PlatinumGames is widely considered to currently be one of the best video game development teams out there. The reason for this is simple–the team has made plenty of fun and innovative titles that have wowed fans and critics alike. Furthermore, they’re never afraid to go wacky, over-the-top, insane, or profound to make their games stand out from the crowd. Even when they make a few duds, which they have done in the past with certain licensed titles, they’ve bounced back strong. A significant relationship they’ve had over the last ten years is with Nintendo, who has been a host to many of their games across two different systems via the Wii U and Nintendo Switch.
On the Wii U, they brought Wonderful 101 and Bayonetta for fans to enjoy, and they did just that. Then, with the Nintendo Switch, they got the title Astral Chain, which sold over a million units on the system. Plus, Bayonetta 3 will be gracing the Switch with her presence within three weeks, and it’s also expected to be a hit game. Finally, one of their most popular titles in Nier: Automata was just ported to the Switch and is getting rave reviews. Given all of that, you might wonder if PlatinumGames is up for doing more titles on the Switch.
That question runs more profound than you think. The studio just got a new addition to its ranks via Yakao Yamane as Platinum’s new Vice-President. That addition is significant as Yakao worked at Nintendo for over 20 years before moving to Platinum.
In an interview, CEO Atsushi Inaba was asked about whether something more might happen with Nintendo now, and he wouldn’t deny the possibility.
“I think with Yamane-san joining us here, PlatinumGames can definitely build an even stronger relationship with Nintendo moving forward. That can only be a positive thing for PlatinumGames.”
Clearly, Inaba is up for it, and it’s not hard to see why this would be in the cards. When the devs wanted to continue the Bayonetta franchise, it was Nintendo who stepped up to let it happen. Even when people feared that Nintendo might try and control the company in terms of what they did with their leading Umbra Witch, they didn’t, and the Wii U title was later nominated as Game of the Year.
Another thing to factor in here is the Switch’s sales. The Switch is only in its 5th year of life, with over 100 million units sold worldwide. That means that, more than likely, if you put a high-quality title on the system, it will sell well. So why not take a chance and make more games for a system with many units out in the world?
Source: VGC
