Xbox's Matt Booty On Why They Closed Hi-Fi Rush Studio

After closing Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and folding Roundhouse into the larger Xbox brand, the leadership team has not had a ton to say on why. Why did the Hi-Fi Rush studio need to close? Well now Matt Booty on Xbox discusses that answer. In addition, the FTC trial had a small update and we talk about games skipping Xbox. What is up with that? Here's your Xbox news today!

Subscribe Here!

Join this channel to get access to perks including early access to my videos the second they're complete with ads turned off!

If you're interested you can also purchase my merch! I'm trying it out and currently have a selection of clothing as well as practical items like coffee cups and tote bags.

Sign up for a free Amazon Prime Video Trial Here!

Sign Up For Microsoft Rewards Here for Free

Try Amazon Prime Free for 30 Days

[PhxSml]

Why not just sell the studios though instead of closing them?

[BAMozzy]

On the subject of Tango, the creator of Tango, who also created Evil Within, Resident Evil and Ghostwire as well as the creative director of Ghostwire all left before Ghostwire 'launched' so they didn't have the 'creator' or 'team behind those games anymore so maybe can't rely on 'Tango' to create the games it was known for. Arkane Austin too lost a LOT of Staff - the 'team' behind Prey for example during the Redfall development as they were not happy or interested in making a 'Live Service' game.

However, Activision, who are NOW part of MS has also opened 2 Studios - Infinity Ward Austin (so yet another 'Austin' Studio) and Elsewhere Studios in Poland - which maybe logistically and financially (as Poland is cheaper than Japan) to build up and support - after all the EU has a LOT of Developers/studios to hire from and of course can get support from MS's EU studios. Being in the EU, MS can visit easier (whilst visiting 'other' studios) and communication is easier as they are not the other side of the world in a completely different time-zone.

Both Arkane and Tango also may not have had their next 'Project' even started yet and could be another 5yrs+ of funding, recruiting etc to get the 'right' team in and making games they can 'sell' to recoup costs - that 'money' maybe better utilised in their 'new' Studios and/or across their other Studios to ensure they get their games out and at the quality we expect...

[bigmadmoe]

Matt Booty Response was great Both heads left they had no leadership and hellblade still had their leader there only one guy left

[Jedi_Cowboy]

I think the studio head and others who in fact did leave Tango were the main reason for shuttering the studio. Xbox didn’t feel confident with their future and needed to save money. I agree it all sucks no matter the logic behind it. I wish all those who lost their jobs well.

[Diabolum]

I am glad to hear this statement because it corroborates what was said and done before and gives a good understanding how these decisions are made. Xbox leadership did not lie and they still keep the course they set up, Phil and co are still in control. Closing of studios is very sad and emotionally I am with you, @DestinL. But I think you are missing the picture Phil, Matt, and others were painting. The closing of the studios has little to do with the financial and reception success of their games! It has everything to do with the leadership, current and future projects, tech development, and the management of the studios. While you question how the departure of studio leader could have been a critical decision to shutter the studio when the studio delivered awesome games, it makes total sense: if there is no strong voice advocating for the FUTURE of the studio, this studio will be on the chopping block. Ninja Theory is safe, because they develop tech first, games second. Tim Shaffer's Double Fine is fine, because there is a strong leader + connection with indie community through Tim's reputation and network. I would be worried about a studio with a single project and unknown future. I want to reiterate again, the financial success of the game does not matter as much as media and outsiders think. Future is more important, not the past.

[grseen]

Still sucks that they were closed. But to play advocate, we are not privy to what they see and the information they have. It’s easy for us to say, “you’re evil, you shouldn’t have done that”. While the team that stayed was a majority, we don’t know how many of them could create and lead ideas vs executing them. The team behind Hi-Fi rush was small, we don’t know what the capacity was for them to continue previous and create bigger IP. To keep an overseas studio open for smaller games doesn’t seem financially viable when they were set for bigger output under previous leadership. Just wanted to try looking at all angles on this.

[LordRabbit]

Tengo studio closure criticism is valid, however, when London Studio shutdown and those devs were left in The cold and Sony didn’t receive half the criticism. Fans just want gaming journalists to be consistent. When you don’t, some games feel like it’s an attack on Xbox specifically.

[theoriginapalmerjd]

Tango didn't have leadership with enough experience anymore keep the studio open in xbox's eyes.

[TheMajorStranger]

That was what i assumed happened at Tango. They looked at Tango's leader and overall position. Considering Tango was the sole Xbox studio in Japan and that Shinji Mikami left they simply didn't have the kind of leadership you'd need for a studio so far removed from the rest.

[OCKP]

It's so fuckin weird Destin has been silent on all the other closures and layoffs since this last Xbox one..

[TheArchangelNexus]

From our perspective it seems like there was enough left to continue Tango. But from theirs? We see now they didn’t think so.

[hecticworld]

Tango had no leadership after the founder left and created a new studio, and some employees left with him. Hifi does not save the studio from closing, with a history of flops. Xbox does not need to include playstation until the game is coming to playstation. Sony does not include coming to pc on the trailers.

[JDwall]

2:15 can you still say it’s THAT team now though? How many people have left Tango? Didn’t some of the leadership that Mikami suggest succeed him leave as well?

[ckling]

How do you rate the success of all of the Tango games you mentioned? From what I can find The Evil Within maybe sold 1 million copies and Ghostwire Tokyo "reached" 6 million players. And we know Hi-Fi Rush didn't sell very well on PS5. So, it doesn't seem that any of their recent releases were a great financial success.

[abdel]

Matt Booty a killer! He gonna spend y’all outta business 🔥

[jermelpurse]

That is not true when you say they are responsible for three successful franchises those franchises were not financially successful. That’s what you’re missing here. You can get all the awards and accolades you want, but if you don’t sell anything, it’s hard to pay the bills then it’s hard to pay workers when you don’t bring in money. All those franchises you mentioned didn’t bring in a lot of money what are you talking about. I hate to be hypocritical here, but are you looking at the numbers the sales numbers not the review scores sales numbers you know the stuff that matters because you have to pay for another game that’s going to be produced later and if you don’t sell any copies of the first game, how are you going to make the next game?

[Atomicme]

“That team”…..how often have we heard “it’s not the BioWare/ Bethesda/ Rare (etc) of old. The creative director of Tango left, right? And 3 successful franchises? Hi Fi doesn’t qualify as a franchise yet, the evil within was not terribly successful….cmon man. It’s probably as good an answer as can be had.

[makeway]

I don’t understand how Microsoft is supposed to know on or before a game’s release date whether they might decide later to put their game on a competitor’s console. Sea of Thieves is ~7 years old and no one ever could have guessed it would top PlayStation sales charts.

[onlysublime]

so maybe the twisted pixel experience burned them enough to worry about the hi fi rush studio. because they got Twisted Pixel based on their record of titles like The Maw, Splosion Man, Gunslinger, etc. but once they were acquired, they were a bit lost with what to make and what they did make didn't get a good reception like lococycle. so they became independent again and kind of went into obscurity, making games for Oculus. That's the thing with smaller studios because they make it big because they capture lightning in a bottle but you can't keep doing that long term. Not saying that Tango Gameworks is the same. In fact, I think they should've at least been given the opportunity to develop more.

[atlien]

I didn't want Tango to shut down, but saying they had three successful franchises is a bit of a stretch. They may have been critically acclaimed, but critics don't pay the bills.