Kamiya Left Platinum: Artistic Spirit Saved

Kamiya Left Platinum: Artistic Spirit Saved

Hideki Kamiya, former PlatinumGames vice president, departed to establish Clovers, a new studio with Kaneto Koyama. Kamiya’s departure stemmed from a belief that his artistic spirit would perish if he remained at Platinum.

Why the Departure?

Kamiya explained that while understanding PlatinumGames’ business logic, he couldn’t align with its future direction under CEO Atsushi Inaba. He described their working relationship as “muscle” (himself) and “brains” (Inaba), highlighting a breakdown in trust regarding future strategies.

Clovers and the Okami Sequel

Clovers will develop an Okami sequel. The studio’s name reflects its core values: challenge, creativity, and craftsmanship, with a fourth value to be determined by its employees. Kamiya previously lamented Okami’s poor sales, suggesting a different outcome might have saved Clover Studio.

While details about the new Okami game remain scarce, Kamiya’s departure and the formation of Clovers signify a renewed focus on his creative vision, a move he believes essential to preserving his artistic integrity.