PlatinumGames’ Hideki Kamiya on Bayonetta, Project G.G., and Elon Musk’s Twitter
PlatinumGames is known for its sharp and edgy action games such as the Bayonetta series and NieR:Automata. IGN Japan reached out to Platinum’s outspoken vice president and veteran creator, Hideki Kamiya, on his reaction to Bayonetta 3, his ambitious next game Project GG, his thoughts on Elon Musk’s Twitter, and more. I interviewed. Strap on and read!
Hideki Kamiya talks about the future of Bayonetta
IGN: Bayonetta is your longest running series. what do you think now?
Kamiya: “The Bayonetta series has been going on for 13 years now. This is the first time I’ve been involved in an IP for such a long time. I’ve been involved in games not only as a director, but also by writing and writing stories. I was in charge of overall production. I feel like I can protect and maintain the entire world of Bayonetta in my own way.
“One of PlatinumGames’ most fundamental values is to make games for players. We started to realize that what we were looking for was starting to diverge, but we couldn’t simply put what the majority of players wanted into the game. I’ve always believed I should have, but I’ve come to feel…more than ever.”
IGN: Where do you see the difference between players and creators?
Kamiya: I see. There are various opinions regarding the story, or the mechanics of the game. Taking Bayonetta’s IP as an example, I was thinking about how far the story would go. I have no choice but to judge by the story.The series will end because the creator doesn’t love it.I love Bayonetta more than anyone else, and I can’t help but love all the characters I’ve raised so far, including Cereza. “
IGN: Any chance of Bayonetta 4 or Bayonetta 5?
Kamiya: Personally, I can’t imagine the Bayonetta series ending. I want to make Bayonetta 4 and Bayonetta 5, and I want to sell them to companies. I want people who like the Bayonetta series to believe me when I say, ‘I will never betray the players.'”
IGN: Any chance you’ll make a spin-off as well as a mainline game? (Note: the spin-off game Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon was announced at The Game Awards after this interview.)
Kamiya: “I want to make a spin-off. Jeanne is a well-established character who also plays an active role as a superhero called Cutie J. I want to make a spin-off of that as well. It’s important, so I want to be able to draw the vast world of Bayonetta in my head, regardless of the number in the title.”
IGN: Have you ever wanted to make a game for high-end hardware, a so-called AAA game?
Kamiya: Yes. We hear from players that they want to see PlatinumGames titles as AAA-class high-end games. There are titles that have not been announced yet. We are not necessarily developing them exclusively for the Nintendo platform.
IGN: When can we learn more about this unannounced title?
Kamiya: “I can’t talk about that yet. As a developer, I’m very interested in developing high-end games, and that’s exactly what I’m working on right now. Please look forward to future information.”
About Hideki Kamiya’s new game “Project GG”
IGN: We’ve announced a new IP codenamed Project GG, but there’s still a lot we don’t know about the game. Can you tell us a little bit about the gameplay and mechanics of the game?
Kamiya: I can’t say anything yet. “
IGN: Project GG was announced as an in-house published game developed and published by PlatinumGames. What are your thoughts on this kind of self-publishing?
Kamiya: “Self-publishing a game requires more staff than necessary during development. This is something I learned from previous self-published titles such as The Wonderful 101: Remastered and Sol Cresta. In addition to the creative team. , and is also working to expand its sales and PR staff.
IGN: How big do you want Project GG to be?
Kamiya: “The scale will be incomparable to ‘The Wonderful 101 Remastered’ and ‘Sol Cresta’. Therefore, we need to become a company with that level of publishing capabilities, not just development. Power.”
IGN: As far as platforms are concerned, what hardware will Project GG be released on?
Kamiya: “I hope we can release Project GG on all systems. New generation hardware will be the main focus, but we are considering releasing it on other hardware as well. Maintain a high level.” We hope that we can, while pursuing the unique appeal of the system.
“Unrelated to Project GG, but I’m not against games being ported from the new generation of hardware to other platforms. For example, the Nintendo Switch experienced some performance degradation in multi-platform versions of the game.” However, it is attractive that it is the only hardware that can be played while lying down.”
Hideki Kamiya PlatinumGames Fukuoka New Studio
IGN: PlatinumGames recently opened a studio in Fukuoka. Why do you want to establish a base in Fukuoka?
Kamiya: We need more development staff. We want more people to work at PlatinumGames, so we’ve set up development bases not only in Osaka, but also in Tokyo and Fukuoka. No, and Fukuoka is attracting attention as a place for game development.By enabling these additional bases and remote work, we are working to secure excellent human resources.”
IGN: What projects will PlatinumGames Fukuoka participate in?
Kamiya: “The location of the studio does not affect what projects the team working there will be involved in. Even PlatinumGames’ latest title, Bayonetta 3, allowed remote work during development.
“It was my first attempt, but game director Yusuke Miyata has successfully adopted working from home, and I believe that this has also contributed to the growth of our young employees. All staff from the Osaka, Tokyo, and Fukuoka offices are also participating in the title.
IGN: You mentioned that you’re considering opening an overseas studio. What are you looking for in particular?
Kamiya: Of course, we are also considering creating a base for overseas expansion. is a popular outsourcing destination for many major games.We hear that there is also a shortage of workers in Malaysia.The game industry is currently suffering from a labor shortage all over the world.
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IGN: How many people does PlatinumGames need?
Kamiya: The head of the studio, Mr. Inaba, said he wanted 500 people in three years, but we have about 300 people now, so I wonder if we need more. Through Bayonetta 3, I’ve learned that development can work even if our offices are physically far apart, so I don’t think I’ll hesitate to establish a new location in the future.
IGN: What kind of developer would you like to work for PlatinumGames?
Kamiya: “Someone who has pride and can creatively express his/her commitment. I don’t want to be approached.
“I want you to think, ‘Why does it have to be black? Is black the right color for this character and this story?'” I know that, but I thought a character in red would work better, so I brought in a character in red.”
Hideki Kamiya on his future as a game developer
IGN: Game development takes a long time. Looking back on your life as a developer so far, is there anything left on your to-do list?
Kamiya “I try not to think about it personally. I know he’ll be 52 soon and I don’t know how much more he can do as a developer. Recently, I have been involved in many titles developed by PlatinumGames not only as a director, but also as chief game designer. One way of doing it was, like with Sol Cresta, I set up the project and left it to another staff member who was the director. I think there are positives to working on so many different titles. “
IGN: Have you ever benefited from working on a game as chief game designer instead of director?
Kamiya “For example, if I was the director of Bayonetta 3, I might have had fewer opportunities to challenge new titles, and I might have been under a lot of stress. As chief game designer, I enjoy controlling development with a wider perspective. Right now, I have Project GG, and I feel that if I had a place to vent that kind of passion, I would be able to maintain an objective and tolerant eye. At the end of the day, all I really need to be happy with is getting something that makes the players happy. “
Hideki Kamiya Talks About Elon Musk’s Acquisition Of Twitter
IGN: As a heavy Twitter user, do you have any concerns about Elon Musk’s acquisition of the company?
Kamiya: Nothing in particular at the moment. My impression is that the company is run by someone who has a clear idea of what they want to do on Twitter.
IGN: What do you think of Twitter’s blue checkmarks? Now that they’re paid, would you consider shelling one out?
Kamiya: I think it would be more interesting if there were no checks at all. I think it’s a place to say what you want and everyone is on an equal footing. I hope you get it, but please take it all directly to Elon Musk!”
Daniel Robson is Chief Editor at IGN Japan. twitter accountThis interview was transcribed by Ryuichi Kataoka and translated by Ko Ransom.
