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Capcom pursuing Western unions

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Sep 11, 2008 1:36 pm PT

Publisher shuns Japanese mergers and acquisitions; "all major titles" to be multiplatform.

While Square Enix, Tecmo, and Koei have been engaged in a mergers and acquisitions dance lately, some Japanese publishers are looking a bit beyond their backyards for potential partners. In its annual report today, Capcom said it will be "actively pursuing friendly acquisitions and partnerships" as part of its strategy to aggressively expand its overseas presence.

"In order to ensure stable and sustained growth, we must expand our business in the larger size overseas market where there is ample room for growth," the company said in its report. "We therefore have no plans to merge with any major Japanese video game publishers or toy manufacturers in the foreseeable future since it is unlikely to contribute to sales expansion overseas. Such a merger could also restrict our licensing business opportunities."

Currently Japan accounts for 53 percent of Capcom's home game sales, with North America the second biggest contributor at 28 percent and Europe at 19 percent. For the future, Capcom's stated goal is to derive half of its home software sales from North America, with Europe up to 30 percent of the total and its native Japan contributing just 20 percent.

Capcom pointed to a handful of recent successes as examples of games with greater global appeal. Dead Rising sold only 50,000 copies in Japan, but racked up sales of 1.35 million overseas. Likewise, Lost Planet's 150,000 Japanese sales were dwarfed by the rest of the world's total of 2 million copies sold.

"The home video game market was originally focused on Japan but that is a thing of the past," the company said. "Nowadays, the main focus has shifted overseas and the video game industry is expanding worldwide."

In a blow to system loyalists everywhere, the publisher also recommitted itself to multiplatform development. Despite the outcry among some gamers when Capcom's anticipated PlayStation 3 exclusive Devil May Cry 4 was announced for the Xbox 360 as well, the publisher said that "all major titles launched during the next fiscal year or thereafter will be developed as multiplatform games."

Capcom has stressed its focus on multiplatform titles numerous times in the past, touting its "MT Framework" software designed to accommodate development across the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. The Wii is also well within Capcom's multiplatform strategy, as evidenced by adapted ports of games like Dead Rising and Resident Evil 4.

116 Comments

  • GodsPoison

    Posted Dec 4, 2008 9:00 pm PT

    Still nothing new about DR2 eh? How about LP2? cmon capcom get your game in gear, release the new RE game already so you can focus on the other games that we really love.

  • ihopNESS

    Posted Sep 14, 2008 10:53 am PT

    We Needs a New Dead Rising Too

  • hyphyxxl

    Posted Sep 14, 2008 6:57 am PT

    i don't mind capcom being multiplatform its cool because everyone gets to play. i own a ps3 and like the exclusive games and non exclusive games that come on my system. i like bioshock and i am happy its being ported over with knew levels and better graphics ect... does anyone remember a good old game known as SAN ANDREAS? why would i bring that up you ask? because the original xbox was a more powerfull console than the ps2 and when they ported SAN ANDREAS over to xbox a year later. anybody who played the ps2 version of san andreas knows it had framerate and loading issues. it came out on xbox with better graphics better sound faster load times custom soundtracks and better framerate. ps2 could have never done that.xbox was more powerfull so it had the superior version. just as ps3 is more powerfull than 360 this generation. i am expecting to see multiplatform games but i also expect certain consoles to have superior graphics and load times because they are technically more powerfull. peace out

  • Henninger

    Posted Sep 14, 2008 3:57 am PT

    & Capcom needs 2 hurry up with both Resident Evil 5 & Street Fighter 4. A new Onimusha wouldn't hurt either. @ hannify

    Co-sign

    @ MichaelGeorge70

    I feel u on tryin 2 keep a series on 1 type of console. I agree that i will never play DMC4 on the 360. I wouldn't even play GTA4 on the 360 if it weren't 4 the exclusive content.

  • Henninger

    Posted Sep 14, 2008 3:47 am PT

    This will b a great move 4 Capcom. Capcom has been my favorite publisher 4 years & I can honestly say that besides Nintendo, I have more Capcom games than any other publisher. Resident Evil & Street Fighter r their best franchises point blank period. Im not big on Mega Man but it sells. Dead Rising was a hit, Lost Planet was a hit, their bringing back Bionic Commando, & also brought back 1942 (1 of my favorite NES games). They need 2 make another Capcom vs. SNK game & make it online. Also redesign the characters a lil bit cuz using the recycled characters is getting old. Oh yea, Onimusha & Devil May Cry r the shhhh also. Capcom has had some failed games in the past but i'll alwayz try a Capcom game. I would love 2 c Capcom make a good FPS or a new Dino Crisis. & WHERE IS MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 3?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I been waiting 4 that 4 years! All of their crossover games were hits so y did they stop? X-Men: Children of the Atom, Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom, & Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Bring back Marvel vs. Capcom!!!!!

  • Oni

    Posted Sep 13, 2008 8:12 pm PT

    All this means is that the brains making the big decisions at Capcom understand that there is substantial revenue to be made beyond just the hardcore Japanese market. The North American/European consumer is kinda like where the Japanese market was almost 20 years ago. In the sense that video games are now huge everywhere. Japanese are jaded when it comes to gaming, sort of like how America is with Movies, Television and Music. We (US/Euro), the other half are just coming into our own and beyond (as far as gaming is concerned). Capcom obviously understands this and wants to capitalize on the fact. Good for them. I hope this is the beginning of a new trend. If so, it will only help sustain the remarkable growth gaming has seen in the US and Europe within the past 10 years! *cheers*

  • pidow

    Posted Sep 13, 2008 8:04 am PT

    common sense tell one that the deletion or omission of any number of platforms, will result in less income gained.....many sources of income fill the old pocket.

  • brittoss

    Posted Sep 13, 2008 1:13 am PT

    According to this article Australia doesn't buy Capcom games!?! Japan 53%+North America 28%+Europe 19%=100%
    Either that or Capcom believes in giving more than 100%

  • hannify

    Posted Sep 12, 2008 5:41 pm PT

    just bring out more resident evils and ill be happy.

    even though i was more of a fan of the old-school ones - the new ones still do enough for me

  • Great_Ragnarok

    Posted Sep 12, 2008 4:28 pm PT

    YAY CAPCOM!

  • trinity_rdp

    Posted Sep 12, 2008 3:57 pm PT

    Hell yeah! That's just a great bussiness practice. Cmon.. devs are making games for money right so in order for them to reap the costs they should target the larger market not just a small group so kudos for CAPCOM

  • omarguy01

    Posted Sep 12, 2008 3:45 pm PT

    Capcom is smart. Probably my favorite japanese game dev right now.

  • MichaelGeorge70

    Posted Sep 12, 2008 3:34 pm PT

    good forward planning and to all that say they are sell-out's what you really mean are fans selling out i chose to spend £10 more for DMC4 on ps3 rather than get it for the 360 purely based on the fact all it's predecessors where on a sony console....just like i did'nt buy RE4 till the PS2 version was released (had already completed a friends GC version) but still i got umbrella chronicles and re1 remake and RE0 cos it would be silly not to buy a game purely for the fact it's not on your faveorite consoles. P.S i have all the current gens and had all of the previous gens so i could get all the best games for each. Thats alot of money spent on different consoles over the years not to mention all the P.c's I've been through Multi-platform FTW!

  • Hekynn

    Posted Sep 12, 2008 2:57 pm PT

    Awsome lets hope they do a RE5 with Multiplayer in it!

  • Proman84

    Posted Sep 12, 2008 1:00 pm PT

    Resident Evil 5 PC FTW!

  • dj_b02us

    Posted Sep 12, 2008 12:51 pm PT

    lets just hope capcom doesnt get hooked up with any partners that are a breath away from closing shop, as so many u.s. developers have done lately >_

  • residentzombie2

    Posted Sep 12, 2008 12:01 pm PT

    Now if Capcom were to start patching their more popular games for PS3 trophy support, this expanding their name in the market would make sense. Devil May Cry 4 is long overdue for a Trophy patch and until they spend the time and little money from the company's vast fortunes to pay devs to implement trophies, I (and alot of other gamers) would buy more of their products.

  • akiwak

    Posted Sep 12, 2008 11:15 am PT

    Can't be mad at Capcom, they have delivered some of my favorite games. As long as they keep putting out great games I will continue to support them.

  • johnrkinsey1

    Posted Sep 12, 2008 10:34 am PT

    Capcom is one of my favorite developers. I'm glad they want to expand their focus globally. Good job Capcom!

  • johnrkinsey1

    Posted Sep 12, 2008 10:34 am PT

    Capcom is one of my favorite developers. I'm glad they want to expand their focus globally. Good job Capcom!

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