Some of Capcom’s most popular franchises aren’t selling quite as many copies as the company had hoped, forcing the publisher/developer to announce a revised sales forecast that lowers the targets for both DmC: Devil May Cry and Resident Evil 6.
Initially, Resident Evil 6 was expected to push seven million units due to its massive name and even bigger campaign. However, the 30 or more hours of content weren’t enough to bolster what most people considered to be a poor product. The project's projection fell to five million soon after release, and it now sits at 4.9 million.
Ninja Theory’s reimagining of Dante and the Devil May Cry franchise found a great deal more success with critics, but reviews don’t always translate into units sold. Capcom hoped to see DmC reach the two million mark, but the more reasonable number is now 1.15 million.
So, who’s to blame? Capcom has pointed to a "delayed response to the expanding digital contents market" and "insufficient coordination between the marketing and game development divisions in overseas markets.” Part of the problem also seems to be "excessive outsourcing,” but new plans to put more attention on DLC strategies and place a heavier emphasis on internal development have been detailed.
Because of all these infrastructural changes, Capcom claims there will be a "special loss" in its business due to a 7.2 billion Yen (£48 million/$73 million) shake-up. A few of its unannounced projects, most likely being developed for next-generation platforms, will be "strictly re-evaluated" due to all of these moves.
