Earlier this week, Xbox closed four Bethesda studios, including Redfall developer Arcane Austin and Tango Gameworks, the team behind last year’s Hi-Fi Rush. While the four studios affected, including Mighty Doom developer Alpha Dog Games and Bethesda support studio Roundhouse Games, released a statement about the shutdown, Xbox remained silent.
However, after four days, Bloomberg’s Dina Bass interviewed Xbox President Sarah Bond and asked her about Bethesda’s closing, to which Bond cited a desire to keep the Xbox business healthy in the long run.
Here is what Bond said:
“It’s always incredibly difficult when you have to make those kinds of decisions. I go back to what I was saying about the industry, and when we look at those fundamental trends, we feel a deep responsibility to make sure the games we make, the tools we build, the services we offer when the industry isn’t growing and you’re in a transition period and this The news we announced earlier in the week is the result of our commitment to ensure the business is healthy for the long term.
“Our commitment to having our own studios and working with partners to have big and small games – we’re a platform where you can play (Grand Theft Auto), but you can also play Paulworld or you can play Call of Duty or you can play Pentium, that’s not going to change and obviously, Our commitment to Bethesda and the role it plays is a part of Xbox.
“It’s really amazing. I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to check it out. The Fallout TV show was on Amazon, and it’s great to see people fall in love with that universe but what it’s done for games, and people are going back and exploring everything within it, it’s coming later this year from Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. – I was a big Indy fan but really right now, for us and our teams, our focus is on the people affected and doing everything we can to help them through this difficult transition.
Boss specifically asked Bond about closing Tango Gameworks after the hi-fi rush. Xbox’s own agreed upon metrics, was a huge success. Bond’s answer here was less direct – you can read it in full below:
“What I really love about the games industry is that it’s a creative art form, and that means the situation and what successes are really unique to each game and studio. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. So we look at each studio, each game team, and when we’re faced with decisions like that, we go back to our long-term commitment.” The games we create, the devices we build, the services we build, and the services we build make sure we’re setting ourselves up to deliver on those promises.”
While it’s great that Bond has addressed these closures on Xbox, it still lacks the clarity you’d expect from one of the biggest companies in the games industry. Neither Microsoft nor Xbox, including Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, have yet announced the layoffs and closures in an official capacity.
For more, read about how Redfall is set to receive a big offline play update this month before Xbox shuts down Arcane Austin, and then read about how Xbox is considering bringing Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II to PlayStation 5. After that, check. Read this story about how more job cuts are happening at Xbox, and then how the company is putting Call of Duty on Xbox Game Pass along with price hikes.
What do you think of Bond’s answers? Let us know in the comments below!