Hideki Kamiya, Ex-PlatinumGames Executive, Launches YouTube Channel and Discusses Departure

Hideki Kamiya, a renowned video game developer and former executive vice president of PlatinumGames, has embarked on a new journey by starting his own YouTube channel after departing from the company in September. At present, his Hideki Kamiya Channel contains only one video, in which he can be seen leaving the PlatinumGames office. In the video, Kamiya talks about his future plans, the reasons behind his departure from the studio he co-founded, and what he’s been up to lately, which includes cooking curry and watching TV.

Kamiya also mentioned that he is currently unable to work in the video game industry for a year. This restriction is likely due to a non-compete agreement, which effectively grants PlatinumGames exclusive rights to his creative ideas. However, Kamiya only stated that this limitation exists “due to reasons.”

Kamiya, the talent behind directing Resident Evil 2 and playing a pivotal role in creating Devil May Cry during his tenure at Capcom, followed by the development of games like Bayonetta and The Wonderful 101 at PlatinumGames, was somewhat cryptic about the circumstances surrounding his departure in September. He mentioned that his decision to leave was based on his personal beliefs. While he didn’t explicitly disclose the exact reasons in the video, Kamiya did provide more insight into his departure, stating, “I left the company because I wanted to follow my beliefs as a game creator and to choose the path I think is right and move on.” He also emphasized that he is not retiring and will consider job offers in the video game industry once his one-year restriction expires. In a lighthearted manner, he joked that he would accept any offers over ¥100 million (approximately $670,000) per year and concluded the video by humorously driving off “to the unemployment center” in a supercar.

Regarding his YouTube channel, Kamiya explained that the content he plans to upload will be “completely education-free” and unrelated to the video game industry. It seems that the veteran developer is ready for a well-deserved break after dedicating 30 years to the gaming industry.

While Hideki Kamiya has moved on to new ventures, PlatinumGames will continue to thrive. The studio’s upcoming game, Project G.G., was previously described as Kamiya’s next significant project. He told IGN in December 2022 that the game was going to be so substantial that it couldn’t even be compared to The Wonderful 101: Remastered and Sol Cresta.