Summary
Krafton stepped in and acquired the shuttered Tango Gameworks because of the studio’s strong identity, and because each of Tango’s games has unique core elements. Krafton isn’t interested in acquiring studios that create derivative games.
In a lengthy interview withGamesIndustry.biz, Krafton’s head of corporate development Maria Park explained why the publisher was so eager to acquire Tango following the announcement that Microsoft was shutting down the studio.
“When we heard Tango Gameworks was facing shutdown, our team immediately flew over to Tokyo,” she began. “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…”
Tango Only Makes Unique Games
Park went on to speak about how Krafton’s criteria for acquisition include innovation and creativity, stressing that unique innovative gameplay is the publisher’s “number one priority.” While looking at Tango, Krafton was able to identify each of the studio’s games was “unique in their own way.”
She added that Krafton has been looking into expanding into the Japanese market for some time, but the challenge was that a lot of the small-to-medium-sized studios operated under a for-hire model, and Krafton wanted a studio that had more of a core identity.
Park adds to this later in the interview, saying innovation “…doesn’t necessarily mean the game has to be a new genre, but it has to have core elements that are unique from existing gameplay experiences. We don’t want to just replicate successful games.”
Tango Gameworks is the latest in Krafton’s rapidly expanding portfolio, which includes Striking Distance Studios, Unknown Worlds Entertainment and Neon Giant. According to Park, between 70-80 of the 100 employees working for Tango before Microsoft shuttered the studio have been rehired by Krafton.
As the intellectual property rights for Hi-Fi Rush were included in the acquisition, Krafton is happy to allow Tango to continue working on Hi-Fi Rush 2 when all of the legalities have been ironed out with Microsoft.
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.
