Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know that Xbox has acquired a lot of studios this week after the ZeniMax deal finally got approved. One of those studios is Tango Gameworks, who are most notably known for working on The Evil Within series.
Featuring a lot of Japanese talent, Spencer believes the studio is a "great step" in securing a foothold in Japan, a market which for a while now has been very PlayStation focused. During yesterday's roundhouse discussion about the acquisition, Spencer commented on his desire for a "first-party presence in Japan" (transcribed thanks to VGC).
“I’m ready to go to Tokyo, to go see Tango [Gameworks], a studio which I have such respect for [and] the history of the creations there. I’ve talked for a long time about our desire to have more of a first-party presence in Japan. This is a great step there. Thinking about the map of where these teams are, and talking about all the games they’re working on… I can’t wait to speak to the Tango team and get to know them.”
Studio founder, Shinji Mikami, also said he "look[s] forward to the inspiration that will spark from our new relationship with the people at Xbox". Currently, the studio is working on Ghostwire: Tokyo, which is a timed PS5 exclusive. Spencer has said any exclusivity deals will still go ahead, but no doubt the game will make its way to Xbox eventually.
What we really want right now is The Evil Within 3. Come on Tango, make it happen!
How do you feel about the acquisition of Tango Gameworks? Let us know in the comments below.
[source videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 10
FPS Boost for Evil Within please. It's only been a few years but the game could look better.
Lol japan is not sony focused 😂 Japan is Nintendo nation and even sonys "JRPG's" sell better in the west. But back on topic Tango games don't really make games aimed at the Japanese player, so don't know what Phil is talking about here, unless tango are going to make anime games....
Plus it takes tango 3-4 years between each game so won't be gaining much foothold
I have yet to play either game in the series, but Game Pass might be where I do whenever I finally make the jump to the service.
@UltimateOtaku91 i think the point he's trying to make is to finally have "a presence" in Japan. Which how many xbox owned studios do you know is outta Japan? 🤷🏻♂️
We all know Nintendo is king in Japan, but Microsoft gaming market is more tied with Sony's which believe it or not has a huge foot hold in Japan. Any market share Microsoft can gain in japan would be a gaming achievement haha. If Tango studios can show success drawing interest in japan then that would entice MS to acquire more studios in the region. That was his whole point he was trying to make.
And given the inconsistent quality of RE titles (though, they have been much better and generally great lately) and the RE franchise feeling more like a PS franchise, it's nice to have The Evil Within.
It's just a shame we can't get Project Zero and Silent Hill revived properly.
It cannot be overstated how big a deal it is to have Mikami on board. The guy is literally a gaming legend, and one of the most prominent names in game development, let alone Japan. But, while it does give Microsoft as strong a foothold as they've ever had, I'm still not sure it's going to be enough to win over Japanese players. Microsoft have teamed up with big name Japanese devs before (I'm thinking specifically of Sakaguchi) and it barely made a dent. I know this isn't necessarily the point Spencer or the article is making, but if Microsoft really want to make some ground in Japan, the guy they need is Kojima. Love him or hate him, there is no other developer Japan respects more than Kojima, simply because he's a perfectionist and obsessed with detail. If Microsoft can rope him in, their fortunes in Japan would change dramatically.
Shinji Mikami is God-tier. I'm interested in anything that guy gets his hands on. Cannot wait to see Tokyo Ghostwire and beyond
I don't do horror at all so it's not a studio that interests me personally, however it's a joyous moment to see Microsoft fawning over moving into Japan and acquiring Japanese developers the very same month Sony shut down their entire Japanese studio short of the Astrobot part, and the GT team.
@Richnj Why do you think RE feels like a PS franchise?
I don’t think Playstation has had a exclusive RE game since the Outbreak games on PS2.
@JoakimZ Probably because the franchise did start on PS, it did have a lot of PS exclusives before it hit another console, and during the 7th gen, the PS3 was the best place to play the RE games (it had the original trilogy, the ports of the chronicles games, and the motion controls on RE5).
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