The recent closure of Tango Gameworks by Xbox has been the source of some speculation and possible controversy. Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios talked about some things not everyone will be ready to hear.
Booty’s words suggest, in a way that the studios shut down due to a difference in creative leadership. And although no individual names were explicitly said by him, his words hint at the departure of Tango’s founder, Shinji Mikami, as a possible factor in the decision.
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In an appearance on Variety’s Strictly Business podcast, Booty gave some additional insight into these events. While he didn’t go into any specifics, he said he was looking forward to this aspect of decision-making:
There are a lot of things that go into success for a game – what leadership do you have, what creative leadership do you have, is the team the same team that shipped something successful previously?
The Xbox chief seems to imply that Tango’s closure wasn’t solely due to financial or strategic reasons, but due to a possible lack of creative leadership. This implication has not been received well by fans and the community in general:
And we have to look at all of those things together and then ask ourselves, are we set up for success going forward? And while there may have been factors and situations that previously led to success, they may not all still be in place as you look at what you’re doing going forward.
The departure of Shinki Mikami, who was the founder of Tango Gameworks back in 2010 could have impacted the value of the studio to Microsoft. It is possible that Mikami played a significant role in the studio’s creative department.
Mikami was a great figure in gaming with contributions to iconic franchises like Resident Evil and his direction of The Evil Within. With his departure for a new venture, Booty seems to suggest that the studio’s success in the future was not guaranteed without a key leader such as Mikami.
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The Xbox chief was also quick to say that closing Tango wasn’t the only option that was considered. He used other studios like Toys For Bob as an example, saying that it became independent and secured a publishing deal with Microsoft in the same spot:
With many of our studios, we try to look at options. For example, we recently had Toys For Bob, a studio that was previously working on Call of Duty titles, go back out and become a new independent studio, and we’ve announced that we’ve got a publishing deal with them…
But even with these alternative options, Tango’s closure was finalized, leading many to believe that other underlying issues may have influenced the decision beyond just leadership changes.
The insights that Booty provided in the podcase have come after what was a pretty good Xbox Games Showcase where Mircosoft showed off its recent and upcoming projects. The showcase was well received by audiences and the community. But this news following it and the announcement of Tango’s closure has brought a bit of a sour taste.
The move to close Tango Gameworks has also brought Xbox’s strategy of how it manages its game studios into question. What Booty said about the leadership, both corporal and creative shows how important it is to have a sturdy and solid rock-like person at the helm of your company.
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A great example of this is Hidetaka Miyazaki over at FromSoftware who is arguably one of the most revered and loved personalities in gaming.
The praise that he gets for being a visionary is completely accurate and deserved too. And you don’t even have to look far, Elden Ring just got its first DLC, and it’s already the highest-rated one ever made.
And so. Going forward, the words spoken by Matt Booty don’t quite give us the confidence that we want. Instead, it might even seem to the audiences that Xbox’s decision-making lacks the nuance and appreciation for the unique strengths of game studios. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!
