Capcom May Not Make Sequels to Games That Don't Sell Over 2 Million Copies

[Noomz]

Making me hate you capcom

Source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/10/...million-copies

Capcom Producer Yoshinori Ono has stated that the company would be unlikely to make a sequel to a game that doesn't sell at least 2 million copies.

"For instance, if a game doesn't sell over 2 million copies, then we'd have to put the brakes on any plans for a sequel," Ono said in an interview with Famitsu (spotted by Eventhubs). "All that means is that we weren't capable enough. And all we can do after that is to reflect on the experience, take what we can learn from it, and try to apply those lessons on some other title."

I've always found many Japanese publishers to not make any sense what so ever. They seem to have absolutely no grasp on the international market.

[Rukh]

While Capcom is guilty of many dumb decisions what was said is not one of them.

Not making AAA sequels for games that don't sell 2 mil+ sounds like a smart decision to me.

What they should be doing is releasing more niche/smaller scale games with all of their IPs they are leaving for dead. Most of them don't need full on AAA releases, and would be plenty profitable for them selling in the 100-500k range if they would just make them.

Except they didn't SAY AAA titles. Not every title a game company makes has to spend a billion hours on pixel placement and therefore have to sell 2 million copies even to break even. Square-Enix pulls this bullshit too.

The fact is, there's plenty of games that were very profitable but has a sensical overhead. There are plenty of series that could be given to a team and made profitable sequels. This neurotic twitch to have to take the entire budget of a game and put it in to graphics instead of gameplay is what kills game companies.

[OrcsRLame]

So, DmC: Devil May Cry sold 1.6 million copies. Devil May Cry 4 sold 2.9 million copies. Just sayin' Capcom.

GIVE ME BACK MY DANTE!!!!

[VincentWolf]

I've always found many Japanese publishers to not make any sense what so ever. They seem to have absolutely no grasp on the international market.

You said it.
Japaneze went from top of the line to absolutely confused. They want west to buy their games, but they don't understand why we're angry that sequels to their classic franchises are met with more and more criticism and less and less sales.
"But.. We... We added... This.. And... And that.. Our online poll said you like this and that! Right? RIGHT?! GUIZE??!" -- Modern japanese devs in a nutshell.

[OrcsRLame]

In other news, Capcom had a panel at New York City Comic Con that I believe ended about 7 minutes ago. There was no stream about it that I'm aware of but I do wonder if they announced anything interesting, as they did say they may have a surprise or two. Surprised I haven't been able to find anything doing live coverage of the smaller panels like that.

[Naekiwi]

Capcom

Business decisions which make a lick of sense

The two are not compatible. I get that Japanese companies make a ton of terrible decisions on a global scale because they think the whole world works like Japan, but Capcom is a special egg.

Have you seen their RE: Revelations 2 pricing?

Episodic release with 4 episodes, each priced at $6. So $24 for all 4 episodes individually.

"Season pass" (they just called it a bundle) for $25, so $1 more expensive than each episode individually (this is all digital).

After all 4 episodes release, a physical copy will be released at retail for $40.

Yup, business decisions that make sense.

You also left out that while RE:R2 is full coop through the entire game...It's the first one in years to not have online coop, which was pretty much the only thing praised about RE5 and RE6, and the most enjoyed and replayable part of RE:R. I was going to get RER2 because of how much I enjoyed playing through the first one with a good friend, but I couldn't care less about the game now.

[Ehrenpanzer]

I've always found many Japanese publishers to not make any sense what so ever. They seem to have absolutely no grasp on the international market.

See also: Square Enix

[Ryzek]

I've been done with Capcom since Megaman Legends 3 was cancelled. =( Come on you can give the classic and X series gratuitous sequels but can't give us one more Legends to wrap up the story?

This right here. Fuck capcom for not finishing Megaman Legends story.

[bbr]

Good business choice, tbh.

If the generaly public doesnt like version 1, why on earth would you bother making a sequel.
Better invest time in making a good new game than a crappy second.

[Edge-]

Good business choice, tbh.

If the generaly public doesnt like version 1, why on earth would you bother making a sequel.
Better invest time in making a good new game than a crappy second.

Dead Space 1 was a damn good success for EA with only 1 million sales. Sequels were made, with DS2 selling over 2 million and DS 3 floundering because of poor decisions on EA's part.
Capcom considered Dragons Dogma a success with just over 1 million sales. Dark Arisen was made and saw "firm" sales according to Capcom.

You can have a successful, popular, profitable game with well under 2 million sales. Hell, most games, even a lot of the AAA ones, don't crest that number. Only the biggest AAA blockbusters with insanely bloated development and marketing budgets do.

[kendro1200]

Good business choice, tbh.

If the generaly public doesnt like version 1, why on earth would you bother making a sequel.
Better invest time in making a good new game than a crappy second.

Except this is the movie equivalent of saying, "If so and so doesn't make over $200 million in the box office domestic, on opening weekend, then we're not making a sequel." Essentially Capcom is setting an unreasonably high goal for what I'm guessing is a bid to try and get people on the fence about buying their games, to buy them regardless of what they want. Perhaps maybe even an attempt to discourage pirating. Regardless of their intent, the result is disconnected with reality.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Capcom would get even more then 1-2 million IF THEY MAKE GOOD DECISIONS X_X

Capcom...stop making dumb decisions. Even selling millions is a lot. Sheez..... If that isn't enough money to make another game. I question their financial skills. DAT MATH

[Xar226]

That being said, it sounds silly to not make a sequel to a game that even sells 1.5 million copies.

It depends on how much the game costs to produce and market. A quick Google Search turned up a list that suggests that as we stand now, big-name AAA titles don't have any trouble cracking the $100 million threshold. Even if 1.5 million copies does turn a profit for a game, you have to consider the opportunity cost as well: what else could your development team have been doing with that time and money? Would it have turned a larger profit?

I wouldn't advocate Capcom's approach of drawing a line in the sand. I'd evaluate each game and each series on its own merits. But "a game needs to sell well to deserve a sequel" certainly is a good idea. They just have to come up with a better definition of "well."

[Rennadrel]

I dunno, after Capcom's latest fuck up with Dead Rising 3, I seriously wonder if people will ever buy their products again. They have been getting sloppy and lazy in recent years, like a few other Japanese developers that come to mind (looking at you Square Enix).

[Edge-]

I dunno, after Capcom's latest fuck up with Dead Rising 3, I seriously wonder if people will ever buy their products again. They have been getting sloppy and lazy in recent years, like a few other Japanese developers that come to mind (looking at you Square Enix).

Yes, yes they will. Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Megaman (if they ever bother to make another one, which they seem too terrified to try), and their other popular franchises will always sell. They may not sell to their ludicrous "expectations", but they'll sell well.

[zito]

I think the only game I enjoyed from capcom was mega man and I haven't played that in a decade.

[Rennadrel]

Yes, yes they will. Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Megaman (if they ever bother to make another one, which they seem too terrified to try), and their other popular franchises will always sell. They may not sell to their ludicrous "expectations", but they'll sell well.

They haven't made a good Mega Man game since the Advent series and the Battle Network games from the GBA era and Resident Evil is still a snore fest that hasn't been good since 4. And Street Fighter they just keep rehashing like hell for some asinine reason, I guess they can't make new games and revive old games. They haven't made a good Contra game since Contra 3 for the DS which was a true spiritual successor.