Kamiya can't imagine the Bayonetta franchise ever ending

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/hideki-kamiya-says-platinum-could-make-as-many-as-9-bayonetta-games/

PlatinumGames vice president Hideki Kamiya has expressed his desire to make a fourth and fifth Bayonetta game.

In an interview with IGN Japan, Kamiya was explaining his belief that creators need to “have their own convictions” and make the games they want to make instead of what the majority of players want, when he used Bayonetta as an example.

“Taking the Bayonetta IP as an example, while I have a structure in mind for where the story is going to go far into the future, players are only able to pass judgment on the story that they have at the moment,” he said.

“They’ll say things like the series is going to end because the creators have no love for it. I want people to know that’s obviously not how it is. I love Bayonetta more than anyone. How could I not love Cereza and all the other characters I’ve fostered for this long?”

Asked if this meant he wanted to make more Bayonetta games in the future, Kamiya replied: “I personally can’t conceive the Bayonetta series ever ending.

“I want to make a Bayonetta 4 and Bayonetta 5, and I intend on pitching them to the company. We often talk internally about how we could make nine of them.

“I want people who love the Bayonetta series to believe me when I say I’m not going to do anything that will betray the player.”

Last week PlatinumGames and Nintendoannounced a surprise Bayonetta prequel during The Game Awards.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon will be released on March 17, and tells the story of Cereza, a young Umbra Witch who would go on to become the Bayonetta in the recently released third game.

Good news, indeed. Anyone else looking forward to more Bayonetta games? I will definitely be checking out Bayonetta Origins next year! For anyone that missed it, here's the trailer.

With more bomba sales, he better begin imagining it ending.

Heck yeah, action game of the year baby. Can’t wait for more greatness. Switch had way too many awesome games this year.

I’m definitely interested in more Bayonetta. The first three games have been fantastic and I’m certainly looking forward to seeing what this Bayonetta Origins turns out to be like.

Good for fans of the game.

Lol. Yeah job security is nice.

Unfortunately, If you can't fund the next one yourself, you really don't have control over that, Kamiya.

I certainly hope we see more of the franchise.

Eh, not like this is a genre bustling with new releases. No chance of oversaturation in sight. Want to see more new stuff from Platinum, but more Bayo is also fine.

Is weird how in this and in his last interview you posted, he seems to emphasize the story and characters. Don't really think that's why most people play these games. Maybe they actually are that important to Kamiya, who knows. Seems more like keep the revenue stream going plz.

If he wants to keep this going though, wish he'd come back and direct one. I liked Bayo 2 a lot. Heard a lot of good about Bayo 3 from the action junkie crowd. But Kamiyas own Bayo 1 still has the most gameplay flex in the series. If he's that fond of these games, sit in the directors chair again.

He’s working on your GG game.

3 was my least favourite. Disappointing really. Not a bad game but as a whole the execution just isn't there.

I have games that I just preorder blindly and Bayonetta lost that privilege. But I still want to check future games, hopefully on better hardware.

Of course. Not saying direct one now, just come back and direct one at some point. Assuming it's really that important to him, why not right?

As for project GG, damn man. Going on three years since its announcement.

"I still can't say anything yet. I'm pretty sure that (studio head) Atsushi Inaba would kill me if I said too much, haha. Let's just say we're hard at work developing everything from the gameplay to the game's mechanics and more."

Bro, come on. Why even announce it in the first place lol.

Did you know there's a hidden Bayonetta Origins demo you can unlock in Bayonetta 3?

I still have to play 3, but glad to hear he wants to make more.

Story is way down the list of things I like about this series, but the characters and their interactions are fun.

Except Loki. Don't bring back Loki.

Damn right! Platinum are action game masters.

Nintendo ruining franchises with their inferior hardware. Pokémon, xenoblade, Bayonetta etc.

@mikeslemonade:

It's annoying, but when the alternative is no Bayonetta...

Anyways, at least Kamiyas next game is targeting modern hardware.

I rather have no Bayonetta. They would have been picked up by MS or Sony.

@mikeslemonade:

Fair I guess? The performance is annoying, but they're still great action games. Not like this genre gets many, a beggars can't be choosers situation really.

And nope. Sony, MS, and the IP holder themselves - Sega, weren't takers. Legit, Nintendo swooped in and made it happen when nobody else would.

Bayo 3 is a success, with sales outpacing Bayo 2. It doesn't need to be a blockbuster to be a success, as it's not a big-budget AAA game.

He doesn't care its Sega or Nintendo who will be footing the bill. He just missing out on sales bonus with Bayonetta 3 bombing, his salary still is executive producer bracket.

@sakaixx: Bayonetta 3 didn’t bomb, it’s the best selling game in the series.

@mesome713: it barely pacing above 2. Will take years for it to surpass Bayonetta 1 3m sold and that game hit the bargain bin probably within a month release.

@sakaixx: Bayonetta 1 only sold 700k when it first released.

@mesome713: it sold 2 million on PS360 pre wii u port and now more than 3m with all the ports including PC. Unless Bayonetta 3 somehow magically sold more than 3 million, its definitely not the best selling.

@sakaixx: Have no clue where your getting your numbers from, but before Wii U the game sold 1.1 million on PS3 and 360 put together. These numbers are from SEGA themselves.

https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/02/05/bayonetta-sales-topple-one-million-worldwide

SEGA stated the numbers were highly disappointing.

Its on Platinum Games page for Wii U version... 2 million on PS360... And now with Switch, Wii U, PC, PS4, Xbox ver its even more now...

@sakaixx: Im not seeing it on their site. SEGA confirmed PS360 sold total of 1.1 million. And thats even at discounted prices.

@mesome713: first u gave 700k, then 1.1m... and sega later updated it to 1.35m. platinum on their site mentions over 2m pre Bayonetta 2 Wii U release. What more u want?

@sakaixx: A link, i dont see it on thier site.

@mesome713: click the Double Climax tab on platinum's Bayonetta 2 page and read the description. Honestly where are we going with this. Bayonetta 3 barely outselling Bayo 2 and bayonetta 2 barely reach a million copy and its due to some dedicated fan operation to viral the game... Not to mention Bayonetta 1 comes bundled with most copy of Bayonetta 2.

Bayonetta is kind of a niche franchise so not sure why some are so concerned about its sales. I’m sure Nintendo realizes this and have they’re expectations set accordingly. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were satisfied with how Bayonetta 3 is performing. If they’re content with continuing to provide funding for the games then that’s all that really matters. Not every game has to be a huge multimillion seller. Sometimes it’s good just to keep making them so that the overall library has some diversity to it.

huh? Sega wasn't disappointed by the number at all. That 1 million start was pretty good. Especially for a brand new ip, in a niche genre, in 2010. When it didn't take 2 million just to break even as a triple A game. Platinum was disappointed by the number in terms of the game cooling off in terms of its sales legs. Especially knowing they could have done better if it was the PS3 version that was the good version of the game.

I don't think either of you should be having a sales convo, when neither of you know what would be a good number for that game to be successful or not.

The larger hurdle here is that Sega owns the ip, and they won't fund shit themselves because they fucking cheap. So it's on Nintendo on how long they want to keep going with Bayonetta, but they might always just stick to a relationship built around Astral Chain going forward. Especially since that game also did a million.

think he only talking story shit, because he straight up not gonna be directing any of em. He creates the outline n plot, and someone else figures out the game part of the equation. Think it's fine, but it seems like bayo 3 guy doesn't want to do Bayo after either lol

Think he was sort of forced to do it after they had restart the game.

Well I know one thing, bayonetta 3 bombed.

@sakaixx: Where do you get that ? From what I've seen, it had a better start than any previous game in the franchise. It sold better in Japan and debuted in second i think. Similar case in UK and it was in the top 10 from overall platforms. Not to mention there were some reports saying that the online version was doing great ... So how do you know it bombed?

@madsnakehhh: charting better in japan is depend on which angle. Bayonetta 3 debuted 41k. Original game debuted 140k in japan and ended the year with 200k. We also know bayo 3 is only selling marginally better than Bayo 2 and Bayonetta 2 barely sold a million and that game have have abysmal start.

@sakaixx: In other words, you don’t know shat.

@mesome713: getting called that when you the one giving wrong and outdated informations. Such is system wars.

@sakaixx: Calling a game bombing when it’s selling better than it’s previous one and have zero clue it’s sales numbers is just 🤡 talk.

@mesome713: sure.

@sakaixx: And Bayonetta only sold 93k on PS3 launch on a Tuesday week. Bayonetta released on a Friday for Switch. Plus PS3 was in a time when digital sales weren’t nowhere near as big. Bayonetta has sold more copies on Switch than any other device. Deal with it 😎

@mesome713: bayonetta is on PS3 and 360.

@sakaixx: Yeah, two devices. Still won’t help you. Bayonetta sells best on Switch. Plus budget for PS3 at the time cost way more than Switch which has a super low development cost. That’s why we get all the amazing games that don’t have to sell over 1 million. Nintendo genius.

@mesome713: sure. Ignoring its on PS4, Xbox one, PC, Wii U and Switch.

@sakaixx: It sold poorly on PS4 and PC. Straight bombed.

@sakaixx: Yeah sorry, i don't see your argument here ... There is no report as of now that indicates that the game is bombing. Quite the contrary.

Wasn't it already in jeopardy before a sequel was greenlit after Nintendo bailed it out? It's the public that decides these things in the end. Never say never