After the dire news in May of Microsoft’s decision to close a bunch of studios, we finally got a rare piece of positive news for the gaming industry in 2024, with PUBG publisher Krafton swooping in to acquire the studio and Hi-Fi Rush IP.
Now, speaking to game developers about the reasoning behind the “last-minute deal,” Krafton CEO Changhan “CH” Kim painted an interesting picture, suggesting that this isn’t about trying to take over a series and studio that the publisher is sure it can .
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“We wanted to preserve their legacy,” Kim said of the Tango acquisition. “While they didn’t have huge success with the game, we saw a lot of ideas worth pursuing. That’s why we wanted to partner with the organization.” “Because Hi-Fi Rush fans really wanted to see a sequel, we negotiated with the parent company of Tango Gameworks to acquire the IP,” he added.
The CEO went on record to say that some of Tango’s previous games “probably didn’t even break even” and that the deal to buy it was “not too expensive, not too cheap,” he outlined, “to try to grow our portfolio lineup.” was part of the reason Crafton worked hard to buy the studio.
“We can’t acquire Tango Gameworks based on their financials or numbers, right? Frankly, we don’t think Hi-Fi Rush 2 is going to make money for us,” Kim said. “But that’s part of what we’re trying to do. We have to Keep working hard with the spirit of accepting the challenge. [is] Be creative. They want to try new things and we want to do more. [Making] Video gaming is indeed an up-and-down industry, and that’s the risk. But having a larger lineup of projects is actually a way to reduce risk, because one of them might succeed.
“IP itself is very fresh [and featured] New game types. I know this isn’t a game that a lot of studios are making, we have to keep trying [that approach],” he continued, “I mean, please recoup the cost of production. But that’s quite a challenge in itself. If you try to do that, you might actually be a hit. I don’t believe people who say, ‘Oh, This will be very popular” people. I want someone who can try new things.
Try to pursue stardom through creativity rather than tying each game to the obligation to make a profit for the publisher, as long as it doesn’t lose money. In theory, this is certainly an admirable approach, even if Krafton openly admits that he just bought something that he is not 100% sure will be cashed in in the near future. These words come from a big chief executive Weird things come out of executive mouths, especially in 2024.
What do you think of Kim’s proposed approach? Let us know below!
