Bayonetta 3 Director Defends The Game’s Nintendo Switch Exclusivity
When news finally broke that a third game for the Bayonetta franchise was under development for release on more modern platforms, fans lost their collective minds. Despite that, there was resounding disappointment when news broke that it would be a Nintendo Switch exclusive. Stepping up to defend their decision as developers, Bayonetta 3 director and of the entire franchise, Hideki Kamiya, took to Twitter with a detailed recount of their history.
Simply stating that the franchise is popular would an understatement at best and it certainly helps that the main protagonist is a beautiful and bespectacled femme fatale. There were hints here and there of a forthcoming surprise as well as a PC (via Steam) release of the original. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to mask unfiltered opinion of platform exclusivity for the next release. To lend some reason on the entire ordeal, the Bayonetta 3 director had this to say:
I’ve got something I want to tell you all. It’s about Bayonetta 3. We are a developer that creates games by signing contracts with publishers and receiving funds from them in order to cover development costs. For Bayonetta 1, we signed a contract with Sega and received funds from them, then we proposed a design for the game and entered production. All of the rights belong to Sega.
At the time, our company had only just been established, and we weren’t properly equipped for multiplatform development, so after discussing with Sega, we decided to develop the game exclusively for Xbox 360. However, after that, one of Sega’s trading partners ended up making a port for PS3, at Sega’s behest. More recently, they also decided that a Steam version should be developed, which was released last year. Sega owns the rights to all of these versions.
When we started making Bayonetta 2, we initially received funds from Sega to develop the game for multiple platforms, but the project was halted due to circumstances at Sega. Nintendo then stepped in to continue funding the game, allowing us to finish it. As such, the rights belong to Sega and Nintendo. The rights owners decided the game should be made for Wii U.
Nintendo was also kind enough to fund a port of Bayo 1 for Wii U, and they even allowed us to use the Japanese voice track we created for the Wii U version in the PC version of Bayo 1 as well. I am extremely thankful to Nintendo for funding the game, and to Sega for allowing them to use the Bayonetta IP. As for Bayonetta 3, it was decided from the start that the game was going to be developed using Nintendo’s funding. Without their help, we would not have been able to kick off this project.
All of the rights still belong to Sega and Nintendo. The rights owners decided that the game should be made for Switch. Game development is a business. Each company has its own circumstances and strategies. Sometimes this means games get made, sometimes it means they get cancelled. But I believe that every single person involved is dedicated to delivering the best possible experience. I know that, to me at least, that’s one of the biggest goals when I set to work.
I cannot express how happy I am that we get to make Bayonetta 3, and we intend to do everything within our power to make it as good as it can be. That’s all we can do, and we consider it our greatest mission. It took a while for production of Bayonetta 3 to be okayed, but now that it has kicked off, I hope it will turn into a wonderful encounter for all of you.”
While there are always contractual agreements between publisher, stakeholders, and developers, the Bayonetta 3 director defends each side with candor. At the end of the day, creators still get to make and continue making content for an intellectual property they love. Sometimes the fans may not approve, but the mission as developers remain the same and it is to create the best experience possible.
What do you think of Bayonetta 3 director Hideki Kamiya’s defense for its Nintendo Switch exclusivity? Do you believe it should be available for more than one platform despite their current obligations? Let us know in the comments section below or start a conversation on Don’t Feed the Gamers Facebook page. To stay up to date on gaming news as it happens, follow us on Twitter! Here’s some of our latest:
Hoi Duong2131 Posts
Hoi is an elusive figure at DFTG, whose favorite past-times include chillin' in the Fade, reading manga, watching anime, collecting novelty items, and gaming.
