Kamiya left PlatinumGames because “I don’t think of games as products”

Back in December, the co-founder and face of PlatinumGames, Hideki Kamiya, announced that he had left the studio. Since then, Kamiya has opened up a YouTube channel where he has been rather candid about his current situation. Speaking to IGN, the co-founder has now explained exactly why he departed the studio.

In an interview with IGN Japan, Hideki Kamiya sat down to discuss his YouTube channel, the fact that he cannot make games for a year following the departure and more. When asked for more details on why exactly he left PlatinumGames, Kamiya responded:

“My work with PlatinumGames was based on a relationship of trust with the company. I decided to leave because I felt that the direction the company was heading in was different from my beliefs as a developer. Without that element of trust, I couldn’t continue working there, and so I left, so that I could continue working in what I consider to be the right way.”

He continued, “I don't think of games as products, but rather as works of art. I want to put my artistry into games and deliver games that could only be made by Hideki Kamiya, so that players can enjoy Hideki Kamiya games exactly as they are. I decided to leave the company and forge my own path, to continue making games that reflect the developers who made them.”

Based on what he has said, it seems as though PlatinumGames had perhaps expanded outward beyond Kamiya’s desires. While a generally loved studio, Platinum has been criticised for developing many middling licensed games – likely a by-product of the aforementioned change in company direction.

Hideki Kamiya is a highly inventive and creative developer and so it will be exciting to see what he does next – once the one year period is up. 

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KitGuru says: What do you think of Kamiya’s reason? Have you noticed the shift in direction by Platinum? What would you like Kamiya’s next move to be? Let us know down below.

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