News Tango Gameworks Founder Thought Studio 'Would Be Safe' At Xbox Thanks To Hi-Fi RUSH

[admin]

​

Hi-Fi RUSH felt like a huge hit for Xbox in early 2023, but even a critical darling like that didn't help Tango Gameworks survive at Microsoft. Of course, in the end the team was picked up by Korean publisher Krafton, so things have worked out okay - but the team's original founder thought they'd always be safe at Xbox.

Speaking in a new interview with IGN, Tango's legendary founder Shinji Mikami talked a little bit about the studio, and Hi-Fi RUSH of course. Mikami said that he thought the team — which he left in 2023 — "would be safe as long as they continued to make Hi-Fi Rush games". He says the game's success was one of the reasons he left.

"I had thought the studio would be safe as long as they continued to make Hi-Fi Rush games. That's one of the reasons I left Tango Gameworks. So I was surprised when the studio was closed down.
Now Krafton has taken over the business, so I feel like it worked out well in the end. I was reminded that if you make a good game, someone will pick it up. The hard work of the Hi-Fi Rush development team led to a new chapter for the company. I think that for a development studio, making a good game is more directly related to survival than making a popular game."

Now, we're not sure we agree entirely with Mikami that critical success is more important than commercial success for studio survival, but either way, it is great to see Tango and the Hi-Fi RUSH IP stay alive in what's been a turbulent year for the Japanese developer.

Before Tango left Xbox, it did provide one last update for the popular rhythm action game, which we'll drop the details of down below. It's expected that Tango, alongside new publisher Krafton, will develop a sequel in the coming years.