SEGA and Platinum Games Continue Partnership

It seems like only yesterday that Platinum Games first announced that they had worked out a four game publishing deal with SEGA. Alas, it was actually May 2008, and the original agreement is due to come to an end very shortly with the release of action-shooter Vanquish on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 next month. Neither company is about to let that happen, though, with an extension to the deal mentioned at the Tokyo Game Show.

Play.tm report that MadWorld producer Atsushi Inaba stated simply that the "relationship between SEGA and Platinum Games does not end with Vanquish". Details are sketchy for now - we have no idea what future projects are lined up, or even how many there will be - but it is clear that the companies have found their partnership mutually benefical thus far. We have contacted SEGA to try and uncover more details on the extended deal and will let you know as soon as we hear anything back.

Until then, it will be difficult to pin down exactly what this new deal involves, especially since Platinum have developed across a number of formats while working with SEGA. MadWorld was released on Wii and Infinite Space made its home on DS, while Bayonetta and the upcoming Vanquish are Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 titles.

Sequels to the three released titles cannot be ruled out. At numerous times, various Platinum Games staff have expressed an interest in expanding the existing IPs that they have created under SEGA.

Speaking to Gamespot at the tail end of last year, Atsushi Inaba agreed that he would like to add to Infinite Space if IP-owners SEGA were interested.

"If we had a chance we would love to make a sequel [to Infinite Space]. There is no meaning to making original titles if we don’t make sequels/series from what we learned in developing the new IP. However, this is only after we receive good feedback from the market. Above all, SEGA is the IP holder so it’s up to them."

MadWorld director Shigenori Nishikawa told Official Nintendo Magazine earlier this year that he would not mind creating a sequel to his game, either.

"I think MadWorld was very well received and was acknowledged for its innovative graphical style and gameplay. We would definitely be interested in making a sequel in the future."

Finally, just to make sure all the options are on the table and everybody is equally confused as to what the next game coming from Platinum will be, Bayonetta producer Hideki Kamiya has hinted that he would like to further the story of the gun-wielding witch via a number of Twitter tweets in recent days. In response to a fan hoping that Kamiya-san will continue Bayonetta’s journey, he replies "I will." When directly queried whether there will be a Bayonetta 2, Kamiya-san meets the question head-on - "I believe so" - before telling another fan that "she’ll be back if you believe so". On the other hand, Kamiya-san also recently hoped that Nintendo would storm Platinum Games’ offices and force them to make a new Star Fox title at gun point...

We might speculate that Nintendo 3DS is to be a part of Platinum’s future plans, given Kamiya-san and Inaba-san’s recent positive comments on the system to Famitsu (via 1Up), but of course nothing is confirmed and any platform is fair game based on past output.

"I'm being struck with the intense desire to make something on it. It's the same sort of excitement I had when I first saw the Wii and DS in Nintendo's office, but now it's at a whole new level. This may the first time in the industry where the terms 'next generation' and 'personal dream' were so appropriate. I'd gladly throw away everything else for a shot at touching the 3DS." - Atsushi Inaba, producer, Platinum Games.

"3D on a large screen has an impact on you and gets you that much closer to the game or movie you're watching, but 3D on the 3DS's smaller screen is interesting in its own right. Instead of feeling like you're 'really there,' you feel like it's 'really in the palm of your hand,' so to speak. Having these dynamic home 3D titles is great and all, but personally, I want to take a different approach and make games that take advantage of what a 3D portable has to offer." - Hideki Kamiya, producer, Platinum Games.

As you can tell, there are lots of possibilities for the direction of Platinum Games’ continued deal with SEGA. You’ll know as soon as we learn more details about the extension of the agreement between the companies. For now, feel free to join us in speculating your heads off.

What do you want to see next from Platinum Games? Sequels to their current games, or all-new IPs? Wii, HD or portable titles?