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PlatinumGames' Hideki Kamiya on Bayonetta, Project G.G., and Elon Musk’s Twitter - IGN
IGN Japan interviewed Platinum’s outspoken vice president and veteran creator Hideki Kamiya about the response to Bayonetta 3, his ambitious next game Project G.G., his thoughts on Elon Musk’s Twitter, and much more.
Hideki Kamiya on the future of the Bayonetta universe
IGN: Bayonetta became your longest-running series. How do you feel about it now?
Kamiya: "The Bayonetta series has gone on for 13 whole years now. This is my first time ever being involved with an IP for this long. I've been involved in the games not only as a director, but I write their stories and oversee their creation in general, so I feel like I've been able to defend and maintain the overall world of Bayonetta in my own way.
"One of our most basic values at PlatinumGames is that we make games for players. However, I've started to notice that as a series like Bayonetta and other game series go on, what players want has started to diverge from what its developers are putting out. Even then, we can't just add whatever a simple majority of players want into our games. I've always believed that developers need to have their own convictions as creators when they make games, but I've started to feel that more than ever."
IGN: Where do these differences between players and creators show up?
Kamiya: "You see it when it comes to story, and there are lots of opinions even regarding a game's mechanics. Taking the Bayonetta IP as an example, while I have a structure in mind for where the story is going to go far into the future, players are only able to pass judgment on the story that they have at the moment. They'll say things like the series is going to end because the creators have no love for it. I want people to know that's obviously not how it is. I love Bayonetta more than anyone. How could I not love Cereza and all the other characters I've fostered for this long?"
IGN: Is there any chance we'll see a Bayonetta 4 or Bayonetta 5?
Kamiya: "I personally can't conceive the Bayonetta series ever ending. I want to make a Bayonetta 4 and Bayonetta 5, and I intend on pitching them to the company. We often talk internally about how we could make nine of them. I want people who love the Bayonetta series to believe me when I say: 'I'm not going to do anything that will betray the players'."
IGN: Is there a possibility of you making spin-offs too, rather than just mainline games? (Note: The spin-off game Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon was announced after this interview, during The Game Awards.)
Kamiya: "I would like to make spin-offs. It's an established part of the character Jeanne that she also works as a superhero named Cutie J. I'd even like to make a spin-off for that. Keeping the Bayonetta series going is of the utmost importance to me, so I'm not fixated on what numbers are attached to a game's title. I want to be able to depict the extensive world of Bayonetta that is inside my head."
IGN: Do you ever feel like you want to make games for high-end hardware, or so-called AAA games?
Kamiya: "I do. We hear players when they say that they want to see PlatinumGames titles as high-end AAA games. There is a title we have that hasn't been announced yet, and let me say for now that we're not necessarily developing it as a Nintendo platform exclusive."
IGN: Around when can we expect to learn more about this unannounced title?
Kamiya: "I can't discuss that yet. As a developer, I'm incredibly interested in high-end game development, and that's exactly what I'm getting to tackle right now. Please stay tuned for more information."
