It came as a big shock to the gaming community when Microsoft unveiled the sudden closure of Tango Gameworks. The studio had delivered some solid content and was just basking in the success of Hi-Fi Rush. However, thanks to Krafton, the studio came back to fruition, and we’re now learning why Krafton made this move.
Tango Gameworks was founded in 2010 by Shinji Mikami, a legendary icon in the industry. Not long afterward, the studio was picked up and acquired by ZeniMax Media, which, as you know, was eventually acquired by Microsoft. Over the years, Tango Gameworks delivered The Evil Within, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Hi-Fi Rush. But it was a surprise that the studio was ultimately closed down earlier this year after the incredible success Microsoft saw with Hi-Fi Rush.
However, it really came as a surprise when Krafton stepped in a few months later to acquire Tango Gameworks from Microsoft and rehired most of the original staff. It seems that some staff members found other employment during that time. Today, thanks to a gamesindustry.biz interview with the head of corporate development at Krafton, Maria Park, we’re discovering why Krafton saved the studio and staff.
Maria Park notes that once Krafton learned of Tango Gameworks’s imminent shutdown, they flew to Tokyo and spoke with the team. Initially, they hoped this studio would still have a strong will for innovation and creativity. Of course, with Shinji Mikami already leaving the studio, there were some concerns that Tango Gameworks couldn’t deliver on the front.
When we heard that Tango Gameworks was facing shutdown, our team immediately flew over to Tokyo. We recognised that Tango has this rich history of innovation and creativity, and the rarity of being a relatively small studio with a strong fandom. Initially, we weren’t sure about whether their legacy of craftsmanship and creativity could continue – especially after the departure of founder Shinji Mikami. But our visit dispelled these worries…
It was so impressive to find that they’re passionately working on their projects in such a calm manner. Almost everyone was in the office and they were showing around the projects they were working on. It was clear from their commitment and the quality of their work that Tango wasn’t just built by one legendary developer but was a product of the combined efforts and talents of the entire team. So the collective spirit is what we believe will carry Tango forward. I’m very pleased to say that most of these talented individuals have joined Krafton as of August. – Maria Park
It was only after they met with the studio and saw the various projects that their worries were lifted, and they pushed to acquire the studio. Maria went on to say that they expect Tango to focus on developing unique and innovative games going forward. That seems to be the key focus of Krafton’s purchase and all future purchases. They don’t want to just replicate popular games but be one of the trendsetters for new thrilling video game projects.
We expect Tango to focus on developing unique and innovative games as they’ve done and keep up with that creativity and craftsmanship while continuing to create games that players can be proud of and thoroughly enjoy.
We’re not going to be hands-on and tell them how it should be done. This team does best if they are given creative autonomy. Going forward we are going to give them an environment where they feel motivated and can continue making something fun and unique. – Maria Park
Of course, we’ll have to wait and see what the studio delivers next. We know that most of the Tango Gameworks team has been onboarded and is good to go. However, Microsoft and Krafton will continue to work on IP acquisitions.
