PlatinumGames vice president Hideki Kamiya is not surprised by Konami‘s interest in NFTs, according to a recent interview. The Japanese video game developer is known for creating fast-paced action games, including beloved hits like Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Vanquish. PlatinumGames co-founder and vice president Hideki Kamiya is famous for directing massively successful projects like Devil May Cry, Bayonetta and Okami, and for his no-nonsense attitude.
Konami was a staple of the video game industry for a long time, with the company developing and publishing beloved franchises like Castlevania, Metal Gear and Silent Hill. However, questionable business decisions have damaged the Japanese conglomerate’s reputation in recent years. Konami notably fired Hideo Kojima from directing Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain ahead of the open-world stealth adventure’s 2015 launch. Since then the company has turned away from developing traditional video games in favor of creating branded pachinko slot machines. Most recently, Konami’s Castlevania NFTs brought backlash due to the general controversy surrounding non-fungible tokens.
In an interview with Video Games Chronicle, the notoriously blunt Hideki Kamiya commented on Konami’s recent embrace of NFTs. During a discussion with Kamiya and PlatinumGames CEO Atsushi Inaba, the duo was asked about their interest in non-fungible tokens. Both creators expressed no interest in the recent trend, seeing NFTs as a way for companies to make money without benefitting creators or users. When asked about Konami’s quick entrance into the NFT sphere, the always-blunt Kamiya criticized the conglomerate’s greedy practices. Kamiya commented, “If it smells like money, Konami’s going to be there in a heartbeat!“, though Inaba did state that he would welcome a future collaboration with Konami on Metal Gear Rising 2.
While PlatinumGames has yet to release a new full-size title since 2019, the developer currently has multiple projects in the works. Bayonetta 3 and the action role-playing game Babylon’s Fall are set to release in 2022, while PlatinumGames’ giant kaiju fighting game Project G.G. has an unclear release date. The project, first announced back in 2020, is set to follow in the footsteps of the Japanese super-hero-inspired titles Viewtiful Joe and The Wonderful 101. Those PlatinumGames classic were both inspired by Japanese superhero franchises like Kamen Rider and Ultraman, and Project G.G. will apparently see players battling giant monsters as an equally gargantuan hero.
No doubt relieving many fans, PlatinumGames heads Atsushi Inaba and Hideki Kamiya have denied any interest in the NFT industry. Instead, the two creatives are far more interesting in crafting unique new titles for gamers to experience. In his typical brash fashion, Kamiya has also directly criticized Konami for its quick embrace of the NFT trend and general greed.
