We've been talking a lot about PlatinumGames recently, haven't we?! The developer of the cancelled Xbox One game Scalebound (and currently working on Bayonetta 3 for Nintendo Switch) has been suggesting it would be good to team up with Xbox again at some point, and is now even hinting it could be interested in an acquisition.
In a new interview with Video Games Chronicle, President and CEO Atsushi Inaba explained that the company would be open to an offer from anyone, but the key thing is they'd need to provide the studio with near total freedom.
Microsoft was namedropped as part of this, with Inaba speaking about the recent acquisition of Activision:
"The most important thing for us is to have the freedom to make the games that we want to make. What I hear about the recent acquisitions, I don’t think Microsoft is going to start micromanaging Activision to where they take away all their freedom… I don’t think it’s going to be a relationship like that."
"I think there’s going to be a lot of mutual respect there and I think Activision will be able to continue doing what they do best. That’s also what’s most important to us at the end of the day, whatever form that takes for us and our company. So I would not turn anything down, as long as our freedom was still respected."
Of course, Inaba doesn't directly reference an interest in being acquired by Microsoft here, but the fact that he mentions Microsoft as being an example of providing "freedom" hints that he'd at least entertain the idea of a buyout.
PlatinumGames hasn't been shy in pointing out that it would like to get involved with Xbox again in the future as well, so if Microsoft is interested, it seems like this is a deal that has real potential of becoming a reality. Your move, Phil.
Would you like to see Microsoft acquire PlatinumGames? Give us your thoughts down below.
[source videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 35
I wasn't into gaming news or Xbox when this all happened but didn't they take Xbox cash for this scale bound game and use it to make a Sony game instead? I don't think there's a relationship there to salvage and these guys can go pound some salt no? Someone else can buy them but I don't know anything about this studio to think how they could ask for similar terms to Bungie? PlayStation was desperate for that GAAS developer knowledge for their own project's so that's why they paid what they did abd agreed to the terms.
Hi we messed you about last time and lets face it now we need money and regret it , want to buy us on our terms ?
Colin was saying on Sacred Symbols that he believes Platinum is in trouble and that we’d be seeing the effects in the next few years. This kind of talk makes me think he’s right. I’m a huge Platinum fan so if habits the case hopefully someone picks them up.
Never understood the love for Scalebound from the community especially when Platinum themselves clearly didn’t care enough to commit the game when they had the chance.
Didn't they get a big chinese investment that allowed them the freedom to do whatever for a couple of months? Back when they teased the 'big 5' announcements or sth. Did the money run out lol
@Cherip-the-Ripper They got a cash infusion from Tencent. I’m guessing that Platinum is poorly run as a business.
@somnambulance I can believe that. Though I've heard nun from Ueda's studio and QD when they got theirs at the same time. Must be some serious mismanagement going on here then. Makes me wonder how Babylon's Fall will turn out.
They probably see Babylon's Fall is almost guaranteed to be a flop so are throwing out a SOS. It's a shame but with talk like this it feels like Platinum is borderline begging to be acquired by someone. Still looking forward to Bayonetta 3 though.
@Cherip-the-Ripper Lol. Ueda’s always sort of been goofy with business, but still looking forward to whatever he’s got cooking, even if it’s as flawed as Last Guardian. Quantic Dream apparently has two, perhaps more titles in the works currently… probably with release dates in 2026.
I’m expecting Babylon’s Fall to flop hard. Square is so confident in it that Triangle Strategy releases the day after, so they can affectively erase it from the PR budget. Lol.
Yes yes yes. Also coming from me a Ninja Gaiden master and i love Dark Souls style. We need this to happen
Only games I'm interested in from these guys is/was Granblue Fantasy Relink and astral chain and I just found out that they gave up development half way through and left it all for cygames, so yeah that's two projects they flopped and seem to be struggling to get bayonetta 3 done in how many years? Babylons fall looks like a ps3 game and will flop, these guys must be desperate. Only decent game I've played from them that was good was Nier Automata and Square Enix own the IP for that.
Actually these are the same guys who needed a kick starter to get the wonderful 101 ported the the switch and ps4 😂
This would not be a good acquisition for anyone, but maybe Nintendo to retain their exclusives bayonetta and astral chain
@meyerparkX Ninja Gaiden would be the only reason to get these guys. But the way they treated MS in the last deal, using their money to make a PS exclusive, is too much.
Platinum Games would arguably be the best single player developer from the current xbox game studios. Would be a huge asset.
Idk why they're trying to make GaaS. It's not their strongest suit.
That new CEO is the doomsday for that studio. GaaS? Asking Microsoft for help when they clearly are better under Sony, Capcom, Sega, Nintendo or Square Enix? Literally 5 better publishers, but they chose the ex that didn't work out?
@xMightyMatt14x Ninja Gaiden Is Owned By Koei Tecmo Not Platinum Games.
If I was MS, I'd wait for Babylon's Fall to flop, and then swoop in and buy them up if possible.
Xbox sorely needs more Japanese talent. They only have Tango at the moment, and Platinum can make some superb action games when on form.
Obviously they could revive Scalebound if that was an option as well.
@somnambulance I don't think Square Enix is confident in any of the March releases doing well apart from maybe FF Origin. Chocobo GP's reaction to MK8 Deluxe DLC is Cloud being locked behind a limited time battle pass, there's lots of strategy games coming to Switch in the near future so Triangle Strategy may be in trouble and GaaS will hurt Babylon's Fall.
To some extent FF is becoming Square Enix's CoD.
As if the thinly veiled first public outpouring wasn't obvious enough, their at it again. Looks mighty desperate.
Desperate or not, they could at least offer MS & Game Pass something 'unique' within the MS portfolio and give them another 'Japanese' developer (along with Tango Gameworks) and the Studio responsible for Bayonetta, Nier Automata & Vanquish...
It makes sense for a studio who maybe struggling to raise the money to develop their 'own' projects through to completion without having 'much' money coming in from 'sales' of older releases to keep funding them.
In case it seems 'sudden', you also need to know that the Studio CEO Kenichi Sato stepped down from the position on January 13th 2022, with studio head and co-founder Atsushi Inaba succeeding him in the role.
Therefore, its entirely possible that the 'new' CEO is much more interested in negotiating the 'future' of PlatinumGames and securing them the 'long term' funding they want and giving them the freedom to do what they do 'best', make games!
I honestly don't know how to feel about PlatinumGames potentially being acquired by Microsoft. On one hand, I love Platinum. Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, NieR: Automata, Bayonetta etc. are all phenomenal titles with excellent combat. On the other hand, they've clearly stated that they want to focus more on live service titles in the future and if they want to be acquired by Microsoft simply to get financial aid and preserve their freedom in order to produce said live service titles, then I don't think they should be acquired.
It's obvious though that this is one developer with huge ambitions. Money has always been the primary factor that has hindered them from reaching their potential. The problem is that it feels a bit too late to help them now.
@BAMozzy @LtSarge Good points both.
BAMozzy Thanks for the insight on Platinum CEO change, that makes logical sense.
And LtSarge 100% agree on last line. It's always been a shame that Platinum, a studio with so much talent, seemed to be working almost hand to mouth. Doing a lot of uninspired work for hire to stay afloat and to fund making their next passion project. Which led to Platinum A team / B team suggestions even though they were never structured that way.
While I don't like all the acquisitions generally Platinum, like Arkane before them, are a studio that could really do with some solid financial support to allow them the freedom to follow their vision. This should be a benefit to gamers. But I agree it feels like we'd want the Platinum of 3-4 years ago not the one they're heading towards.
Perhaps with financial security they'd be able to change tack away from live services, which seems like an understandable "needs must" approach, and back on course. This is similar to Housemarque with Returnal who returned to their Arcade roots, while stepping up significantly, after saying arcade was dead.
@themightyant Yeah, it could happen that they change direction once they have financial security. I just feel like right now, PlatinumGames isn't the same company as they once were. They recently released Sol Cresta, a schmup (which is odd for a Platinum title since they usually make hack 'n' slash games) and it seems to be an incredibly mediocre game: https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/sol-cresta
They're also planning to release Babylon's Fall, which I initially got the impression that it was going to be a great original game from them. But no, it too looks like a generic game and in this case, it's a live service title: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB4-ftJk6vo
It's truly a shame how far they've fallen. Hopefully Bayonetta 3 turns out great though.
@LtSarge To be fair I think having a bad, or very average game every couple of games is in their DNA.
For every Bayonetta, Vanquish, Nier: Automata or Astral Chain there's been plenty like Legend of Korra, Star Fox Zero or TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan. And some occasionally interesting but ultimately pretty average titles like Mad World, Infinite Space, Transformers Devastation & Sol Cresta .
Babylon's fall looks like Japanese multiplayer Godfall to me but perhaps we'll be surprised.
I've always been slightly bemused when people talk about Platinum Games in such high regard. Most of their output is average to bad imho, but then there's the occasional stone cold classic propping them up and reminding you what they can do.
A lot of their top names seem to mostly be living on their reputations too and haven't produced top games in a while. Still I think/hope there's enough talent for them to make great games again. Fingers crossed for Bayonetta 3, Project GG and perhaps even Babylon's fall.
@somnambulance ya know Babylon's Square being a live service game has me convinced that it'll flop as well. I wonder however if it will be able to redeem itself. And if so how long it will take them.
In other words were skint and broke please give us some money Microsoft.
@Areus ah good point. Thanks for the correction!
@Grumblevolcano I didn’t understand the logic of having four big releases in March, seems sort of weird as a marketing maneuver. I’m hoping Triangle Strategy does well. Thus far, I’ve enjoyed both demos immensely and I was a huge fan of FF Tactics and I especially like that Octopath engine. For as much as I have preordered in March, I would not be surprised if it’s my game of the month, despite its heavy competition.
Platinum is a sinking ship. They have Tencent money, they have Nintendo contracts, and they're still looking desperate begging for contracts, begging for money, and now begging to be bought. I can't imagine anyone except maybe Tencent buying them at this point. They seem like they're circling the drain. They don't even own much in the way of IPs anymore.
@UltimateOtaku91 Nintendo bought the rights to Astral Chain back 2 years or so ago. And Bayo, either Ninty already owns it or it still belongs to Sega (can't remember if they bought it from Sega or just own the second and third games, but I think they own it. Pretty sure Nintendo saw the writing on the wall and moved to distance themselves from Platinum. I doubt we'll see Nintendo collab with them after Bayo3 is out.
Platinum is one of my favorite contemporary developers but it's amazing how they're always seemingly running out of money. I understood it at first, since they were a startup, their initial contract with Sega was apparently not great, and Bayonetta was the only game of their initial lineup to sell well. Then they had their period of duds with the licensed games and Star Fox Zero. But NieR: Automata and Astral Chain were huge games! And Bayonetta 3 will likely sell very well also! How are they always running out of money? Sounds like poor management at this point.
@NEStalgia ah good to know Nintendo have the rights to astral chain and bayonetta as they were in my top three games from platinum, maybe include nier automata in there but square own the nier rights same with metal gear revengance with Konami and granblue fantasy Relink going to cygames, so I don't know exactly what popular IP's would come with purchasing platinum.
@UltimateOtaku91 W101?
@NEStalgia worth a $Billion just for that alone 😂
@NEStalgia Nintendo doesn't own the Bayo IP, just the last 2 games.
@Rafie Thanks, yeah, I wasn't sure about that one. Thankfully that means Sega, not Platinum, still owns it, though, so still unaffected if Platinum goes down!
@xMightyMatt14x I would be happy if Microsoft can also acquire Team Ninja Studios and Koei Tecmo
@Royalblues No, its more of evolution. We need Japanese games to come back and release for Xbox and more ppl go to Xbox. We need entire communities to go to Xbox for all the Japanese games. Xbox 360 back then did succeed on Japanese side of games. But around ps4 because the mistake Xbox one had in how it was, ppl switched to ps4. Xbox just needs to get it all back
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