Will Bayonetta 3 Be Affected by Tencent’s Stunning Platinum Games Deal?
Calm down, Bayonetta 3 fans. Tencent is the least of your problems. | Source: Nintendo/YouTube
- Platinum Games received investment capital from Tencent.
- Analysts said this is more akin to a loan than a true ownership stake.
- Despite this, fans seem worried that this will affect Platinum’s upcoming titles.
There’s always a lot of buzz when Tencent invests in a company. The Chinese conglomerate has its fingers in a lot of different pies. From Epic Games to Frontier Developments, Tencent likes to get a piece of the action. And now they’ve inked a deal with Bayonetta 3 developer Platinum Games.
The partnership was announced on the Platinum Games website , and the developer promised that it won’t affect their independence. Instead, they claim it will allow them to pursue other ventures, such as self-publishing their own games.
That wasn’t enough to stop the internet from completely freaking out.
Calm Down – Bayonetta 3 Will Be Fine
Bayonetta 3 is one of Platinum’s most anticipated titles, and gamers may have feared that the Tencent deal could disrupt the game’s development schedule.
Looking at some of the Twitter reactions to the news , you might be forgiven for thinking the Platinum-Tencent partnership is the death-knell for the Bayonetta franchise – not to mention Babylon’s Fall.
Critics are decrying it as if Tencent now owns Platinum Games. But that’s clearly not the case. According to industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, this is more akin to a loan than a stake in the company.
Tencent invests money, then gets a portion of the revenue. While it’s technically possible that Platinum will bow to their whims with Bayonetta 3, it seems extremely unlikely.
Platinum Games Is a Headstrong Developer
Platinum is insanely headstrong when it comes to game development. Let’s face it, Bayonetta 3 wouldn’t be coming out if they weren’t.
They’re at their most successful when they’re allowed to do what they want. Even if Tencent tries to apply pressure on them to make changes, they’re not going to do it.
They’re under no obligation, after all.
Once Platinum has made a go of self-publishing, they’ll also be much less reliant on publishers and investors in the future. Moreover, Tencent will want to preserve a good relationship with them so they can get exclusive rights for the Chinese distribution of their games in the future.
In short, this is a smart move for both companies. Tencent gets a potential return on investment as well as an “in” with Platinum. Platinum gets an opportunity to try its hand at self-publishing.
The only people freaking out about this are the conspiracy theorists who think Bayonetta 3 is going to steal your personal data whenever you play it.
