Why Nintendo was the right decision for Bayonetta 2

Bayonetta 2 would never have existed without aid from Nintendo, Platinum Games' creative producer JP Kellams stated in a recent presentation, defending the decision to bring the sequel to Wii U.

A video from the presentation offers some insight into why the game is not available on alternative platforms. Kellams explains how Bayonetta 2 was only made possible through a relationship with Nintendo following what he describes as a change in the business situation.

Responding to a question of how the developers of the original Bayonetta hope to keep their fanbase now that they are moving to a new platform, particularly after a shift in publishers, Kellams says:

"Without getting into some stuff that is both business and confidential, the simple question I'd like to ask you is, ‘Do you want to play Bayonetta 2?' Bayonetta 2 would not exist without Nintendo white knighting that project," said Kellams. "So while I totally understand that people want to play it on the platforms that they've played it on previously, we really wanted to make Bayonetta 2.

"But if you were going to sell a game on a Nintendo platform, what publisher would you choose? Right, Nintendo. Right? So if you're going to sell a game on a Nintendo platform, the publisher that you want to be with is Nintendo because they know how best to service their audience and they're going to do the best job of explaining your game to that platform.

"You very rarely see huge, major third-party successes on Nintendo platforms because it's really hard to fight against Mario, right? It's why Universal isn't as big as Disney. I mean, it's really hard to fight somebody on that kind of turf, so..."

The studio's original plans for the sequel changed following what Kellams refers to as a change in business situation. While the original Bayonetta was published by Sega, the upcoming sequel is now being published by Nintendo.

"We really wanted to make Bayonetta 2. And Bayonetta 2 is a project that we were passionate about. And when we couldn't... when the business situation changed and we couldn't make it the way that we were originally planning on making it, we definitely wanted to make sure that our project survived. I've seen Bayonetta 2 - I look at it every single day of my life when I'm in the office. It's really cool and the world is going to be a better place because Bayonetta 2 is in it."

Kellams' statements echo those of the studio's executive director Atsushi Inaba who said Nintendo was a key partner in getting the game made.

"We are not viewing this as a change of platform," Inaba told Polygon in an interview at Tokyo Game Show 2012. "We were looking for a partner to create Bayonetta 2 and Nintendo was a strong, cooperative partner that was willing to create and grow Bayonetta 2 together [with us]. As a result the platform became the Wii U."

Check out Polygon's full interview with Platinum Games' Inaba right here.