Xbox executives just cannot give a straight answer to questions about Tango Gameworks

Gaming IndustryHi-Fi RushXbox executives just cannot give a straight answer to questions about Tango GameworksWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios at Microsoft Corp., speaks during a Bloomberg interview at the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on Tuesday, June 11, 2019.

Tango’s games were generally well-liked, and indeed Xbox executive Aaron Greenberg called the launch of Hi-Fi Rush (which was announced and released on GamePass on the same day) “a breakout hit for us and our players in all key measurements and expectations […] We couldn’t be happier with what the team at Tango Gameworks delivered with this surprise release.” In that context especially the closure felt like an absolutely brutal decision, one that left peers bemoaning that making a good game that sells well “will no longer keep you safe in this industry.”

For whatever reason, Tango Gameworks has become the particular focal point of these studio closures, inasmuch as it is the decision that the Xbox suits keep getting asked about. And the problem is that so far they’ve done little more than open mouth and insert foot.

President of Xbox Sarah Bond was asked about the closure in May, andspent about a minute saying absolutely nothing. Then CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencerwaffled on about"doing the right thing for the individuals on the team", how “it’s not about my PR, it’s not about Xbox PR, it’s about those teams,” and how “I have to make hard decisions that frankly are not decisions I love, but decisions that somebody needs to go make.”

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“I won’t get into the real sort of nitty gritty details on what went into the decision, mostly out of respect for the people there, just because you know, there was a lot of work that went into delivering Hi-Fi Rush, which was a great game and you know did well for us,” says Booty, and so far, so usual.

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After some more verbiage about how Microsoft has to be “forward looking” when making decisions like this, Booty then steps on a bit of a rake. “There are a lot of things that go into success for a game. You know, what leadership do you have? What creative leadership do you have? Is the team the same team that shipped something successful previously?

“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.”

(Image credit: Christian Peterson via Getty)

Shinji Mikami on stage.

What Booty is saying here seems an unmistakable reference to thedeparture of Tango founder Shinji Mikamiin early 2023, and puts the Xbox executive on some fairly questionable ground. Is Booty really trying to shift part of the blame for Tango’s closure onto Mikami’s decision to leave? Is he really saying that Tango didn’t have the leadership or team to deliver another successful game? Because that seems frankly insulting.

Or is Booty just trying to give a non-answer, listing random reasons they consider, and making things worse? Answers on a postcard to Phil Spencer’s office, please.

So expect this to rumble on, at least until someone from Microsoft says something that draws a line under it. It’s true that sometimes in cases like these, where you’re talking about a lot of people losing their jobs, the best thing to do is say nothing. But Microsoft’s people keep saying little things here and there that don’t add up, and you wonder how on Earth it could ever be this complicated. The idea that Microsoft is money-oriented is not going to surprise anyone!

What bakes my noodle is that these people are media trained out the wazoo, experienced at dealing with the press, and have enormous PR teams dedicated to honing their messaging. The Microsoft executives must know this question is coming in every interview now, yet their answers make it seem like they’re either unprepared, inarticulate, or just verbalising a shrug emoji. No-one expects these people to come out and wear a hairshirt. But it would be nice if, sometimes, they spoke to the audience like adults.

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