Platinum’s CEO says he wouldn’t dismiss acquisition offers ‘as long as our freedom is respected’
PlatinumGames’ CEO has suggested that the Bayonetta studio would be willing to entertain acquisition talks in the future, should its freedom be guaranteed.
Speaking to VGC following his recent promotion to president and CEO, Atsushi Inaba was asked about recent consolidation in the games industry, most significantly marked by Microsoft’s $70bn buyout of Activision Blizzard, and if Platinum would be open to offers.
Inaba responded by saying he’d be open to any possibility, as long as Platinum was afforded the kind of independence he expects Microsoft to offer Activision once its deal is completed.
“The most important thing for us is to have the freedom to make the games that we want to make,” he said. “What I hear about the recent acquisitions, I don’t think Microsoft is going to start micromanaging Activision to where they take away all their freedom… I don’t think it’s going to be a relationship like that.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of mutual respect there and I think Activision will be able to continue doing what they do best. That’s also what’s most important to us at the end of the day, whatever form that takes for us and our company. So I would not turn anything down, as long as our freedom was still respected.”
Inaba previously suggested that Platinum would not be interested in a sale to Microsoft – which has publicly stated its desire to add Japanese studio to its first-party roster – should such a theoretical arrangement limit its independence.
Platinum is one of Japan’s most prominent independent game developers, known for its enviable track record of creating original games such as Bayonetta, The Wonderful 101, Vanquish and Astral Chain, as well as high-profile collaborations on titles such as Metal Gear
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