Platinum thinks hiring of Nintendo veteran can take the companies’ relationship to the next level
CEO Atsushi Inaba has called the studio’s partnership with Nintendo “very important”
PlatinumGames believes the appointment of Nintendo veteran Takao Yamane as its chief business officer can help make the studio’s relationship with the platform holder even stronger.
Yamane joined Platinum as CBO and vice president in July, having previously worked at Nintendo in various positions for over 20 years, including seven as the general manager of its licensing department.
Platinum already enjoys a strong relationship with Nintendo, having partnered with the company on exclusives like Star Fox Zero, Astral Chain, Bayonetta 2 and its upcoming sequel.
Speaking in a newly published VGC interview, Platinum CEO Atsushi Inaba said Yamane’s appointment could bring the companies even closer together.
“Well obviously, Yamane didn’t leave Nintendo on bad terms at all and this partnership that we have with Nintendo is very important to us right now and will be moving forward,” he said.
“I think with Yamane-san joining us here, PlatinumGames can definitely build an even stronger relationship with Nintendo moving forward. That can only be a positive thing for PlatinumGames.”
Inaba previously told VGC that the studio would be open to bringing Wii U game Star Fox Zero to Nintendo Switch.
Released in 2016, the title was co-developed by Platinum and Nintendo’s own EPD team, with Mario designer Shigeru Miyamoto overseeing the project.
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Interview: How PlatinumGames is betting on Nintendo expertise to shape its future
Six and a half years after its original release, Star Fox Zero remains one of the only major Wii U titles yet to be ported to Nintendo’s latest console.
Platinum’s latest game, Bayonetta 3, will be released as a Switch exclusive on October 28.
