Platinum says Astral Chain ‘is Nintendo’s IP’ after fans notice copyright change

[Chewy_fox]

There has been some confusion over the IP ownership of the Switch action game, with Japanese companies typically hesitant to discuss such details. Previously, Platinum had stated that Astral Chain was co-owned by itself and publisher Nintendo, in addition to the Switch maker holding the game’s publishing rights.

In a February 2020 interview with VGC, Platinum wouldn’t even rule out the possibility of Astral Chain one day coming to non-Nintendo platforms, similar to The Wonderful 101 remastered.

However, earlier this year fans noticed that Astral Chain’s copyright notice had been modified to remove mention of PlatinumGames. Asked if anything should be read into the change, studio head Atsushi Inaba told VGC this week, “it’s as it looks.”

Astral Chain’s copyright notice has changed since October 2020 (top).

He added: “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.”

When asked for further clarification on Inaba’s comments regarding the Astral Chain IP ownership, a PlatinumGames spokesperson said the company was “not in a position to answer this question.”

Another IP previously co-owned by Nintendo and Platinum, The Wonderful 101, is understood to have changed ownership in advance of last year’s remaster, but in Platinum’s direction.

Astral Chain was the directorial debut of NieR: Automata designer Takahisa Taura. Hideki Kamiya, director of Bayonetta and Devil May Cry, provided supervision. Since its release in August 2019, the game has sold more than one million copies, making it one of Platinum’s most successful original game launches.

If Platinum has willingly transferred ownership of Astral Chain, it would represent a surprising move for a developer that’s increasingly determined to own its own IP and self-publish some of its releases.

Despite creating countless critically-lauded IPs during its first decade, Platinum has been heavily reliant on partnerships with other companies. The Bayonetta and Vanquish IPs are owned by Sega, while it’s also worked on Nintendo’s Star Fox series and Square Enix‘s Nier.

Asked about Astral Chain director Takahisa Taura’s next steps, Inaba told VGC the designer was “young and full of promise”.

Edited May 22, 2021 by Chewy_fox

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