Platinum Games self-publishing two smaller, fully-owned IPs
Developer considers model similar to Ninja Theory's independent-AAA
Head of development at Platinum Games, Atsushi Inaba, has revealed that the renowned Japanese studio is currently working on two new independent IPs.
Importantly for Platinum, which has faced its fair share of turmoil over the years, both properties would be owned by the studio.
Inaba announced in May last year that Platinum was working on a new property independent of publishers following Microsoft's decision to cancel Scalebound.
In a recent interview with Gamespot, he made it clear that the studio had expanded its original vision to include a second potential game, though both projects remain fairly nebulous for the time being.
Although Inaba hasn't made explicit comparisons to the independent-AAA model adopted by Ninja Theory with the development of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifce, there are obvious parallels in terms of budget and team, which Inaba suggested would be around 20 members for each game.
"We can't put together a AAA, $10 million-plus game, because we just don't have that sort of cash as an independent developer. However, we don't plan to go the indies route with just a few people on a team making a game."
Of course, Inaba was quick to state that Platinum would be doing things its own way, and wasn't looking for how other companies had done it before. He said: "For us the reason we want to do it is we want to motivate the people that work here. We want to give them an opportunity to make their own game."
Speaking last year with GamesIndustry.biz, Ninja Theory commercial director Dominic Matthews extolled the virtues of a studio owning the intellectual rights to its work, something which the developer had never done before until the release of Hellblade.
"The important thing about IP ownership is that it gives us options with Hellblade," he said. Not just in games but across other media as well and explore opportunities to take Senua's story into new places. I think IP ownership is the dream for many developers and it can seem quite distant at times, but the fate of Hellblade and of Senua is in our hands and it's the first time that we've had that."