Platinum premieres trailer for ‘superhero trilogy climax’ Project G.G.
Director Kamiya says studio has full freedom on action game’s direction
PlatinumGames has officially announced Project G.G. (working title) with a trailer and letter from director Hideki Kamiya.
The new title, which was first mentioned overnight in a Japanese magazine, is described as PlatinumGames’ “first fully owned and self-published title.”
As part of the project’s development Platinum will be conducting “a wide-scale recruitment drive” for its new Tokyo studio. It was suggested in Famitsu that Platinum is looking to grow Project G.G.’s team from 15 to 100 people.
Project G.G. is an action game featuring a giant hero, described as the “climax” to Kamiya’s superhero trilogy, following Viewtiful Joe and The Wonderful 101.
In a statement released on Wednesday, he said the project represented the realisation of a dream for Platinum.
“In the fourteen years since we founded this company, we’ve worked towards the dream of making and releasing a game based on a Platinum intellectual property,” he said. “Now, we’re finally stepping up to that starting line.”
Kamiya added that while Platinum is grateful for the relationships it’s held with publishers in the past, he’s found it tough not having a say on the promotion of its games and their future direction.
“As a creator, it’s hard not to think of my games as my children,” he said. “After all, it takes a lot of hard work to raise them up, and a lot of love, too.
“However, once they’re done, any choices about them are entirely out of my hands. So, for example, no matter how many times people tell me, ‘You should make a sequel to this game,’ or, ‘I’d love to see it on that console,’ there’s nothing I can do about it.”
He added: “Unlike any of the games we’ve made so far, [Project G.G. is] going to be a 100% PlatinumGames title. For everything from its setting and characters, to its game design and story, to how it’s promoted – PlatinumGames is in full control.”
Project GG is the second game to be revealed as part of Platinum’s 4 projects teaser campaign, following The Wonderful 101 Remastered earlier this month.
The studio told Famitsu that the remaining two projects in the campaign are not ports, and that the final one is “a big secret.”
Platinum has made no secret of its ambition to move into self-publishing.
Studio head Atsushi Inaba told VGC in May 2019 that moving towards such a model would allow the company to own its own IP for the first time, offering it more control over how it plans its games.
At the time Inaba claimed Bayonetta 3 would see a change in design process based on experience creating the first two games, and revealed that the firm was midway through creating an unannounced title which he claimed “has never been done before”.
Platinum has two in-development original IPs, which will be owned entirely by the studio.
Kamiya’s Project G.G. message
Hello, everyone. PlatinumGames chief game designer Hideki Kamiya here.
It’s my honor today, at long last, to announce an all-new, all-original project from PlatinumGames. In the fourteen years since we founded this company, we’ve worked towards the dream of making and releasing a game based on a Platinum intellectual property. Now, we’re finally stepping up to that starting line.
What makes this new title different from what we’ve done before? Let me explain a bit, because I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a giant step for PlatinumGames!
We’ve made a wide variety of games throughout our history, sometimes based on existing properties, like NieR:Automata; sometimes wholly original stories, like Bayonetta and ASTRAL CHAIN. Our work has found a core of passionate fans who trust us to deliver high-quality action games.
But PlatinumGames has thus far only been a developer. That means we make the games, and that’s it. All of our titles up until now have been made under contracts, with cooperation and funding from the publishers who distribute them.
Of course, everyone at Platinum and I are extremely grateful for the relationship that we’ve made with all of you through the games we’ve made so far. But ultimately, all of those games belong to publishers. Any and all decisions about how those games are promoted, how their content is used, and so on, are entirely up to the publisher.
As a creator, it’s hard not to think of my games as my children. After all, it takes a lot of hard work to raise them up, and a lot of love, too. However, once they’re done, any choices about them are entirely out of my hands. So, for example, no matter how many times people tell me, “You should make a sequel to this game,” or, “I’d love to see it on that console,” there’s nothing I can do about it.
Which brings us to Project G.G. (that’s just a working title, by the way). Project G.G. is different. Unlike any of the games we’ve made so far, it’s going to be a 100% PlatinumGames title. For everything from its setting and characters, to its game design and story, to how it’s promoted – PlatinumGames is in full control.
Of course, that has its downsides, too. We’ll be taking on new risks that we’ve never had to assume before as a contracted developer. Having full control over the Project G.G. IP gives us a ton of freedom, but also a ton of responsibility. Still, I think we can harness that sense of responsibility and turn it into motivation to make Project G.G. the best game it can be.
Like I said before, with Project G.G., we’re stepping up to a starting line. The finish line is still a long way away. But I know I’m looking forward to running the race! I hope you’ll cheer us on. And if you’d like to join us at Platinum as we start out on this new endeavor, I sincerely hope you’ll take a look at our jobs page and see if there’s a position that’s right for you.
On behalf of the Project G.G. team and all of PlatinumGames, thank you for your support!
Project G.G. Director Hideki Kamiya
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