Playtonic Games continues to grow and decides to bet as a publisher; In addition, they confirm that they work on more than one video game of their most emblematic partner.
Playtonic Games is one of the most emerging British studios on the independent scene today. Made up of members who once worked at Rare to color and shape Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong Country, their Kickstarter debut was an immediate success: their first video game, Yooka-Laylee, was to become a reality thanks to the support from their patrons. With a million dollars in 24 hours and a total of 73,206 backers at the end of the campaign, what was initially a success went on to become one of the most successful projects of the crowdfunding platform of all time.
Now, with two video games published and caught in the wake of success, this team faces new business and creative challenges. After the confirmation that they are working on several games by this couple, Yooka-Laylee, there are reasons for joy among lovers of platform titles … or maybe they will embark on other genres?
The most recent news of the study summarized in four keys
Let’s start at the beginning. After Yooka Laylee in 2017, a tribute as a spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie, the result of which was remarkable but with ample room for improvement, came Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lairen 2019, which did the same with Donkey Kong Country (taking elements from both Rare and modern Retro Studios installments) in two dimensions.
One platform in 3D and the other in 2D, with a lot of experimentation, risks (not all its bets and mechanics have worked in the same way) and ambition to establish itself as a major study. For now, the publisher Team17 has relied on them for distribution tasks, successes relevant enough to even see the light in physical format.
Makeover and announcement of your next project “soon”
In January we knew the first of four important news for this team founded in late 2014 by Steve Hurst, Steve Mayles, Gavin Price, Jens Restemeier, Mark Stevenson and Chris Sutherland: they were going to change their image. They said it in a statement, during this year they would bet on a rebranding, which we can understand as a reformulation of their corporate image, which usually entails a change in the public logo. “There is a good reason,” they said. There was speculation with a lot of things. Absorbed by a great company? Those are things that are beyond our reach. Time will tell.
At the beginning of February we learned something that aroused the interest of his followers: they will announce their next project “soon”; presumably his next video game. “We want to give our community, our friends, a giant hug,” they said. “We know you are wondering what we are cooking, but although we can’t say anything yet, something will be revealed soon.” Faced with rumors of a possible acquisition by Xbox Game Studios, they issued a statement to deny it back in late 2019: “We are not working on any Banjo-Kazooie game and we remain an independent studio.”
Playtonic Friends and Yooka-Laylee’s “various games” in development
We continue with Playtonic Friends, our own label to publish other independent video games. Becoming an editor, in a way, just like Yacht Club Games (Shovel Knight) has done with works like Cyber Shadow. From there other titles will come out under a philosophy similar to that of Playtonic Games, so we have to be vigilant in case a jewel is born to consider. At the moment they have three sponsored titles in development from the following studios: Awe Interactive (BPM: Bullets Per Minute), Fabraz (Slime-san) and okidokico (OK Golf).
And we come to the final point of those four highlights the current affairs surrounding the Playtonic Games name: They are working on several Yooka-Laylee games. Gavin Price, head of the English study, assures that “we are going to increase the size of our team, focusing specifically on new games from the Yooka-Laylee universe”, currently composed of 27 staff members (according to the official website). For the first time in the history of the young study, “there are several games going,” they assert.
What about a racing video game?
Finish the information and we start playing. We lose nothing by bringing plausible ideas and wishes to the table that might fit in with what we know Yooka-Laylee developers like. The first is the most obvious and that surely will not raise anyone’s eyebrows: new platform titles. Either in two or three dimensions, considering new iterations of both the 3D and 2D branches sounds logical, there is an audience that asks for it and, above all, the two original deliveries have room to reach more, to approach excellence that he got neither the first nor the second. If there is creative will, we are convinced that it is possible to see more Yooka-Laylee platformers soon.
The following is a driving video game. Yes, like Mario Kart, Crash Team Racing, Sonic & All-Stars Racing or Diddy Kong Racing. The reason? The first is because there are not a few platform sagas that have made the leap to arcade racing at some point; they are generally compatible audiences. We have just given some examples. These types of adventures are characterized by having many worlds enriched by scenarios of all kinds, very different characters from each other and objects that have a direct impact on the setting.
That is why it is not difficult to propose a translation of these concepts to a racing game. We have seen it with Crash Bandicoot and the Silver N. Sanity, full of apples; We have seen it with the surroundings of Peach Castle, the shells, the bananas … In short, we find it fitting to see Yooka in a car hitting himself, throwing bee hives or picking up coins and butterflies on the circuits.
And yes, Playtonic Games has been asked in this regard, with a negative answer on their part, as is logical; although without closing the doors to that eventual possibility. It was during a meeting with our colleagues from 3D Games in late 2019. Mark Stevenson and Steve Mayles, members of the studio, had this to say: “I think we will continue to work on Yooka Laylee in the future. We could really work on any type of video game, like a Mario Kart racing game or a Splatoon shooter, ”they said. Not randomly, it should be said, but based on logical reasoning: being independent “allows us to follow the path we want and the one we think is most appropriate,” they added.
That said, more than a shooter title, how about integrating action and shooter mechanics into a future 3D platformer? Ratchet & Clank can give a good account of this … and that idea has not worked badly in Insomniac Games, precisely.
Soon we will know what they have in hand.
References | Logan Meyer; Playtonic Games; Eurogamer; Playtonic Games YT; 3D Games
