One of 2019's standout Switch games, Astral Chain was a bold and exciting new release from PlatinumGames. Directed by Takahisa Taura, the game sold above expectations and showed fans that the studio's relationship with Nintendo was as strong as ever – the game was, after all, co-owned by both parties.
We say 'was' because PlatinumGames has confirmed that the Astral Chain IP now belongs solely to Nintendo. Earlier this year, fans had noticed that the game's copyright notice had been tweaked on the studio's website, with PlatinumGames' name being removed altogether; speaking to VGC, studio head Atsushi Inaba has confirmed that the change is no mistake:
"It’s as it looks... It’s as it is written on the website: Astral Chain is their IP and as such there are limitations on how much we feel we should talk about."
As VGC mentions in its report, it would be surprising if PlatinumGames simply handed over its share of the IP without a second thought; the studio has been working hard to reposition itself as a company capable of self-publishing, and just last year, it wasn't ruled out that Astral Chain could end up on rival systems. Of course, with last year's remaster, Nintendo allowed The Wonderful 101 to do exactly that.
It's unclear what this means for the IP going forward; there had been talks of potential sequels, but if Nintendo has indeed taken full ownership of the franchise, things may be a little different than originally planned.
Are you a fan of Astral Chain? Are you hoping to see more from the series in the future? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
[source videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 92
At least they seem to have a decent relationship with Nintendo, so the series isn't dead (yet).
But it's a shame to see a talented studio lose the rights to so many of their IPs
Let's hope that this is to create more games of it, not just to prevent it from being available to others... I mean, they also own Project Zero (Fatal Frame), one of my favourite horror IP's, and in the rare case they do something with it, it's like they don't want it to have any success...
I really enjoyed Astral Chain so I'd like to see a sequel in some form if that's still on the table. Ideally with more focus on story as that's one area where the game was a little disappointing to me. Gameplay was super solid though and it looked great too.
It really looks like PlatinumGames is a rough studio.
And yet, they have such an energy, ideas and wild desires that it's still one of the most fascinating to follow today.
It's too bad Nintendo let The Wonderful 101 out of their grasp.
I wonder if it was a trade W101 for the Astral Chain IP
@smashboy2000 They're amazing developers, just terrible businesspeople
@abbyhitter Not the type of move you'd typically see from Nintendo. Maybe they were just as unimpressed with the game as I was, haha.
@Shambo Man I would really love to try a Fatal Frame game. The last one looks beautiful. Imagine what a brand new one could be...
Remember when fanboys of other consoles review bombed this game because it was a Switch exclusive? Well...
I haven't played it but Nintendo must see value in having sole ownership, like Bayonetta I'm sure we'll see a sequel and maybe even a Smash invite... Someday.
i would love to see a sequel to astral chain.
It's good Nintendo owns the IP now. If a sequel ever happens it will be on a nintendo console. I mean they can even give another team the permission to do the squel or spin off now.
@SpaceboyScreams im pretty sure bayonetta ip is going to stay on nintendo systems for a very long time.
@abbyhitter Wonderful 101 didn't sell too well on the other platforms either. Nintendo could have said, "We have Pikmin.. what's so wonderful about 101?" Just kidding.
I'm sure if Platinum decides to go back to the drawing board on it, there may be something in it. From the Wii U exclusive, must be Nintendo didn't see it having any value outside of its niche. Which the remaster sales reinforced.
Astral Chain probably sold better and had better critical reception, so it makes sense for them to exercise their option to buy it.
The game was decent. Enjoyed the gameplay but not the story so I ultimately fell off it after a few hours and traded it in.
to be honest seeing platinum games talking about self publishing and bringing games to other platforms that can also mean less games / unpolished games for switch. this way nintendo could save an ip for the nintendo plattform at least.
I am curious to see what comes out of this.
I have a feeling it'll become another one of those long remaining dormant series to add to the growing list of dormant Nintendo IP series.
Is it finally DLC time?
Perhaps a sequel after Bayonetta 3?? But first, Bayonetta, come on Platinum...
@abbyhitter
Game sold very poorly for the second time in a row.Soooo....
Love astral chain, but, it needed more work, it had no 5.1 surround sound, bad bad jagged lines and sound forced to only L and R speakers. Great game, but poor execution.
YES! Yeah boyeee.
No multiplat ruining this franchise.
Can already hear the butthurt pc fanboys.
I really enjoyed the game and I’m hoping for a sequel. I would like to see the character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Well it's good that Nintendo is adding great IPs to their already amazing list of IPs, however, I just hope they you know keep it alive.
It almost feels like Nintendo is letting Fatal Frame (Project Zero) die.... Just port them over and let the series finally get the chance it deserves!
Characters coming to Smash Bros
@Bobb That's like going to metacritic and review-bombing games like BotW, SMO or Pokemon SwSh for being Switch-exclusive
Cool. Should be interesting to see if Nintendo makes a series out of it.
So...basically, this means Astral Chain is a lock for Smash 6? Neat
Nice! Green light a sequel, Nintendo.
This is pretty cool! I loved astral chain myself and want to get back to it again at some point. I'm really hoping nintendo doesn't let this series flop.
Nintendo should just Buy platinum games already!
Astral Chain 2 then at some point in the future?!
New smashbros character in 3..2..1..
Glad to see another IP under Nintendo's belt to hopefully get the occasional new game to spice it up from the usual Mario, Pokémon, Zelda, etc.. I'm still hoping Sega will eventually throw out an offer to Nintendo for the Bayonetta IP, considering it'd just be a standalone game without them.
I'm curious about what'll happen to the series going forward. Overall I'd say im cautiously optimistic. As for Astral Chain, I received the game for Christmas but haven't played it yet.
@Yosher "I have a feeling it'll become another one of those long remaining dormant series to add to the growing list of dormant Nintendo IP series."
Metroid and Mother fans say hello. Of course, some IPs might be better off remaining dormant. Poor Chibi-Robo...
I’m happy about this’ll, when there were rumblings of a sequel I was honesty worried it would be on other consoles such as ps5 and Xbox
Not a bad thing imo.
Sony being the king of money-hatting every dev for PS exclusivity (timed or not) needs some pushback. MS buying out Bethesda/whoever is another good start.
Sony can't keep owning the console space. It isn't healthy.
I'm a huge fan of hack'n Slash, was very hyped with this game and pre ordered it. But I played a few hours and didn't adapted. Now it's in my backlog and definitely I'll give another chance some day, but probably anytime soon
I actually need to get back into this game.
Was a decent game, but far away from other Platinum games. Is their second worst game, being the first and worst game of Platinum the one and only Metal Gear Rising Revengeance.
Help me understand. So this means that Platinum games can't work on the game?
Still haven’t played it. But I will
@Shiro28 Not without Nintendo's permission.
"Let's hope that this is to create more games of it, not just to prevent it from being available to others..."
Ding ding, you hit the jackpot! Another ip for the big Nintendo-pile. They much rather re-release wii u games nowadays, with some extra's!
@mariomaster96 I agree.
I would guess that maybe, MAYBE, this game appealed more to that particular audience?
@RCGamer that's the story of my gaming life.
@AugustusOxy While I enjoyed it on Switch, I would really have loved to see how the game a sequel could have looked on a PS5 or XSX, as I own all 3 systems. Definitely there was area for improvement both performance and graphic wise.
Lol and people were begging for this to come to PlayStation. 🙃
But yeah, would love to see a sequel to this eventually.
I think this is overall a savvy move. I wouldn't be surprised if Platinum doesn't have the time to work on a sequel fast enough for Nintendo's taste, and Nintendo has a robust enough roster of studios that could handle a sequel. And they could probably borrow a few people from Platinum for consultation, if needed.
This is likely a good sign and shows Nintendo is invested in the franchise
@Kimyonaakuma I think highly creative people tend to struggle with business because they lack focus.. Even Nintendo themselves has this problem sometimes (like with the WiiU). if creative people force themselves to focus they can do great things... So they should work on that.
“Nintendo should open its war chest and buy Capcom, Konami, and Sega.” - Fans
“Astral Chain and Next Level Games.” - Nintendo
Oh so this basically means we'll probably never see another game from the franchise again.
Great.
So basically we won't see a sequel to it, or at least not one made by Platinum, because Platinum are all about creating and owning their own IP going forward. Also, based on the interview, it sounds like Takahisa Taura, the game's director, wants to do other things.
@AugustusOxy More like PS5 fans; it's basically fully playable on PC, via emulation:
Ryujinx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwKbyJP82es
Yuzu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76PiW8fsNzk
I loved this game. On one hand, this probably frees up N to farm it out to someone else, but it’s hard to imagine it being built by a team that’s not Platinum. The quirkiness, style and action would be hard to replicate.
@Burning_Spear
Sometimes it can be hard to assess or get the proper tone just seeing some things on a computer screen , but that is sarcasm, right? If not...lol what???
Grasshopper Manufacture would make sense maybe, and Next Level games has a lot of talent building iterations of established ideas.
This could also be a defensive move ahead of a merger to avoid a case where an IP is owned by competing platforms.
@Casco
Well if anything, maybe they'll release it on PC. That's where we should actually hope that it lands if we're worried about or want to see the graphics & performance shown off. I mean if they're gonna go, why not watch them go all the way?
Platinum has been a total mess for some time. They're big, but I'm betting they're in debt up to their eyeballs. They seem to be faced with endless development hell, gutted contracts, and running from safety net to safety net. They're well regarded, but they always seem like an unhealthy studio.
To me, this indicates Nintendo both reacting to Platinum's instability and penchant for running from platform-funded savior to savior, whoever's paying the most, and probably an indicator that they have strong value in where they want to go with the Astral Chain IP and don't wish to have any risk in the IP. Especially with Tencent involvement and their habit of buying up everyone....Nintendo might be securing their IP from an unpredictable status with a volatile partner.
Astral Chain for Smash confirmed.
@Shiro28 Nothing changes. Nintendo already owned the IP with the mbefore, owned alone the trademark and had publishing rights so they already could do whatever they wanted with it.
@gameboy1975 Yes, some users have expressed that they feel more comfortable when the discussion acknowledges the greediness inherent in all of Nintendo's actions.
I want to get into this game but the gameplay just isn't my style. I'd love a game set in this universe that plays more of a RPG or JRPG style. And instead of a create your own character approach, give us a defined protagonist with a story built with them in mind please?
This is a cool IP/world. I want to see more done with it.
If true, this is good news for more than one reason. Firstly because there is nothing better for a series like this to be a Nintendo property, and secondly to get it a little further away from Platinum (and insulate it from ever becoming a Tencent property when their Platinum investment eventually and inevitably becomes a controlling interest).
So it's another IP that Nintendo will forget about it... Nice 😒
Astral chain smash Character!?!
I love this game but I'm fairly certain that Nintendo will do absolutely nothing with it. If they can't be bothered to make new entries in the F-Zero, Project Zero and Starfox series then what are the chances of this. Adding an Astral Chain Smash character would p*ss me off even more. Random cameos don't count as keeping a franchise alive.
Also, I WANT A CHIBI ROBO REMAKE NOW!!!
@RiasGremory did my comment somehow insinuate otherwise?
I remember the days people claimed Nintendo had no new IP 😂
The great fanboy wars were something else...
I think this is a great move for Nintendo here. The original sold 1,000,000+ copies in its run so far. I think if there's more story to tell in a sequel I'll all for them making and releasing a sequel in the future. Just my thought and until next time I am out!
@ozwally why would you be “worried”? What negative effects would it have for you if other people have access to the game in a different platform?
Too bad, I was hoping it would be released on other platforms, the 4K 60 FPS treatment is a must for this game, hopefully it would be looked at when the switch pro is released
Nintendo don’t acquire franchises to do nothing with them. By owning Astral Chain, it means they can build games from the series even if Platinum is unavailable. They’re not reliant on one developer for the series’ development. That doesn’t mean Astral Chain 2 isn’t Platinum, it just means that if they need to utilise a Koei Tecmo or whatever, that’s an option.
This forum has just become Wii U fans moaning about ports. Or demanding sequels to games like F-Zero and Fatal Frame, two of Nintendo’s biggest flop franchises. It’s a real shame. Games today take bigger teams longer to make, that’s why Nintendo has been porting to plug the gaps, and why Nintendo focuses in on the bigger bets they know will be worth the investment and has the bigger demand. A good F-Zero in the 1990s took a year and a small team. Today it would take at least 3 years and, say, a modest team of 150. It’s just not realistic. It wouldn’t make its money back and only satisfy a small portion of the fanbase.
But then Nintendo do support flop franchises, too. Like Bayonetta, Pikmin and Metroid. So there’s a chance. I just wish people were a bit more reasonable
This is good news. Now the series is safe just like Bayonetta. Maybe we will see a sequel, who knows.
Now we'll never see it get a decent discount, so I may never play it.
@Casco my worry was the sequel would go to next gen consoles and we wouldn’t see a port on switch due to the massive gap in performance, but thankfully it’s norhing to think about now
I'm surprised, I thought that Astral chain was already owned by Nintendo (at least partially). My guess would be that Nintendo would like to continue with the series while platinum does not have plans/time for that.
I find no issue with Nintendo fully acquiring Astral Chain. It's almost like quality assurance that the game WILL run well on the Switch as we dive into the next generation of game consoles.
this what you get for trying to two time
@Burning_Spear Oh and if you had a Wii U you're entitled to free games and discounts...that's another one.
@Morph @abbyhitter
Nintendo still owns the wonderful 101 license. I believe PlatinumGames just made a deal with Nintendo. But you can see online the IP never changed hands officially.
I am looking forward to a sequel. It will be interesting to see if the whole trilogy is released on Switch.
That kinda blows, more exposure on multiple platforms is never a bad thing.
@TheBigK you're right, it's never a bad thing but nintendo kindda needs more ips, simply because unlike sony or microsoft, they never get the same amount of support from third party publishers. Their only way out of this, is to have even more exclusives on their platforms to get more units sold.
For the sales the switch has done so far, i'm unimpressed with its third party support mostly consisting of indie projects, last generation ports and the very rare modern game. The only modern projects that are on switch are those that don't have the budget of AAA games.
I hope they still get Platinum to develop any potential sequels. It wouldn’t be the same experience without Platinum’s trademark chaos. Loved the game and would like to see the IP continue, to be sure!
Well. Ive been holding out on this one for a big sale. Now that its nintendo owned, thats out the door.
I just cant justify paying more than $20 foe this one, but I really want to try it out.
@SpaceboyScreams Nintendo doesn't have sole ownership of Bayonetta though. Sega owns the original IP and they co-own the 2nd and 3rd games with Nintendo ^_^
@techaspike that's fine, I meant console exclusivity.
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