Platinum Games Suggests It Has No Interest in Being Acquired by Microsoft - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 03 September 2020 / 3,296 Views
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has previously stated more than once he would like to add a Japanese developer to Xbox Game Studios, in order to help sell the Xbox in Japan and expand the console's lineup of games. He has said Xbox's position in Japan "isn’t acceptable" and wants to do a "much better job."
There have been rumors one Japanese company Microsoft has shown interest in acquiring is Platinum Games. However, Platinum Games' studio head Atsushi Inaba in an interview with Video Games Chronicle said he has has no interesting in selling the company to Microsoft or anyone else.
"I did read some rumours about Xbox wanting to purchase Platinum Games, and I thought, 'people on the internet write the craziest stuff,' because that conversation has not come to our doorstep at all," Inaba said.
"That said, we’re not Microsoft, so we don’t know what happens behind their doors, we don’t know if they had any thoughts about it possibly. We’ve not had any talks like that, but I think even if it was a possibility, we’re now going into more independent self-publishing.
"It’s not that we’re disinterested in Microsoft, but if the relationship were to be us working under their direction, I feel like that would be the opposite of what we’re trying to do now and limit our possibilities. Any opportunities that would limit our freedom I think we would be against."
Bayonetta designer Kamiya was asked how Microsoft could improve their position in Japan with the Xbox and he said they "could do more to market towards actual Japanese gamers’ tastes."
"I would say that ever since the Xbox has been introduced to the Japanese market it’s always felt like something foreign and far away. It doesn’t feel like it’s ever been cultivated for Japanese tastes.
"It reminds me of the NES and Super NES days when I had to go to these really niche game stores to get foreign games you could only get through import. They weren’t localised to Japan or anything, they were just imports that you were kind of buying just to have this rare token as a gamer."
Inaba added, "I agree with the foreign feeling nature of the hardware, but I also admire that Phil wants to try hard in Japan. I would love to give him some advice, but I also feel that the success route into Japan has not always been about having the best hardware.
"Sometimes it’s about familiarity. The biggest exception is the iPhone, but that was able to break in because it just took the world over – and it’s not easy to make something of that momentum every day. It’s a tough question that I don’t know the answer to."
Microsoft plans to launch the Xbox Series X in Holiday 2020.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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After Scalebound that have almost 0 chance of hapening, even with their good relationship with Nintendo they are trying to be more independent than being purchased.
And if MS want to have more Japanese games they can open several studios there but they don't like the hard route.
Scalebound, Microsoft... you had 1 job.
Even if it did happen, it's too little too late. There just isn't an Xbox-sized hole to fill in Japan. They were never particularly relevant there, but it's at an all-time low now. They are happy with PS4 and Switch.
Not surprised they said this out right. It would be a tough sell for MS to acquire a Japanese company. Although some users on this site believe every rumor they hear about MS acquiring a Japanese and Polish studio this summer.
Darn I really wanted Scalebound to release to 50's meta so we can stop hearing about how it's the greatest game ever
If anything it would be Nintendo buying Platinum
this
Correct, they are not interested in $$$ please. if Microsoft Made a real offer they would take it
low key actually i wouldn't mind if Platinum acquired by Microsoft instead getting money from Tencent nor Chinese company. But perhaps staying independent or acquired by another Japanese Company (except Konami) is by far the most favorable in my opinion.
I don't want either Tencent or Microsoft to buy Platinum. If I were to pick another company to buy them, it would be either Nintendo or Square Enix.
probably nintendo, but unlike others, nintendo isn't activie in buying companies- they only do so if the other company WANTS to be owned by nintendo, and is actually fine with being under nintendo style management. they don't just go out to buy a company that suits thier needs.
I agree with this sentiment. Platinum simply would not fir MS's approach to game development.
Thank you for saying what I was thinking.
Bear in mind that the Rare acquisition was 20 years. Hopefully Microsoft have learned from that mistake. Better to judge them on how they treat their more recent acquisitions, like Obsidian.
MS never learn from their mistakes
They certainly haven't learned anything about doing business in Japan.
I still remember the fuck-up with Level-5 on the original Xbox.
Pretty much what most other Japanese developers, as well as people overseas who watch the Japanese market, say. Microsoft is absolutely clueless about the Japanese market or the Japanese development community. The fiasco between Platinum and Microsoft over Scalebound was pretty much a repeat of the fiasco between Level-5 and Microsoft over True Fantasy Live Online a decade earlier. Microsoft needs to face the facts that they simply aren't wanted or needed in Japan.
