Microsoft says it wants video games like Hello-Fi Rush the day after killing its studio

At present, someday after Microsoft introduced that it might shut down 4 of its video games studios, Matt Booty, head of Xbox Sport Studios, held a city corridor to debate the division’s future targets. “We’d like smaller video games that give us status and awards,” Booty instructed staff, in line with inside remarks shared with The Verge.

For some listeners on the decision, it was a shocking purpose: Microsoft had simply shut down the Japanese developer Tango Gameworks, which was coming off the small, prestigious hit title Hello-Fi Rush.

Hello-Fi Rush, which was a shock launch final yr, was praised for its innovation and appeal. The rhythm motion sport featured music by The Black Keys and 9 Inch Nails, with an artwork fashion that evoked the hyper-stylized video games of the PS2 period. Simply 4 months after its launch, Hello-Fi Rush hit 3 million gamers. Throughout the 2023–2024 awards season, the sport went on to win a Sport Award, a Sport Builders Alternative award, and a BAFTA.

Whereas Microsoft hasn’t shared gross sales knowledge, it was apparently pleased with the sport. When rumors swirled that it wasn’t doing properly commercially, Aaron Greenberg, vp of Xbox video games advertising, wrote on X that Hello-Fi Rush “was a get away hit for us and our gamers in all key measurements and expectations.”

By all accounts, together with Microsoft’s personal, Tango Gameworks made a success and one thing wholly in contrast to something it’s made earlier than. Earlier than Hello-Fi Rush, Tango Gameworks was identified completely for its survival horror video games, together with The Evil Inside collection and Ghostwire: Tokyo. In an interview with Kinda Humorous Video games, Xbox head Phil Spencer spoke about how vital it was for Xbox to permit studios to make video games outdoors their consolation zones.

“I wish to give the groups the artistic platform to go and push their capacity, push their aspirations,” Spencer mentioned.

Hello-Fi Rush additionally represented Microsoft’s dedication to bringing Japanese exclusives to the console. In an interview with Sport Watch, a Japanese online game media outlet, Spencer praised Hello-Fi Rush for its “prime quality” and mentioned that gamers might “count on” to see extra AAA titles from Japan, evoking the times when Misplaced Odyssey and Blue Dragon have been each exclusives on the Xbox 360. “Whereas there are titles we are able to’t announce but,” Spencer mentioned within the September 2023 interview, translated by VGC, “we’re presently growing new video games in collaboration with Japanese corporations.” It’s value questioning if that’s nonetheless the plan now that Tango is shut down.

Proper now, small single-player video games like Hello-Fi Rush are having an enormous second. Balatro, a poker roguelike made by a single developer, offered over 1 million copies in its first month. Manor Lords, one other solo-dev undertaking in early entry on Steam, has additionally offered over 1 million copies. Hades 2 simply launched in early entry and doubled its predecessor’s all-time peak participant depend on Steam in a single day. Even the unique Hades is climbing again up the Steam charts, breaking its all-time peak participant depend report simply immediately nearly 4 years after its preliminary launch.

Whereas we don’t know precisely what gross sales targets Microsoft had for Hello-Fi Rush, clearly there’s a demonstrated urge for food for this type of sport, with Tango Gameworks positioned completely to ship it. In truth, in line with a report from Bloomberg, Tango Gameworks was within the technique of pitching a sequel to Hello-Fi Rush earlier than it obtained shut down.

With Hello-Fi Rush, Tango Gameworks gave Microsoft simply what Booty says he desires: a small, creatively distinctive, extremely praised, award-winning sport. Booty’s feedback, then, counsel that Xbox’s leaders couldn’t acknowledge what that they had on their palms — or just didn’t know make the most of the success they have been looking for out.

We reached out to Microsoft for remark.