Out of all the news that came from yesterday's Nintendo Direct presentation, among the most surprising was the announcement that Platinum Games' Bayonetta 2 was in development and would be a Wii U-exclusive.
Perhaps in anticipation of the questions that they would be getting, several developers have left remarks on the company's official blog, the most prominent of which are from Platinum Games President & CEO Tatsuya Minami:
As game developers, we are incredibly excited to be able to announce a new title to all of our fans; however, we are aware that the announcement may have come as a shock to many of you…[T]he console games market is in a state of upheaval, so establishing a new game franchise requires a considerable amount of will, determination, and love. Bayonetta is a brand that we want to see become stronger, reaching the hands of more and more gamers, so we have continued to consult with SEGA, the previous game’s publisher, on how we can make sure this takes place. Our answer was a new partnership with Nintendo…
Alongside Nintendo, we hope to grow the Bayonetta brand beyond where it stands today, allowing even more gamers around the world to experience the action of our beloved witch.
The first point this raises, of course, is whether it's worth sacrificing a possible release on Xbox 360 and PS3, on which the initial fans of Bayonetta were made, to risk a Nintendo release on a platform no one has yet. That said, with rumors that the title would have been abandoned if it weren't for Nintendo stepping in, the fact that it's Wii U-exclusive seems better than nothing. Perhaps if it sells well, we will see a release on Xbox 360 and PS3.
As for details on what Bayonetta 2 will include, Director Yusuke Hashimoto had several:
For empowering our heroine with incredible new action to introducing new characters (which you may have noticed in the teaser trailer), Bayonetta will further expand on the mythology of the Trinity of Realities – Inferno, Paradiso, and our human world.
Hideki Kamiya, Director of Bayonetta and Supervisor for Bayonetta 2, ensures that this sequel will have everything that fans liked about the first game:
I am still supervising the world, story, characters, etc. in close coordination with Hashimoto, and I have been from the very beginning. You have nothing to work about on that end… With new hardware, we look forward to expanding on the Climax Action of Bayonetta, so sit tight and get ready!
Will Bayonetta 2's release on Wii U convince you, even slightly, to get the console?
