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Capcom Teases New DL Game, Biggest Wii 3rd Party Game Push, More West Games Than Ever

N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Gamasutra has put up a new interview with Capcom's Chris Svensson in which he hinted at a new downloadable title, said that Monster Hunter 3 will have the biggest marketing push for a third party Wii game yet, and explained that Capcom is making more Western developed games than ever, but that they're all in existing IPs. He also mentioned how Versus has become a re-established brand for Capcom, and how Dark Void Zero is doing really great and causing Capcom to look into more things of that nature, though not specifically for the DSi only.

Gamasutra said:
Gamasutra: What is the main cultural stopping block -- I assume it's cultural, that's my own words -- that's making Monster Hunter not as big here as it is in Japan?

CS: [sighs expressively] You know, we're taking another run at it with Tri in May, and Tri will have a number of things that we've been asking for a long time in the series. Online, true real online support has been one of the biggest things that we've been harping on, for literally years. This is the first time since the original PS2 introduction we've had an online mechanism for people to play couch-to-couch.

The first PS2 [version] was properly online. None of the PSP versions were full infrastructure. Ad-hoc only. Ad-hoc seems to work fine in Japan. People play on lunch breaks, play in the office, after hours, play on buses, play in the schoolyard. It's just part of the culture. I believe Westerners actually much prefer to sit on their couch and play online with another friend.

I mean, we're a very big country. Traveling to see friends just to play a game head-to-head, where both people have to have their own hardware, is not something I think that has lent itself to broad appeal. The fact that Tri will have both split-screen and online play, I think will allow for some interesting dynamics in terms of community generation that we previously haven't been.

The other part of this is a massive marketing push, the likes of which I'm not sure anyone has seen on a Wii title from a third party, that we'll be seeing across the West when it ships. So, big marketing push. Online play.

The other part of this is Monster Hunter, as a series, is a hard series to learn. It is unforgiving and very, very complex to learn. Very complex systems. Tri is a little bit easier to get into. There's a much gentler learning curve in Tri than there's ever been in any of the other Monster Hunters. That's not to say it's dumbed down, but it's much more accessible.
Click to expand...

Gamasutra said:
Gamasutra: It seems like Capcom's digital download initiative that was going very strong for the last couple of years is sort of going down.

CS: It's slowly... A little bit. Quite frankly, we just have a gap. We have a number of projects that we are working on actively, and we will be lighting up more. I think we talked about it before; it has been a very successful initiative for us, and we do want to do more of it.

I think we're being a little more judicious in what we select to do and how we approach it. In being more judicious, that also means we're being more ambitious in the scope and scale of what those projects will ultimately be.

We have something we're in the process of lighting up right now that I can't talk about but I'm super excited about. I don't want to be too nebulous here, but fans of a certain franchise will be very happy.
Click to expand...
Source For First Two: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4291/careful_capcom_christian_.php?page=1


Gamasutra said:
Earlier this year, Capcom COO Haruhiro Tsujumoto told analysts that the Osaka, Japan-based publisher would only work with Western developers on existing IP. The comment came after lackluster sales of Dark Void and Bionic Commando, two Western-developed titles.

But Capcom U.S. VP of strategic planning and business development Christian Svensson said in a new Gamasutra feature interview that Capcom is still committed to a Western-inclusive business strategy.

"I'm not exactly sure what the intent of [Tsujumoto]'s statements were, but I also know that I saw how they were taken by a lot of media, and I think they were not quite interpreted the right way," said Svensson.

"Haru made a statement of something to the effect of 'new IPs are going to be developed in Japan, not in the West,'" Svensson continued. "And I think that is a fair statement. What I think a lot of people interpret that as is Capcom's turned its back on Western development."

He explained, "And I think if you ask [R&D head Keiji] Inafune-san, that's actually far from the truth. We probably have more and bigger projects in development or soon to be in development with Western developers than we've ever had. But, they aren't new IP."

Svensson also explained why 2009's Bionic Commando, developed by now-closed Swedish developer Grin, fell into the "new IP" category for Capcom, even though the series originally released in the 1980s.

"For whatever reason, Bionic Commando was looked at internally as for all intents and purposes as a new IP in the fact that it was a long-dormant franchise that really had no broad awareness," he said. "I would certainly not categorize it as a new IP necessarily, but the effort to re-launch it was not that much unlike what a new IP would've been."

Svensson also said that January's Dark Void, developed by Airtight Games, is "moving along, sales-wise. We're not completely dissatisfied with where it is as a first time at establishing a new property for Capcom." But he added that development for the game was "a bit longer than we had expected."

"...That was, I think, part of what [COO] Haru is harping in on is if we aren't investing in new IP, hopefully we'll not necessarily have a three-plus year project kicking around, so maybe [we'd prefer a] shorter cycle with a quicker path to market."
Click to expand...
Source: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4291/careful_capcom_christian_.php?page=2

There's a ton more through the first source link if anyone is interested, especially about Super Street Fighter IV.

Here's a couple of other excerpts:

Gamasutra said:
The Versus series is well served by Tatsunoko as an outing. It really happens bring Versus back as a viable brand for Capcom. So, in that regard...

[There's a lot more through the link about how Tatsunoko's success is going and how he feels it became successful, but we're getting a quote overload here.]
Click to expand...
Gamasutra said:
And [Dark Void Zero is] selling, just for the record, very, very well. We're actually really pleased. In some ways, it's actually exceeding my expectations as to how it did, so we'll actually be looking at some other opportunities. I'm not saying necessarily 8-bit focused, not even necessarily DSiWare-focused, but there's some gained from learning that we take from Dark Void Zero and from Other Ocean in particular that turned out great. I can't say enough good things about Other Ocean. They've been a joy to work with. So, loads of respect to those guys.
Click to expand...
 
O

Owzers

Member
"Svensson also said that January's Dark Void, developed by Airtight Games, is "moving along, sales-wise. We're not completely dissatisfied with where it is as a first time at establishing a new property for Capcom." But he added that development for the game was "a bit longer than we had expected.""

Talk about choosing your words carefully.
 
Eteric Rice

Eteric Rice

Member
Is Dark Void Zero the first time a spin-off has been better than the real game?

An 8-bit spin-off none the less.

Sometimes I think about making an 8-bit game. I just love the 8-bit and 16-bit styles.
 
jufonuk

jufonuk

not tag worthy
Please if the Versus Series has legs make a sequel and for the Love of Cheesus make SSFIV for Wii yeah!!

new DL game errr Ghost and Goblins ??

Final Fight??

Captain Command??

hmm I give up
 
K

ksamedi

Member
I'm really glad TvC is doing well. Thats all I really care about at this point. I didn't like SF 4 as much as I did TvC. I hope this means Capcom will make more sequels (on what ever platform) and maybe use a more well known and less boring property than Tatsunoko.
 
jufonuk

jufonuk

not tag worthy
ksamedi said:
I'm really glad TvC is doing well. Thats all I really care about at this point. I didn't like SF 4 as much as I did TvC. I hope this means Capcom will make more sequels (on what ever platform) and maybe use a more well known and less boring property than Tatsunoko.
Click to expand...

it has a giant robot lighter in the roster, plus Ken the Eagle... boring??? Never.. not so well know yes ok that one is true-ish

bryehn said:
Strider. It's Strider.
Click to expand...

PLEASE BE THIS!!!!
 
F

Flying_Phoenix

Banned
sillymonkey321 said:
"Svensson also said that January's Dark Void, developed by Airtight Games, is "moving along, sales-wise. We're not completely dissatisfied with where it is as a first time at establishing a new property for Capcom." But he added that development for the game was "a bit longer than we had expected.""

Talk about choosing your words carefully.
Click to expand...

:lol Sven's PR play at its best,
 
P

pvpness

Member
Hiltz said:
Just 7 days left until GameStop's Monster Hunter Tri demo is available!
Click to expand...
The gamestops in my area are already handing them out.

Spot on with the biggest marketing push yet though. i was stunned to find out that you get five dollars off the game and 500 wii points. That's madness. Too bad Monster Hunter just isn't a game that appeals to most players in the west.
 
S

SlipperySlope

Banned
Those MH ads are funny. When will they start airing?

And the first one seems kinda long. It's over by like 20 seconds for a proper minute commercial. Little confused by that one.
 
Eteric Rice

Eteric Rice

Member
ksamedi said:
I'm really glad TvC is doing well. Thats all I really care about at this point. I didn't like SF 4 as much as I did TvC. I hope this means Capcom will make more sequels (on what ever platform) and maybe use a more well known and less boring property than Tatsunoko.
Click to expand...

I hope this at least means that if Capcom does a Capcom Vs. Marvel 3 that the Wii will at least get it as well as the other consoles.

Happy to see it doing decently, though.
 
M

Meier

Member
I rarely buy games these days but I will probably bite on the game+controller bundle on Amazon. They had $5 off the game only but the bundle is still full price. It (the bundle) does still come with the $10 credit on future games though for pre-ordering.
 
M

Man God

Non-Canon Member
Why begrudge people a port of a game for a third of the cost of the game when it was new? I mean, it basically looks the same on the Gameboy Player if you had the original copies.
 
eXistor

eXistor

Member
New Phoenix Wright or Breath of Fire please, thank you. Though they don't fit with their new strategy.
 
A

AceBandage

Banned
eXistor said:
New Phoenix Wright or Breath of Fire please, thank you. Though they don't fit with their new strategy.
Click to expand...


Their new strategy isn't working all that well either.
I say, screw Dark Void like games and stick with BoF.
 
S

sohois

Member
cosmicblizzard said:
I've said it before and I'll say it again. If DMC is handed off to a western dev, I'm most likely done with the series.
Click to expand...

But how will Capcom do any better? 2 and 4 both sucked. Kamiya was the reason it was good, a third party western dev has just as much chance of making a good entry as Capcom do.
 
yurinka

yurinka

Member
Eteric Rice said:
Is Dark Void Zero the first time a spin-off has been better than the real game?

An 8-bit spin-off none the less.

Sometimes I think about making an 8-bit game. I just love the 8-bit and 16-bit styles.
Click to expand...
Well, Bionic Commando came first, if it can be considered a spin-off. Well, it's really sort-of a remake.
 
F

FoneBone

Member
Dan said:
DuckTales

Believe!
Click to expand...
I know you're probably joking, but this has gotten even less likely in recent years (with Disney pushing seemingly all licensed fare other than Kingdom Hearts into self-published territory).
 
M

Milabrega

Member
Somnid said:
They need Mega Man X 9 just so I can get X 1-3 on VC.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. Are those MH videos really going to be edited down for the tv commercials, Capital One is going to be pissed.
 
A

AceBandage

Banned
Milabrega said:
Absolutely. Are those MH videos really going to be edited down for the tv commercials, Capital One is going to be pissed.
Click to expand...


Do they even show those Viking commercials anymore?
I'd say that Discovery would be more pissed at them bagging on Deadliest Catch.
 
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