PlatinumGames has recently obtained the trademark for The Wonderful 101 from Nintendo, as evidenced by a filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office earlier this month. This transfer of ownership, initially brought to light by Reddit user Joseki100, represents a significant shift in the control of intellectual property.
Dated August 19, 2024, the document outlines the transition of ownership from Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Washington, to PlatinumGames Inc., headquartered in Osaka, Japan. Previously, the trademark had been held by Nintendo, which originally released the game for the Wii U in 2013. This acquisition confirms longstanding speculations within the gaming community regarding the change in ownership after the release of The Wonderful 101 Remastered in 2020.
The development of The Wonderful 101 in 2013 was a collaboration between PlatinumGames and Nintendo, with the game directed by Hideki Kamiya and produced by Atsushi Inaba. Despite receiving generally positive reviews, the game did not meet sales expectations. However, in February 2020, PlatinumGames announced a remastered version, which was made available on various platforms, including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Windows, in May 2020, facilitated by crowdfunding efforts. A subsequent release on Amazon Luna followed in May 2021.
The release of the remastered version is significant as it marked PlatinumGames’ inaugural self-published title, granting the studio greater creative liberty. Furthermore, in May 2023, the free downloadable content expansion, The Wonderful One: After School Hero, was introduced, followed by a standalone version in June 2023.
There has been ongoing speculation that Nintendo may have received exclusive rights to another PlatinumGames title, Astral Chain, in exchange for the transfer of ownership of The Wonderful 101, although no official confirmation has been forthcoming. With this recent acquisition, PlatinumGames appears to be cementing its authority over its intellectual properties, providing the studio with the opportunity to explore potential future developments for the franchise.
