The past week has been one of the most interesting set of few days that gamers got to witness this year. Not only the PC gaming community was able to put a stop to one of the most controversial moves ever made by Sony, but Microsoft has announced how it is closing down several beloved game studios, putting many fans in disbelief.
One of the studios shut down during the lay-off was Tango Gameworks, who were responsible for the famous Hi-Fi Rush title. What makes the situation more infuriating for fans is how a remark made by one of the heads implies there is a need for more games like the one stated here, just a day after choosing to put an end to its developing studio.
Xbox Head Calls For More Titles Like Hi-Fi Rush
The news of the 4 game studios under Xbox shutting down has been hard on many fans, and the remarks given by the head of the Xbox Game Studios couldn’t have possibly come at a worse time. As noted by The Verge, Matt Booty, the stated head, called for an internal meeting with the employees to discuss what the future holds, stating “We need smaller games that give us prestige and awards“.
This statement could possibly set off many fans because Hi-Fi Rush was a smaller game that turned out to be a big hit and brought with itself much ‘prestige and awards‘. Additionally, there remains no doubt that the studio held way more potential to get even better results next time, but unfortunately had the shutter closed on them before they could cater to their fans once again.
Furthermore, it is not only Tango Gameworks that despite having released splendid titles in the past, have been shut down, as Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Games have faced the same treatment from Microsoft.
Why The Timing Couldn’t Have Been Worse For Microsoft
For the first time in a while, Xbox held a good position over its Sony counterpart after the company started receiving criticism for implementing a PSN account mandate for Helldivers 2 players on PC. However, a day after PlayStation retracted their announcement, news broke how many studios under Microsoft would be shutting down, unfortunately shifting the focus of an already frustrated gaming community towards them.
On top of all the disapproval of the fans who refuse to believe there was a need for the stated studios to be shut down, Xbox does not have anything going for itself right now. One of the few planned exclusives scheduled to be released this year is the upcoming Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, which is going to be launched more than 5 months into 2024, and it will be a while before another title comes out for players to enjoy.
Hi-Fi Rush is available to purchase on Steam.
