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Tango Gameworks

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Tango Gameworks
FormerlyTango K.K. (2010)
Company typeDivision
IndustryVideo games
Founded1 March 2010; 14 years ago (2010-03-01) in Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan
FounderShinji Mikami
Headquarters
Shibaura, Tokyo
,
Japan
Key people
Products
Number of employees
100[1] (2024)
ParentZeniMax Media (2010–2024)
Krafton (2024–present)
Websitetangogameworks.com

Tango Gameworks is a Japanese video game developer based in Tokyo. Founded in March 2010 by Shinji Mikami, previously of Capcom, the company was acquired by ZeniMax Media in October that year after suffering financial issues.

Tango developed survival horror games The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, action-adventure game Ghostwire: Tokyo, and rhythm-based action game Hi-Fi Rush.

Tango's parent company ZeniMax Media was acquired by Microsoft in March 2021, making Tango the first Japanese studio in Microsoft Gaming's development portfolio.[2] Microsoft closed the studio in June 2024. In August 2024, South Korean publisher Krafton announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire the studio from Microsoft for an undisclosed amount, while Tango also forged a strategic partnership with Microsoft.

History

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Shinji Mikami had been with video game developer Capcom since 1989, working on several of its franchises and creating the Resident Evil series of horror video games. Over time, Capcom grew too large for Mikami, who also wished to develop games based around concepts other than horror, as he had for Capcom. For some time, he worked on a freelance basis, directing the action game Vanquish for PlatinumGames and producing the action-horror game Shadows of the Damned for Grasshopper Manufacture. He was repeatedly inquired by Sega to develop a horror game for them, which he rejected.[3] On 1 March 2010, a 44-year-old Mikami and a team of twelve developers founded Tango in Odaiba, Tokyo, where he moved to from his previous office in Osaka.[3][4] Shigenori Nishikawa, the director of MadWorld for PlatinumGames, joined the company in May 2010.[5] Tango immediately began work on multiple projects, with a small team working for six months on a joke game that would have starred a cockroach standing on two legs and shooting a gun.[3]

Their primary project was Noah, a sci-fi open world survival-adventure game inspired by the 1984 film Dune. In this game, Earth had become mostly uninhabitable and humankind moved to other planets, where one colony loses contact with the others and a research team is tasked with finding them. Shortly after development on this game began, Tango ran into financial issues; according to Mikami, "something happened".[3] American video game publisher Bethesda Softworks stepped in to assist and had its parent company, ZeniMax Media, acquire the studio. That deal was announced on 28 October 2010.[3][6] For the acquisition, ZeniMax used a part of the US$150 million it had previously raised in private funding.[7] Mikami agreed to the acquisition because he felt Bethesda and ZeniMax would provide the "most independent" development environment for Tango.[8] The studio was merged into ZeniMax Asia K.K., ZeniMax's Asia-Pacific branch based in Tokyo's Aomi area, and reorganised as a division called Tango Gameworks.[4][6] In November 2010, composer Masafumi Takada (formerly of Grasshopper Manufacture), as well as artist Naoki Katakai and programmer Shinichiro Ishikawa (both formerly of Capcom), joined Tango.[9] By March 2012, the studio had 65 employees, with Mikami expecting to eventually grow to 100 staffers.[10]

Following the acquisition by ZeniMax, Mikami envisioned Tango to continue developing multiple games at a time. Noah was cancelled and development on another AAA project, Zwei, commenced. Initially, this game saw a man and woman chained together hunting down a vampire, with either two players controlling each character individually, or one player both simultaneously.[3] Zwei was formally announced in April 2012.[11] Over time, the game evolved into a single-player survival horror game and was retitled The Evil Within, which was announced in April 2013.[3][12] In August 2014, Tango moved from Aomi to the Shibaura district.[4] The Evil Within was released by Bethesda in October 2014.[13] It was the last game directed by Mikami, who stepped back from this role to have future Tango games provide opportunities for other people.[3] A sequel to The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, was announced at E3 2017 and released by Bethesda in October 2017.[14][15] In June 2019, during Bethesda's press conference at E3 2019, Mikami and creative director Ikumi Nakamura announced Ghostwire: Tokyo, an action-adventure game with horror elements.[16] Nakamura resigned from Tango in September 2019, leaving the studio after nine years.[17]

Tango's parent company ZeniMax Media was acquired by Microsoft for US$7.5 billion in March 2021 and became part of Microsoft Gaming.[18][19] Through the acquisition, Tango became the Xbox-maker's first development studio based in Japan.[2] In March 2022, Tango released the mobile game Hero Dice and shut it down five months later.[20] At the Xbox and Bethesda Developer_Direct on 25 January 2023, Tango Gameworks announced Hi-Fi Rush, a rhythm-action game which then released later that day.[21] In February 2023, Bethesda Softworks announced that Mikami would leave Tango Gameworks in the coming months. Mikami would later establish a new studio named Kamuy.[22]

Closure by Microsoft, acquisition by Krafton

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In May 2024, Matt Booty, Microsoft Gaming President of Game Content and Studios, announced plans to close down Tango Gameworks.[23] The closure was one of four studios that were managed under Microsoft, alongside Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Games, and Roundhouse Studios. The decision was massively panned by both fans and journalists, with criticism centering around Microsoft's decision to close the studio despite the critical success of Hi-Fi Rush.[24] The studio was closed on 14 June 2024.[25]

On 12 August 2024, South Korean publisher Krafton announced that it had acquired Tango Gameworks for an unspecified amount. The deal had gone into effect on 1 August and that around 50 of the original 105 staff members would be brought back, with the rest of them reported to have already found employment elsewhere.[26] It also confirmed that the acquisition would include the rights to Hi-Fi Rush, and that there were plans to "continue developing" the property and "explore future projects". The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo rights remained at Microsoft, with the company planning on continuing to work alongside Tango and Krafton in a strategic partnership, helping Tango's transition and supporting future Hi-Fi Rush projects.[27][28]

Games developed

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Overview of games developed by Tango Gameworks
Year Title Platform(s) Publisher(s)
2014 The Evil Within PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One Bethesda Softworks
2017 The Evil Within 2 PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
2022 Ghostwire: Tokyo PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S
Hero Dice Android, iOS ZeniMax Asia
2023 Hi-Fi Rush Windows, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 Bethesda Softworks

References

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  1. ^ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/we-dont-want-to-just-replicate-successful-games-behind-kraftons-acquisition-of-tango-gameworks
  2. ^ a b Murray, Sean (12 March 2021). "Phil Spencer Says Tango Gameworks Acquisition Is A "Great Step" For Xbox's Future In Japan". The Gamer. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Leone, Matt (20 February 2014). "Shinji Mikami and the fountain of youth". Polygon. Archived from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "Company". Tango Gameworks (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  5. ^ Jenkins, David (10 May 2010). "MadWorld director leaves Platinum Games". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  6. ^ a b Kietzmann, Ludwig (28 October 2010). "Shinji Mikami to develop games for Bethesda, as Zenimax acquires Tango". Engadget. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  7. ^ Martin, Matt (28 October 2010). "Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami joins ZeniMax". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  8. ^ Cullen, Johnny (3 November 2010). "Mikami chose Bethesda for Tango buyout because it had "the most independent development environment"". VG247. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  9. ^ Fletcher, JC (5 November 2011). "Former Grasshopper composer, ex-Capcom staff join Mikami's Tango". Engadget. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  10. ^ Cullen, Johnny (13 March 2012). "Tango's first game coming in 2013 at earliest, uses external engine". VG247. Archived from the original on 13 October 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  11. ^ Walker, John (26 April 2012). "Bethesda Announce New Shinji Mikami Horror: Zwei". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  12. ^ Ivan, Tom (19 April 2013). "Bethesda reveals Shinji Mikami game The Evil Within". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  13. ^ Williams, Mike (20 October 2014). "The Evil Within PS4 Review: Trapped in the Past, With an Eye Towards the Future". USgamer. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  14. ^ Sliva, Marty (12 June 2017). "E3 2017: The Evil Within 2 Announced, Release Date Revealed". IGN. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  15. ^ Fenlon, Wes (12 June 2017). "The Evil Within 2 brings back the horror this October on Friday the 13th". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  16. ^ O'Connor, Alice (10 June 2019). "The Evil Within studio spooking us again with GhostWire: Tokyo". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  17. ^ Hall, Charlie (4 September 2019). "The star of E3 2019 is leaving her big Bethesda game, GhostWire: Tokyo". Polygon. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  18. ^ Bass, Dina; Schreier, Jason (21 September 2020). "Microsoft to Buy Bethesda for $7.5 Billion to Boost Xbox". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  19. ^ Robinson, Andy (9 March 2021). "Microsoft confirms its Bethesda acquisition is complete and 'some games' will be exclusive". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  20. ^ Middler, Jordan (30 June 2022). "Tango Gameworks is shutting down its mobile game after just 5 months". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  21. ^ Bailey, Kat (25 January 2023). "Tango Gameworks Announces Hi-Fi Rush During Xbox Developer_Direct Showcase, Out Today". IGN. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  22. ^ Romano, Sal (23 February 2023). "Shinji Mikami to leave Tango Gameworks". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 23 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  23. ^ Tolbert, Samuel (26 October 2023). "Microsoft reorganizes Xbox gaming leadership, Matt Booty and Sarah Bond grab promotions". Windows Central. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  24. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (7 May 2024). "Microsoft Closes Redfall Developer Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush Developer Tango Gameworks, and More in Devastating Cuts at Bethesda". IGN. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  25. ^ Kerr, Chris (14 June 2024). "The Hi-Fi Rush and Ghostwire Tokyo developer has been shut down by Microsoft". Game Developer. Archived from the original on 14 June 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  26. ^ Kennedy, Victoria (16 August 2024). "Tango Gameworks acquisition will transfer around 50 out of original 100 staff". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  27. ^ Corden, Jez (12 August 2024). "Former Xbox studio Tango Gameworks and 'Hi-Fi Rush' have been acquired by PUBG's Krafton Inc, saving it from closure". Windows Central. Future plc. Archived from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  28. ^ Dring, Christopher (12 August 2024). "Krafton acquires Tango Gameworks and Hi-Fi Rush IP from Xbox". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
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