"We don't want to just replicate successful games": Behind Krafton's acquisition of Tango Gameworks
South Korean publisher Krafton became the unlikely saviour of Japanese developer Tango Gameworks in August, following Microsoft's sudden decision to shutter the studio a few months earlier.
The integration of Tango Gameworks includes the acquisition of breakout hit Hi-Fi Rush, a BAFTA-winning rhythm action game that reached three million players. In an industry where layoffs and closures can sometimes feel like a daily occurrence, it's rare to see a studio brought back from the dead, and even rarer to see the same employees re-hired.
Now with a dozen studios under its belt – PUBG Studios, Bluehole Studio, RisingWings, Striking Distance Studios, Dreamotion, Unknown Worlds, 5minlab, Neon Giant, Krafton Montreal Studio, Vector North, Relu Games, and Flyway Games – Tango is set to be the 13th in Krafton's ever-expanding conglomerate. And more investment is seemingly on the way.
That's according to Krafton head of corporate development Maria Park, who spoke to GamesIndustry.biz a couple of weeks after the announcement. As PUBG helped the battle royale genre break into the mainstream, Park explains how Krafton is diversifying its portfolio and not looking to carbon copy what's out there, sharing that in the last quarter alone, it's met 200 to 300 studios as part of its quest to invest in new developers.
The full conversation delves into how Krafton arrived at the purchase of Tango, the company's plans to expand into the Japanese market as well as the future of Hi-Fi Rush and whether a studio of its size is sustainable in today's volatile market.
The interview can be read below. Please note it has been edited for length and clarity.
What led Krafton to the acquisition of Tango Gameworks?
When we heard that Tango Gameworks was facing shutdown, our team immediately flew over to Tokyo. We recognised that Tango has this rich history of innovation and creativity, and the rarity of being a relatively small studio with a strong fandom. Initially, we weren't sure about whether their
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