The closure of the four Xbox studios will certainly leave its mark for a while. Not only among the Xbox community, but also internally since these movements do not really reassure about the future of creation within the company when we know that HiFi-Rush was a success and that a sequel was in the works. development. Asked about these closures by Bloomberg, the president of Xbox dodged the subject.
It was at the Bloomberg Technology Summit that Xbox President Sarah Bond was asked by journalist Dina Bass about the closure of Xbox Studios Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog and Roundhouse Studios .
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Dina Bass : You know that at the beginning of the week, Xbox announced the closure of four video game studios. I know you're not the head of these studios, but how should we as gamers understand this decision in terms of Microsoft's commitment to developing innovative exclusive games?
Sarah Bond : Yes, you know, it's always extraordinarily difficult to make such decisions. I come back to what I was saying about the industry. When we looked at these fundamental trends, we feel a deep responsibility to ensure that the games we produce, the devices we build, the services we offer are there at all times. Even when the industry isn't growing, when you're going through a transition period. The news we announced at the start of the week is the result of this approach, of our commitment to ensuring that the company is healthy in the long term.
Sarah Bond therefore evokes a period of transition, a transition towards something that Xbox has not yet mentioned, and which we imagine to be the release of its games on PlayStation. But when the journalist asks her more specifically about the closure of Tango Gameworks, the answer is a little more evasive.
Dina Bass : I think one of the most upsetting things, both for Xbox players and for employees, is that one of the shuttered studios in particular had just made a hit game, had gotten really good results on Game Pass in terms of engagement and had won a ton of rewards. Shouldn't such success ensure the future of a studio?
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Sarah Bond : You know, one of the things I love about the gaming industry is that it's a creative art form. This means that the situation and success of each game and each studio is truly unique. For us, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. That's why we look at every studio, every game team, and we consider a whole range of factors when we have to make decisions and trade-offs like this. But it all comes back to our long-term commitment to the games we make, the devices we build, the services, and making sure we prepare to deliver on our promises.
Sarah Bond therefore does not really answer the question, but states that Xbox “focuses on those affected and does everything we can to help them through this difficult transition period”.