Platinum Games boss Atushi Inaba has stated that Japanese developers need to become more creative if they hope to “again lead the gaming market,”
Employing many Capcom ex-staffers including Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, PlatinumGames contains a majority of employees from Clover Studio – creators of such titles as Viewtiful Joe, Okami, and God Hand.
“I want Japanese creators to realize now is that they are now following the lead of the U.S. creators, and that we need to get to and then surpass those creators, with innovative games that sell in the West as well,”
“I believe that Japan needs to be more creative, and go beyond what is given,”
Japan had “always been good at taking advantage” of a console’s restrictions, whereas Western developers “had always been great at going beyond what was available.”
– Atushi Inaba, PlatinumGames Head via Gamasutra
Part of this idea comes modesty in asking for help. “If there are very capable developers and programmers in the West it would be great if they could come on board,” “Bayonetta is a very difficult game to develop.” In addition, PlatinumGames also has two more titles currently in development, all of them aim to appease the Western audience.
Inaba might not be alone in this endevaor as the highest profiled Japanese game release this year, Kojima Productions Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, is said to be influenced by Epic Games’ Gears of War, a standard staple in Western action titles.
