Microsoft’s shuttering of 4 of its recreation studios earlier this month prompted a barrage of adverse responses from across the video games business. In a current city corridor, head of Xbox Sport Studios Matt Booty made a curious remark, in keeping with The Verge: “We want smaller video games that give us status and awards.”
Some builders on the decision expressed shock at this assertion, provided that it lately shut down a number of studios which have a monitor file of doing simply that. For instance, final 12 months’s Hi-Fi Rush received many awards from a wide range of sources, together with Greatest Audio Design (The Sport Awards), Greatest Audio (Builders Selection Awards), and a BAFTA for Animation.
Many observers within the gaming business had been upset when the sport’s developer, Tango Gameworks, was impacted by Xbox’s studio closures. Although the gross sales information for the sport will not be public, Xbox representatives issued public statements expressing satisfaction with the sport, with VP of Xbox video games advertising and marketing Aaron Greenberg calling it “a get away (sic) hit for us and our gamers in all key measurements and expectations.” This got here shortly after it was reported that Hi-Fi Rush had undersold.
Former Tango workers weren’t shy about responding to this information, with Hi-Fi Rush director John Johanas posting the above screengrab from the sport to specific his emotions. Tango Gameworks wasn’t the one acclaimed studio shut down by Xbox. Although Arkane Austin’s newest recreation, Redfall, was a important and business catastrophe, the studio developed Prey (2017), which is broadly thought of the most effective “immersive sims” ever.
As such, it is easy to see why these laid-off builders are questioning what precisely their former boss is getting at with these behind-the-scenes statements, provided that they chafe with the current layoffs. As for Hi-Fi Rush, you may play it on Xbox Sport Go.