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Just when he thought he was out, they pulled him back in. When Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami left Capcom after having his fill of horror titles, the demand from fans for a new horror game followed him to his new studio, Tango Gameworks. After realizing fans were still hungry for more horror from him, Mikami set about giving them what they wanted with The Evil Within. A decade after its release, and a well-received sequel, Mikami leaving Tango Gameworks, and the studio’s subsequent closure have left The Evil Within series in limbo. Until that time if and when Microsoft decides to return to the series, we look back on The Evil Within, and just what made it a joy to play for those who followed Mikami’s career.

The Evil Within centers on detective Sebastian Castellanos, who is investigating the scene of a gruesome mass murder at Beacon Mental Hospital with his team.

2014’s Boyhood took 12 years to make. Some of these films make Boyhood look like an episode of South Park.

14 ‘Kill It and Leave This Town’: 14 Years

Polish animator Mariusz Wilczyński set out to make a short animated film about a person whose entire family dies, so they run off to a land of memories where time doesn’t exist and everyone is alive. At some point, Wilczyński decided it should actually become a feature length psychological horror, which took just a smidge longer to animate.

13 ‘The Evil Within’: 15 Years

Writer/director Andrew Getty self-financed this horror film, which was based on his childhood nightmares, for about $6 million. He filmed his deepest fears inside his own mansion, toiled away for years on special effects, and died before he could finish. The producer had to do the final editing to get it across the finish line.

12 ‘Pakeezah’: 16 Years

The...

The lead designer and writer of Red Dead Redemption has teamed up with the creative director of Mario + Rabbids to start a new independent game development studio called Day 4 Night. Funded by Krafton and 1Up Ventures, this new studio is full of heavy hitters who are currently working on the studio’s first original IP.

Christian Cantamessa was praised for his work on Red Dead Redemption (Image via Rockstar Games)

The concept of “veterans” coming together to create something indeed sounds exciting but it doesn’t always work out. Firewalk Studios is also filled with industry veterans and yet, Firewalk made one of the worst games of 2024, Concord. Day 4 Night is full of experienced employees, so the community can definitely expect something big from them.

Red Dead Redemption And Mario + Rabbids Devs Launched A New Studio Called Day 4 Night Day 4 Night will focus on creating deeply heartfelt and original games...

In a surprising turn of events, Pocketpair, the studio behind the controversial yet wildly successful creature-collecting game Palworld, has announced a new partnership that could change the landscape of mobile gaming. Despite facing a high-profile lawsuit from Nintendo, it seems that Pocketpair is not ready to throw in the towel just yet.

The return of the big savior. | Image Credit: Krafton Inc.

Enter Krafton, the South Korean publisher known for global hits like Pubg and The Callisto Protocol, as well as its recent acquisition of Tango Gameworks, the studio behind The Evil Within series, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and the critically acclaimed Hi-Fi Rush.

A Match Made in Gaming Heaven?

According to a recent press release from Krafton, the two companies have signed a license agreement to bring the Palworld IP to mobile devices. This move comes as a surprise to many, given the ongoing legal battle between Pocketpair and Nintendo, which...

In August, South Korean video game publisher Krafton saved Tango Gameworks by acquiring the studios after Microsoft decided to shut down the studio. The acquisition has given Krafton full rights to the Hi-Fi Rush license, which enabled Tango Gameworks to continue development access to Tango’s popular Hi-Fi franchise.

Hi-Fi Rush was released in 2023 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows (Image via Tango Gameworks)

Unfortunately, the deal did not include the rights to Tango Gameworks’ other IPs, The Evil Within or Ghostwire: Tokyo, which remain under Microsoft’s ownership. As for Hi-Fi Rush 2, the studio has made some progress as Krafton’s head of corporate development, Maria Park, gave some information about the game in a recent interview.

Krafton Head Gave An Update On Hi-Fi Rush 2

In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Krafton’s head of corporate development, Maria Park, gave fans an update about the next game in the Hi-Fi franchise,...

Prior to the release of the Until Dawn remake next month, the developer has announced staff layoffs to “secure the future” of the studio. Ballistic Moon has not elaborated on the number of people affected by the cuts, which have come after development has largely completed on the Until Dawn remake.

In a statement published on LinkedIn, Ballistic Moon states that they have been confronted with some “difficult realities” regarding the current status of the industry.

“It is with deep regret and a heavy heart that we must make the tough decision to significantly scale down our team to secure the future of our studio. This comes after our development of Until Dawn for PS5 and PC.”

The statement continues, with the studio thanking “every team member for their hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to Ballistic Moon.”

The Woking, UK-based Ballistic Moon was founded in 2020 by Duncan Kershaw, Neil McEwan and Chris Lamb.

The demands and requests for a Dino Crisis remake have been growing over the years. Fans of the survival horror game have been seeing its competitors from back in the day brought into the modern generation of gaming and wonder when it would be their turn next.

Released in 1999, the game is now over two decades old but still has a pretty strong fan base. A remake for the same could do very well, but it seems Shinji Mikami may not feel the same, and that is not going to go down well with the community.

Shinji Mikami’s Opinion on Dino Crisis Remake Worries and Frustrates Fans A Dino Crisis remake could improve all the scares! | Credits: YouTube – Farmery87

As the creator of the first Resident Evil game, thus beginning the franchise, Mikami is a stalwart in gaming. His other titles are also well-known, such as God Hand, Killer7,...

Having worked together in the past, these two Japanese creatives are friends and very popular in the industry. Suda51, the creator of games like No More Heroes, Shadows of the Damned, and more, often collaborates with the creator of Resident Evil, Shinji Mikami.

During a recent interview, Suda51 revealed that Shinji Mikami’s favorite game is God Hand. He even joked about how they should jointly acquire the rights to this game and make a new version. This title is unique because it has many mechanics that could easily fit into a Suda51 game.

Shinji Mikami’s God Hand Could Receive a New Version Suda51 and Shinji Mikami have worked together on numerous projects in the past. Image Via Capcom

Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami is known for being quite experimental with certain titles he has worked on in the past. Recently, Mikami collaborated with Xbox at the now-closed Tango Gameworks studio,...

The PlayStation 3 had some absolute gems when it came to the horror franchise. Dead Space 2, The Evil Within, Alien Isolation, and Siren Blood Curse. The last on the list may be the more obscure among them, but it was able to bring some innovations to the genre that even the bigger names didn’t achieve.

Sadly, it is very likely to be lost to time as there are no remasters or remakes planned. In fact, not many people even know about the game or the team behind it. But, for fans of horror games, it would be a shame to miss it for the scares and laughs it offers.

Siren Blood Curse Was a Smorgasbord of Body Horror Visuals Siren Blood Curse required dealing with many perspectives. | Credits: YouTube – P.B. Horror Gaming

Using the human body to create unsettling and downright terrifying experiences takes effort. Such is the genre of body horror,...

Alan Wake 2 is still one of the best games of last year. Gamescom 2024 is in full swing at the moment, with one show after another announcing a whole host of new games to be on the lookout for. Out of all the games we’ve seen so far, there is one, dripping with atmosphere, that has particularly caught our eyes.

TomorrowHead Studio has revealed the first trailer for its debut title, Will: Follow the Light, at Gamescom’s Future Games Show. It has already piqued our interest with its excellent presentation and inspired soundtrack, and from what we’ve seen so far, this one deserves to stay on your wishlist.

Will: Follow the Light “Follows” in the Footsteps of Games Like Alan Wake and Firewatch

From its first trailer alone, it’s easy to tell that there’s going to be a lot to like about Will. Described by...

Chase sequences in video games can be some of the most heart-pounding experiences a player can endure. Horror games like Until Dawn have mastered the art of the chase, creating sequences that are not only memorable but also downright terrifying. These moments often determine whether a character lives to see another day or meets a gruesome end.

The best chase sequences leave players teetering on the edge of their seats, frantically pressing buttons to escape an ever-present threat. Here are our picks for five of the scariest chase sequences in gaming that have left players breathless.

5. Emily’s Escape From The Mines in Until Dawn With a remake on the way, we can expect an even more horrifying chase. | Image Credit: Supermassive Games

One of the most nerve-wracking chases in gaming can be found in Until Dawn. Until Dawn is a game filled with moments that test players’ nerves, but...

Tango Gameworks, the team behind the critically acclaimed title Hi-Fi Rush has been resuscitated. Krafton just announced that it has acquired the studio Microsoft discarded earlier this year.

Along with the talented team, the Pubg developer now also owns the rights to the rhythm-based action game’s IP, reigniting hopes for a potential sequel in the future.

Tango Gameworks Gets a New Lease on Life

In a press release posted today, Krafton revealed it has come to an agreement with Xbox to acquire the Japanese game development studio, Tango Gameworks.

The Pubg developer has also secured the IP for Hi-Fi Rush, the critically acclaimed action game that took the world by storm after it was shadow-dropped in early 2023.

Tango Gameworks, also known for The Evil Within games and Ghostwire: Tokyo, was previously part of ZeniMax Media. It became the first Japanese studio under the Xbox umbrella when Microsoft acquired Bethesda...

Alan Wake 2 was a title that fans of the IP appreciated. Apart from being visually stunning and graphically demanding, the game’s writing was also incredibly distinct.

The game’s lore was incredibly confusing and bizarre, even by Remedy’s standards. If one found the title’s narrative interesting, these four titles are right up there and should be next on your list of games to play.

#5 Alan Wake 2

With Alan Wake 2, Remedy Studios held nothing back and delivered a fantastic, immersive, yet mind-bending title to its fans. Part of Remedy’s connected universe spans Alan Wake, Quantum Break, and Control; the title is arguably the studio’s most bizarre game to date.

Related“The lighting in that game was bonkers”: Not Alan Wake 2, but Another Remedy Game Getting Cheered On For Really Nailing 1 Feature

Everything from the game’s soundtrack, visuals, voice acting, motion capture is pitch perfect...

And we’re back. We’re back to possession and we are back to it being heavy on the religious side and everything purported to be a true story. This time we are looking a little deeper into the legal implications of what happens when someone is injured or even dies during an exorcism, sanctioned or not. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (watch it Here) was a massive commercial hit and garnered middle of the pack reviews when it came out in 2005. 2005 was not a banner year for horror and it was different from the slew of remakes as well as setting itself apart from nearly everything else that came out that year. While The Asylum, known for schlock takes on popular products, would release their version of the true story in 2011 and German film Requiem would come out to far better acclaim the next year, Emily Rose would be...

With Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP having a September release date, where does that leave the remaster of Grasshopper Manufacturer’s Shadows of the Damned? This Halloween, to be exact. Grasshopper Manufacture has announced that Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered will arrive on October 31 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. Pre-orders are now open, with the PlayStation version giving you three days of early access to the game.

Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered will include a New Game+ mode, support for 4K resolution at 60 fps, and four additional costumes: “Demonio Garcia,” “Ocho Corazones,” “Placa Garcia,” and “Kamikaze Garcia.”

Per the trailer, Suda 51 (No More Heroes, Killer7, Lollipop Chainsaw) and Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil, The Evil Within, Ghostwire: Tokyo) will be attending this year’s Gamescom, so we could very well get more info on Hella Remastered at that time.

Originally released for...

Quantic Dream dropping a cel-shaded game caked in social political messaging like Dustborn was not something that was on my 2024 bingo card. The game was developed by Quantic Dream Spotlight while the main Quantic Dream team hacks away at Star Wars: Eclipse. Still though, it makes for a fascinating departure from what we have come to expect from the French studio.

Sometimes a vast variation from the status quo like this can be a good thing, just look at what Tango Gameworks (Rip) was able to do with HiFi Rush following The Evil Within. Other times though, it can end up being a baffling mistake that makes every fan of said studio collectively wonder what the hell the team was thinking. After playing through the first couple of hours of Dustborn, I’m still not sure what camp it will fall into.

Dustborn will release for PC, PS4, PS5, and...

The recent closure of Tango Gameworks by Xbox has been the source of some speculation and possible controversy. Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios talked about some things not everyone will be ready to hear.

Booty’s words suggest, in a way that the studios shut down due to a difference in creative leadership. And although no individual names were explicitly said by him, his words hint at the departure of Tango’s founder, Shinji Mikami, as a possible factor in the decision.

Xbox Chief’s Words Regarding Tango Gameworks’ Closure Don’t Quite Hit The Mark In case you didn’t know, Tango is the studio behind Ghostwire: Tokyo | Tango Gameworks

In an appearance on Variety’s Strictly Business podcast, Booty gave some additional insight into these events. While he didn’t go into any specifics, he said he was looking forward to this aspect of decision-making:

There...

Following Microsoft’s recent surprise closures of award-winning studios such as Tango Gameworks (known for hits like The Evil Within and Hi-Fi Rush) and Arkane Austin, we are all left wondering which studio might be next on the chopping block. One studio that should be particularly concerned is Obsidian Entertainment, whose recent track record hasn’t exactly been littered with mega hits.

Obsidian’s history is a mixed bag of critically acclaimed titles and commercial disappointments. While games like Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity have garnered praise from fans and critics alike, others like Alpha Protocol and Tyranny struggled even to find an audience. Even the well-received The Outer Worlds failed to reach the sales heights of some of its closest rivals.

Now, with their upcoming RPG Avowed shrouded in mystery since its announcement in 2020’s Xbox Games Showcase and still lacking a concrete release date even after the latest one,...

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is now just a few days away, and everyone is gearing up to see what is next for our Pictish warrior. According to promotional material, the game promises to be a cinematic experience and perfect for fans of psychological horror.

If you, too, are waiting with bated breath, we have a list of five games for you to try out that will help create the perfect ambiance and mindset for Hellblade 2.

5. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a touching and disturbing adventure.

Before you delve into the next-gen sequel, you should try out the first game. Even though it was released in 2017, the visuals hold up to this day, and the depiction of the Viking underworld is nothing short of breathtaking. Given how Ninja Theory is prioritizing the immersiveness of the sequel, even locking the console version to 30Fps, we hope it can...

In the last few weeks, we’ve witnessed Microsoft taking drastic measures and shutting down Hi-Rush studio Tango Gameworks, Redfall creator Arakne, and the two other studios. The tech giant believes that Xbox as a brand needs “small games” to garner its old prestige and get ahead of the competition. With the shutting down of such major studios, we thought we’d see further layoffs and reorganization of studios under Microsoft.

However, in a shocking move, Xbox and Activision have announced a new studio called Elsewhere Entertainment. While the brand-new studio features industry vets who’ve worked on successful games such as The Witcher and The Last of Us, many people in the community can’t believe Microsoft is closing well-established studios to open new ones.

Activision’s New Studio For Developed Narrative-Based Aaa Games Activision’s brand new studio Elsewhere Entertainment. | Activision

Activision has announced a new internal studio,...

Saying Phil Spencer is one of the most disliked people in the gaming community wouldn’t be too much of a stretch currently. Xbox’s decision to shut down multiple beloved studios in a single day, has brought out the wrath of consumers from all corners of the community.

Tango Gameworks, one of the affected studios, was especially beloved by many gamers, as some of its staff were revered creatives in the industry. As players discover more about the faces behind Tango, their anger for Microsoft’s gaming brand only grows.

Xbox Lost Talented Creatives with Tango’s Closure

Phil Spencer isn’t winning any favors as gamers look at Tango’s staff’s credentials.

It was a sad day for many when an e-mail announcement from Xbox head Matt Booty was sent out to a ton of studio staff, stating that Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, and Alpha Dog Games (Mighty Doom) would be closed.

The recent shutting down of four development studios under Microsoft Gaming has shocked the world even after its historic merger deal of $76 billion with Activision Blizzard and ZeniMax, aka Bethesda. Those were Tango Gameworks, Arcane Austin, Alpha Dog Games, and Roundhouse Studios. All these studios were a part of ZeniMax Media, which is again a subsidiary company of Xbox Game Studios.

However, all these titles were doing pretty well. Arkane Austin’s Redfall might not have been the best co-op game recently, but the success of Tango Gamework’s Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within is evident in front of us. So, why did Microsoft have to take this harsh decision?

Activision Blizzard is Inadvertently Part of the Reason for the Studio Closures

Xbox President Matt Booty explains the reason for this huge decision.

As per Bloomberg.com, the real reason behind the axing of these studios was the hiring of new people.

In light of Xbox’s recent controversial decision that has resulted in the closure of many beloved studios that it had acquired over time, many social media users are bringing up the gaming brand’s old posts to highlight its supposed hypocrisy.

One of these posts happens to be a “brutal” graphic of the company’s team, which hasn’t aged so well; instead, it’s got people even more angry at the company’s recent decisions.

Team Xbox and Bethesda Aren’t Winning Any Favors

“What is Xbox doing?” seems to be a popular sentiment

All chaos broke loose on social media when it was revealed that Xbox would be killing smaller studios in charge of hits like Hi-Fi Rush, The Evil Within, and Prey.

Fans and community members are still confused as to why these studios were forced to close shop, rather than Microsoft disinvesting in these companies or tanking the losses.

The sudden shutdown of four reputed gaming studios by Microsoft has shocked everyone. Now even the Helldivers 2 CEO has pitched in. These four development studios—Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Games—have been an inseparable part of Xbox since they became a part of the platform from Zenimax way back in 2011.

The whole gaming fraternity is in awe after this shocking news. But the most astonished has to be Arrowhead Gaming Studios CEO and Helldivers 2 Director, Johan Pilestedt, regarding one particular development studio of those sufferers. And his uncanny comparison clearly explains everything.

Helldivers 2 CEO Would Have Sold the Rolls Royce

Helldivers 2 Director Johan Pilestedt shares his view about the shocking decision from Microsoft.

In a recent X post, Pilestedt expressed his concern over the sudden closure of the Japanese video game development company, Tango Gameworks. He has stated that it would have been better if Microsoft...

Xbox caught a storm of flak from the games industry over a very recent wave of studio closures, as it shuttered four Bethesda studios, with Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin being particularly harsh blows.

While Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has yet to make a public statement about the closures, a 2023 quote from the executive makes them all the more hypocritical, leading to him receiving a fair amount of ridicule on social media.

Phil Spencer Says He Wants Quality Games, But Does He?

Xbox’s mission is to produce quality games, yet it still shut down Tango, which made its best game in recent years.

Speaking with The Guardian, Spencer emphasized the importance of producing high-quality first-party games:

Quality games is critically important to our strategy. So it’s not that Starfield getting at 11 out of 10 isn’t our goal – although, that’s a silly way of putting it. I...

Yesterday’s closure of Tango Gameworks by parent company Microsoft was a deep cut for millions in the games industry. Started by legendary game auteur Shinji Mikami, the small Japanese studio gave birth to excellent games like The Evil Within, Ghostwire Tokyo, and most recently, Hi-Fi Rush.

The 2023 rhythmic action-brawler was a complete shadow-drop, yet one of the best games of the year. And why wouldn’t it, with its lively art style and hectic gameplay? However, what elevates the game even further is its curated selection of licensed music, as director John Johanas reveals.

Licensed Music Makes Up A Chunk Of Hi-Fi Rush‘s Identity

John Johanas believes the licensed songs are integral to the Tango masterpiece’s gameplay loop.

Speaking with Touch Arcade, Johanas spoke about how the underlying concept of Hi-Fi Rush revolves around feeling like an interactive music video, and how licensed music was crucial to...

In the wake of Microsoft’s decision to close Arkane Austin, the co-director of Redfall, Harvey Smith, has written about the studio’s achievements.

Yesterday (7th May), Microsoft announced that it’s to close several studios under its control, including Tango Gameworks, makers of The Evil Within and the joyous Hi-Fi Rush, and Arkane Austin, a developer whose work includes Dishonored, Prey and last year’s Redfall.

Evidently still processing the decision, Harvey Smith, the co-director of Redfall, has taken to Twitter to write a lengthy post on the studio’s history and achievements. It places a movingly human angle on a cold business decision – and emphasises just how sudden the announcement was.

“Yesterday, as we packed up and reassured one another,” Smith wrote, “I spent time with people who were part of crafting Redfall, Dishonored 1, and Prey, yes, but prior to that Deus Ex, Ultima, and countless other...

Alan Wake 2 has been a triumph for Remedy Entertainment and the developers revealed two video games that were sources of inspiration. The survival-horror video game was well-received and took advantage of the success of The Evil Within franchise.

It is unfortunate to see Tango Gameworks being closed down by Microsoft. Kyle Rowley served as one of the game directors of the Alan Wake sequel and opened the doors. Rowley sent an invitation to the developers seeking new opportunities and also revealed another inspiration for the game.

The Evil Within Franchise Inspired Remedy’s Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2 took inspiration from The Evil Within games by Tango Gameworks.

In an unfortunate turn of events, Microsoft just shut down several game studios including Tango Gameworks, and this prompted Rowley to express his opinions about the closure and shared an interesting tidbit about how their projects inspired them.

We took a lot of...

The gaming industry is going through a very tough time. News of layoffs and studio closures are getting far too common, with reports of Take-Two shutting down Rollerdrome developer Roll7 going public just a few days ago, and Deliver Us Mars developer KeokeN also laying off its entire team.

Now, it’s been devastatingly discovered that Xbox has shuttered four studios under the Bethesda umbrella, with one of them having delivered arguably the best Xbox game in recent years.

Hi-Fi Rush Developer Tango Gameworks Closed By Xbox

Tango’s delightful rhythm brawler will never be continued, and that’s a certifiable disappointment.

IGN first reported on the news, as they received a copy of an official email that announced Xbox will be closing down Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Games. The platform holder acquired these studios as part of the $7.5B Zenimax acquisition in 2021.

SUGGESTEDHi-Fi Rush Review...

Xbox’s closure of four of its game development studios – Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Games – has sent shockwaves throughout the industry. The studios were part of the platform holder’s acquisition of Zenimax back in 2021.

Several developers have spoken out in support of the shuttered studios, criticizing Microsoft’s pricey acquisitions over the past few years and wondering which studios could be next. Even Helldivers 2 director & Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt expresses sympathy for one affected studio in particular.

Johan Pilestedt Wonders Why Xbox Didn’t Sell Off Tango

Selling off Tango to the highest bidder would’ve net Xbox some money, and the studio wouldn’t have to be closed.

In a recent tweet, Pilestedt honed in on the closure of Tango Gameworks, stating that he couldn’t fathom why Xbox axed the Japanese studio instead of separating it from its first-party lineup and selling it off.

Bethesada announced today huge cuts to Bethesda’s collection of studios. That includes Redfall developer Arkane Austin, as well as The Evil Within and Ghostwire: Tokyo developer Tango Gameworks. Per IGN, the beleaguered Redfall will have its development ceased, thereby not receiving its promised updates, including an offline mode and new character Dlc. Redfall will remain online to play, and Microsoft will provide a “make-good” offer for those who bought the Hero Dlc.

The other Arkane studio, Arkane Lyon, which is currently working on Marvel’s Blade, survived the cuts, as did Machine Games, which is currently working on Indiana Jones and The Great Circle. Bethesda Game Studios also survived the cuts. Doom developer id Software was unaffected.

According to IGN, an email to staff sent by Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, had Microsoft blame the cuts on a “reprioritization of titles and resources”.

“These changes are not...

Jason Schreier, a popular journalist, has just reported that Xbox will be shutting down two major studios that are part of Bethesda. The creators of The Evil Within, Hi-Fi Rush, and Ghostwire Tokyo, Tango Gameworks, will be shutting down. At first, this studio had Shinji Mikami as director.

Arkane Austin will also be closing down. This studio was behind one of the biggest failures in recent years, the co-op PvE called Redfall, which almost had no players at launch. Two additional studios will face dismantling due to their underperformance.

Xbox Will Be Shutting Down Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin Tango Gameworks, responsible for Ghostwire: Tokyo and Hi-Fi Rush, will be shut down by Xbox.

The industry keeps suffering massive losses. Microsoft has just announced that it will be shutting down various studios from Bethesda/Zenimax Group. Jason Schreier first reported on this development. Matt Booty, director of Xbox Game Studios,...

Thanks to a leaked email from Matt Booty, Xbox will be closing down several studios for good. Arkane Austin is one of these studios; this dev team was responsible for developing Redfall, one of Bethesda’s biggest failures. This live-service title receives almost no attention from the players.

The studio’s closure means no more updates for the game, and the $100-cost Bite Back Edition owners will receive the same amount of credit. The Hero Pass will not be released, so the game will no longer receive any kind of content.

Xbox Is Shutting Down Arkane Austin and Redfall Will Not Receive More Updates Redfall will refund owners of certain edition of the game due to the closure of the studio.

Jason Schreier shared that Xbox has decided to close four Bethesda-owned studios: Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog Games, Roundhouse Games, and Arkane Austin. Ghostwire: Tokyo, The Evil Within, Hi-Fi Rush,...

Following an email that was sent out to affected staff, studios within game company Bethesda have confirmed closure. Microsoft—which completed the acquisition of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media in 2021—will be shuttering Arkane Austin ( Redfall ), Alpha Dog Studios ( Mighty Doom ) and Tango Gameworks. Roundhouse Games, which "played a key role" in recent game launches, will see its team moving over to ZeniMax Online Studios to assist with The Elder Scrolls Online . According to the email, which IGN confirmed , Microsoft says the consolidation will allow them to "invest more deeply in our portfolio of games and new IP." Redfall developer Arkane Studios already sent out a notice to players regarding credit eligibility for those who purhased the Hero Pass, which will not be complete with the promised updates. It closes out to say "Redfall's servers will remain online for players to enjoy." Tango Gameworks announced and surprise-launched rhythm action game...

A series of high-profile closures have been announced at studios owned by Microsoft, including Redfall developer Arkane Austin and Hi-Fi Rush’s Tango Gameworks.

In yet more grim gaming industry news, Microsoft has announced a series of closures across the studios under its ownership. The studios affected fall under the Bethesda and ZeniMax banners, and include Arkane Austin, which released last year’s vampire shooter Redfall, and Tango Gameworks, the firm behind Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within.

The cuts were announced in an email written by Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty and published by IGN. In it, Booty said the closures were being made in order to “double down” on certain franchises and “identify the opportunities that are best positioned for success.”

As a result, Booty writes, Arkane Austin will be closed, with some staff moved to other studios within Bethesda; development on Redfall will cease as a result.

BayView Entertainment have released the horror film The Evil Within on Digital Platforms worldwide – excluding in China and on Amazon.

The Evil Within will arrive on AVOD Digital Platforms worldwide on 25th June 2024.

A found-footage style horror film in the vein of The Blair Witch Project and As Above, So Below.

Synopsis:

When American filmmaker Jason makes an online love connection with a lovely Asian woman, their common career in cinema, along with Jason’s strong attraction to her beauty, has them happily chatting away. Invited to visit her home in Asia, Jason’s infatuation soon turns to terror, when one unsettling thing after another occurs. As the old house becomes more horrifying, Jason realizes all too late that the woman he fancies may be hiding a terrifying secret, and there may be no escape.

The Evil Within was Written and Directed by Dawei Lee. The film stars Jeff Gonek,...

London, United Kingdom, April 29, 2024 – In a remarkable announcement that sets a new precedent in video gaming, the award-winning independent game studio, Kaizen Game Works, is excited to unveil “Promise Mascot Agency.” Scheduled for release in 2025, this game is poised to redefine genre boundaries as the first open-world mascot management crime drama.

Set against the backdrop of a cursed Japanese town, the game introduces players to Michi, a former yakuza lieutenant facing exile. Tasked with transforming a failing mascot agency into a flourishing business, Michi’s struggle for redemption is intricately woven into the fabric of the game’s storyline. Assisting him is Pinky, the Assistant Manager, who is not only a mascot herself but also serves as Michi’s guide through the underbelly of mascot management.

The fictional town of Kaso-Machi serves as the game’s expansive playground, offering players a unique blend of adventure, strategy, and narrative depth. Through Michi’s eyes,...

Japanese video game creator, Shinji Mikami is well-known for giving the gaming world some of the best gems in the survival horror game genre. Having worked with some of the biggest game houses in Japan, Mikami founded his own studio, Tango Gameworks in 2010.

Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush

Through Tango Gameworks he continued to deliver some of the most highly regarded survival horror games such as The Evil Within, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Hi-Fi Rush. However, in 2023, he exited his company and founded a new venture Kamuy.

Shinji Mikami reveals wanting to leave Tango Gameworks for eight years

During a recent interview with Byking on YouTube (translated by Automaton), Mikami revealed the reasons for leaving Tango Gameworks. He revealed that the company started facing financial difficulties right from the first year of establishment in 2010. The company established in March 2010 was eventually acquired by ZeniMax Media in October of the same year.

Talking...

BayView Entertainment will be releasing the horror film The Evil Within on Digital Platforms (excluding Amazon) worldwide on 30th April 2024.

The Evil Within will arrive on AVOD Digital Platforms worldwide on 25th June 2024.

A found-footage style horror film in the vein of The Blair Witch Project and As Above, So Below.

Synopsis:

When American filmmaker Jason makes an online love connection with a lovely Asian woman, their common career in cinema, along with Jason’s strong attraction to her beauty, has them happily chatting away. Invited to visit her home in Asia, Jason’s infatuation soon turns to terror, when one unsettling thing after another occurs. As the old house becomes more horrifying, Jason realizes all too late that the woman he fancies may be hiding a terrifying secret, and there may be no escape.

The Evil Within was Written and Directed by Dawei Lee. The film stars Jeff Gonek,...

There are a few characters in movies that are so popular, like Alien, first introduced in the 1979 Ridley Scott movie. This creature, known as Xenomorph, has appeared in several movies and many games throughout the years. 20th Century Studios recently revealed the trailer for Alien: Romulus, the new entry in this legendary franchise.

Federico Álvarez, the director of the Evil Dead remake, will direct this film, which will release in August of this year with a whole new cast. These are five games that match the movie’s atmosphere.

Alien: Romulus is looking to bring the franchise back to its original setting Alien Romulus the new game about this popular character will be released on August this year.

Ridley Scott’s original universe serves as the basis for an incredible number of games based on the popular character Alien. Generic movie titles like Alien Infestation, Alien vs. Predator (1993), and many more.

The anticipated remaster of Grasshopper Manufacturer’s Shadows of the Damned now has a new title and confirmed platforms. Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered will arrive later this year for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. Wishlisting is available now via PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Steam. And, if you’re attending Pax East this weekend, you can get a chance to play the demo of Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered at the NetEase Games booth.

Described as a “hot-blooded, hellishly twisted, feverishly filthy, love and hate filled road trip”, Shadows of the Damned (in case you didn’t know) is from the minds of Goichi Suda aka Suda51 and Shinji Mikami.

Originally released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 back in 2011, Shadows of the Damned put players in the boots of Garcia Hotspur, a hard-as-nails, leather-clad, motorcycle-riding professional demon hunter who finds...

Actress Payal Ghosh will essay the role of yesteryear superstar Zeenat Aman in the upcoming biopic titled as ‘Shaque: The Doubt’. Zeenat, who is known for participating in beauty pageants, began her acting career in 1970 with the movie ‘The Evil Within’. She gained recognition for her work in movies like ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’, ‘Yaadon Ki Baaraat’, ‘Qurbani’, ‘Dostana’, and ‘Don’ among many others.

The 72-year-old actress has also become a trending personality on the photo-sharing application Instagram, on which she debuted in February 2023. She keeps on sharing her various throwback pictures, and professional updates on her social media handle.

Talking about portraying Zeenat, Payal, who was last seen in ‘Fire of Love: Red’ said: “This is a humongous opportunity for me. I am really glad and fortunate that so much of faith has been entrusted in me that they feel I can play such an iconic personality on-screen.”

“Zeenat...

It used to be that video game adaptations were limited to big budget franchises, with household names like Super Mario Bros. and Mortal Kombat getting blockbuster movies while more niche experiences like Dino Crisis and System Shock were mostly ignored by non-gamer audiences. Not only that, but corporate expectations and bloated production budgets meant that these big screen adaptations would often misunderstand what made these franchises popular in the first place.

Fortunately, it seems that the days of the “video game curse” are far behind us. Not only are recognizable franchises like Five Nights at Freddy’s receiving long-awaited adaptations, but even indie experiments like David Szymanski’s Iron Lung are being adapted into feature length horror movies (with this one in particular being written and directed by none other than Markiplier). And with the indie gaming scene going through a creative revolution, we thought that this might be the...

George Maharis, who starred as the brooding Buz Murdock on Route 66 before he quit the acclaimed 1960s CBS drama after contracting hepatitis, has died. He was 94.

Maharis died Wednesday at his home in Beverly Hills, his longtime friend and caregiver Marc Bahan told The Hollywood Reporter.

Route 66, created by Stirling Silliphant and Herbert B. Leonard, featured the Hell’s Kitchen native Murdock and Martin Milner‘s Yale dropout Tod Stiles touring the highways of America in Tod’s Chevrolet Corvette, encountering adventure along the way.

The show “was really kind of a searching or what you may have seen hundreds of years ago where the people came over the mountains to go from one place to the other to find a better life, a place where they belonged, and they didn’t rely on anybody else to do it for them,” Maharis told The Seattle Times in 2008.

All 116 installments of...

If you love survival horror games, odds are you love Resident Evil. The series essentially wrote the book on survival horror mechanics, from tank controls to limited ammo. Even when Resident Evil went third-person with Resident Evil 4, the game did such a good job that it became the blueprint many studios copy to this day.

Now while many survival horror games, especially modern ones, copy Resident Evil’s blueprint, calling most of them “Resident Evil clones” would be disingenuous. Many titles add unique spins, such as Fatal Frame’s camera that forces players to wait until enemies attack for maximum damage, or Siren’s sight-jacking ability that lets gamers scout out areas by seeing the world through a monster’s eyes. Of course, there is no shortage of games that take at least some inspiration from Resident Evil (or are just survival horror titles in general). In fact, you...

With the hopes that Tango Gameworks would be bringing fans a third entry in The Evil Within series, things might have become complicated. According to TrueAchievements, Tango Gameworks founder Shinji Mikami will be leaving the studio, which has since been confirmed by Bethesda via Twitter.

In a company-wide email sent to ZeniMax employees, senior vice president of development at Bethesda Todd Vaughn announced Mikami’s upcoming departure from Tango Gameworks. Accord to the email, Tango Gameworks will continue to support Ghostwire: Tokyo and their latest title, Hi-Fi Rush, while Bethesda and Tango leadership decide on the next course of action for the studio.

“I am writing today to let you know that studio head Shinji Mikami has decided to leave Tango Gameworks in the coming months,” Vaughn said. “Mikami-san has been a creative leader and supportive mentor to young developers at Tango for 12 years through his work on The Evil Within franchise,...

While we never did get The Evil Within 3, a recent Easter Egg found in developer Tango Gameworks’ newest game seems to hint that we may still get it.

Per GamesRadar, fans have noted that Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush, which was released back in January for consoles and PC, has several references to The Evil Within series. Notably, however, is a newly uncovered Easter Egg that seemingly teases The Evil Within 3, or at least a new entry in the series.

During the cinematic preceding Track 11: The Needle Drop, you are shown taking an elevator ride to meet up with the game’s final boss. Just as the elevator reaches its destination, there’s a quick look at a screen that shows you’ve arrived at floor 776. The bottom of the screen has a newsfeed, which reads: “Sequel to popular survival horror franchise anounced [sic].”

You can check out the footage below with the timestamp.

Rhythm games, as a rule, have largely been ignored over the past decade. Though Guitar Hero made a splash in the early 2000s and spawned a wave of me-too music titles that persisted throughout the late 2010s, the genre has all but evaporated. Long-running franchises like Dance Dance Revolution and Beatmania are now left largely relegated to Japan where they originated. While there are glimpses of the rhythm game renaissance every once in a blue moon, music-first releases have essentially become extinct.

Hi-Fi Rush is the latest project from Tango Gameworks,...

Before diving into this week’s discussion on The Evil Within 2, Would you kindly listen to last week’s chat celebrating Bioshock’s 15 anniversary?

No matter the medium, sequels are notoriously contentious undertakings. Trying to appease everyone rarely results in a sequel that is as beloved as the original, so finding a balance between IP innovation and IP familiarity is crucial.

Given this challenging balancing act, it’s impressive to see a sequel take as bold of a swing as The Evil Within 2 does, and even more impressive that it knocks it out of the park. Smartly retaining the frightening but flawed aesthetic of survival horror legend Shinji Mikami’s The Evil Within, the sequel abides by the “bigger and better” methodology while avoiding the inherent pitfalls of sequels.

Time and time again, sequels lose their focus and unique identity that ultimately defined them in an attempt to grow both their world and mechanics.

In celebration of the great filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s (Apu Trilogy) centennial, Jio Studios in association with Purpose Entertainment and Quest Films has announced the launch of a very special film. The Storyteller is a captive narrative based on Ray’s short story about originality, Golpo Bolo Tarini Khuro. An original Bengali short story Golpo Boliye Tarini Khuro is one among the series of stories written by Ray based on the enigmatic character Tarini Khuro.

Directed by National Award-winning director, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, this intriguing film features by a stellar cast including Paresh Rawal, Adil Hussain, Revathi and Tannishtha Chatterjee.

Sharing his thoughts on the renowned auteur and the film adaptation of the short story, director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan said, “As part of the celebrations around the life and work of the legend, we are very happy and honoured to share our own humble homage to the master storyteller. The Storyteller,...