In an unexpected move, Microsoft decided to close several Xbox studios, including Tango Gameworks. The Japanese company was in the spotlight thanks to the excellent reception of Hi-Fi RUSH, a title that was not enough to convince the tech giant to keep the company in its portfolio of developers.
Fortunately, Tango Gameworks received a new opportunity, as Krafton decided to pay an undisclosed amount to take control and acquire the rights to Hi-Fi RUSH. It's logical to think that Krafton wants to make a sequel and cash in on an almost guaranteed success.
However, we know that’s not entirely the case. The company made it clear that Hi-Fi RUSH 2 wouldn't generate the profits they are looking for, and there are other significant reasons why they decided to pay for the renowned Japanese studio.
Hi-Fi RUSH 2 is not the reason Krafton bought Tango
Changhan Kim, executive manager of Krafton, explained the reasons they decided to buy Tango Gameworks. He made it clear it wasn't for financial reasons, as he believes Hi-Fi RUSH 2 wouldn’t generate the profits they are seeking. In reality, the acquisition was for creative reasons and to preserve the legacy represented by the studio founded by Shinji Mikami. Thus, he wants the studio to continue harnessing its talent and create interesting titles for players, regardless of whether they are commercially successful.
“We wanted to maintain their legacy. Although they did not have a big success in their games, we saw many creatives worth pursuing. That’s why we wanted to work with that organisation. We can’t acquire Tango Gameworks based on their financials or their numbers, right?” he explained. “We don’t think Hi-Fi RUSH 2 is going to make us money, to be frank. But it’s part of our attempt. We have to keep trying [to develop games] in the spirit of challenge-taking," stated the executive.
He added that Tango has been distinguished as a very creative company always willing to venture into new spaces. For this reason, they are willing to support them and take risks if necessary. From his perspective, this process is essential to achieving success. That being said, he also doesn’t want Tango to become a debt factory for Krafton, so he seeks to at least recover the production costs of their projects.
“Just recoup the production costs, please, is what I say. But that in itself is a pretty big challenge. If you try doing that, you might actually land a big hit. I don’t trust people who say ‘oh, this is going to be a hit.’ I want someone who can try something new.
“The big hit shouldn’t be your goal. If you think about it that way, Hi-Fi RUSH might have brought in a little bit of a minus in terms of the financials, but it’s a team that should be encouraged to create something new and continue their journey. We want to have more teams like that under our umbrella,” Kim concluded.
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