Earlier this year, it was reported that Microsoft were planning to buy out PlatinumGames, the studio behind Bayonetta and The Wonderful 101. The deal never went through due to unknown reasons, but rumors have begun to circulate that Microsoft is still attempting to acquire the studio.
These rumors have even reached the ears of Platinum’s head producer Atsushi Inaba, who said in an interview that not only has Microsoft not discussed anything of the sort with them, but that it would be counter-intuitive to the direction Platinum is currently taking.
Platinum’s Hideki Kamiya jokingly suggested that Microsoft wouldn’t want to buy Platinum because of the debacle regarding Scalebound, a Platinum Xbox One exclusive title that wound up being canceled.
“I did read some rumours about Xbox wanting to purchase PlatinumGames, and I thought, ‘people on the internet write the craziest stuff’, because that conversation has not come to our doorstep at all.
“We’ve not had any talks like that, but I think even if it was a possibility, we’re now going into more independent self-publishing.”
He added that Microsoft’s struggles with the Japanese market is simply because its Xbox consoles don’t do enough to appeal to Japanese gamers.
“Maybe somebody reminded them that I’m still at the studio, and they were like, ‘right then, forget that! We’re not going to acquire them!”
Platinum currently still has quite a bit in the pipeline. The Wonderful 101 Remastered recently released digitally, but Bayonetta 3 continues to be an elusive mystery and there is also its giant-robot game Project G.G. and a still unannounced game that could see release later this year.
“I would say that ever since the Xbox has been introduced to the Japanese market it’s always felt like something foreign and far away. It doesn’t feel like it’s ever been cultivated for Japanese tastes.”
Source: VGC
