Heisenberg007
Gold Journalism
I bet nobody saw that coming. 
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Microsoft Closes Redfall Developer Arkane Austin, HiFi Rush Developer Tango Gameworks, and More in Devastating Cuts at Bethesda
- Thread starter Thick Thighs Save Lives
- Start date
- News
Unknown Soldier
Member
Most intelligent people have been saying for years that Xbox isn't profitable and has been constantly subsidized by the rest of the company. Before, MS was happy to do this because costs were low and the perceived benefit to the company's consumer facing reputation was worth the small losses.
That was before MS spent $7 billion to acquire Zenimax and $70 billion to acquire Activision Blizzard. Now the whole company has spent a shitload of money and there is suddenly pressure on Xbox to justify such insane largesse. I can't imagine Satya being pleased with how much money Xbox makes compared to what has been spent so far.
PonyStation4
Member
Hi Fi Rush
Ghostwire
Evil Within
Were all owned by Zenimax and now Microsoft. Closing vs selling Tango had nothing to do with IP ownership
Dirk Benedict
Gold Member
I venture The Rabbit hole
Edmund
is waiting for Starfield 7
adamsapple
Hey. Saw you attacking Sony with so much gusto in that thread regarding Helldivers 2. Where's all that energy gone to now?
Varteras
Member
If these fuckers even think about touching ID...
iD is likely fine, for now. Only because Doom Eternal did well both critically and commercially. The franchise is no Fallout or Elder Scrolls, but I do think it's substantial enough. But, any Zenimax studio that is not Bethesda is not really safe. Not unless it manages to create another truly big franchise.
Likely any one of them is a commercial disappointment away from being closed, consolidated, or spun off. In fact, my money for who goes down next from Zenimax is on Indiana Jones bombing commercially and Machine gets folded.
Esppiral
Member
You know what? While this is super shit, if people stopped shitting on every single game MS publish and had buy them instead maybe, just maybe they wouldn't have closed those studios.
How many of you crying right now bought any of those games, prettsure less than 5% how many of you shit on them without even playing them, probably 95%.
Hellblade is gonna sell like shit and being criticized to death just because is MS exclusive (for now..) don't be surprised if Ninja Theory comes next.
Stop being hypocrite.
That does NOT excuse their closure, but it didn't help for sure....
How many of you crying right now bought any of those games, prettsure less than 5% how many of you shit on them without even playing them, probably 95%.
Hellblade is gonna sell like shit and being criticized to death just because is MS exclusive (for now..) don't be surprised if Ninja Theory comes next.
Stop being hypocrite.
That does NOT excuse their closure, but it didn't help for sure....
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ChorizoPicozo
Member
let me guess... you believe in the "Xbox Tax"
Varteras
Member
Are you blaming gamers in general for the failure of Xbox?
MS has trained their customers to not buy games.
Haint
Member
There's no way they were losing money on Tango given it's relatively small size and how notoriously low Japanese salaries are. It wasn't even an opportunity cost reassessment as the amount of capital was so pitiable for a company of MS's size, they quite literally spend many times more on toilet paper and artisanal concessions annually. Really bizarre decision, you have to imagine there was a Konami ----> Kojima Productions style exodus with Mikami now funded by Daddy Warbucks Tencent.
Arkane is understandable as Redfall took forever, was comically bad, and Austin is only slightly less expensive than the coastal epicenters. Surprised they even waited a year to do it.
Arkane is understandable as Redfall took forever, was comically bad, and Austin is only slightly less expensive than the coastal epicenters. Surprised they even waited a year to do it.
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Varteras
Member
Microsoft's goal is to wrap their development teams around huge franchises. The same way Activision was. If you're not the primary studio behind those pillars and you're either not a studio they can utilize to support them, or they don't think you have what it takes to make a breakout hit for them, you're probably gone. My guess is Microsoft didn't feel Tango fit any of those criteria.
Haint
Member
A) That is antithetical to the Gamepass business model and B) they gain absolutely nothing closing a hundred man studio that costs like $80K a head to operate. Doing so does not advance a tentpole franchise strategy in any capacity. That amount of money (Tangos operational cost) is as inconsequential to MS as a penny is to you or me. It literally won't even fund a single COD CG marketing trailer.
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Klayzer
Member
It's always hilarious watching the Team Green rally, when there's negative Xbox news.
Vroadstar
Member
Dr.brain64
Member
I blame Phil for everything.
Varteras
Member
The Gamepass business model hasn't worked anyways. You're assuming they aren't pivoting even on that front and refocusing on actually selling games that make money. "They gain absolutely nothing closing them"... yet they did. Tango didn't fit what they want. Clearly. I mean, we can make up conspiracy theories but juicy drama is less likely than a much more simple business decision based on new goals.
We've had numerous reports and claims of Gamepass money drying up. Even in the e-mail, they say it OUT LOUD about the kinds of games they are focusing on:
"These changes are grounded in prioritizing high-impact titles and further investing in Bethesda’s portfolio of blockbuster games and beloved worlds which you have nurtured over many decades".
They are telling us right there. If you're not making Fallout, Elder Scrolls, or Doom, you're probably toast.. Who got closed or consolidated? Four studios that made nothing, nothing impactful, total flops, or mobile games.
And they're almost certainly not done. If Indiana Jones bombs, and it probably will, you can count on Machine being gone. If Blade flops, you can count on the rest of Arkane being gone.
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Negotiator101
Member
Stupid ass gif because you can't string a sentence together. Care to point out the fanboy statement I made? If you actually had a clue how a business is run you'd realise everything I said is correct.
yazenov
Gold Member
Darkness_Arises
Member
Where are you from? In the UK, Sony advertises the shit out of their AAA hard hitters. Not just on Youtube or TV but huge posters on trams and buses.
xrnzaaas
Member
this dudes usually have some good insight
yeah...i dont think there is a single mentally sound individual defending/spinning what just happened. There are people trying to blame the industry tho. Of course that's a stupid read; this is solely on Xbox shitty strategy.
I said many times that xbox is fuuuucked (@ZehDon). But after listening to that podcast. which (@Jigsaah should take a listen)...The situation is beyond fucked. At this point, people just need to pray they don't fuck up CoD.
CoD is already struggling with quality and last year's MW3 release was one of the low points. Unfortunately the publisher keeps getting free passes, because there are still millions of people buying a new CoD every year no matter how good or bad it is. It definitely doesn't help that Battlefield series is also in pretty bad state, so there's no strong alternative.
Kataploom
Gold Member
My assumption is the closure doesn't have to do with studio performance but with Shinji Mikami leaving, somehow, because I don't see any other possible reason, MS needs games that produce results and Tango was giving them that, so whatever happened, it had to be something else than studio performance
spons
Member
*turns on Champions League match anywhere in Europe as watched by tens of millions*
SONY SONY PLAYSTATION WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS ALOY GOD OF WAR MY BOY
DForce
NaughtyDog Defense Force
What?
You don't remember Sony got Ben Steller, LeBron James, and John Travolta to make an ad for God of War Ragnarok?
There are always ads for PlayStation's big titles. Microsoft?
There were ads for Starfield and Halo Infinite.
They also market he hell out of game pass, but that appears to have slowed down this year.
Unknown Soldier
Member
LMAO why would anyone have bought those games when they could be played for free on Gamepass?
This is a suicide by MS, gamers buy plenty of games on PS and Switch
Heaven Angel
Member
Xbox have to do this just before Hellblade 2, an actual AAA game after maybe months from them.
Negotiator101
Member
No they didn't, HiFi Rush did nothing in terms of sales (it's on Steam) or engagement. Ghostwire tokyo again similar situation and that came out on PlayStation as well.
GHG
Member
Yep, Satya has been sold a dream by Phil that isn't possible, and even if it were, he certainly isn't capable of delivering on it's premise.
Bernardougf
Member
MS/Xbox fans are just genius...
"Gamepass is awsome! I can play anything I want for almost no cost since I stacked up 1 dollar subs!!"
Also ...
" Why dont anyone buy games anymore ??? Studios are failing and is your fault!! "
This has to be the worst, stupidest and most apologetic fanbase of all time. No contest.
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Robb
Gold Member
That’s consolidation for you. I guessed this would happen and I’m thinking it won’t stop here..
Tango really, really sucks though. Hi-Fi Rush is the best thing to come out of MS in the last decade.. But of course we can’t have nice things, leave it to MS to screw everything up yet again.
Tango really, really sucks though. Hi-Fi Rush is the best thing to come out of MS in the last decade.. But of course we can’t have nice things, leave it to MS to screw everything up yet again.
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Nydius
Member
It’s almost as if Microsoft spending literal years conditioning their fans to NOT buy games and pay pennies-on-the-dollar to play them on Game Pass is coming back to bite them in the ass.
Funny how your entire rant blames everyone else but the sales failures are entirely due to Xbox “fans” and their “GaMe PaSs WhEn?!” mentality.
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FunkMiller
Gold Member
chilichote
Member
I don't think that could have been summed up better^^
Bernardougf
Member
So what you are saying is that Ms/Xbox leadership/PR , as usual, were blatant liars about the success of Hi-Fi rush ? And the game was in fact a failure ....and they really dont care at all about smaller games, freedom of development and gamepass being a platform for their smaller creative studios (as Phil said) .... Can you at least admit that ?
GHG
Member
Don't underestimate what remains of Xbox fandom.
FunkMiller
Gold Member
Bernardougf
Member
The word you are looking for is "evangelised"
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YeulEmeralda
Linux User
Paying 60 billion for Activision woke up the shareholder dragon. Now Xbox has to start making money.
GHG
Member
It's the embodiment of the persecution complex. Siege mentality 101.
These guys will never admit that it's the company's fault and that they support a company who have proven time and time again that they are shit at this business.
It's everyone else's fault. It's GAF's fault, it's the general consumers fault, it's the fault of the gaming press, it's Sony's fault. The world is against Xbox, the world doesn't give Xbox a chance and never gave Xbox a chance.
It's now reached a point where calling that kind of behaviour insane is an insult to people who are legitimately clinically insane.
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TrippleA345
Member
Darkness_Arises
Member
John Johaanas, the guy who actually directed the games Mikami "executive produced" was also fired. So no, there was no mass exodus of talent, MS literally cannot recognize or retain talent. Meanwhile Booty, Greenberg and Phil still have a job. Ms Bond is atleast not a top tier retard like these three gentlemen, though she is also in no way fit to run a game company.
Zheph
Member
No, he is really consistent
Vroadstar
Member
Destroying the industry? How's that? In Microsoft case they are giving these Studios financial stability and letting them create without the burden of paying the bills.
Also from Phil Spencer, We have a service that is financially viable, meaning it makes money, in Game Pass. We’ve put a lot of money into the market, over a billion dollars a year supporting third-party games coming into Game Pass
Over 1 Billion to funding third-party games is not how you destroy an industryQuite the opposite
This comment in the Embracer thread aged like a fine carton of milk left out in the sun during a heatwave. Who would’ve thought that he would be gracing us with his presence here after the closure announcements? Truly, a momentous occasion!
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Skifi28
Member
We have been saying this for years, but we were fanboys. "Sales don't matter" , I have stacked up gamepass for a decade" , "No gamepass no buy". It was clear where things were eventually heading, but it's sad that after reaching this point some people still refuse to see it.It’s almost as if Microsoft spending literal years conditioning their fans to NOT buy games and pay pennies-on-the-dollar to play them on Game Pass is coming back to bite them in the ass.
Funny how your entire rant blames everyone else but the sales failures are entirely due to Xbox “fans” and their “GaMe PaSs WhEn?!” mentality.
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