According to Capcom’s Christian Svensson, the most challenging thing in the videogames industry is launching that new IP you’ve got.
The publisher does ”very few” licensed titles. Okami, Dead Rising and Lost Planet are this generation’s ”successful new launches”.
”There is nothing more difficult in this business than launching new IP,” said Svensson, VP of strategic planning and business development, reports GamesIndustry.biz.
”Capcom is fortunate, and I think has a better track record than most - we do very few licensed properties,” he pointed out.
”Look across our history, and our portfolio of products, and they are all things that we own and control. Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Devil May Cry, Lost Planet, Dead Rising, Okami, Megaman: these are all iconic brands.”
”And I would look at Okami, Dead Rising and Lost Planet as three of this generation’s(ish) successful new launches. We brought back Street Fighter to be relevant again, after a nine or ten-year hiatus of re-releases and rehashes. These are really hard things to do.”
Thanks to price points taking a tumble from the platform holders, more can buy into this generation and people tend to trust established brands more over new.
”I think new IP is always hard,” continued Svensson. ”Three years ago, the difference is you’re at the beginning of a hardware cycle, where you have the most hardcore consumers who are the most accepting of fresh new ideas.”
”Don’t get me wrong, they want their Modern Warfare 3, they love their franchises, but they are also guys who are on the lookout for, and want to evangelise, new playing experiences. We’re going to have a longer hardware cycle this time around, so it’s going to be a little bit different.” Are you cautious with new IP, or do you charge ahead to glory?
