Yesterday, the gaming world received a massive bombshell when Hideki Kamiya was revealed to be leaving PlatinumGames. This was so shocking because this was a studio he helped co-found, and he was “the face” of the developer in many respects. He was the director of many titles and was a creative force behind the scenes that led to many successful games and IP. However, the company revealed that he’ll be leaving next month to do something else. The question was, “What would he do next?” While we don’t have the full answer to that question just yet, we can say that Kamiya has spoken out on his departure.
In a multi-part post on Twitter, Hideki Kamiya spoke out directly to the fans about his impending departure. He took a beat to thank fans for the support they showed him and the well wishes they gave:
“I thought I’d be bullied more because of my usual behaviour, but I’m so touched by all the words of support I’ve received. Thank you so much. I’m not worried about my future at all. As long as I have your support, I’ll keep making games, and I’ll do my best not to disappoint you. When I decided to quit, many of my old and young colleagues and staff were sad to see me go, and some even shed tears for someone like me. I realised once again that I was only able to be who I am because of the support of the people around me. I will continue to be grateful for the help of others.”
While this still doesn’t answer what will be his next step, it does indicate that he’s going to stay in the game development industry. Curiously, he did have one more statement to make within his Twitter message, and it spoke of what he hopes to achieve as a creator:
“I will continue to believe in the spirit of creation that I have always believed in through my career at Capcom No 4 Development, Clover Studio and Platinum, no matter what anyone says.”
Many wonder if “creative differences” are why Kamiya is leaving PlatinumGames. That would be an interesting plot twist, as the studio is known for making games that “defy expectations” and adhere to its own “strange views” on what games could be.
Then again, it could simply be that Kamiya has done everything he could with PlatinumGames and wants to move on. Only time will tell.
