Hideki Kamiya, best known for his work on the critically acclaimed game Okami, was most recently engaged in a revealing conversation with Kento Koyama, CEO of CLOVERS Inc. In the discussion, which took place in Japan, Kamiya delved into a variety of points, including his recent decision to part ways with PlatinumGames and his subsequent journey to his current position at CLOVERS Inc.
Around April 2023, Kamiya began experiencing differences in vision for the company’s direction with Atsushi Inaba, PlatinumGames CEO. After continued disagreements over a three-month period, they mutually concluded that their incongruous visions could not harmonize, leading to Kamiya’s decision to leave the company in October 2023. Although Koyama founded CLOVERS Inc. that same month, Kamiya did not immediately join him due to a non-compete clause which mandated him to maintain a year-long period of unemployment. So, Kamiya spent his time exploring other creative avenues, such as setting up a YouTube channel.
Koyama in the Japanese interview confirmed that only after the stipulated one year, on October 13, 2024, was he able to formally recruit Kamiya into the fold of CLOVERS Inc. He stressed on respecting the terms of the non-compete clause before bringing Kamiya onboard, emphasizing the integrity behind their working relationship.
Kamiya shares a meaningful rapport with Koyama given their previous collaboration on Project G.G., a project whose future remains uncertain following their departures from PlatinumGames. Since leaving PlatinumGames, the company has offered no updates regarding the status or future of the project, leaving its entire fate unclear.
Never one to sit long on past glory, Kamiya’s professional journey has come full circle with his recent move to CLOVERS. The confirmation of an Okami sequel by Capcom at The Game Awards 2024 rekindled the fans’ love for the cult classic and added excitement to Kamiya’s switch to CLOVERS, more so because the Okami sequel will feature Kamiya and CLOVERS on its development team.
Despite forming a new team, Kamiya made it clear in his discussion with Koyama that CLOVERS would not be a simple clone of Clover Studio. Instead, they envision CLOVERS as symbolising other ideals. Breaking down the name, Kamiya and Koyama inferred “C LOVERS” and after much deliberation, they latched onto the letter C representing four motifs: Creative, Challenge, Craftsmanship and a fourth yet undefined one that varies from individual to individual.
During the interview, Kamiya also expressed his knack for smaller scale AA games than large-scale AAA projects, hinting at a possible direction CLOVERS might take in the future. In line with this, Kamiya announced his openness to collaborating with PlatinumGames, his former company. He entertained the idea of CLOVERS developing a new game based on an IP owned by PlatinumGames.
As 2024 concludes, Hideki Kamiya possesses a zest to embrace tomorrow, now at the helm of CLOVERS game studio working on Capcom’s Okami sequel. We wait with apranticipation for more information about the sequel’s release timeline and compatible platforms.
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