Capcom is more interested in making sure that they release quality titles than their commercial success, Europe COO Stuart Turner says. Known for their multi-million game franchises including Street Fighter, Devil May Cry, Dead Rising, and Resident Evil, the Japanese company has been in the business of publishing and developing video games since 1979.
Expanding globally as their games gained accolades over the years, Capcom has subsidiaries in North America, Europe, and East Asia. But despite their wide reach, the company’s values remain intact. Unlike other groups, Capcom believes that the quality of their releases is more important than sales figures.
In an interview with gamesindustry.biz, Turner explained their unique approach when it comes to gauging their games’ success. Here’s what he said:
It’s extremely rare for any company to genuinely have this kind of mentality, especially considering that at the end of the day, it’s still a business - every product made is crafted in the hopes that it will turn a profit for the organization. But Turner and his team at Capcom understand the importance of having consistently good reviews for their titles.
“While we have shareholders to appease, it’s not just about commercial performance. There is an artistic element that always comes in where we know this is the right way. And while if we compare RE7 to RE6 the absolute numbers are not the same, in terms of the profitability… it’s completely fine. It ticked all of our boxes internally. It was really well received…And in some respects, getting some very good review scores counts as much for Capcom as a game that sells millions and millions and millions. We’d prefer a game that got a 9 and sold less, than got a 6 but sold more.”
As an example, Resident Evil 6 has so far sold more units than Resident Evil 7, but that’s not necessarily mean that the former is a better game than the latter. In fact, reviews wise, the latest installment from the series was much better received than its 2012 counterpart. While there’s no proof, one would be curious to know if people’s bad perception of the series following Resident Evil 6 had anything to do with the less enthusiastic reception of Resident Evil 7, despite it being a well-made game.
Capcom is currently busy gearing up for the release of the remake of Resident Evil 2 (although they don’t want people to treat it as one). Arguably still the best game in the whole Resident Evil video game franchise, the idea of remaking the 1998 game for a brand new generation of players was one of the highlights of this year’s E3. Scheduled to release this January, the company said that it’s open to updating some of their old fan-favorites depending on people’s opinion of their upcoming project.
More: Capcom is Definitely Interested in More Resident Evil Remakes
Source: gamesindustry.biz
