PlatinumGames Doesn’t Want to Join Xbox Game Studios
During a recent interview, PlatinumGames studio head Atsushi Inaba and game director Hideki Kamiya claimed they’d like to remain an independent studio. Although Microsoft is keen on trying to expand more into Japan, PlatinumGames won’t be joining Xbox Game Studios any time soon according to the company executives. Talks between PlatinumGames and Microsoft apparently haven’t happened yet but the independent developer is happy doing their own thing and going their own direction. Astral Chain is PlatinumGames’ latest title and it’s available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
When asked about Microsoft and Phil Spencer’s interest in PlatinumGames, Atsushi Inaba responded, “I did read some rumours about Xbox wanting to purchase PlatinumGames, and I thought, ‘people on the internet write the craziest stuff’, because that conversation has not come to our doorstep at all. 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.” Apparently, Microsoft Japan needs more work to do in expanding Xbox’s reach in the region and until then, PlatinumGames sounds reluctant to join Xbox Game Studios.
“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,” continued Atsushi Inaba. “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.” Although we respect the direction that PlatinumGames is going, we don’t feel like the Xbox Game Studios would agree that their freedom is being limited by Microsoft lately either.
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Source: VGC