Platinum Games would like to become a Nintendo Second Party Dev

[GameWinner]

During an interview with IGN, Platinum Games' Hideki Kamiya has revealed that he is interested in doing a sequel to the Wii U exclusive, The Wonderful 101. He has also stated that he is interested in porting the first Bayonetta game to the Wii U. During the interview he admitted that he would love to become a second party dev in order to work more closely with Nintendo.

Kamiya admitted he’d happily see the studio become a second-party Nintendo developer. When asked if he’d like to see the company officially join forces with Nintendo, he replied, “I would love that. It would be great to work more closely with Nintendo.”

I can actually see this happening to be honest but will Nintendo actually jump on this?
Actually, I kinda want to see this. It'll be Bayonetta 2 round 2...

Source

 

[Nathan Drake]

Perhaps they would like to wait on expressing these sentiments until their games are actually released and generating profit.

 

[Flame]

Platinum Games' second party... more like the second coming is more likely because of Nintendo, than this happening.

 

[Gahars]

Translation: "Please take us, somebody, anybody! I know our games don't do too well, but come on, you know we're good for it. We don't even need money! You can pay us in sandwiches, we don't care!"

It'd probably be a good deal for them, but I'm not sure how wise of an investment this would be on Nintendo's part. Besides, Sega would have the final say on any sale, not PG, so...

 

[ShadowSoldier]

Translation: "Please take us, somebody, anybody! I know our games don't do too well, but come on, you know we're good for it. We don't even need money! You can pay us in sandwiches, we don't care!"

It'd probably be a good deal for them, but I'm not sure how wise of an investment this would be on Nintendo's part. Besides, Sega would have the final say on any sale, not PG, so...

Why would Sega have the final say on any sale?

Perhaps they would like to wait on expressing these sentiments until their games are actually released and generating profit.

That's the problem with PG games, I don't know how they make their money, most of their games go unnoticed and under the radar.

 

[Gahars]

Why would Sega have the final say on any sale?

Isn't Platinum Games owned by Sega? Ah, no, though they do seem to have a development contract with Sega for now, so that could delay an acquisition.

 

[Arras]

If this ever goes through I wonder whether the shitstorm will be smaller or larger than when Bayonetta 2 was announced as WiiU exclusive. I somewhat doubt it though.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

If this ever goes through I wonder whether the shitstorm will be smaller or larger than when Bayonetta 2 was announced as WiiU exclusive. I somewhat doubt it though.

It'll sorta be bigger. Right now, there's somewhat of a small chance, if Nintendo is generous enough, that Bayonetta 2 will come to other consoles. But if Nintendo owns PG, then it definitely won't happen. I hope Nintendo buys them so I can see the internet freak out.

 

[Ergo]

I'd love to see this if only to feast on the Internet fanboy rage some more--the games would be a bonus.

 

[Nathan Drake]

That's the problem with PG games, I don't know how they make their money, most of their games go unnoticed and under the radar.

It isn't so much that their games end up under the radar; they simply haven't made very many games. I'm sure you've at least heard of nearly every game they've made, but you quickly recognize that these games weren't all that popular or were projects that were pretty much doomed to mediocrity from the beginning. They are either very good at keeping operating and development costs low, or perhaps this is why most of their games are partner projects with other developers.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

It isn't so much that their games end up under the radar; they simply haven't made very many games. I'm sure you've at least heard of nearly every game they've made, but you quickly recognize that these games weren't all that popular or were projects that were pretty much doomed to mediocrity from the beginning. They are either very good at keeping operating and development costs low, or perhaps this is why most of their games are partner projects with other developers.

But their games do end up under the radar. And a lot of their games are popular, like Bayonetta and MadWorld. Even then, their key members, Hideki Kamiya, Atsushi Inaba and Shinji Mikami have made some of the best games to date:

Okami
Viewtiful Joe franchise
Resident Evil
Resident Evil 2
God Hand
Phoenix Wright
Devil May Cry
Resident Evil 4
Aladdin (SNES)

But with all of that, their games are still under the radar.

 

[Nathan Drake]

But their games do end up under the radar. And a lot of their games are popular, like Bayonetta and MadWorld. Even then, their key members, Hideki Kamiya, Atsushi Inaba and Shinji Mikami have made some of the best games to date:

Okami
Viewtiful Joe franchise
Resident Evil
Resident Evil 2
God Hand
Phoenix Wright
Devil May Cry
Resident Evil 4
Aladdin (SNES)

But with all of that, their games are still under the radar.

You just listed projects by Clover Studio and it seems like a couple by Capcom in general. Although Platinum Games is largely members of the former Clover Studio, it's important to realize that it is ultimately a different team, and it is no longer headed by Capcom, but rather, it's independent and takes what it can get as a company. Platinum Games themselves have only made:
MadWorld
Infinite Space
Bayonetta
Vanquish
Anarchy Reigns
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
The Wonderful 101
Bayonetta 2

 

[ShadowSoldier]

You just listed projects by Clover Studio and it seems like a couple by Capcom in general. Although Platinum Games is largely members of the former Clover Studio, it's important to realize that it is ultimately a different team, and it is no longer headed by Capcom, but rather, it's independent and takes what it can get as a company. Platinum Games themselves have only made:
MadWorld
Infinite Space
Bayonetta
Vanquish
Anarchy Reigns
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
The Wonderful 101
Bayonetta 2

But what I'm saying is the key members who made those games and Clover Studio, are the key members of Platinum Games. The only problem is they don't have a big publisher like Capcom to advertise their games, and Nintendo would be a huuuuge step up from what they do now.

 

[Nathan Drake]

But what I'm saying is the key members who made those games and Clover Studio, are the key members of Platinum Games. The only problem is they don't have a big publisher like Capcom to advertise their games, and Nintendo would be a huuuuge step up from what they do now.

Still somewhat wrong. Even under Capcom, Clover Studio was only really responsible for the Viewtiful Joe games, Okami, and God Hand. Some of their developers may have helped on past titles, but largely, Clover Studio/Platinum Games has only been making games for 10 years now. One does have to remember that helping on a few good games does not instantly make a developer excellent at the craft. The team is important. Every other game in your original list comes from Capcom themselves, or potentially another developer under them, but not Clover Studio.

Edit: Although, I can in no way argue against the idea that working under a larger developer would be highly beneficial for them.

 

[Gahars]

And a lot of their games are popular, like Bayonetta and MadWorld.

Bayonetta sold just over 1 million copies, MadWorld sold 150k - 200k copies (giving the game the benefit of the doubt). Even their best selling titles aren't all that popular.

Platinum Games is more of a niche developer than anything else. That certainly isn't bad, of course, but it does limit their appeal. They wouldn't be a lucrative acquisition for any publisher, Nintendo or otherwise.

Even then, their key members, Hideki Kamiya, Atsushi Inaba and Shinji Mikami have made some of the best games to date:

Okami
Viewtiful Joe franchise
Resident Evil
Resident Evil 2
God Hand
Phoenix Wright
Devil May Cry
Resident Evil 4
Aladdin (SNES)

That's irrelevant. Those games were made a) in vastly different studio environments, and b) ages ago. The games industry is incredibly fast-paced, and past success means nothing if you can't keep producing hits. They're certainly respected for their contributions to gaming, no doubt about that, buy that alone isn't enough.

 

[Ergo]

The primary argument for Nintendo to sign Platinum is that you put a top tier team on stale or dormant Nintendo franchises to breathe new life into them (see Kamiya's repeated pleas to work on StarFox, for example), which is something they would, no doubt, do very well (see: Metal Gear Rising)--anything beyond that, in the form of new IP would be, I think, a secondary consideration. (IF Nintendo were to even consider such an arrangement, because Platinum cannot move "Nintendo numbers", and their games almost certainly cost a great deal more to make than, say, a Monolith Soft production, so having them as a boutique dev probably wouldn't be cost-effective.)

(Nintendo could also do the insane thing and perhaps actually market some of their non-core games, which might actually help them sell more copies but, clearly, that's just crazy talk.)

(And: Mikami was only at Platinum for the duration of Vanquish and left for Tango Gameworks--now part of Zenimax--after its completion.)

 

[Joe88]

I dont know about that, sales are pretty bad in japan
http://www.videogamer.com/wiiu/the_...rful_101_slows_down_wii_u_sales_in_japan.html
http://wiiudaily.com/2013/08/wonderful-101-japanese-sales/

not only that but the game is getting mixed reviews

 

[DSGamer64]

They really need to have success with their upcoming games if they want to work with Nintendo exclusively, it was a big investment getting Bayonetta 2 exclusive, they have to see profit out of it.

 

[Windaga]

Would be cool I guess. I dig 101, and I loved Bayonetta - Vanquish was pretty fun too. Slap them under Nintendo, let them use some funds and see where that goes.

Or let Microsoft buy them and let them make a killer Viva Pinata sequel. Can't wait to see the rack they put on a mariachi-inspired donkey.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

If this happened, Nintendo would give them a game to do, if it's not under a big title (like Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc) it'll bomb, then Nintendo will just shut down the studio for good. No one will want to buy the studio so all the devs will just be up for grabs and our dream team is gone.

(although let's be honest the dream team is the Dragon's Dogma team).