"Bayonetta" developer Platinum Games has hinted at their openness to being acquired by Microsoft, but only if the tech giant fulfills one condition.
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That condition is letting the studio retain creative freedom, as mentioned by CEO Atsushi Inaba. WCCFTech reports that Inaba made this claim after a subtle hint that they're open to any possibilities.
The newly promoted Platinum head honcho stressed the importance of retaining the studio's creative freedom, which is a massive part of how they've done things over the years. Speaking to VideoGamesChronicle, Inaba mentioned how Activision Blizzard likely "won't be micromanaged" by Microsoft once the landmark $68.7 billion deal closes.
It is this freedom that has afforded the "Bayonetta" franchise developer a lot of breathing room when it comes to their projects. However, it has also made the studio struggle a bit in recent times to make ends meet. But being acquired is an entirely different story.
This news comes after Platinum long-timer Hideki Kamiya recently commented that he'd like to finish "Scalebound." For the unaware, the game was a project in collaboration with Microsoft which got canceled mid-development. Kamiya even made a comment directly naming Phil Spencer, saying "Phil! Let's do it together!" (via NME).
Despite these subtle arm nudges from Inaba and Platinum Games, however, this is not a confirmation of a buyout. As you should know, Microsoft is still in the midst of getting their ActiBlizz deal approved, which isn't scheduled to close until 2023. Furthermore, they'll have to overcome "stricter" regulation from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is now handling the deal.
Activision Blizzard logo displayed on a laptop screen and Microsoft logo displayed on a phone screen are seen this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on January 18, 2022.
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How A Microsoft Acquisition Would Benefit The 'Bayonetta' Maker
As previously mentioned, Platinum Games has struggled a bit in keeping itself afloat over the years. They even went on to say how they used to be "one or two projects" away from closing their doors for good."
One of their efforts to keep the lights on, according to Inaba, is to "create new games on a larger scale" that will allow them to keep revenues rolling in for an extended period of time, writes RockPaperShotgun. Aside from that, they've also gained an investment from Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent back in 2020, which allowed them to open a new studio focusing on so-called "live ops" projects.
Being fully acquired by Microsoft will help Platinum not just keep the lights on, but also bring their IPs to a much wider audience. Just being on Game Pass alone will offer the studio a better chance at ensuring a continuous revenue stream, for instance.
This could also mean that Platinum will make bigger-budget, AAA-level games on par with the industry's biggest releases. As per the original RockPaperShotgun report, the studio's original IPs have tended to be mid-budget titles.
The only challenge, for now, is how Microsoft (an American company) will fare handling the cultural challenges of potentially acquiring a Japanese studio. This is what Dr. Serkan Toto, a game industry analyst based in Japan, believes (via VGC).
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This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by RJ Pierce
