Platinum Games’ executive producer on the Sega deal, Vanquish, and sticking with new IP.
Back at E3 I asked Shinji Mikami why he turned his attentions to designing Vanquish – a blistering action shooter so strikingly different from his previous work.
“I’m bored with making anything else,” he said, “so I made this”.
It sounds like the dream scenario for any developer: Envision anything you want, and a whole team will make it happen, and a publisher as big as Sega will back you.
From VGC: "PlatinumGames‘ CEO has commented for the first time since confirmation that its live service game Babylon’s Fall is to be closed by publisher Square Enix.
Online brawler Babylon’s Fall was widely panned by critics when it launched in March and struggled to attract an audience ever since. Last month Square Enix confirmed the game will officially end service in February 2023, less than a year after its original release.
Speaking to VGC in a new interview, PlatinumGames CEO Atsushi Inaba commented publicly for the first time since the closure news, stating that the developer was “extremely sorry” for any disappointment it might have caused its fans."
Platinum really needs to step up with their games. They're way too hit or miss like square.
“Feels "extremely sorry" about any disappointment caused to PG fans”
“It won't change the studio's upcoming live-service plans”
They never learn. Just stick to making great single player games. Not everyone has to make live service games.
It doesn't feel like they've learned enough from the disaster that was BF, they seem to think it's a case of tweaking the formula but they made a game that nobody bought and nobody wanted to play. They seem lost.
I literally don't understand how they can say sorry and NOT let this failure anyone could see was going to be a dud from a mile off, change their live service plans
Some people can get away with live service shit, these guys can't, they aren't that kind of developer.
I think Platinum is still developing too many projects at once. Some of their projects simply get more focus and development resources. If Platinum manages to burn Nintendo [and Sega] with Bayonetta 3, the company will no longer be an attractive development partner for major publishers.
Their management probably is focused on money to the detriment of making quality products. Making single player games is probably the last thing they care about. What they should do is at least strike a balance. Make some solid single player games for steady money and every 6 to ten years make a quick and easy gas game to see if it sticks instead of tanking the company solely on gas games. But who knows I've only got a four year business degree. The ceo probably has a masters. I'm just biased as a gamer and can't fathom how all these ppl think having a million gas games is going to net you profit when it's obvious the mainstream gamers only populate a few of them when single player is constantly bought by hard-core.
Ones a safe bet while the other is the jackpot pie in the sky
Not to be rude but if they have to close down ill feel sorry for them. I'm assuming they'll be closing down since they're chasing the dragon that is live service games.
I'd prefer Nintendo to buy them instead of closing down. I feel like it could be a good platform for them. They never had cutting edge graphics so being on the switch would help them in that regard.
Famitsu: Information came in that Mr. Takao Yamane, who was in charge of title negotiations with software makers at Nintendo, was appointed as the vice president of PlatinumGames. In this article, we interviewed about the new system of PlatinumGames. We interviewed three people, Atsushi Inaba, the president, Hideki Kamiya, the vice president and creator of PlatinumGames, and Takao Yamane.
The Bayonetta studio's newly-promoted president and vice president discuss service games, NFTs.
I didn’t know trying to give the fans what they want is called “begging” … some people are just clueless , people been bringing up Scalebound for years .. Now when they show interest in getting it done , Suddenly they’re begging for handouts ??
Are you dense? You know how much work they've probably put into scale bound for Microsoft to cancel it? People want to play it too.
@Nuke given the backstory it wasn’t Microsoft fault it was canceled , seems to me like it was more Platinum Games fault. Using Microsoft’s money to fund other projects , now that’s just not right.
What’s wrong with being the best maker of action games? “Action” has to be THE leading genre for games.
Sometimes, a company or developers want to try something new, becasue doing the same thing over and over get stale for some.
Because they aren't.
There's a difference between "best" and "notable". Consistent as well.
Facts. I believe game developers are striving to be known for a specific game brand which players will know them by. For instance Bungie is known for Halo, Square is known for Final Fantasy, Guerrilla Games is Killzone, ND for Uncharted, and so on.
Think of it as being movie stars. Actors try so hard to portray themselves as characters from movies that they were in. Whenever people hear Arnold Schwarzennegar, right away people think of the Terminator. Likewise for Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series.
"What was better than Vanquish?"
Bayonneta. An even then it was the potential of and popular response to the game.
Well it's too bad they don't get to decide their own legacy! Your legacy is based on your body of work. What the hell have they done other than action games? Platinum is known as the action game company. If you want to do something do it well and they do it pretty damn well so I don't understand what they're upset about?! If you want to be known for something else make something else as great as the thing you're known for making that you're great at making!
I wouldn't mind seeing them make a big time RPG with action elements. Based on the interview though it doesn't seem they're too keen on making these big story heavy games and want to make some smaller, gameplay focused titles. They're one of the best in the business when it comes to action games, I don't think there's any dispute with that. Maybe they need another shot at proper Star Fox on switch? Maybe they should take a stab at making some kind of sports game or something like that where they can apply their action game sensibilities? I bet they would make pretty badass open world first person shooter?! I'm trying to think what else they could make that would fit their pedigree and most of it revolves around action. Just do what you do and do it well!
I understand where they are coming from and there's nothing wrong with wanting to be a company that explores a lot of fields, yet there's always nothing wrong with being a studio that perfects one formula, because whenever you make it again there's a trust that the consumer holds in you now, not talking about Platinum games specifically, just any studio
