The devastating news that Microsoft is leaving the Xbox team after destroying several of its studios in one fell swoop. No one is safe – Xbox Series X | Yes

• What now after the closure of the authors of Hi-Fi Rush and Redfall?

The video game industry today lives in conditions frightening paradox it seems like it will never end. We keep getting amazing games while we keep seeing thousands of creatives lose their jobs. Because the story with Xbox, which suddenly Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks have closed downit’s nothing more than terrible business philosophy which was created by the vast majority of multinational corporations. “I ask permission to be human,” said director Arkane Lyon; and it’s a devastating message. How can we ask a team of artists to be creative and try to push video games forward by creating new forms of entertainment if we are constantly They live in fear of losing their jobs

because “maximizing shareholder value” prevails.not the health or well-being of employees.

It never hurts to remember the words of the long-awaited President of Nintendo: Satoru Iwatawhich has already warned that layoffs “to improve financial results in the short term” This would be a disaster for any team..

“Their morale will drop, and I sincerely doubt that workers who are afraid of losing their jobs will be able to develop games that can surprise players.” Satoru Iwata

Xbox becomes Xbox’s worst enemy

This leads me to talk specifically about the Xbox case. Put yourself in the shoes of I don’t know people Ninja theory it’s almost something new Hellblade 2or command Obsidianwho is preparing an RPG Recognized. What message did Microsoft just give you? That no one is safe. That it doesn’t matter what your game is unanimously recognized as one of the best of the year, as happened with Hi-Fi Rush, or that you created real masterpieces such as the incredible Prey from Arkane. If the day of reckoning comes and you haven’t made millions and millions of dollars in profit, say goodbye, you’re done. And it’s a devastating message.

Microsoft just dropped a bomb on its own home with Collateral damage it affects the morale of their own teams and the players themselves because at least for me, an Xbox fan since the day they released their first console, they made me remember the darkest times when instead Continue supporting all those the teams that brought us such great games as Crimson Skies, Age of Empires or Fable, they dedicated themselves to closing them down one by one. The result of this policy? Years without cool exclusives because obviously there was no one to do them.

A scenario that already seemed surpassed under the direction of Phil Spencer, which for many years has been engaged in the restoration of the old Microsoft Game Studios. After Tango and Arkane it all went down the drain. Because trust lost in managers who, over the years, have spoken again and again about caring for creatives, supporting teams, without focusing on numbers. And right now one of his worst enemies, oddly enough, newspaper library; because even We heard them talking about how well Hi Fi Rush was selling.that “it was a great success.” So? Why are they shutting down a study that has already proven its worth in the past?

These may not be the best-selling games, but… is that the main goal? Because if so, then right now the people from Obsidian, Double Fine, inXile Entertainment and many others they must be shaking with fear. Returning to Ding Bakaba’s words, Microsoft’s mission is to “take care of the artists and those who create that entertainment, to help them create value for you. Don’t drag us into your gold rush, don’t use us as straw dolls.” for your mistakes.” If the video game industry reduces creativity to mere numbers on a spreadsheet, in a few years a real wasteland awaits us.

And this doesn’t just apply to Xbox. Today it was them, and just a few days ago it was Take Two, the one that closed several studios; and it was not so long ago PlayStation is the one that has released hundreds. We live in a dramatic situation, and although I am very optimistic by nature, we have been reading such news day after day for so long that it makes me very sad. And even the big announcements that will appear in just a few weeks will not change this sentiment, which, unfortunately, is very deeply entrenched in the hearts of thousands of video game lovers and professionals. Either this will change or the story will end badly.

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