Action game Bayonetta 2, the sequel to…Bayonetta 1, is headed to the Wii U. It’s an exclusive! And Nintendo is publishing the game. This has made some “fans” pissed as hell. Others are happy. But what do the game’s developers have to say?
Platinum Games, the studio behind Bayonetta, released statements from staff as well as the studio’s honcho, Tatsuya Minami. He provides some explanation as to why Nintendo is publishing the game and does briefly mention the role of Sega, who published the first Bayonetta. Here’s Minami:
As game developers, we are incredibly excited to be able to announce a new title to all of our fans; however, we are aware that the announcement may have come as a shock to many of you.
As with Bayonetta, Bayonetta 2 is under development and production here at Platinum Games, and is a true sequel to the acclaimed first game in the series. Bayonetta is one of our most beloved titles, and it played a large part in establishing Platinum Games as an emerging game studio in the minds of users worldwide. Bayonetta has fans the world over, and we would never dream of alienating them from participating in the future of Platinum Games.
That being said, the console games market is in a state of upheaval, so establishing a new game franchise requires a considerable amount of will, determination, and love. Bayonetta is a brand that we want to see become stronger, reaching the hands of more and more gamers, so we have continued to consult with Sega, the previous game’s publisher, on how we can make sure this takes place. Our answer was a new partnership with Nintendo.
Along with their new hardware, Nintendo, as a company, is dedicated to establishing a new future for the games industry, as you can tell by their record of passionate support for gaming. Alongside Nintendo, we hope to grow the Bayonetta brand beyond where it stands today, allowing even more gamers around the world to experience the action of our beloved witch. As developers, we are working hard to make this a reality.
The game’s director (and creature designer) Yusuke Hashimoto as well as the first game’s director and sequel supervisor Hideki Kamiya both shed light on the game’s core motif. First up, Hashimoto:
It has been three years since Bayonetta, a title I was also a part of… I’m incredibly happy to be able to announce that we are working on a sequel. Alongside Bayonetta‘s creator, Hideki Kamiya, I’m working on everything from creating a compelling world to character designs (I will be designing the enemies again), and everyone on our talented team is united around the core of Bayonetta, Climax Action, in an effort push the series forward. For empowering our heroine with incredible new action to introducing new characters (which you may have noticed in the teaser trailer), Bayonetta will further expand on the mythology of the Trinity of Realities — Inferno, Paradiso, and our human world. I can’t wait to take the journey with you.
And Kamiya:
After Bayonetta was released, I was coming back on the bullet train with Yusuke Hashimoto, pondering various ideas for sequels or spin-offs to Bayonetta over a beer. I never thought we’d actually get to announce a sequel to her story, so I am absolutely over the moon.
Even though there has been a bit of a gap since the release of the last game, but I still got lots of request for a sequel from gamers. We were secretly making one the entire time. While I am not the director of this game, I am still supervising the world, story, characters, etc. in close coordination with Hashimoto, and I have been from the very beginning. You have nothing to work about on that end. And of course, plenty of members from the first Bayonetta are on-board and working hard under the direction of Hashimoto, so I look forward to work every day, coming in and seeing all the progress they have made on the game. With new hardware, we look forward to expanding on the Climax Action of Bayonetta, so sit tight and get ready!
It’s interesting that Nintendo was able to take over the publishing rights for Bayonetta from Sega. I guess Nintendo does what Sega don’t?
Platinum Games [Official Site]
Leave a Reply