Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty says the company needs more “smaller games” to give it “prestige and awards” right after shutting down Tango Gameworks. We don’t think the closure of three — technically four — studios under the Bethesda banner was anyone’s bingo card, but it happened, meaning we’ll never see a sequel to its acclaimed rhythm adventure.
A report from The Verge alleges that a town hall meeting headed up by Booty claimed that Xbox needs smaller games that net it “prestige and awards.” Obviously, this comes as kind of a bitter statement as it did have a studio that consistently turned out quality games — Tango Gameworks.
There is a hint of a tone-deaf nature to Booty’s statement, if true, as most of the studio’s library has been consistently praised, with arguably even its weakest link still retaining a healthy fanbase.
Hi-Fi RUSH was a break out hit for us and our players in all key measurements and expectations. We couldn’t be happier with what the team at Tango Gameworks delivered with this surprise release.
— Aaron Greenberg 🙅🏼♂️💚U (@aarongreenberg) April 21, 2023
Namely, though, if we’re talking “smaller games” that command “prestige and awards,” Hi-Fi Rush was a break out success by “all key measurements,” according to Xbox exec Aaron Greenberg, last year. It won awards for its hyper-stylized world and innovative gameplay. What’s more, it did all that as a stealth-drop title.
If Xbox could capture the more risk-taking nature of it, there is a lot more of a chance that it could actually command respect and really start peddling those consoles out. However, with the news of Tango’s closure, it proves how unstable the industry is as even beloved studios that produce impressive games can get shuttered.
