Bayonetta 3 creator explains why it’s a Nintendo Switch exclusive

Vaughn Highfield December 8, 2017

Now we know that Bayonetta 3 is coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch sometime in the near future, some people have expressed their distaste at Platinum Games’ decision to stick to one platform.

To help explain Platinum’s reasoning, company vice president and Bayonetta creator Hideki Kamiya took to Twitter to issue a 15-tweet statement on the matter.

As most people with any understanding on how video game development works would know, the main reason both Bayonetta 2 and Bayonetta 3 are Nintendo-exclusive is because Nintendo funded their development. Kamiya confirms as much after stating that “for Bayonetta 1, we signed a contract with Sega and received funds from them… All of the rights belong to Sega.”

“When we started making Bayonetta 2, we initially received funds from Sega to develop the game for multiple platforms, but the project was halted due to circumstances at Sega,” he reveals. “Nintendo then stepped in to continue funding the game, allowing us to finish it. As such, the rights belong to Sega and Nintendo. The rights owners decided the game should be made for Wii U.”

On Bayonetta 3, however, things were different. Instead of starting a project and then finding a solution to continue developing, Platinum, Sega and Nintendo decided start the project together. “It was decided from the start that the game was going to be developed using Nintendo’s funding. Without their help, we wouldn’t have been able to kick off this project.

“All of the rights still belong to Sega and Nintendo. The rights owners decided that the game should be made for Switch.”

Kamiya also revealed that the only reason Bayonetta found its way to both PS3 and PC despite being developed on Xbox 360 at Platinum Games was that Sega went ahead and made it happen.

Despite protests from gamers who believe they’re owed a version of Bayonetta on a platform of their choice, Kamiya is excited by the prospect of creating Bayonetta 3.

“I cannot express how happy I am that we get to make Bayonetta 3, and we intend to do everything within our power to make it as good as it can be. That’s all we can do, and we consider it our greatest mission.

“It took a while for the production of Bayonetta 3 to be okayed, but now that it has kicked off, I hope it will turn into a wonderful encounter for all of you.”

For the original announcement, and everything else we know about Bayonetta 3, read on.

Bayonetta 3: Everything we know so far

Bayonetta 3 is real. Platinum Games’ finest action title is on its way to Nintendo Switch and Nintendo is also bringing the first two Bayonetta games to its console in early 2018.

Very little is known about Bayonetta 3, with Nintendo only releasing a trailer at The Game Awards which revealed next to nothing. Not only was it clearly a pre-rendered affair, it focused mostly on the feeling of what a Bayonetta game is all about – dodging bullets and moving as fast as lightning.

As anyone who’s played a Bayonetta game knows, it’s blisteringly difficult – like bleeding fingers levels of difficult. If you’ve never played a Bayonetta game, though, you’ll be able to play the incredible Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 on Switch from 16 Feb 2017.

It’s not known when Bayonetta 3 will arrive, with the trailer simply stating that it’s “in development”. With Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 coming to Switch in 2018, it’s likely we won’t see Bayonetta 3 until 2019.

The news of a new Bayonetta game is going to anger some fans who felt that Platinum’s game should be available on more formats than simply the Wii U. However, seeing as Sega decided to drop the title, those fans wouldn’t have Bayonetta 2 or Bayonetta 3 if it wasn’t for Nintendo, so maybe now it’s time to go buy a Switch?