Xbox and its management have received a rain of criticism after the news of closure of Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin and two other teams belonging to Xbox Game Studios, Alpha Dog Games and Roundhouse Games.
The reason for the fierce dissent (expressed, albeit in a calm manner, also by the creative director of Arkane Lyon, Dinga Bakaba) is not simply due to the decisions made by the top management of the Redmond house, but rather to how these choices clash with the statements of the past months.
After the Bethesda acquisition, for example, Phil Spencer said he would go to Tokyo to meet the developers at Tango Gameworks, “a team whose creations I have great respect for: I’ve talked a lot about our desire to have more than one first party studio in Japan and this is a big step for us.”
Last year Aaron Greenberg, vice president of marketing at Xbox, said that “Hi-Fi RUSH was a real hit for us and our users, from all points of view and under every expectation. We couldn’t be happier with what the guys at Tango Gameworks were able to accomplish with this surprise launch.”
Was it really necessary?
Adam Boyes, currently Co-CEO of Iron Galaxy Studios, published in conjunction with the news of the closure of Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin a post with Microsoft’s latest financial results, which speak of an increase in revenue of 17% and as much as 21.9 billion dollars in profits.
At the same time, the well-known leaker Nick Baker wrote, ironically, that he is sure that all the remaining Microsoft staff feel extremely calm in relation to their workplace and this will produce extraordinary results when it comes to the development of future games.
The insider Klobrille, who in the most difficult and controversial moments of Xbox has never shied away from expressing his doubts, wrote that the acquisition of Activision Blizzard seems to have changed Microsoft’s attitude for the worse and to no longer recognize the brand of which he has always been a staunch supporter.
