On January 25, Microsoft suddenly announced and dropped Hi-Fi Rush. While fans went into the title without knowing what to expect, the game was fantastic and consequently very well-received. However, despite the positive ratings, Jeff Grubb has revealed that the game didn’t make the money expected of it.
Hi-Fi Rush Wasn’t a Financial Success
Update: Arron Greenberg has responded to the statement:
In the latest episode of Jeff Grubb’s Game Mess, Grubb and Mike talked about how Hi-Fi Rush didn’t get the financial success that the developers hoped. Despite that, the title currently sits on overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam. So, while it was a success for the fans, we can’t say the same for the developers, Tango Gameworks and Microsoft.
The important point to note here is that Microsoft isn’t having the best of the years so far. Although that might change with the advent of Redfall and Starfield. Hi-Fi Rush was a title that had the potential to start the year great for Microsoft but it was a missed opportunity.
The main reason for Hi-Fi Rush’s financial failure has undoubtedly been how it was treated. It was announced and released on the same day so no marketing was done. Mike states in the podcast:
Like when they (Microsoft) do get a win like Hi-Fi Rush, why wasn’t it something that was made like a big deal instead of just used as a shadow drop opportunity. I think if they had made it a big deal it would’ve been more impactful. I don’t get why they treated it like a small game we’re not going to have a marketing campaign for
It could be possible that studio wasn’t expecting the game to bloom as much as it did therefore they didn’t spend much on marketing. However with Microsoft’s heavy hitters coming soon, surely they’ll put Microsoft and Xbox back on track.
What are your thoughts on this news? Let us know in the comments down below.
