Jump to content

Home

So apparently Capcom is in, like, really big financial trouble.


Darth Avlectus

Recommended Posts

Strange. Haven't heard about it.

 

http://leadexample.net/articles/capcoms-bleak-financial-situation-leaves-shareholders-worried

 

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/123389-Capcom-Wants-to-Cut-Ties-With-The-West-Increase-DLC

 

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-09-10-capcom-looks-towards-big-changes-after-difficult-fy13

 

My roomate and I were talking about it the other day. Less than $200M (USD) in their bank.

 

While I wouldn't say they're dead just yet, if they don't get a more competent CEO or something, if they don't wake up and pull their head out their arse they will join the rank of the game company ghosts--or whatever you call them.

 

Understand this is very much a 'what if' thread and that of opinions.

 

I'd wanted to make a poll of which company do you think will buy which game franchises in the theoretical demise of Capcom but too many options too many games, too many companies, too many possibilities.

 

What I do know is they haven't been listening to their fanbase on certain things lately. Putting out 'meh' games instead of what has been asked for.

 

I am in the camp of people wishing for a third Mega Man Legends. I was aware of past friction between Capcom and the Megaman franchise's creator Keiji Inafune. Apparently he split to work on his own now and there's news of his current little project here, here, and here. Oh and for those who twitter... Tweet? (I don't!)

 

 

For those not in the know, here are the game series franchises produced by Capcom (off the top of my head):

 

Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, Mega Man, Capcom versus and/or VS Capcom, Captain Commando, Monster Hunter, Final Fight, and numerous other obscure titles I'm sure exist but I can't conjure up right now.

 

It could be Capcom just bites the dust and rights to their intellectual properties would be up for grabs, or it'd be a complete buyout of the entire failed company.

 

 

Of the likely buyers I'd say those most likely to see something to profit from would buy rights to various franchises. IMO these would be...

 

EA

Microsoft

Disney

Nintendo

Sony

Bandai-Namco

Team Ninja

SNK

 

 

For example I could definitely picture a BIG fighting bid over the rights to Street Fighter. I put EA at the top because they seen to buy out everyone. Microsoft Second in the same regard.

 

I put Disney in since they own Marvel and given Marvel's past with Capcom, that'd be a very valuable addition indeed. Plus Capcom published quite a few of Disney's productions years ago.

 

Nintendo, if only to snag Megaman. If the blue bomber was one of the recent additions to the new Super Smash Bros. then I would say the past history of this particular franchise for Nintendo consoles being the majority, They'd have a sizable interest, without a doubt, in buying this up. I sincerely doubt MMX9 will ever happen but the seem poised to do the same as its predecessor already has. Just gotta wait maybe a decade or more.

 

 

Darkstalkers...well obviously this franchise has potential. If one of the aforementioned companies doesn't buy it, I can see Sony, Bandai-Namco, team ninja, and SNK all fighting for it.

 

Monster Hunter...That one is a little tough to call who'd buy it.

 

The others...will float about in outer space until someone takes pity and retrieves them.

 

I make these predictions based on past relationships between these companies and Capcom.

 

What do you make of all this? Which companies do you think will buy what franchises? Why?

 

I'd be interested to hear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't see Capcom going down.

 

If a worst case scenario happens with them, the most likely thing to happen would be to merge with another Japanese developer. one that's not Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft or any other developer that's allied itself to any of the big hardware manufacturers.

 

I also don't see the IPs being sold off or split up either. Capcom is doing a lot of stupid things, but they're no where near the level at which THQ was hemorrhaging money.

 

So yeah... the scenario you've pointed out in your OP is... silly.

 

Capcom is doing stupid things, but they'll end up staying alive for a very long time to come.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't see Capcom going down.

 

If a worst case scenario happens with them, the most likely thing to happen would be to merge with another Japanese developer. one that's not Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft or any other developer that's allied itself to any of the big hardware manufacturers.

Such as whom?

 

I also don't see the IPs being sold off or split up either. Capcom is doing a lot of stupid things, but they're no where near the level at which THQ was hemorrhaging money.

Well no, they're not flat broke and wisely holding back. So...

 

 

So yeah... the scenario you've pointed out in your OP is... silly.

 

Capcom is doing stupid things, but they'll end up staying alive for a very long time to come.

*shrug* It was the first I'd ever heard of it. So I figured "if that's really true, who'd buy them out?" just to occupy the meantime.

 

 

I'd figure it'd be all over the news if it was really close to actually happening.

 

So since you offered an alternative, above, who's you thinking about 'theoretically' buying it whole? :p

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If Capcom were to die, Namco Bandai would be first in line to scoop em up. They're big enough to do it.

 

That's kind of what I figured. I thought to include them since they publish pretty much everything from soul cal, to naruto, to moderately old games like Dargon Spirit.

 

I'd like to say I've heard about them reviving and turning around doomed labels and titles they bought up, but I don't know of any off hand.

 

How is this possible with all of the amazing Resident Evil games released recently? lololololol...

 

One **** up in a line of them, lately. Or so I heard of RE6.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@ supreme kotor: But Arc System Works is nowhere near big enough to actually buy out Capcom if it came down to it.

 

 

 

 

 

As for Resident Evil... Resident Evil: Revelations is actually pretty good and was released just before RE6.

 

The problem with Resident Evil and every other survival horror game... rather, what started out as survival horror, is the fact that the more you do of the same, the less effective each game is compared to the previous. That's why developers always feel like they need to change their next game to something else... that combined with the view that they have to do Call of Duty sales numbers and therefore try to appeal to that crowd and you end up getting something like Resident Evil 6...

 

On the other hand, Resident Evil 5 wasn't a bad game, it was just a mediocre Resident Evil game... and as for Revelations, it was able to be good because it didn't have pressure put on it that RE6 did. Capcom needs to take a step back and treat Resident Evil like a smaller game series instead of a big blockbuster series that has to tick certain boxes because executives said so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is Resident Evil one of those series you have to follow from the beginning or can you just leap into it?

 

On occasion I've also come across the unimpressed gamers who regard all of Capcom's different franchises as "niche" and not mainstream enough. I don't really see that, with as popular as some series are. I'd agree they're all relegated to a genre, sure. But niche?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That video has a pretty good point. They've pretty much made one bad decision after the other, and now they're facing the consequences. I agree with what he's saying; Capcom probably does deserve what's happening to them, but it's definitely not a good thing if they go under.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So yeah... that video is stupid.

 

A lot of developers aren't porting stuff over to next-gen and aren't even porting stuff over to Wii U. The reasoning this guy tries to give is just plain silly. I can easily turn this around and say that Capcom ported over Resident Evil: Revelations, a 3DS game to 360, PS3, Wii U. Why? Because they knew they could get people to buy the game on those platforms due to their high (at least for 360 and PS3) install bases.

 

So why aren't we getting USF for PS4 and XBO? They have no install bases and I don't care how many pre-orders the systems have, unless the budget for USF included the money to port the games to the next-gen systems to begin with, it was never going to happen. The decision was made and Capcom stuck with it and decided "we'll spend this other bit of cash on something else, USF on 360 and PS3 will make us enough money"... I see that as a smart decision but this guy is acting like "oh noes, it's not comiung to next-gen therefore Capcom is doomed" reminds me of people from Miiverse (that's bad).

 

Capcom has made a lot of bad decisions but they've also made a lot of good decisions too... though, I guess you have to be playing on a Nintendo system to see a lot of those good decisions XD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Capcom ported over Resident Evil: Revelations, a 3DS game to 360, PS3, Wii U.

 

And PC. Don't forget the PC. ;) And like most of their other PC ports from the recent couple of years, Revelations was done well too.

As for Capcom going under, I don't really see it happening, at least not any time soon. I know people tend to bash them, sometimes quite rightfully so ("DLC" content locked on disc and things like that) and that has certainly hurt their reputation somewhat, but I don't think they're nearly as bad as some western developers, who still manage to stay in business despite the constant criticism and bad press that's being thrown their way, not to mention all the bad practices that earned them all that criticism (*coughEAcough*).

One thing that I think is a plus for Capcom is that they don't seem to target only one, or only a couple of platforms, but bring their games to most of them. Perhaps not right away, but they do eventually.

 

This brings me back to the PC - while others shied away from porting, or making fighting games for the PC for years, Capcom brought us the Street Fighter games (SFIV, SSFIV and SFxTekken) which were, as far as my experience with them goes, great ports with excellent performance, fun gameplay and solid control options. Now others seem to have caught on and fighting games are making a comeback on the PC with more and more titles, starting with Mortal Kombat making a return (after MK4, the last MK for PC), Skullgirls, King of Fighters, hell even Naruto is coming out on PC in a day or two and I hear Injustice: Gods Among Us will arrive in April too and I personally thank Capcom for that.

 

So, the TL/DR version is: I wouldn't count Capcom out just yet, they might still be able to teach their competitors a thing or two.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've always seen that Capcom has been enterprising overall, if not too terribly original or deep in some franchises. They show initiative. What it really boils down to is if they can concentrate and make their next moves really count for them. A company which has had a hand in producing and/or publishing so many titles won't die easy.

 

I know the megaman franchise has been ridden into the ground. I'd like to maybe just see a dignified ending to it for its own sake.

 

We'll always love fighters, especially crossovers. I'd love to see them continue trying to make adventure and RPG titles too. I picture them being around a little while longer, if a bit slower to produce in their age and decrepit finances. Certainly enough to give others a run for their money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...