Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks shut down by Microsoft

[PlayerEmers]

i know its mostly unrelated to starfield but:



it feels like they want to give bethesda ths cod treatment: multiple studios working for a single franchise/company, doing support work on ongoing games or giving them the lead on projects

https://insider-gaming.com/next-fallout-game-come-faster/

imagine them reallocating resources from their publishing partners to bethesda projects

 

[Caim]

Didn't Hi-fi Rush greatly perform above expectations? So why dispose of them as well? Did they just not make enough money?

Because just like all CEOs, (((Aaron Greenberg))) is a professional liar.

Of course.

 

[Late Bloomer]

A f***ing gut stab’: Arkane boss criticises Microsoft execs for studio closures
Arkane Lyon boss Dinga Bakaba has publicly criticised Microsoft executives for their decision to close several studios, including its Austin studio, calling the news “a fucking gut stab”.

https://www.videogameschronicle.com...iticises-microsoft-execs-for-studio-closures/

Don’t throw us into gold fever gambits, don’t use us as strawmen for miscalculations/blind spots, don’t make our work environments darwinist jungles. You say we make you proud when we make a good game. Make us proud when times are tough. We know you can, we seen it before.

For now, great teams are sunsetting before our eyes again, and it’s a fucking gut stab. Lyon is safe, but please be tactful and discerning about all this, and respect affected folks’ voice and leave it room to be heard, it’s their story to tell, their feelings to express.

 

[tritosine2k]

....aaaand what's so good about giving id's IP to cpt. sweden? Machinegun games look like a dump.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

The fuck they thought would happen after Microsoft bought all those studios?

 

[H. P. Lovecraft's Cat]

Does M$ even have any big games coming out in the not too distant future?

Oh wait, they have Fable!

Spoiler

HYPE!

 

[Vyvian]

The fuck they thought would happen after Microsoft bought all those studios?

Fanboys and general sycophants thought every studio would have infinite money and time to do whatever they liked.
I wish I was exaggerating.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

....aaaand what's so good about giving id's IP to cpt. sweden? Machinegun games look like a dump.

Between Dumpsterfire Eternal and Quake 1 Machine campaigns, I'm glad Machine is in charge of any potential Quake sequel.

 

[911 Jumper]

Microsoft's CEO [Nadella] wanted to shut the Xbox division down in 2014. If things don't work out I can see Microsoft pulling the plug on Xbox completely. Xbox is just another tech division to Microsoft.
If I am right, Xbox has a showcase in early June. It's gonna be interesting to see how they are going to present their future plans in a way that inspires confidence in the Xbox brand.
Already seeing people saying that they are done with Xbox, cancelling Game Pass, etc in response to these closures. That now deleted Sarah Bond tweet will have undoubtedly also done more damage.

 

[Hellraiser]

To Phil Spencer Esquire,

Please put Blizzard out of its misery next. Thank you very much in advance.

Sincerely,
Hellraiser,
Self-diagnosed space autist, video game connoisseur.

 

[fizzelopeguss]

Xbox is a dead console, Wogella doesn't care about games. And after buying Activision/King zenimax are surplus to requirements.

Wouldn't be surprised if the ESO studio outlives Bethesda.

 

[SharkClub]

Oh well.

Maybe Harvey can join Wolfeye now?

Please god no, keep that soycuck away from Wolfeye, he's as bad as Sawyer nowadays.

 

[soutaiseiriron]

Tango getting cut is brutal, didn't really expect it given how Hi-Fi Rush got universal praise and considering the studio wasn't even that large. I would have expected 343 to get the axe first, not fucking Tango.
Buying a bunch of studios only to then shut them down after one release is really just peak Microsoft.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Microsoft's CEO [Nadella] wanted to shut the Xbox division down in 2014. If things don't work out I can see Microsoft pulling the plug on Xbox completely. Xbox is just another tech division to Microsoft.
If I am right, Xbox has a showcase in early June. It's gonna be interesting to see how they are going to present their future plans in a way that inspires confidence in the Xbox brand.
Already seeing people saying that they are done with Xbox, cancelling Game Pass, etc in response to these closures. That now deleted Sarah Bond tweet will have undoubtedly also done more damage.

Phil's next genius plan to save his job is turning Xbox into a handheld/hybrid type of thing. I don't know. Maybe Nadella will eventually run out of patience with Xbox.

 

[H. P. Lovecraft's Cat]

Phil's next genius plan to save his job is turning Xbox into a handheld/hybrid type of thing. I don't know. Maybe Nadella will eventually run out of patience with Xbox.

I'm not sure how he still has a job. He must give really good head.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Do we have a betting thread about which studio ends up in shallow grave first; Obsidian or InXile?

Spoiler

My hunch is InXile.

 

[Hellraiser]

Do we have a betting thread which studio ends up in shallow grave first; Obsidian or InXile?

My hunch is InXile.

Bethesda

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Do we have a betting thread which studio ends up in shallow grave first; Obsidian or InXile?

My hunch is InXile.

Bethesda

I wanted a list with studios which have made some games worth playing, and also Obsidian.

 

[Deflowerer]

Well, it's over. The Evil Within 3 will never happen.

Even if it did happen, it would be shit. Mikami left last year and took some of the developers with him. Now he has a new studio, so I guess you should look forward to whatever he's working on. He must've sensed something like this would happen, which is probably why he left.

Mikami was real hands on only with EW1.

Tango getting cut is brutal, didn't really expect it given how Hi-Fi Rush got universal praise and considering the studio wasn't even that large. I would have expected 343 to get the axe first, not fucking Tango.
Buying a bunch of studios only to then shut them down after one release is really just peak Microsoft.

My hypothesis: Zenimax maybe not been doing well enough on hitting corporate metrics to justify the acquisition price. Wouldn't even be surprised if also because Starfield was a disappointment. Tango was unfortunately part of this corporate group, so when the message gets sent that Zenimax has to get shit in order, Tango doesn't really fit the picture. Even if Tango can do 3xROI on their projects, it isn't worth in terms of volume against potential Bethesda project that does 2xROI but 5x the volume for a company like MS. So basically purely a victim of being acquired as part of Zenimax.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Do we have a betting thread about which studio ends up in shallow grave first; Obsidian or InXile?

Spoiler

My hunch is InXile.

If all Obsidian had going on for them was Avowed and TOW 2 then that'd be a safe bet for me, but Grounded is the kind of sleeper hit that will keep them afloat. InExile has a bigger chance of making a cRPG (I doubt Obsidian will ever make another one) but they're probably one flop or mediocre release away from getting the hatchet. They don't have a Grounded that seems to be a continuous stream of revenue and engagement.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

 

[Hell Swarm]

Didn't Hi-fi Rush greatly perform above expectations? So why dispose of them as well? Did they just not make enough money?

Not really? It was on Game pass so it wasn't going to sell that well on it's own merit. It's another one of those 'cool' titles like Jet Set Radio, The World ends with you that has a lot of really dedicated fans but not a lot of reach. It was praised, but the concept is really difficult for experienced players to get into let alone casuals so it was basically alienating most people trying it. Not the sort of game a big studio should be making and sure as fuck shouldn't be releasing it on game pass. Those sales really matter when you're an AA game and they didn't hit them.

Tango getting cut is brutal, didn't really expect it given how Hi-Fi Rush got universal praise and considering the studio wasn't even that large. I would have expected 343 to get the axe first, not fucking Tango.
Buying a bunch of studios only to then shut them down after one release is really just peak Microsoft.

I don't get why 343 didn't get axed. Maybe they're so small now they're worth keeping round as an infinite 'mod' scene? They're putting Infinite to rest soon with the introduction of Spartan coins. Ways to unlock older items in a rotating store and an easy way to set up looping weekly challenges. Only need some dude to grab forge maps and add them to play lists and you can put Infinite behind you now.

Would like to know what future Halo plans are. I'm guessing a free to play battle royale infinite was supposed to have is on the way. Probably using Infinites assets.

 

[Tyranicon]

Arkane Austin is getting closed down:

text

 

[Fedora Master]

You bumped the thread for th- Oh wait, that's great news, well done.

 

[911 Jumper]

Microsoft's CEO [Nadella] wanted to shut the Xbox division down in 2014. If things don't work out I can see Microsoft pulling the plug on Xbox completely. Xbox is just another tech division to Microsoft.
If I am right, Xbox has a showcase in early June. It's gonna be interesting to see how they are going to present their future plans in a way that inspires confidence in the Xbox brand.
Already seeing people saying that they are done with Xbox, cancelling Game Pass, etc in response to these closures. That now deleted Sarah Bond tweet will have undoubtedly also done more damage.

Phil's next genius plan to save his job is turning Xbox into a handheld/hybrid type of thing. I don't know. Maybe Nadella will eventually run out of patience with Xbox.

I'm of the view that all this is all a form of managed decline hence why Spencer still has a job. I don't think Microsoft entered this generation with the intention of winning the console battle. Main goal was getting into a position where MS could acquire Activision Blizzard.