Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Creator / PlatinumGames

Go To

1[[quoteright:354:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/5b4976668df94f2e7dcf4deda6ab8818.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:354:Platinum maintains its luster forever.]]
3
4-> ''"It signifies a company that is valuable like platinum, high quality, and shines a never-changing light. In line with that name, we have to make high quality titles."''
5-->-- '''Tatsuya Minami''', on how the company got its name.
6
7[=PlatinumGames, Inc.=] is a Japanese video game development studio known for over-the-top action games of various shapes and sizes. Its headquarters are located in Osaka.
8
9Originally, the main creative minds here (including Creator/HidekiKamiya, Atsushi Inaba, and Creator/ShinjiMikami) were a part of Creator/{{Capcom}} as the Research and Development department known as Creator/CloverStudio, but left Capcom due to [[CreativeDifferences creative disputes]].
10This talent then formed a different company, Seeds Inc., but before anything was produced by Seeds, they merged with ODD Incorporated, another company founded by fellow ex-Capcom employee [[VideoGame/MegaManX Tatsuya Minami]] to form [=PlatinumGames=], a fully independent company.
11
12Shortly after their inception in 2007, [=PlatinumGames=] allied with Creator/{{Sega}} as their publisher the following year, with an agreement that Sega would publish four of their upcoming projects. While their creations were still continued to be [[CultClassic cult hits]] at best under this partnership, they still performed considerably better than they did at Capcom and Sega extended their contract to include a fifth game. Following the lukewarm reception of ''VideoGame/AnarchyReigns'', Platinum found themselves as a contract studio developing games for other publishers: most notably Creator/{{Nintendo}}, who would fund a [[VideoGame/TheWonderful101 number]] [[VideoGame/Bayonetta2 of]] [[VideoGame/AstralChain original]] [[VideoGame/Bayonetta3 titles]] in addition to gaining their assistance on franchises like ''Franchise/StarFox'', and Creator/SquareEnix, for whom they developed their most commercially successful game to date (''VideoGame/NierAutomata'').
13
14Some characters from Clover would eventually be used in Capcom's [[VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom crossover]] [[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 fighting games]]. Mikami and Kamiya have stated that they have considered sequels to their games, but Capcom's continued use of their characters made them wary of the idea. An attempt at producing a proper ''Okami 2'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_cfG4xCaBI was allegedly attempted by both companies in 2016]], but the collaboration ultimately fell by the wayside.
15
16On February 3, 2020, [=PlatinumGames=] launched "[[https://four.platinumgames.com/ Platinum4]]", a website to eventually reveal four different projects the company hopes to work on, and revealed the first of those projects, a crowd-funded Kickstarter campaign attempting to produce a remaster of ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101''. By the end of the first day, the Kickstarter's $49890 goal had been met. '''Eighteen times over.'''
17
18On September 25, 2023, it was [[https://x.com/pg_kamiya/status/1706202627531489367?s=61&t=m7fiT1CG-Id-jG9aSe-vEw announced]] by [=PlatinumGames=] (and later by [[https://x.com/pg_kamiya/status/1706202627531489367?s=61&t=m7fiT1CG-Id-jG9aSe-vEw Kamiya himself]]) that Hideki Kamiya would leave [=PlatinumGames=] on October 12, 2023.
19
20----
21!!Games developed by [=PlatinumGames=]:
22[[index]]
23* ''VideoGame/MadWorld'' (2009)[[note]]Nintendo Wii exclusive[[/note]]
24* ''Bayonetta'' series:
25** ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' (2009)[[note]]Originally released on Xbox 360 and [=PlayStation=] 3; later ported to Wii U, PC, Nintendo Switch, [=PlayStation=] 4, and Xbox One[[/note]]
26** ''VideoGame/Bayonetta2'' (2014)[[note]]Originally Wii U exclusive; later ported to Nintendo Switch.[[/note]]
27** ''VideoGame/Bayonetta3'' (2022)[[note]]Nintendo Switch exclusive[[/note]]
28** ''VideoGame/BayonettaOriginsCerezaAndTheLostDemon'' (2023)[[note]]Nintendo Switch exclusive[[/note]]
29* ''VideoGame/InfiniteSpace''[[note]]Co-developed with Nude Maker[[/note]] (2010)[[note]]Nintendo DS exclusive[[/note]]
30* ''VideoGame/{{Vanquish}}'' (2010)[[note]]Originally released on Xbox 360 and [=PlayStation=] 3; later ported to PC, Xbox One, and [=PlayStation=] 4[[/note]]
31* ''VideoGame/AnarchyReigns'' (2012)[[note]]Xbox 360 and [=PlayStation=] 3[[/note]]
32* ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' (2013)[[note]]Xbox 360, [=PlayStation=] 3, and PC[[/note]]
33* ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'' (2013)[[note]]Originally Wii U exclusive; later ported to Nintendo Switch, [=PlayStation=] 4, and PC[[/note]]
34* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfKorra'' (2014)[[note]]PC, [=PlayStation=] 3, [=PlayStation=] 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One; later delisted from all stores[[/note]]
35* ''VideoGame/TransformersDevastation'' (2015)[[note]]PC, [=PlayStation=] 3, [=PlayStation=] 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One; digital versions later delisted from all stores[[/note]]
36* ''VideoGame/StarFoxZero''[[note]]Co-developed with Creator/{{Nintendo}} EPD[[/note]] (2016)[[note]]Wii U exclusive[[/note]]
37** ''Star Fox Guard'' (2016)[[note]]Wii U exclusive[[/note]]
38* ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMutantsInManhattan'' (2016)[[note]]PC, [=PlayStation=] 3, [=PlayStation=] 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One; digital versions later delisted from all stores[[/note]]
39* ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' (2017)[[note]][=PlayStation=] 4; later ported to PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch[[/note]]
40* ''VideoGame/AstralChain'' (2019)[[note]]Nintendo Switch exclusive[[/note]]
41* ''World Of Demons'' (2021)[[note]]Was originally soft-launched in some SEA territories in 2018, before being delisted the following year; later launched on Apple Arcade with heavily retooled gameplay[[/note]]
42* ''VideoGame/SolCresta'' (2022)[[note]]Nintendo Switch, [=PS4=], and PC via Steam[[/note]]
43* ''Babylon's Fall'' (2022) [[note]][=PS4=], PC, and [=PS5=], shut down on February 27th, 2023.[[/note]]
44* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXVI'' [[note]] Primarily developed by Square Enix’s Creative Business Unit III with Platinum doing support work for the combat alongside the ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIV'' team under Takahisa Taura.[[/note]] (2023)[[note]]Originally [=PS5=] timed exclusive, later ported to PC [[/note]]
45----
46
47!!!Upcoming Games:
48* ''Project G.G.'' (TBA): A new IP from [[/index]]Creator/HidekiKamiya that will be published by Platinum themselves. Kamiya states that this will be the third entry in his ''Hero Trilogy'', which consists of ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'', ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101''[[index]], and this game. However, in late 2023, Hideki Kamiya would depart from [=PlatinumGames=], leaving the project's fate unknown.
49----
50
51!!!Cancelled Games:
52* ''VideoGame/{{Scalebound}}'': A Microsoft published title planned for UsefulNotes/XboxOne and PC. Initially announced during E3 2014, the game was planned for a late 2016 release before being cancelled in January 2017.
53* ''Lost Order'': A co-op real time strategy title made in collaboration with [[/index]]Creator/{{Cygames}}, announced August 2016 as Platinum's first mobile game. Entered closed beta in August 2017. Announcement trailer [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYjJsy1jbe8 here]]. They officially confirmed they no longer working on it on their site.
54----
55!!Tropes frequently employed by [=PlatinumGames=] include:
56* AuthorCatchphrase: "{{Platinum|MakesEverythingShinier}}" is brought up in many of their games, often in the context of gameplay difficulty or challenges:
57** In the ''Bayonetta'' series, a Platinum medal is the highest earnable medal in each Verse. The two highest awards for each chapter are the Platinum Award and the Pure Platinum Award.
58** In ''Astral Chain'', the "normal" difficulty is called Pt Standard, described as being the typical difficulty of a [=PlatinumGames=] title, and the "hard" difficulty is called Pt Ultimate.
59** In ''Sol Cresta'', the hardest difficulty is called Platinum Hard.
60* BulletTime: Invoked with several mechanics in their games: ''Bayonetta''[='s=] Witch Time, ''Vanquish''[='s=] ARS Mode, ''Metal Gear Rising''[='s=] Blade Mode, ''The Wonderful 101''[='s=] Hero Time, and ''VideoGame/TransformersDevastation''[='s=] Focus.
61* ClusterFBomb: Some entries made by [=PlatinumGames=] made use of the four-lettered word, from the subtle use in ''Bayonetta'' to the massive use in ''Metal Gear Rising''.
62-->"Don't fuck with a witch."\
63"Don't fuck with this Senator!"
64* CoolBike: Many games published by Platinum have levels or scenes where the hero drives a motorcycle (Route 666 in ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'', Area 66 in ''VideoGame/MadWorld'', a cutscene in ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance''). Up to eleven in ''VideoGame/AstralChain'', where the very first gameplay segment is one of the player's character riding a motorcycle while simultaneously shooting at [[{{Mooks}} Chimaeras]].
65* DifficultButAwesome: One of Platinum's basic [=MOs=] when it comes to game design. Their games tend to be very difficult, and they tend to have mechanics rivaling {{Fighting Game}}s in complexity. That said, feats that're about as amazing as [[http://youtu.be/ZGTKftZnqAM?t=4m20s this]] are [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSP9eMmM-Fw legitimately possible]] in their games.
66** Many games have basic mechanics, usually a defend command or BulletTime, that become more effective when used with almost frame-perfect timing... and they also tend to run at ''60 FPS''.
67* FemaleGaze: Along with MaleGaze for their female protagonists. Platinum goes out of their way to do this when someone is being badass, although whether the camerawork comes across as empowering or objectifying is up to the player.
68* GameplayGrading: Most of their games involve scoring in some form that takes into account how quickly you beat a mission, how little damage you took, and [[AwesomenessMeter how cool you looked doing it.]]
69* TheGoomba: Notable in that this is played straight [[NintendoHard in the context of their own games]].
70* JustFrameBonus: Their dodges and blocks tend to have bonuses that let the player counterattack, slow down time, or both.
71* NintendoHard: Platinum games tend to be relatively challenging compared to other games of the genre, generally forcing players to quickly pick up various complex mechanics. However, the games are ultimately fair and do not suffer from FakeDifficulty. Since most of their key defensive mechanics take some skill, [[AntiFrustrationFeatures easier difficulties will usually give the player better endurance and auto-defend options.]]
72* PlatinumMakesEverythingShinier: They take it up to eleven with RankInflation of their games chapter ratings, which run in the order of Stone, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Pure Platinum.
73* PromotedFanboy: Sort of. Several of Platinum's employees that work on games with major creators or franchises are often fans of those creators or works.
74** Several people at Platinum who were fans of Creator/YokoTaro's works were ecstatic to get to work on a [[VideoGame/NierAutomata game]] with him.
75** It has been said that when Creator/{{Activision}} approached them to do [[VideoGame/TransformersDevastation a Transformers game]], it turned out that the guys at Platinum were big fans of Transformers.
76** The team that did [[VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance a Metal Gear Spinoff]] is said to be full of fans of the series and were responsible for many of the references and MythologyGags in it.
77** Creator/HidekiKamiya has been a long time fan of Creator/{{Nintendo}} and Creator/{{Sega}}, so working with both of them on the ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' [[VideoGame/{{Bayonetta2}} games]], as well as on ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'' with Nintendo, was a dream come true for him.
78* RapidFireFisticuffs: Appears in almost every game, no matter how unlikely; the hack-and-slash ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance Revengeance]]'' uses it during a special unarmed QTE, third-person shooter ''VideoGame/{{Vanquish}}'' has this as a melee option, wielding combat bracers in ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' allows the player to do this, and the AppliedPhlebotinum combat in ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'', ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'', and ''VideoGame/AstralChain'' has frequent [[PummelDuel pummel duels]] using GiantHandsOfDoom. One wonders whether this company trend is meant to reference [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Star Platinum]].
79* ReferenceOverdosed: ''The entire company's library'' can qualify. You'd be hard-pressed to not find a Shout-Out in each of their games. See Shout-Out below.
80* {{Retraux}}: The ''Neo-Classic Arcade'' series is designed to take on the look of older-generation games. ''Sol Cresta'' is the first game in this lineup and has the look of a 32-bit game and an FM synth soundtrack.
81* TheRival: In most games, there will usually be an antagonist of some sort [[MirrorBoss who possesses similar fighting abilities as the protagonist]] and is generally a true challenge of the player's skill. Notable examples include Jeanne from ''Bayonetta'', Jetstream Sam from ''Metal Gear Rising'', Prince Vorkken from ''The Wonderful 101'', and A2 from ''[=NieR=]: Automata''.
82* RuleOfCool: Practically Platinum's ''modus operandi''.
83* ShoutOut: Oy. To list all of Platinum's Shout-Outs, to themselves or otherwise, would require its own page. In fact, [[VideoGame/MadWorld four]] [[VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} games]] [[VideoGame/TheWonderful101 of]] [[VideoGame/{{Vanquish}} theirs]] have their own Shout-Out pages. Their self-referencing would also give ''Creator/{{Nintendo}}'' a run for their money.
84* SpellMyNameWithAnS: It's [=PlatinumGames=], without any space in-between.
85* StylishAction: Platinum's most well-known genre. Starting with ''VideoGame/MadWorld'' and most famously ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'', the company's best games throw out the rules of common sense to deliver ridiculously awesome RuleOfCool combat.

Top