PlatinumGames Could Have Been Acquired By Microsoft

Recently, a few things are happening around PlatinumGames.

Recently, we wrote about PlatinumGames that Tencent has invested in the company so that the Japanese studio can work on new, original IPs that they could self-publish. (Until now, they mostly made games with others’ IP, and they also didn’t publish these titles either.) Throughout 2019, someone else also showed up at them – Brad Sams, a Microsoft insider, wrote on Twitter that Microsoft was considering acquiring the Japanese studio.

Sams writes that the talks between the two parties might have broken down, or that they went their separate ways. It’s possible: until early 2017, PlatinumGames was working on an Xbox One/Windows 10 game for Microsoft. It was Scalebound that Microsoft cancelled – however, we have heard from the Redmond-based company that they want to expand in Asia and Japan, so they might have put their past differences aside.

Also, on this tweet, we see Hideki Kamiya, with a potential hint at The Wonderful 101. The Nintendo Wii U-exclusive game had Kamiya as its director, and even his monitor shows that the photo was taken at 1:01 PM… Rumours say that PlatinumGames might try to get crowdfunding via Kickstarter to port the game to the Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation 4, and maybe even the Xbox One. The studio already has a profile on Kickstarter, where they might start their campaign on February 3…

JP Kellams also chimed in. The former PG creative is now a producer for EA Sports’ Madden Ultimate Team, and he wrote the following: „The IP is co-owned. [It] makes the deal easier. [The] Platinum engine is multi-platform anyways, so port[ing] is easier (but not trivial due to the mechanics). [The] Switch capacitive touch will make the game WAY better, as would the DualShock 4’s touchpad. [The] game needs an audience.” Kantan Games analyst Serkan Toto also thinks that we will be surprised – IP rights can be moved, and he hints at Nintendo giving up their share of the IP.

So Microsoft gave it a shot at PlatinumGames, who might have remembered their rocky history. (Which is why they might have gone with the Tencent money.)

Source: WCCFTech, JVL

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Anikó, our news editor and communication manager, is more interested in the business side of the gaming industry. She worked at banks, and she has a vast knowledge of business life. Still, she likes puzzle and story-oriented games, like Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments, which is her favourite title. She also played The Sims 3, but after accidentally killing a whole sim family, swore not to play it again. (For our office address, email and phone number check out our IMPRESSUM)

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