Earlier this year,Microsoftunceremoniouslyshuttered an industry icon in Tango Gameworksas part of a wider cost-cutting exercise. The move was met with sheer dismay from the wider gaming community.
However, a few months after its closure,PUBGpublisher Krafton swept in to save the day,acquiring the Japanese developer from Microsoft.
Now, following last month’s purchase, Krafton CEO Changhan ‘CH’ Kim has spoken out, sharing details of the acquisition and what it means going forwards.
“We Wanted To Maintain Their Legacy”
Speaking toGame Developer, Kim shared that Krafton’s acquisition from Microsoft was a “last-minute deal” put together to maintain Tango Gameworks' legacy.
While the deal to purchase Tangodidn’t include all of its IP, Krafton saw the value in the belovedHi-Fi Rush, carving out a specific deal for that property. However, while it was keen on purchasing the IP along with the studio, Krafton doesn’t believe that a sequel to the game will be groundbreaking in terms of the company’s finances.
“We don’t think Hi-Fi Rush 2 is going to make us money, to be frank,” Kim said, adding instead that “It’s part of our attempt. We have to keep trying [to develop games] in the spirit of challenge-taking.”
We don’t think Hi-Fi Rush 2 is going to make us money, to be frank.
Kim’s candidness in the Game Developer interview is refreshing, given the stream of lay-offs this year as companies seek for lines on their graphs to continue going up. “Just recoup the production costs, please,” he said, continuing, “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.”
He continues to share his vision for Krafton, telling Game Developer, “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.”
Hi-Fi Rush
WHERE TO PLAY
Hi-Fi Rush, from Ghostwire: Tokyo developers Tango Gameworks, is a 2023 action game that focuses on rhythm as a core gameplay mechanic. As Chai, you must take on the nefarious megacorp that created your cybernetic arm.
