Nintendo is currently “deep in conversation” with three studios for licensing its IP, based on the latest report.
According to Christopher Dring, head of Gamesindustry.biz, discussions are underway between Nintendo and three development studios over the use of the console maker’s IP.
Dring stated that he knows that Nintendo is actively meeting with independent developers to find new partners. Some of these discussions are for publishing indie games, which the console maker is known to do from time-to-time. However, he added that the company is also seeking studios that could work on some of its IP.
Nintendo regularly works with third-party development teams, including Bandai Namco, Team Ninja, Platinum Games, MercurySteam, WayForward and Grezzo. According to Dring, the company is now looking to add to that roster, and he knows of three studios that are “deep in conversation” about making games based on Nintendo brands.
It’s tough to say which of Nintendo’s IP are being discussed with the aforementioned third-party studios, but we would certainly like to see some of the company’s dormant franchises make a return, including Star Fox, Donkey Kong, and F-Zero.
One of the prominent third-party developers Nintendo has collaborated with in the past is Platinum Games for the Bayonetta titles. According to a recent rumor, the console maker is now looking to release Bayonetta Trilogy for the Nintendo Switch 2, with both visual and performance enhancements.
The alleged Bayonetta Trilogy is said to bring visual and performance improvements, such as HDR support and a stable frame rate when targeting 60 fps. According to the leaker, due to backward compatibility, the Switch versions of Bayonetta 1, 2, and 3 can also be played on Switch 2 with improvements to frame rate. If the rumor is indeed true, this would be the third time the original Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2 would be released on a Nintendo platform.