Hideki Kamiya has commented further on his decision to leave PlatinumGames in 2023, stating: “I couldn’t allow myself to kill my soul in order to work in an environment that I didn’t agree with”.
In a recent interview with Japanese outlet Game*Spark (translated by Automaton), the Bayonetta creator discussed his new studio Clovers and disputed its similarity to Capcom’s now-defunct Clover Studio (where he worked on Okami and Viewtiful Joe) is not him “clinging to the past”.
“If there’s anything I’m particular about, it’s Capcom Production Studio 4,” he said. “Studio 4 is where my career started, and where I learned from Shinji Mikami – a person who has been absolutely indispensable to my career, both as a creator and as my superior.”
Mikami led Production Studio 4, which was responsible for many Resident Evil games, Dino Crisis, Devil May Cry, and many more.
“Back then, we used to call what Mikami taught us the ‘spirit of the 4th’,” said Kamiya. “The reason I left PlatinumGames was because the company’s way of thinking was gradually shifting towards a modern model of game development that doesn’t place importance on the creators’ individuality.”
He added: “Even if it meant the end of my career as a creator, I couldn’t allow myself to kill my soul in order to work in an environment that I didn’t agree with.”
Kamiya is a particularly outspoken figure in the games industry, but his output certainly has a unique and distinctive flair: from the stylish action of Devil May Cry and flamboyance of Bayonetta, to the unique visuals of Okami and Viewtiful Joe.
That spirit of “the creators’ individuality” is also particularly apparent in, for example, Hideo Kojima’s forthcoming Death Stranding 2. Where the industry contains plenty of copycat games and sequels, Kamiya’s comments highlight the importance of creating fresh experiences.
Another Kamiya example would be the cancelled Scalebound, which Kamiya worked on at PlatinumGames with Microsoft. The action game focused on a human protagonist with headphones and a smartphone in a fantasy world with a sidekick dragon. Kamiya recently stated his interest in resurrecting the project, with a direct callout to Xbox boss Phil Spencer.
Kamiya also took a cheeky stab at his former employer in a video on his YouTube channel. It features a number of prominent developers from PlatinumGames who have recently left all having a drinking party.
Clovers, Kamiya’s new studio, is working on a sequel to Okami. The announcement had Kamiya “crying with the fans”.
PlatinumGames, meanwhile, is working with Microsoft on Ninja Gaiden 4.