employees, as it should be. Still, I don't get how big companies can survive with their current mentality, something has to give at some point.

[@rewpertcone8243]

@kenpachi1989 oh it 100% will. Ubisoft is already falling apart as we speak, while companies like Nintendo and capcom are still going up year over year. And now independent game devs like larian can make AAA quality games without dealing with corpos

[@kenpachi1989]

@@rewpertcone8243 I'm not100% convinced Ubisoft is falling apart. I bet Star Wars Outlaws will sell like hotcakes despite being basically Farcry in space. I hope I'm wrong, but I wouldn't count on it. After all, as long as the average customer remains an idiot, megacorps will still find a way to profit.

[@forfault]

@@kenpachi1989 they buy successful companies, removing the competition, even if a few studio they bought fail, lower competition mean the other studio they keep will have much better chance at profitability

[@Dreggy990]

Hi-Fi Rush devs dont deserve this. they made a great game that was mixes rythm and action games. xbox dont know a good game studio when they own one

[@zakariariahiidrissi1406]

I honestly don't understand this. They made a great game on a reasonable budget that got a great reception.

[@AntonioCunningham]

I can't speak for anyone else, but the sole reason I didn't buy Hi-Fi Rush was because they released it Day One on Gamepass . I'll *never* support a game/ buy a game on Xbox that's released Day One on game pass. I rather sail the high seas than support this model.

[@schikey2076]

the moment Shinji Mikami left Tango, i knew this studio aint going anywhere sadly.

[@Dreggy990]

@@schikey2076 he probably knew it was happening first.

[@dealswithnormiesallday]

That's because Xbox doesn't know good games. They know how to buy companies who know good games.

[@bekomon]

Game Publishers hate selling video games, they want to sell fridges and microwaves. Really feels bad for these devs.

[@CTomCooper]

For the programmers, animators and artists, sure. For some of the community managers though… 😬. Also coming off of the back of 2020 with lockdowns, a lot of people got into the gaming industry. Now that people are more about their daily lives, that sudden influx isn’t sustainable. I’d think indies and smaller devs are the future, and thinking that larger AAA companies can sustain their models to depend on for work just isn’t a good path.

[@rewpertcone8243]

​@@CTomCooper AAA games just aren't sustainable anymore. Executives and managers eat up a ton of the budget without adding much value

[@paulypipes3082]

Easy fix cancel gamepass and buy physical games

[@Anterak11]

Another one, two, three, four bite the dust. Adding to the long list of former Xbox Game Studios on Wikipedia. Not even making a surprise hit game like Hi-Fi Rush can save you. But hey, the next console will be the biggest technological leap ever! 🙄 Microsoft has never known how to properly manage creative talent. Full stop. I'm concerned for other people like Double Fine.

[@lukky6648]

I NEEDED that Hi Fi Rush sequel man....

[@w12266]

Isn't that ironic that Microsoft basically just closed a bunch of studios which they were bought up less than a year ago? Anyway, so much for The Evil Within becoming a trilogy. Thanks Phil.

[@ninjafohhiya]

If you think this was what Phil wanted and not Microsoft pulling the strings, you're delusional. Xbox is a small fraction of the corporate behemoth that is Microsoft. Even Phil is on a leash.

[@XxWolfxWaRioRxX]

​@@ninjafohhiyaOh shut up Xbox can't handle thier own studios and selfishly bought more it's on Xbox so stop sucking them off

[@e3vL1]

5:44 MS dont want talent, they want IP

[@pixeljauntvr7774]

Exactly that!

[@Viewable11]

Always has been. Microsoft has always bought other companies that created innovative technology.

[@DMFroomer]

Imagine if a soccer team coach bought Lionel Messi, played him at goalkeeper, then released/sold him for not being a quality goalkeeper. Now imagine if they bought him, they played him, he plays well, wins awards, then they just order a hitman to permanently break his legs. It's not far off from what's happening here, it's baffling and evil.

[@TheMaerx]

MS speedrunning to become the next EA

[@superwolfie4061]

This is heart breaking...dishonored was a huge part of my teens and prey was awesome well and seeing their studios go is f*cking sad.. The gaming industry is sad. Make sure you support these new/indie studios because they are gonna be our only saving grace when the big names fall apart as they clearly are.

[@totalwarlock9498]

its truely disgusting how AAA gaming behaves, hopefully their practices will comeback to to haunt them it would be fitting if the the AAA industry collapses and indie/private studios continue to be praised like Larian and others

[@joshuawilson6310]

Starfield flops bethesda fires their other studios to recouperate.

[@Haybud]

The fastest selling game in Bethesda Game Studios history. The third most played single player game of 2023. The 10th best selling game on Steam last year. The most Game Pass sign-up the week Starfield launched. “Flop” You guys have brain rot from KZbinrs. 😂😂

[@pixeljauntvr7774]

​@@Haybud Don't speak too loudly. MS might hear and shit down the whole studio.

[@Haybud]

@@pixeljauntvr7774 haha, you’re not wrong!

[@FidgetTheRat]

@@HaybudI played it myself and honestly it felt bland and I still haven’t touched it again. Hifi Rush was something I heard on a whim and it captivated me within MINUTES of playing-I have completed it multiple times, and I’m working to 100% it. I wouldn’t say a flop, but this person definitely has a point.

[@pjisleta1994]

​@@Haybudcuz it was free and did the devs get the money from them?

[@yanuarmustika5816]

Well shinji mikami left tango late last year. He is tango founder. I suppose many left with him so it make sense microsoft closes tango.

[@EpsiIonEagle]

Let’s hope that’s the case

[@jeancouscous]

finally some senses in the sea of clueless gamers who have no idea how business works and yell at clouds

[@twotimesj6478]

@@jeancouscouscondescending much? do you run a business? Tango still deserved more than just being axed.

[@nerobiblios4086]

@@jeancouscous ah the classic "it's just business" mentality, where people losing their livelihoods are just a statistic. This isn't even a good business strategy, buying studios only to then lay them off later even the ones who make good products that have great reception, yeah sure, that's totally how business works.

[@demilung]

Fucking fanboys, when will you stop eating shit and asking for seconds?

[@LonelyGamr]

Upset bout Arkane 😢

[@Aeosin]

Seems like we can't go a couple days without something trying to implode the gaming industry anymore. Days since last "accident":

[@andreiga76]

Spencer's smile is so pure evil, he's really trying to look cool and smile and looks so fake.

[@ultraheaven8968]

dude has those dead, black fish eyes, just like Keighley

[@-TurboS]

Spencer job is whatever the higher up tells them to do.

[@pouya8766]

I hope that the talent behind Hi-fi Rush make a new studio. Hope also the community supports them in their future project.

[@ancientandbored]

And just like that, the chance of The Evil Within 3 is gone 😢.....

[@w12266]

I was looking for this comment. We'll never know what happened to Joseph or Leslie. Thanks Microsoft.

[@schikey2076]

Shinji Mikami left tango... so its already a dead stop from there

[@gregwilliams4926]

This year marks the 10 year anniversary in October. Such a waste.

[@logiclunacy606]

​@schikey2076 Mikami didn't have any hand in the 2nd game and that one was great.

[@kevinblue2459]

I’m always going to wonder what tango’s next project was going to be.For a minute it felt like evil within 3 was being teased.

[@MrZer013]

Great video and you're right we need to stop buying AAA games that don't appreciate the talent and buy true indie games. I'm starting buying old PS3 games you get what's the box no live service bs.

[@DragonFangX]

Sony - Man we had a bad weekend after the Helldiver 2 debacle! Microsoft - Hold my beer! *runs off with axe* Nintendo - *sits back and watches the fires while fishing with Kirby*

[@pixeljauntvr7774]

Puts into perspective how much of a nothing burger that Helldivers fiasco was.

[@SH1NK1R01]

@@pixeljauntvr7774being sold a game that you then legally couldn’t play anymore due to a change in the terms of sale months after purchase is a nothing burger?

[@CTomCooper]

⁠@@pixeljauntvr7774Huh? Sony turned course and left some gamers alone for once, because people didn’t like the idea of linking their Steam account to Sony’s network that’s been known to be hacked. Successfully hitting Sony financially by seeing people unsub from their PS subscription service was a great move. More of it. Props to the Helldiver community. Sony’s trying to do the same thing again with Ghost of Tsushima multiplayer for PC players. They’re going to turn that port into Ghost of 60 bucks if they have their way.

[@AntonioCunningham]

​@@SH1NK1R01When people were told before buying Helldivers 2 *and* got a reminder when initially booting up the game that they need a PlayStation network account, yeah it was a *nothingburger* Gamers can't come together to fight against mutiplayer being locked behind a paywall or against microtranactions or *ads on consoles/ PC OS* but they can come together to fight against Sony for something Sony and Value told players in advance. ...and people wonder why others outside of gaming talk crap about us. We can't come together for things that actually matter.

[@SH1NK1R01]

@@AntonioCunningham the game was knowingly sold to customers who would not be able to create a psn account to accommodate to the requirement. The requirement was also not enforced and no time frame was ever provided to imply that it was temporary. The official Sony site stated that an account would NOT be required and was then changed AFTER they came back to enforce it. Terms and conditions are not legally binding in cases where they violate a persons rights. Meaning it literally doesn’t matter what they said. What they did was illegal. This is why steam took the initiative and gave refunds and pulled the game from those countries. People from outside gaming look at people like you as the joke. Because you can’t even be bothered to understand basic aspects of an issue before dismissing it and wondering why no one cares about your problems. It wasn’t a nothing burger at all. You just didn’t care and want to pretend it never mattered.

[@MrHellgate82]

Gamepass effect. I'm pretty sure Ninja Theory will be next. These games take so long to make but in the end doesn't increase subscription numbers.

[@kenpachi1989]

It doesn't make sense, they're not the only ones laying off people

[@pixeljauntvr7774]

​@@kenpachi1989 And not all publishers are shutting down development teams. The sour point here was MS freaking purchased these teams.

[@Haybud]

@@pixeljauntvr7774 yes they are. Sony just shut down their entire London studio and laid off 900 employees. Embracer group has laid off twice as many as those and closed 7 studios. Ubisoft just closed their London studio. EA just closed Ridgeline Studios. Shit, Take-Two just shuttered Roll7 and Intercept studios. This is a shitty industry wide problem and your selective outrage at just Microsoft is very telling.

[@HFranklin]

​@@HaybudNeither of these killed 4 studios in the same day

[@Haybud]

@@HFranklin oh, so your argument is just semantics? Because Microsoft did four studios in a day and Embracer did seven studios over six months, Microsoft is worse? Sony laying off more people in their one studio than all four of the Bethesda Studios still means Microsoft is worse? That is the dumbest argument I’ve ever heard.

[@lukky6648]

"ITS MY IP TO SIT ON AND DO NOTHING WITH"

[@ListlessWither]

Damn, Microsoft looking to be the next Konami

[@kramkrum3672]

The Hi-Fi Rush one bums me out hard. I literally JUST found out about the game and got into it. Now I don't even want to give Microsoft a cent for it. IP laws need to be rewritten. They can't keep doing this. It's just about control at this point.

[@robertban871]

people gotta stop supporting these massive publishers, buy indie games for your entertainment

[@KindredEmotions]

I don't care what people say about the Xbox console, from the very beginning I was on edge about Microsoft joining the industry. When one of their first moves was to start buying up studios to build their library of exclusives, I grew greatly concerned. All of this is what I expected of them in the end.

[@OldManInternet]

Microsoft always cared more about IPs, brand reach, and subscription metrics than they ever did about making quality games. That's why they care more about Bethesda, 343, and ABK than something like Tango.

[@Lunar_Yojimbo]

🤔 that’s crazy indeed I agree 1000% with you Dame at this point probobly there going to be less games by 2025 to be release a descent one 😴 Thank you for info and have good days 🍻👍

[@kitsvn]

Please unionize devs

[@twotimesj6478]

There are lots of connections in the game dev industry in lots of different parts of the industry. Hopefully when they organize, those lines of communication make it easier.

[@demilung]

Do you know what a Union actually is? What it does? That it's mostly internal politics? If there's a closure of the entire legal entity, what will a Union of Tango Gamesworks do when Tango Gameworks ceases to exist?

[@kitsvn]

@@demilung yes, I do! I deal with them as part of my work. Tango is owned by a much larger corporate entity also.

[@Brmngm]

I left gamedev after 1.5 years. Taking into account how underpaid and overloaded developers I worked with are this is not about cutting losses. I can't imagine how experienced dev can get any cheaper than in a video game industry. What we see is more of a corporate cultists ritual with layoffs as human sacrifice.

[@ltheabyssl]

Guess we wont get to see Evil Within 3 unfortunately

[@AaronWOfficial]

I was under the impression that hi-fi rush was pretty well received. And I know Dishonored definitely was, and I am pretty sure Prey is a bit of a cult classic. I don't understand why microsoft would shut down studios that made these types of games, most of their other games are trash in comparison.... So basically what ms are doing, is buying out publishers and then shutting down their studios....Not a good image for them ngl.

[@50Personas]

I actually have a somewhat different take on this: this was a mercy killing, as Bethesda/MS actually did (some of) these studios dirty way, way before now. Let me explain: Tango Networks: yes, Hi-Fi Rush was highly praised and it IS awesome. But everything indicates it didn't sell well, which also doesn't surprise me (Xbox exclusive until very recently, cartoonish, rhythm-based, fast-paced action - all anathema to the modern normie gamer). It was shadow-dropped, meaning it had zero marketing and hype leading up to release. The studio also lost some key figures, one of them being the lead designer on Ghostwire Tokyo as supposedly Bethesda mandated changes to it, and then finally its renowned founder Shinji Mikami. At that point, what's really left of Tango? The old blood is out, the new blood too, and no Evil Within 3 on the horizon. Arkane Austin: Prey bombed in sales despite being awesome. It's been reported that, by the time RedFall was about to release, more than 70% of the staff who worked on Prey had already left. RedFall being the disaster it was on all fronts and coming after Prey, is it any surprise that some of these 30% remnants would be folded into Arkane Lyon? Roundhouse Studios: This one has been formed under Zenimax and is being folded into its online branch after working exclusively as a ESO support studio. Makes sense as Bethesda finally moves to a new single-player Elder Scrolls game - sure some of the main staff on ESO will be tapped for it, so Roundhouse staff will take their place. Alpha Dog: Mobile studio. Never heard of Mighty Doom before, and it has been poorly received. Doesn't seem to be wildly successful, and all non-wildly-successful mobile games die early. It's a very cutthroat market. Now take it all in, and you'll notice that: - Bethesda/MS should've managed Tango better to avoid losing key staff. - They also should've done the same for Austin, not to mention they shouldn't have pushed them to do a live service game in the first place. - Roundhouse is just a support studio being folded into what they were already exclusively doing. - Why buy a middling mobile studio in the first place and then have them make a mobile DOOM game of all things? /facepalm See what I mean now? Mercy killings. Let's lament all the MiStakes (Get it? Get it? MS + mistakes? Tough crowd, tough crowd...) that have been done over the years, but these closures/restructuring today? They're just the fallout (pun intended).

[@ni55an86]

Dev studios gotta make games that sell. High ratings don't mean high sales.

[@demilung]

Yeah, make shitty games monetized to all hell, that worsk so wonderfully, right? Just fucking stop bloating budgets expecting some monstrous returns, make good games, make a profit for more games, it use to work before the big investments got involved.

[@JohnQuilter]

Think of how many of these people will never work in the video games industry again.

[@heavy4956]

Is limited run games still releasing Hi-Fi Rush on physical, they just announce it 3 or 4 months ago

[@Temeturs]

I heard of this and I will tell you right now. This constitutes Anticompetitive Practices. Unfair business practices that are likely to reduce competition. The FTC has and is investigating Microsoft for monopoly practices, I think. From Microsoft's perspective I understand why they did it. To eliminate the competition. The layoffs is a terrible thing and I feel sad for all those hard working employees. That is why I will never work in the gaming industry. It is fiercely competitive and a company can go under any time. Look at the recent news. It's a dog eat dog world and FTC is trying to make it less so.

[@Sephvion]

As Acco says, they are probably preparing for another gaming crash. All that trash they've been putting out, overall, will have an effect. Along with having way too many employees and budgets ballooning, this was inevitable. Same thing is happening in the movie industry. Indie games have a charm, because their budget forced them to be creative. That creativity and charm means a hell of a lot more to me than realistic textures and whatnot.

[@kotorevan313]

Wouldn't it be fun if the power was reversed to the development team to where they could fire corporate members whenever they pleased after they make a successful game?

[@tomasdelcampo2]

Honestly the biggest loss by far would be the evil within

[@anaguma90]

Arkane Austin is a one-two punch of getting screwed over by suits. First they get forced to make live service slop, then punished for it. Its not surprising as most of the talent behind Prey (an incredible game) left when they found out they were making Redfall. Tango is inexcusable.

[@Grandleon]

I feel for everyone affected, but videogames will always be a project-to-project industry. When I studied computer science long ago I learned very quickly from veterans that you always dread the end of a project, no matter how successful, because there's a good chance your job is going with it if there isn't already another project in the pipeline.

[@wristcontr0l]

Aaah, Embrace, Extend, Extinguish, how I've missed thee.

[@KokotoHero-N3]

We have Alpha Dog Games near us here and there was a dev event this past weekend, I don't believe anybody knew about this until today.

[@XxWolfxWaRioRxX]

I wonder where the people who wanted Microsoft to buy more studios are now they seem awfully quiet right now Only a complete muppet could think that Microsoft a company that can't even manage thier own studios could successfully manage even more

[@zacharydobbins6267]

Somebody call in the helldivers… they got shit done

[@blazinpuffs]

There seriously needs to be a dev team by gamers for gamers. I'd crowdfund a company if I had a stake in it.

[@mandrews6282]

This is truly disappointing stuff. Don’t forget Evil Within as well. I was really holding out for EW3. Since EA cancelled Dead Space again and Callisto flopped, all we have is Resident Evil in the triple A horror space. But this is such a waste of legacy studios with great portfolios. Granted Mikami left, but Tango has barely made a game under XBox yet and Arkane Austin’s Redfall is really Bethesda’s fault under their ‘let’s force our single player studios to make live service garbage for money’ mandate that also saw us getting Wolfenstein Youngblood. What a joke though. Spencer was legit saying Arkane isn’t in danger of being closed after Redfall and that they ‘foster creativity’ throughout their studios. Safe to say we’re not getting any more Hi Fi Rush or Pentiment passion prokects either. You can have a great portfolio, you can have made no crappy games yet under a new publisher (Redfall was basically done by the time XBox bought them and Sony got exclusivity for Ghostwire meaning XBox never got any launch interest from it) and even make a critical darling like Hi Fi Rush. I thought these devs would finally have the security and backing under XBox, but now I do not want to see any more purchases for them if this is how they treat legacy devs.

[@riemaennchen]

They need all that money for the Indiana Jones and Blade games. Milk the licenses! Down with games that are actually inspired and have heart poured into them!

[@metabones95]

Group of talented developers make great game, find success, grow larger than they can handle, get acquired by massive corporation, get shut down for not making corporation trillions of more dollars, developers found new company, repeat cycle.

[@icephoenix3302]

This decade is the graveyard of game studios, I would rather they shutdown the Bethesda main studio they deserve it, fallout 4, 76 and starfield are all garbage and anyone who thinks their future games will be good are delusional.

[@schikey2076]

the real kicker who actually feel the pain from this is people who brought the DLC pass from Redfall.... they cant even get refunds LMFAO

[@sentakuselect]

A lot to unpack, Amazon's Fallout series being a big hit probably led to Microsoft shutting down some studios for Bethesda for quicker release for the next Fallout title. Tango Gameworks losing all their figureheads like Ikumi during Ghostwire Tokyo (she was overworked from that game's development) and Shinji Mikami leaving and creating a new studio this year. From the interview he had last year about his departure, apparently he wanted to steer away from horror genre and make smaller projects that required less dev time (Hi-Fi Rush?) and that he wanted to leave 8 years ago from 2023 but stayed an extra 5 years due to him feeling he had responsibility to finish some of the stuff at the time....that and how he didn't feel like a CEO of his own studio (must feel bad when other Capcom Alumni had successful Studios like Suda51, Platinum Games and unrelated to Capcom, Hideo Kojima).

[@ListlessWither]

Suda 51 has actually never been Capcom. Killer 7 was in between Grasshopper and Capcom. Strangely enough Hideki Kamiya left Platinum around the same time as Mikami left Tango so maybe they could collab once Kamiya's contract runs out.

[@Erlaxis]

Even considering the good things that have come out from them, MS is the worst thing that happened in gaming.

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

*Money* is the worst thing that happened to gaming.

[@michaelmooradian4513]

Hifi was just rated for Nintendo and now Microsoft doesn’t have to share the coming revenue with the devs.

[@1R3TR01]

I have seen it before in other industries I have been involved in, it all about turning a quick buck for the investors! When you can buy an IP/inde studio when it is successful, quickly turn out substandard product run the staff into the ground and release the game unfinished. Fire the staff move on to the next.! Indies do the hard work in developing quality, the owner gets an offer that's hard to refuse.

[@LothmorJ]

It's so sad to see the state of the industry right now. So many great games releasing, record profits for many companies but massive layoffs on the other hand...

[@jeancouscous]

It's the state of many tech industry, this not only in games. Covid bubble popped

[@joshuawilson6310]

There is the reason though you make a good game. Most employees will want a raise but if you let them go after no raises. Second technology is advancing so far you don't need all these employees. Third new game makers and people in game making are getting out of school daily. The entire market is severely over saturated.

[@Suma-sh3vq]

Shareholder value or nothing. What will happen to the future of game Devs (as a profession) 5yrs+ down the line?

[@ninjarichi]

Support indies, AAA's shitshow won't stop anytime soon

[@ryankueffler9457]

Rurikhan, they’re shutting down these studios because that’s what happens when companies buy out other companies. They only wanted their IP’s and normally they just run it through for about a year or so with the current staff before they replace them with their own staff. I’ve been through it, I seen it, and that what they do! That’s reality unfortunately.

[@ultraheaven8968]

Another step closer to a videogame crash at least for AAA titles , which is a good thing overall as that will revive AA budget games

[@zenhaelcero8481]

Shame to see people out of their jobs en masse like this, especially considering many of them did a decent job, and the economy is tight. I hope they land on their feet. 12:20 I think it _is_ a house of cards. I think the video game industry has been a house of cards for a long time. The paradigm of "develop a large project purely on credit, then hope you sell enough to earn it back later" is risky, and there are plenty of industries where that doesn't work. I think that's why the industry has leaned so hard into live services, subscriptions, DLC, and microtransactions; the old paradigm sort of worked on a "duct tape and shoestring" basis, but it isn't a long-term solution for an industry. As AAA games get more expensive to make, the system breaks down because it isn't infinitely scalable. Hence the independent games scene flourishing - they can license an engine for cheap, market the game for pennies if they're clever, then hope to catch a wave. And if they don't catch the wave, the game was cheap enough to make that they'll probably break even or profit slightly, regardless. Or maybe I'm completely wrong.

[@OD91MJ]

Basically the industry has a bunch of mitt Romney types sucking teams dry.

[@darkpaladin7707]

Thank you i was thinking about posting comment in the other video about this

[@kukukachu]

17:16 To be fair, Nintendo wouldn't do that either... that was only the great Satoru Iwata that did that....Nintendo without him, ain't Nintendo...it's never been the same since his passing...

[@seinfeldx]

Microsoft the new EA?!

[@WildArmsV]

The American way

[@RaggenZ]

Exactly

[@ET_Videos]

Amen Rurikhan!!

[@StormyWeathery]

oh cool there gos maybe seeing a hi fi rush 2......... and people give me crap for asking some games to last a little longer lol

[@dealswithnormiesallday]

Well, it's a good thing Microsoft keeps buying companies to make games for them...only to close them down. 🤦🏼‍♂️😂🤣

[@Drragnorr]

This is amazing, how they are soo long in this industry and still do not know a thing about It. They buy gem makers and then they force them to make slot machines for scraps and if that is not working, they let them go. Yeah there goes all the good will Microsoft has been starting to build, a multi bilion dollar company. Who is next Obsidian?

[@IsaacChoo88]

Another publisher I'm not going to buy games from

[@the_flushjackson]

The word you were looking for was disposable.

[@4dragons632]

IMMEDIATELY CLOSED THE STUDIO OF THE BEST GAME IN THE YEAR!?

[@velar25]

I guess Microsoft is truly on the A.I. hype train. Closing Tango, the studio that made their best new IP in years, is super dumb. Oh well, with Microsoft going more third party in regards to their game releases, unfortunately, means they don't need to have games like Hi-fi Rush, that appeal to more diverse audiences. The AAA industry sucks.

[@RaggenZ]

Rules 4 u not 4 us west gaming industries

[@KlR0V]

Such a rude awakening for xbox fanboys.

[@TakaChan569]

Hi-Fi Rush did well for GP numbers but probably didn't sell all that well, i feel like all of this is M$ and not really what the xbox division wants.

[@FidgetTheRat]

Then how did it receive multiple awards? Like it was a popular game. And the game pass stuff is on Microsoft, they should be accounting for the GP numbers as well-that’s part of their profits.

[@TakaChan569]

@@FidgetTheRat Awards have nothing to do with sales, the game is great but it came at a time where a lot of the playerbase was from the sub on GP. M$ has been betting on enough people having gamepass to offset the cost and it just hasn't worked out, the numbers just aren't there.

[@FidgetTheRat]

@@TakaChan569 Microsoft literally said it smashed expectations, I mean shit it literally was a game that had like no pre-release marketing. I only knew about it cause Steam put it on my queue for games that I might like. :/

[@josevitorcalfa2]

Welcome to late capitalism. Consolidation of power and inflation of numbers to shareholders are the only things that matters now.

[@skulltula1352]

Wow so much for getting Dishonored 3 thanks Microsoft...

[@amarmehic5953]

They only shut down Arkane austin, dishonored was made by Arkane Lyon

[@lorddrifter7296]

Not only that they own the ip they can make another game regardless

[@CTomCooper]

@@amarmehic5953Always keep a hold on the IP. Don’t sell it out to some larger company or be beholden to a larger publisher’s every whim. Sailing on the Titanic to bask in the view and enjoy short term leisure isn’t worth it. Don’t take the trap.

[@dino-t243]

They are so tonedeaf, they are in a horrible spot right now as is. How do they think betraying their integrity is going to make gamers want to flock to xbox?

[@kenpachi1989]

What integrity? Companies don't get to be worth trillions with integrity.

[@M.Fallani]

Microsoft is becoming EA

[@neko_0sensei882]

Publishers are parasites. Their money is a devil's bargain.

[@marcosramos5117]

Not defending MS or Sony for that matter but I wonder if when it comes to meet with the studios on projects and updates and they have nothing then that weighs in on their decision? Like Arkane Austin, if MS was coming to them and asking alright guys what’s new on the list …and if they just shrug their shoulders and say “…uhh more RedFall maybe?”, then yeah MS is gonna be pissed. Gamepass is a great service and value for consumers but if you can’t keep pushing new reasons for more subscribers to join then it’s going to lose subs and not make any more.

[@zerohbeat]

Maybe its more to do with situations and management. Its very likely that as the leader/s of Tango Gameworks left to start their own studio/s, people left with them. Considering loyalty to people etc.. Its possible that Zenimax / Microsoft felt like closing the studio made the most sense. From the article, some studios were shut down but at least (some, most?) people were moved to other places.

[@rewpertcone8243]

Redfall only exists because higher ups forced Arkane Austin to make it to boost the stock price before Microsoft bought zenimax. Don't be fooled, who should have been fired wasn't the devs, it should have been the executives

[@lvisjo]

just a heads up, Iwata took a pay cut because he was legally obligated to do so. you can look into it a bit more in detail if you like. this still sucks tho :/

[@GrooDWanderer]

Same reason I never bought Xbox. It's not that I hate Xbox, I hate Miscrosoft.

[@Haybud]

But do you feel the same way about PlayStation? Because they just laid off 900 people and closed a larger studio than both of those Bethesda studios in February. This is an industry issue.

[@pixeljauntvr7774]

​@@Haybud Oh shut up. Whataboutism is for the brain-dead.

[@countquackula8539]

​@Haybud Playstation is still viable and selling games/systems. It's a Microsoft issue.

[@Haybud]

@@countquackula8539 I’m sorry, but if you were looking at PlayStation this year, with zero first party titles coming out, then scrambling to make third-party exclusivity deals to make up for the gap in their catalog, and their multiple missteps this year as “still viable“, I feel sorry for you. Microsoft and Sony are the exact same company right now. Both are third-party publishing, both are making terrible business decisions and limit your choices when it comes to gaming. Don’t be a bootlicker. Do better.

[@countquackula8539]

@Haybud Playstation has more exclusives than Microsoft. You're delusional. Stellar Blade and Ronin are doing big numbers in sales and user review scores. Both are exclusive to Playstation. FF7 Rebirth was critically acclaimed. Helldivers 2 is a massive hit both on PC and console. Playstation dominates the top ten best-selling charts 2024. Dogma sold way more on Playstation. What does Xbox have? No games currently, just Gamepass fluff. You're the bootlicker and reason your console is failing. Both make bad decisions, but Playstation is winning.

[@AtypicalWarrior]

Damn wtf is going on

[@daringwolverin]

Microsoft did not cancel the pve mode in overwatch 😂

[@fenrir3097]

Western videogame crash in the horizon.

[@ironmaidenmetalgod]

Guess what happens when you push shitty games on good devs and the good ones straight to gamepass. Why is no money coming in?

[@andreivanovich6007]

I think i'll boycott Windows OS, fuck Microsoft! i'll install Linux and just play games that can work on it, if any, lol.

[@Icecreamdarknesswinz0525]

Ghost wire toykyo was decent

[@Andres.Floress]

So no evil within 3? 😩

[@kudlatykid]

for gamers! - Microsoft

[@saveversus]

Back in my 20s, my options were computers or cooking. I wanted computers, but I thought the market was saturated (back then), so I went cooking. I'm not a cook anymore, but I'm employed. Dunno if I could say that if I went computers.

[@rapidshot3033]

Hifi rush literally carried xbox 😂

[@Meep357]

The COVID bubble is bursting

[@TheKotor2309]

Corpos gonna corpo.

[@Zanzabari]

Is any job safe these days

[@blaisewallack919]

Starfailure