What will the greatest witch in gaming do next?
[Art byjnkboy]
Bayonetta 2wonDestructoid’s overall best game of the year award,its community choice award, andmultiple personalgame of the year awards. While I’m sure Platinum appreciates the praise, chances are that the studio doesn’t need us to motivate it to move forward with the character. She’s clearly its favorite, as evidenced by her starring role in two games,her own animated movie, and guest appearances in other Platinum titles likeThe Wonderful 101andAnarchy Reigns. Platinum has already teased moreBayonettafor 2015, and seeing as its the first day of that year, I suppose it’s possible that a newBayonettagame could be announced any second now.
Sadly, those possibilities will inevitably be tempered by the reality thatBayonettais not a proven money maker. Though the original game got plenty of press and sold well by some standards, it apparently didn’t do well enough to earn the confidence of most publishers. It’s well documented that if it weren’t forNintendo swooping in to the rescue,Bayonetta 2would never have happened. While the sequel clearly has its fans, we haven’t heard much regarding the game’s sales, making it easy to guess that Nintendo isn’t particularly proud of how it performed.
So where does that leave the future ofBayonetta? Do you think Microsoft or Sony will bankrollBayonetta 3after the second outing’s critical success? Maybe Platinum and Sega will pull back on the budget a bit and make a 2D action title for Bayo on the Vita or 3DS, perhaps in the style ofCastlevania: Order of EcclesiaorViewtiful Joe?
Atlus’sPersonaseries has a similarly dedicated following as Bayonetta, and Atlus has used its clout to producefighting gameandrhythm gamespin-offs. ShouldBayonettago the same route? People clearly love the character, but maybe she’d be better off trying a more accessible genre for a game or two? I don’t have much hope for a newBayonettatitle that’s even bigger and better thanBayonetta 2,but I’d love to be wrong about that. Either way, I’ll take whatever newBayonettaI can get.
