Platinum claims it will ‘change significantly’ as it hires former Nintendo exec

From VGC: "PlatinumGames has teased a new era for the company, as it appoints former licensing general manager and managing director of sales and planning at Nintendo, Takao Yamane, as its new vice president and CBO.

The appointment will be explained in full tomorrow in an interview with Famitsu. Current vice president Hideki Kamiya and current CEO Atsushi Inaba were also present during the interview.

Prior to joining Platinum, Yamane served for seven years as the general manager of Nintendo’s licensing department."

[Nacho_Z]

Seems like they've lost their way somewhat. Babylon's Fall was a disaster I imagine, entirely of their own making.

[sourOG]

They brought in the closer lol. They are trying to get bought and they will do whatever. The hatchet man is coming. It’s like Gordon Ramsey coming in to fix your dumpy restaurant. Character and independence are the few things platinum has going for it, switching to the corporate shell model won’t do them any favors. It hasn’t. Thats why I believe they want to sell it and bounce. I don’t follow the studio closely but it sounds like the character has been chipped away slowly. It’s time to sell if so.

[porkChop]

Yeah they do seem to be looking for an acquisition. Just a while ago they were publicly begging MS to let them try making Scalebound again. They seem really desperate.

[sourOG]

That’s right lol. Yeah desperate seems like a accurate description.

[curtain_swoosh]

i dont think they need to change essentially, they just need slmeone to guide them properly. their games are all great, but only those they make for other publishers

[sourOG]

It’s a funding thing probably. It’s easier to experiment with shit when you’re independent and self published but it’s much harder to sustain. Platinum used to be weird and different. They ran with it and their successes paid for their failures. You need that hit often though, 2 or 3 flops in a row is devestating to the AA-AAA indie companies. It’s not shit to MS.

Given Sony and MS stance on giving their acquisitions some level of creative independence, it would be dumb to not get bought by one of these guys lol. I understand why platinum is doing it lol. I don’t blame them at all for the desperation. And Nintendo knows their shit. This doesn’t sound awful but it is interesting.