Posts Tagged ‘platinumgames’
MadWorld May Not See Release in Censor-heavy Countries
With many countries clamping down on violent games, it appears unlikely that MadWorld, the upcoming ultra-violent action game from PlatinumGames, is going to be released in countries where it isn’t welcome. And that’s what Sega is going to do, too: not release the game in censor-heavy countries.
The publisher knows just how violent the game is, even considering not releasing it in Japan where both they and the studio are based. In fact, the game won’t be present at the Tokyo Game Show this week.
Japan has banned many violent games recently, the most recent victim being Dead Space. Germany and Australia are also being treated the same way by Sega, noting that these regions aren’t part of their strategy right now.
Heck, Sega is scared of releasing it in America: "Sega is working closely with the Entertainment Software Ratings Board to ensure the game receives just an M rating … The ESRB receives new builds on a regular basis and Sega notes their feedback. Sega … isn’t looking to surprise them."
Japanese Dev: Japan Needs to be More Creative
Japan may have been ahead of the curve all this time, but the country’s game developers have lost their edge to their western counterparts, believes PlatinumGames boss Atushi Inaba.
PlatinumGames is formed of numerous ex-Capcom staffers, including Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. It also features former employees of Clover Studio – the beloved developer of Okami, Viewtiful Joe and God Hand.
“I want Japanese creators to realize now is that they are now following the lead of the U.S. creators,” he said. “We need to get to and then surpass those creators, with innovative games that sell in the West as well.”
Inaba adds that Japanese developers need to be “more creative, and go beyond what is given,” explaining that Japan had always been good at taking advantage of a console’s restrictions, whereas studios in the west have “always been great at going beyond what was available.”
PlatinumGames is currently working on Bayonetta, an action game in the image of Devil May Cry.