Capcom going Multi-Platform

I found this today (a little old)

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=11495

Capcom Releases Annual Report, Next-Gen Plans

Officials from Capcom have released the company's Annual Report to Shareholders for the year ended March 31, 2006, within which contains statements made by president and CEO Kenzo Tsujimoto concerning the current and future state of the company, as well as Capcom's emphasis on development for the global and online market.

The annual report noted that Capcom's net income for the current fiscal year was 6.941 billion yen ($59.3 million), a 91.6 percent increase over the previous year. Looking forward, Tsujimoto noted that the company expects to see sales of 68,400 million yen ($585 million), with operating income of 7 billion yen ($59.9 million) and net income of 3.9 billion yen ($33.3 million).

According to Tsujimoto, Capcom is seeing the benefits of structural reforms within the company that began in fiscal 2002. Much of these reforms included expanding Capcom's emphasis on the North American and European regions, markets that according to Tsujimoto represent 80 percent of the total video game marketplace. The executive also noted that Capcom saw “huge successes in the current fiscal year” with titles such as Resident Evil 4 for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 and Monster Hunter Freedom for the PSP, and that these sales, along with other efforts, resulted in “a decrease in product inventory, sales expenses and market distribution inventory levels, and improved recognition of our software titles among customers and retailers.”

However, Tsujimoto cautioned that because of the console hardware transition, and a historic reluctance by customers to purchase new software for current generation consoles during the transitional period, the company predicts that the software market for 2006 will decrease to $15.8 billion, down from the company's current estimates of $16.3 billion. Tsujimoto added, though, that Capcom expects the market to rebound following the release of Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii consoles.

That said, the executive added: “We are fully aware that the main market during the next fiscal year will be for current-generation game consoles and portable game consoles. For that reason, we are maintaining earnings based on the sales of our game titles intended for current-generation game consoles, which boast established and prolonged popularity, while making advance investments in the development of software for next-generation consoles.”

Currently, the company is developing highly anticipated next-generation titles including Devil May Cry 4 for the PlayStation 3 and Resident Evil 5 for both Sony's upcoming console as well as the Xbox 360. Interestingly, Tsujimoto wrote as part of Capcom's annual statement that the company is focusing on a multi-platform strategy with regards to its titles by “marketing a single title for a number of different types of game consoles, thereby expanding sales and optimizing our profits.” The company is also revising its development process and cost management structure, and is also creating a universal game development engine that can be used by multiple titles developed for for next-generation consoles.

Continuing, Tsujimoto wrote that Capcom is expecting “sustained market growth” greater than 10 percent from 2007 onwards, and that the market size of online games to expand “mainly in Asia, namely in South Korea and China.” Because of this, Capcom plans to “upgrade our product series by focusing development on software and online games for the global market, while teaming up with other companies for product development.”

Finally, the annual report noted that Capcom is continuing to be interested in investing in the online PC games market, particularly following the success seen by the Monster Hunter online game series for the PlayStation 2 and PSP. Capcom formed an Online Business Division in April 2006, and this month plans to establish a new company together with the Dwango Group to operate a portal website and construct a new business model based on the Japanese market. This plan will be brought to the Europe and North American markets at a later date, and according to Tsujimoto will see this segment become one of the key segments of Capcom's business.

Could this be a sign of the times? Will all developers follow in the same steps?

Atleast now they tell you that their games are multi-platform, instead of saying they are exclusive, and then changing their minds. 🙄 😛

Does this mean Devil may cry 4 will be released for 360?ermm

Originally posted by IceJaw
Does this mean Devil may cry 4 will be released for 360?ermm

I was thinking that too when I read the article. Hmm..

Originally posted by IceJaw
Does this mean Devil may cry 4 will be released for 360?ermm

That would be cool, Ive always wanted to check it out.

I really hope so, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

while this article is very interesting, I don't think it means DMC4 will be on anything but PS3. I'm pretty sure Sony has a stranglehold on the rights for that one.

There really are no guarantees. Remenber Assasins Creed was at one time a PS3 exclusive.

yea thats true..

Well, it's been known for sometime that RE5 is coming out for both systems. As long as that holds true I don't care about anything else. Devil May Cry series is extraordinarily overrated anyhow.

Another interesting move by Capcom...

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=12913

Japanese-headquartered publisher and developer Capcom has become the latest company to license Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 3 middleware, with the industry stalwart planning to use the graphics engine in a new unannounced project being developed in North America.

The announcement comes just days after a similar announcement from Activision and continues the technology's run as the most-licensed graphics engine.

Unreal Engine 3 also licensed by publishers and developers including Activision, Electronic Arts, Microsoft Game Studios, Atari, Real Time Worlds, Namco, Midway, Silicon Knights, VU Games, THQ, and Sony Online, and powers Epic's own flagship Xbox 360 title Gears Of War.

The announcement is notable because seems to imply either a revitalized internal North American studio (Studio 8, creator of the Maximo series and Final Fight Streetwise, was closed down in 2006, according to Internet reports) or a close enough development relationship with an external company that Capcom has purchased Unreal Engine 3 for them.

In addition, it shows another Japanese-headquartered company expressing a greater level of comfort with game engines, following Square Enix’s adoption of Unreal Engine 3 in January, and a period in which Japanese firms have been reluctant to look at middleware.

In fact, Epic's Jay Wilbur has previously commented on the apparent reluctance and intractability of the Japanese market to use middleware, including Unreal Engine 3, for game development. Wilbur noted: "Japanese game developers are a very talented, very proud group - and rightly so," there's a "general reluctance" for some developers to deviate from previous development methodologies, even if they're using new technology. While the Capcom deal does not cover any Japanese titles, it's nonetheless notable.

"The Unreal Engine is one of the most powerful and versatile tools available for next-generation game development," said Mark Beaumont, executive vice president, officer and head of Capcom consumer software publishing in the Americas and Europe. "More than just a graphics engine, UE3 will empower the development team to create the quality experience that gamers expect from a Capcom product."

I soooo hope that project involves a sequel to Dead Rising.

Unreal Engine and DR together? VERY interesting.

I thought they already okayed an sequel for Dead Rising, and Lost Planet, considering both games have done extremely well.

I've said before that the era of exclusives are stopping outside first party support. It doesnt make sense business wise to not release it on other platforms. Just look at how much money EA makes every year, they release every game that they publish multiple times.

When you see Valve releasing thier shooters the same day as PC on the consoles also, thats an big step.