PlatinumGames CEO: Japan Game Companies 'Have Lost Their Vigor'PlatinumGames CEO: Japan Game Companies 'Have Lost Their Vigor'

Japan once led the video game industry in creativity and quality, but today it lags behind global competitors, according to a new message from Tatsuya Minami, president and CEO of Bayonetta developer PlatinumGames. "Not so long ago, Japan lead the world’s games business, and it was not a stretch to call games a uniquely Japanese specialty; however, now it appears that Japanese games companies have lost their vigor," he said. Minami's statement came in a note called "Platinum Next: The Japanese Standard Bearer In Global Competition." The CEO said he wants his five-year-old studio, also behind Infinite Space, MadWorld and Vanquish, to be "the face of Japanese game studios on the worldwide stage." The independent Osaka, Japan-based studio was founded in 2006 by former members of Capcom's Clover Studio, which was responsible for Viewtiful Joe, Okami and God Hand -- unique titles that stood out from their contemporaries. Minami now argues that such "fresh surprises" are "few and far between, especially in our home of Japan." "Series grow ever-longer; original titles are on the decline," he said. "Games with 'new' at their core are disappearing. Japanese games that garner worldwide acclaim are slipping away. This state of affairs deeply saddens us." PlatinumGames is currently at work on the Sega-published Anarchy Reigns, which is slated for a fall 2011 release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.