Treasure and Platinum Games

[Nester the Lark]

As I've been playing Bayonetta 2 lately, I started thinking again about the similarities between Platinum Games and Treasure. While both companies are not directly related, I really feel that they are of the same breed. I suppose this is just me thinking out loud, but I thought it would be interesting to do a compare and contrast of the two companies.

Here are some similarities I came up with:

- The names of both companies each indicate something precious.

- Treasure was founded by former Konami employees. Platinum was founded by former Capcom employees.

- Both companies' first publishing deal was with Sega.

- Both companies are known for making arcade-style action games with a focus on honing skill and getting high scores, often with gimmicky gameplay.

- Both companies' games are known for having quirky styles, featuring off-beat characters and convoluted stories.

- Treasure is considered a master of shoot'em-ups. Platinum is considered a master of beat'em-ups. (Although, Treasure has made several beat'em-ups, and Platinum has added shoot'em-up sequences to some of its games.)

- Both companies' games are often met with critical acclaim, but weak sales.

And here are a couple of notable differences:

- Treasure's games generally have a more innocent sensibility, whereas Platinum is more decidedly "adult."

- Treasure has a reputation for being a quiet, introverted developer. Platinum is more directly in touch with its fans, posts developer's blogs on its site, and Hideki Kamiya and JP Kellams are notoriously outspoken on Twitter.

I wonder how much crossover appeal there actually is between Treasure and Platinum. Did Platinum's fans used to be Treasure fans? Have Treasure's fans "graduated" to Platinum? I never really hear one fanbase mention the other. But then again, each company was in their prime in a completely different era.

Treasure is still around, but they've done little of note the past few years. Their last "big" game was Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, which was a notable flop (but one of their best games, IMHO). They're currently working on the Japan-only Gaist Crusher series for Capcom on the 3DS. I don't know much about it, but it looks like Treasure is still doing their thing:



Personally, I miss Treasure. I hope someday they're able to make a comeback, if given the chance.

I like what I've played from Platinum so far, but the overt sex and violence is a bit exploitative for my tastes. The Wonderful 101, with its comic book superhero theme, was more Treasure-like, but still winked at the adult audience from time to time.

[TV Eye]

Quite an interesting comparison you've got going. I've never been too into Treasure games and truth be told, I was more of a fan of the Clover Studios endeavors over the Platinum games. Glad both companies are still thriving though.
I beat the first Bayonetta a few nights ago and noticed that its tone was real similar to Suda 51 games. No More Heroes especially. I wondered what kind of game a combination of Suda and Kamiya would be...

[Nester the Lark]

Nov 7, 2014 13:59:17 GMT -5 TV Eye said:

I've never been too into Treasure games and truth be told, I was more of a fan of the Clover Studios endeavors over the Platinum games.

Actually, that's another interesting thing. When Viewtiful Joe first came out, many people, including myself, thought it was very Treasure-like.

I thought of a couple of other things, too.

Another similarity is that both companies were known for focusing on original games rather than sequels. For their first decade, Treasure never made a sequel to any of their own games, and some people even incorrectly thought they had a policy against it (a misinterpretation of something Treasure president Masato Maegawa said in an interview). The unfortunate thing is that once they made their first true sequel in 2004, nearly everything they did after that was either a sequel, remake, port or licensed game. Gaist Crusher is the most original thing they've done in over a decade.

Platinum has been around for five years now, and they've only made two sequels, Bayonetta 2 and Anarchy Reigns (a follow-up to MadWorld), but otherwise, they've done only new IP and two licensed games.

And another difference is that for many years, Treasure was known for specializing in 2D sprite-based graphics, even long after it was considered un-cool. (eg. Guardian Heroes on the Saturn, Silhouette Mirage on the PS1 and Saturn, Mischief Makers on the N64.) Platinum has worked exclusively in 3D so far.