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[Fbh]

PlatinumGames was developing the upcoming PS4 game Granblue Fantasy Relink for Cygames but the company announced that it finished its contract on the work.


First, here’s a message from PlatinumGames:

While we, PlatinumGames, have been working with Cygames in co-development of the upcoming console game Granblue Fantasy: Relink, we officially announce our contract on the project has come to an end. Development will still continue, but be handled solely by Cygames’ internal development team.
We would like to express our thanks to everyone who has shown interest in the project, and ask that the same support should continue for Granblue Fantasy: Relink as its production continues forward.
​

Here’s a message from Cygames regarding the development change of Granblue Fantasy: Relink:

Tokyo-based video game publisher and developer Cygames, Inc. (HQ: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Watanabe, hereinafter referred as “Cygames”) has recently been engaged in the co-development of the upcoming console game Granblue Fantasy: Relink together with esteemed developer PlatinumGames Inc.
Going forward, Cygames will handle 100% of development internally.

Cygames would like to assure everyone looking forward to the title that we remain committed to delivering a game that meets the expectation of our fan-base and gamers everywhere.​

So what do we think?
Did Platinum simply finish the core of the game and Cygames will do the polishing, debugging and all of that on their own.
Or was Cygames not happy with how things were turning out?

 

[shark sandwich]

I thought someone mentioned before that the Platinum logo was removed from the game’s website. If so, it’s NOT just Platinum finishing their work on the game as planned.

 

[JORMBO]

I really like what I have seen so far from the gameplay videos. I think the game will still end up really good even with this news.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

I'm not 100% sure what's going on but I'll refer to my post here.

It seems that if Platinum's contributions were still included in the final game, then they'd at least have a reference to the game on their own home page. This, plus the removal of the logo is the smoking gun, Platinum's PR statement seems like... well... PR.

 

[TheShadowLord]

Platinum Games have too much on their platter anyways so I don't mind this. They still got other games that they need to finish. That game for Square and Bayonetta 3.

 

[Raph64]

Platinum Games have too much on their platter anyways so I don't mind this. They still got other games that they need to finish. That game for Square, Bayonetta 3, and now Ultimate Alliance 3

Wow wow wow hold on there, Platinum Games isn’t making Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, it’s Team Ninja who’s in charge of the game.

 

[TheShadowLord]

Wow wow wow hold on there, Platinum Games isn’t making Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, it’s Team Ninja who’s in charge of the game.

My mistake lol .

 

[Fbh]

I thought someone mentioned before that the Platinum logo was removed from the game’s website. If so, it’s NOT just Platinum finishing their work on the game as planned.

Didn't know that. It definitely sounds like there was some internal disagreement then

 

[mejin]

So, they fucked MS before, now Cygames? Bayonetta 3 remains to be seen.

WTF Platinum is doing?

 

[ethomaz]

Platinum has it own level of issues with development... MS give up, Cygames give up...

I guess Square Enix did the best making a team to manage Platinum development.

 

[Clear]

Platinum has it own level of issues with development... MS give up, Cygames give up...

I guess Square Enix did the best making a team to manage Platinum development.

Yeah, Yoko and Saito seem like the duo "most likely" to rein in an errant dev...

LOL.

 

[Enjay]

This is for the best. Platinum Games is a discredit to a game more often than not.

 

[Clear]

This is for the best. Platinum Games is a discredit to a game more often than not.

Go on, I'll bite. How so?

 

[Enjay]

Go on, I'll bite. How so?

Their in game camera is always shit, they don't know the difference between difficult and just outright cheap (they overdose on giving bosses invincibility frames on higher difficulties). I just personally don't feel their games/style too much and I think a large number of consumers feel the same way as only Nier Automata sold good.

 

[ResilientBanana]

It seems to me like Platinum Games is not really a great co-developer. Just an opinion of mine, however.

 

[Labolas]

So, they fucked MS before, now Cygames? Bayonetta 3 remains to be seen.

WTF Platinum is doing?

Wut? How did they fucked MS? MS canceled the game, not Platinum. It remains to be seen if Cygames server the relationship with Platinum because of bad blood or if Platinum was simply done with their part of the game.

Edit: Nevermind it was stated that their part of the game is done.

 

[EDMIX]

Wut? How did they fucked MS? MS canceled the game, not Platinum. It remains to be seen if Cygames server the relationship with Platinum because of bad blood or if Platinum was simply done with their part of the game.

Edit: Nevermind it was stated that their part of the game is done.

Yea I think their part is done. Many teams sometimes work on a big game, many times they are only in the credits so I think many are making a big deal out of nothing. Look at BF5, they have DICE Sweden, DICE LA etc or The Order 1886 where Sony Santa Monica worked with Ready At Dawn. Keep in mind, most AAA games will have a few different teams as anyone just has to look at the credits to see all the studios that might have a hand in a project.

So all I can say is, if all those damn teams kept telling you "Blank team has part ways with Blank game" of course you'd start to think something was wrong (until someone shows it that is actually normal)

 

[ethomaz]

Wut? How did they fucked MS? MS canceled the game, not Platinum. It remains to be seen if Cygames server the relationship with Platinum because of bad blood or if Platinum was simply done with their part of the game.

Edit: Nevermind it was stated that their part of the game is done.

MS canceled the game because Platinum work were subpar and below the schedule.
It was own Platinum fault.

MS just choose to not lose more money with them.

I'm probably one of the first to crucifix MS but in that case Platinum was in development hell with the game... there is no way to MS keep bleeding money to them waste in the mess they created... I read MS even give a lot of chances to Platinum before cancel the game (that looked and played like trash btw).

 

[fran.fernandez]

There is some mistakes,
The game is developed by CyGames, Engine, Assets etc. Platinum games do mostly the Gameplay.
Also the game is not being made in Tokyo CyGames, but the development team is in Osaka, Grand Front. Is a very small team.

In my point of view Platinum was not happy. The new Engine made by Cygames Osaka is not good. I was there and move on as fast as i could.

 

[mejin]

Wut? How did they fucked MS? MS canceled the game, not Platinum. It remains to be seen if Cygames server the relationship with Platinum because of bad blood or if Platinum was simply done with their part of the game.

Edit: Nevermind it was stated that their part of the game is done.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

At first, I believed MS was at fault, but now we have another strange case involving Platinum. I don't buy it.

 

[cireza]

as only Nier Automata sold good.

This does not prove anything about the quality of their games.

 

[shark sandwich]

Yea I think their part is done. Many teams sometimes work on a big game, many times they are only in the credits so I think many are making a big deal out of nothing. Look at BF5, they have DICE Sweden, DICE LA etc or The Order 1886 where Sony Santa Monica worked with Ready At Dawn. Keep in mind, most AAA games will have a few different teams as anyone just has to look at the credits to see all the studios that might have a hand in a project.

So all I can say is, if all those damn teams kept telling you "Blank team has part ways with Blank game" of course you'd start to think something was wrong (until someone shows it that is actually normal)

Then why would they remove the Platinum logo from the game webpage? Not buying your explanation at all.

And just look at those PR statements:
“Development will continue, but...”
“assure everyone that we remain committed...”

This isn’t the kind of thing you say when things went well. We may never know the full story, but I guarantee you it’s not a case of Platinum completing their portion of the game as planned.

 

[Enjay]

This does not prove anything about the quality of their games.

No but it does offer a point that maybe the majority of consumers share my opinion, which was why I had brought that quoted line up.

 

[Labolas]

MS canceled the game because Platinum work were subpar and below the schedule.
It was own Platinum fault.

MS just choose to not lose more money with them.

I'm probably one of the first to crucifix MS but in that case Platinum was in development hell with the game... there is no way to MS keep bleeding money to them waste in the mess they created... I read MS even give a lot of chances to Platinum before cancel the game (that looked and played like trash btw).

Nah, I don't buy it. It being a being forced multiplayer game is what was really alarming. Platinum is known for having a single player game experience. Of course, there was going to be an internal conflict with MS. MS, outside of Cuphead, was having troubles getting their own IPs canceled.

 

[ethomaz]

Nah, I don't buy it. It being a being forced multiplayer game is what was really alarming. Platinum is known for having a single player game experience. Of course, there was going to be an internal conflict with MS. MS, outside of Cuphead, was having troubles getting their own IPs canceled.

I guess you didn’t saw how bad the last showed demo was and that had nothing to do with multiplayer...

But hey let’s make MS the evil

 

[sublimit]

I guess you didn’t saw how bad the last showed demo was and that had nothing to do with multiplayer...

But hey let’s make MS the evil

So you somehow know that everything that was shown in that demo was 100% decisions of Platinum Games? And MS is the poor saint that never tries to ask developers what to do yet everyone blames them because they are obviously have some agenda against that poor saint of a company?

 

[Danjin44]

I'm still super hyped for Granblue Fantasy Relink and hope they kept Platinum's core combat.

 

[sublimit]

I'm still super hyped for Granblue Fantasy Relink and hope they kept Platinum's core combat.

Same here!
Maybe Platinum had a specific job to do (like making the combat system and overall game design) and once they finished it they moved on (like mercenaries ). From what we have seen so far to me it looks like all the basic "ingredients" are there and the game is left in a condition where Cygames can continue polishing it and expanding Platinum's work for as long as they want.

 

[DeepEnigma]

I don't play too many Japanese RPGs anymore like I did 25+ years ago, but I am really digging the art design. This game looks gorgeous.

 

[Danjin44]

Same here!
Maybe Platinum had a specific job to do (like making the combat system and overall game design) and once they finished it they moved on (like mercenaries ). From what we have seen so far to me it looks like all the basic "ingredients" are there and the game is left in a condition where Cygames can continue polishing it and expanding Platinum's work for as long as they want.

My guess is Platinum done the core combat and animation while Cygames will do the rest like RPG elements, quest, story and the world. As much as I love Platinum Games, they don’t have much experience making RPGs.

 

[Clear]

MS canceled the game because Platinum work were subpar and below the schedule.
It was own Platinum fault.

MS just choose to not lose more money with them.

I'm probably one of the first to crucifix MS but in that case Platinum was in development hell with the game... there is no way to MS keep bleeding money to them waste in the mess they created... I read MS even give a lot of chances to Platinum before cancel the game (that looked and played like trash btw).

That's empty speculation.

You want to talk about development hell, lets look at Crackdown 3 and Fable Legends. One aligns with corporate synergy and they stick with through thick and thin (the news that Sumo were doing the SP mode came out of nowhere) the other gets canned when in an advanced state because it doesn't.

The case of Granblue is interesting because of the timing of its announcement, right around the time that Nier: Automata was "saving" the studio. If they already had a contract to do a full-on large scale JRPG -with clearly a far higher budget than Nier- I'm doubtful that Nier's success would have been that critical.

However if the deal was signed around or after that event, look at the timescale allotted to make this same full-on large budget JRPG. Less than 2 years?

That's not close to enough time for a project of that scale to enter "development hell", as its an incredibly compressed schedule even if two studios were working on it concurrently. Add to this what's been shown looks pretty damn good, so it certainly doesn't appear that quality has slipped.

Seems more likely to me that Platinum took a low-ball deal to take a Tose-style "phantom" support role, with an option to extend. An option that CyGames will have chosen not to proffer, as they have their own brand to build in the console space. Or Platinum themselves have chosen to step back on as they have their dance card already filled with Bayo3, Babylon's Fall and whatever else they may have signed at this point.

This is obviously all speculative on my part too, but it at least has as some evidential basis in launch timings and likely development scheduling for a project of Granblue's scope and importance to CyGames.

I hate reading catastrophising nonsense, especially when the only prior event remotely similar is the cancellation of Scalebound, which again placed in context with the behaviour of its backer/publisher simply doesn't fit with the notion that Platinum were the party at fault.

 

[ethomaz]

That's empty speculation.

You want to talk about development hell, lets look at Crackdown 3 and Fable Legends. One aligns with corporate synergy and they stick with through thick and thin (the news that Sumo were doing the SP mode came out of nowhere) the other gets canned when in an advanced state because it doesn't.

The case of Granblue is interesting because of the timing of its announcement, right around the time that Nier: Automata was "saving" the studio. If they already had a contract to do a full-on large scale JRPG -with clearly a far higher budget than Nier- I'm doubtful that Nier's success would have been that critical.

However if the deal was signed around or after that event, look at the timescale allotted to make this same full-on large budget JRPG. Less than 2 years?

That's not close to enough time for a project of that scale to enter "development hell", as its an incredibly compressed schedule even if two studios were working on it concurrently. Add to this what's been shown looks pretty damn good, so it certainly doesn't appear that quality has slipped.

Seems more likely to me that Platinum took a low-ball deal to take a Tose-style "phantom" support role, with an option to extend. An option that CyGames will have chosen not to proffer, as they have their own brand to build in the console space. Or Platinum themselves have chosen to step back on as they have their dance card already filled with Bayo3, Babylon's Fall and whatever else they may have signed at this point.

This is obviously all speculative on my part too, but it at least has as some evidential basis in launch timings and likely development scheduling for a project of Granblue's scope and importance to CyGames.

I hate reading catastrophising nonsense, especially when the only prior event remotely similar is the cancellation of Scalebound, which again placed in context with the behaviour of its backer/publisher simply doesn't fit with the notion that Platinum were the party at fault.

Crackdown 3 dev hell started when they believed it could be a showcase for the Power of the Cloud.

If it was a game without the experimentation of Cloud it may be released years ago.

I won’t talk about Fable because I never followed the game.

 

[Clear]

Crackdown 3 dev hell started when they believed it could be a showcase for the Power of the Cloud.

If it was a game without the experimentation of Cloud it may be released years ago.

Yeah, because it really looks like Sumo were working on the single-player for "years", especially when it appears that its an entirely separate package to the cloud powered multi-player in the release version.

 

[shark sandwich]

LOL at the fanboys in denial.

You honestly think Microsoft would cancel a game that late in development if it didn’t suck horribly?

And you honestly think Cygames would remove the Platinum logo from their website and say something like “we remain committed to meeting expectations....” if they got the product they wanted from Platinum?

You people are really stretching it.

 

[ethomaz]

Yeah, because it really looks like Sumo were working on the single-player for "years", especially when it appears that its an entirely separate package to the cloud powered multi-player in the release version.

The single player were suppose to use Cloud too... at beginning there is no separated sp and mp... it was single game fully powered by the Cloud.

The “Truly Massive Destructible World” powered by Cloud were for single player and multiplayer.

Again Scalebound was so bad and below schedule that MS had to stop to waste money with the mess at Platinum and cancel it.

Crackdown 3 was not cancelled because they need to to try to prove at least a bit of the power of Cloud.

 

[zenspider]

MS canceled the game because Platinum work were subpar and below the schedule.
It was own Platinum fault.

MS just choose to not lose more money with them.

I'm probably one of the first to crucifix MS but in that case Platinum was in development hell with the game... there is no way to MS keep bleeding money to them waste in the mess they created... I read MS even give a lot of chances to Platinum before cancel the game (that looked and played like trash btw).

Source? Everythung I've heard rumor-wise was MS changes the scope to docus on multiplayer, which looks likely based on what we saw as the teaser and the final footage at e3.

 

[ethomaz]

Source? Everythung I've heard rumor-wise was MS changes the scope to docus on multiplayer, which looks likely based on what we saw as the teaser and the final footage at e3.

You can believe or not.

Another user on Reddit posted the responsefrom the Platinum Senior Graphics Designer about his opinion of the game.

“MS pulled the plug because the game design was really bad. He said the story was good, the engine was good but the actual design was appalling. 4 years of his life he'll never get back, he's happy he's moved onto better and bigger things though.”​

Looks like not only Microsoft and Platinum had a hard time of communicating, but neither the people in the Japanese team.

Here you can see a compilation: https://www.gameskinny.com/aeljq/the-3-most-believable-reasons-why-scalebound-was-cancelled

The game was utter garbage.

The multiplayer was never a issue because the game was announced to have a CoOp style mp like Souls since beginning.... they didn’t even reached that part in development.

If I’m paying for a game I expect the minimum of quality and not what Scalebound was... it was clear in every gameplay demo that it was really really bad.

I’m surprise took MS so many years to cancel it with what Platinum did... maybe they didn’t want due gamers that was already invested in the game.

 

[EDMIX]

Then why would they remove the Platinum logo from the game webpage? Not buying your explanation at all.

And just look at those PR statements:
“Development will continue, but...”
“assure everyone that we remain committed...”

This isn’t the kind of thing you say when things went well. We may never know the full story, but I guarantee you it’s not a case of Platinum completing their portion of the game as planned.

"Then why would they remove the Platinum logo from the game webpage?" That is up to the owner of the IP. That can be removed, added elsewhere etc. Might have to do with them not wanting folks to think its some sort of ONLY hack and slash in stead of RPG. It is there IP after all. Removing the logo doesn't mean things went bad bud, just means they are removing the logo.

 

[shark sandwich]

"Then why would they remove the Platinum logo from the game webpage?" That is up to the owner of the IP. That can be removed, added elsewhere etc. Might have to do with them not wanting folks to think its some sort of ONLY hack and slash in stead of RPG. It is there IP after all. Removing the logo doesn't mean things went bad bud, just means they are removing the logo.

Yes, after the huge success of Nier Automata, I’m sure they don’t want people thinking Platinum had anything to do with Granblue. That makes total sense this late in development to all of a sudden distance themselves from Platinum.

And the vague, damage control-like press releases from both parties tells us that Platinum delivered exactly what Cygames wanted from them and everything is going smoothly.

 

[Virex]

This is for the best. Platinum Games is a discredit to a game more often than not.

 

[zenspider]

You can believe or not.


Here you can see a compilation: https://www.gameskinny.com/aeljq/the-3-most-believable-reasons-why-scalebound-was-cancelled

The game was utter garbage.

The multiplayer was never a issue because the game was announced to have a CoOp style mp like Souls since beginning.... they didn’t even reached that part in development.

If I’m paying for a game I expect the minimum of quality and not what Scalebound was... it was clear in every gameplay demo that it was really really bad.

I’m surprise took MS so many years to cancel it with what Platinum did... maybe they didn’t want due gamers that was already invested in the game.

So we have a chicken and the egg situation regarding Microsoft's intervention. This clears up very little, though it's likely there's plenty of blame to spread around.

 

[Enjay]

 

[Razzorn34]

So we have a chicken and the egg situation regarding Microsoft's intervention. This clears up very little, though it's likely there's plenty of blame to spread around.

I'm sure there were problems on both ends. To me, it seemed like a mutual agree to disagree situation, and they decided to end it. The development styles between the companies did not mesh.

It sounded like Microsoft wanted to steer the boat to the destination, rather than sit back and let Platinum steer, which sounds like Platinum's preferred way to do things. I equate this to the general work place and having to work under a micro manager for the first time. It can be extremely hard to deal with if you aren't accustomed to it.