When Nintendo held their Wii U Press Event a few weeks ago, many new details on the new console emerged but there wasn’t much in the way of new game announcements. Still, there was one Wii U game announcement that caught everyone’s attention, and not just any Wii U game. It turns out that Platinum Games was developing another title alongside the Wonderful 101; a sequel to one of their previous games, Bayonetta 2. But what really caused a stir was the announcement that the new Bayonetta game would be an exclusive for the Wii U. Understandably, fans of the first installment were infuriated to learn that the sequel would not be coming to the series’ native platform. What followed was a salvo of complaints directed towards Nintendo and Platinum Games.
These complaints towards Nintendo and Platinum Games are largely misplaced, as Bayonetta 2 has been in the planning stages for a while now. However, the title met with a large obstacle when Sega refused to publish the game. With Sega not backing the project, Bayonetta 2 was dead in the water, and it would probably have never seen release. That is until Nintendo decided to work with Platinum Games and publish the title. If anything, Nintendo should be thanked for resuscitating Bayonetta 2. If it weren’t for them, there would not be a Bayonetta 2 at all.
Furthermore, the fact Nintendo has taken on the project can only be a harbinger of good things to come. With such a high-profile entity as Nintendo backing Bayonetta 2, the game is sure to get a lot of publicity when it is finally released. As an extra advantage, Bayonetta 2 will be more noticeable as it releases for a shiny, new console. The Wii U’s library may be expansive for its age, but it is nowhere near the hundreds of titles currently offered on the other platforms, thus giving Bayonetta more room to shine without as much competition.
There is one other fallacy to these complaints. Bayonetta 2 is a hardcore, M-rated game. Over the past few years, Nintendo has been criticized for not giving much support to these sorts of games. Now that they are finally doing so, who has the right to complain?
In the end, however, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 owners will never stop complaining, knowing that they will have to swallow their pretentious pride and buy a Nintendo platform if they want to play Bayonetta 2 that badly. Here is some food for thought, though: the Wii U is a next generation system. Rest assured that it will be able to compete with other next generation systems. It will probably not have the best graphics, but it is all but guaranteed that it will not suffer the same fate as its predecessor, the Wii. Unless you plan on sticking with the current generation, you are going to have to buy a next gen console eventually. As it probably will be the cheapest next gen console and already has a great list of exclusives – not to mention the inevitability of Nintendo’s terrific intellectual properties coming to the system – the Wii U is an excellent choice.
To close my thoughts on the subject, I will say this: As pleased as I am to see Bayonetta 2 coming to the Wii U, I wouldn’t mind to see it become a multiplatform release for the Wii U as well as the Xbox 360 and PS3. Not that I would play it on the other consoles, but it would allow the game to reach a wider audience, thus increasing its chances of being a financial success and being able to continue the series. But seeing as the game is being published by Nintendo, the chance for a multiplatform release is slim to none. Still, exclusives are just another factor of the video game industry, and lord knows we Wii-owners missed out on plenty of great titles beforehand. In the comments below, feel free to express your thoughts on the subject of Bayonneta 2. Are you excited/miffed that you’ll have to buy a Wii U, or are you indifferent?
