Xbox: the closure of Bethesda’s studios has damaged Microsoft’s credibility irremediably

The news of closure of four Bethesda studios from Microsoftspecifically Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Games and Roundhouse Studios, has caused a sensation among Xbox players, or rather enthusiasts, those who follow the gaming scene with interest (I doubt that the average player knows what Tango Gameworks is or even knows Hi-Fi Rush or Prey), considered by some to be an unforgivable move for him undermined trust in the Green Cross ecosystem by Microsoft.

The move has consequently been widely discussed online in recent hours from various angles of observation, among angry users and professionals who have openly criticized Microsoft’s decision, see the dissent Dinga Bakaba, creative director of Arkane Lyon, who asked to consider the human side of the story for the developers, or the accusations made by Forbes, which defined the Xbox management as unreliable. There are also those who invite calm and reflection, such as the former president of Blizzard Mike Ybarra, who took the defense of Phil Spencer (the head of Xbox), and Thomas Mahler, boss of Moon Studios (the studio responsible for Ori and the Blind Forest and No Rest for the Wicked), who, while not appreciating the maneuver, still invites us not to embrace the “culture of anger” without knowing all the background information on the matter.

Xbox preaches well and scratches badly?

Indeed, the question could be analyzed from various points of view, even from that of Xbox, albeit superficially. Thanks to the purchasing campaign of recent years, the gaming division of the Redmond giant has reached a huge workforce and boasts many studios under its wing. When we are asked from above to reduce costs, we start from what is considered superfluous, that which does not generate profit or it could even cause losses, without looking at anyone (because yes, companies aim for profit and are based on cold numbers, they are not non-profit organizations). From this perspective, the closures of Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin make perfect sense: the former with The Evil Within and Ghostwire Tokyo (Hi-Fi Rush, on the other hand, would be a “great success” for Microsoft, but I’ll come back to it later) has never moved great numbers or received who knows what appreciation, while we owe Arkane Austin an excellent but commercially irrelevant Prey and a sensational flop like Redfall.

However, I believe that all these reasonings should not be of any interest to the player, who, being neither a shareholder of Microsoft nor a former employee of the closed studios, should limit himself to evaluating only the result and the considerations that concern him: the closed studios no longer exist and , as long as their IPs remain in the hands of Microsoft, we will probably never see a sequel to Hi-Fi Rush or a game as unique in its own way as Prey from Arkane Austin, and that in fact the actions of the Xbox division do not coincide with the words and promises made by Phil Spencer and his companions in recent months and years, either because they were circumstantial or because they were actually felt but not respected by the top management of Microsoft (which would be even more serious, given that it means that from the top of the company there is no ‘is the utmost confidence in the Xbox project).

Let’s just give a couple of practical examples that perfectly fit the story. You will definitely remember the Redfall flop, released in such poor condition that it casts doubt on the future of Arkane Austin. Yet at the time Phil Spencer, during a live broadcast where he had made a mea culpa, had declared: “they are a very talented team – I love that team, and I still love them, and I will absolutely bet on them to make another great game”.

Instead, if Aaron Greenberg is to be believed, the closure of Tango Gameworks is inexplicable, considering that “Hi-Fi Rush was a huge success in all key metrics and expectations” for Microsoft, very satisfied with the studio’s work. Or, again, let’s remember the words of Sarah Bond, current president of Xbox, on how the company had learned the lesson from the closure of Lionhead Studios (authors of Fable).

All statements that have aged badly and now come back like a boomerang, denting Xbox’s credibilityat least in the eyes of enthusiasts, and honestly it is difficult for me to blame those who now look with suspicion at the other promises made by Spencer and co during the famous live broadcast clarifying the future of Xbox a few months ago (which left many with more doubts than anything else ), where topics such as the importance of exclusives, hardware and Game Pass were touched on as key points of the strategy for the future of the Xbox ecosystem.