Capcom Shortening Development Time to Pump out More Sequels

Do you think we don't have enough sequels coming out when it comes to games? Don't fret as Capcom is here to save the day! 

In Capcom's annual report, Capcom president and COO Haruhiro Tsujimoto reveals that one of its cornerstones for the future is to shorten development times on key franchises and pump out sequels faster.

We launch sales of popular series titles held by thecCompany approximately every 2.5 years. This is because the development of a single major title usually requires 3-4 years.

In the event that there are few hits, it will be difficult to create a series title every year and earnings will be adversely impacted. For this reason, it is important either to maintain a large number of popular titles or shorten the sales cycle to ensure stable earnings.

Among the multitude of major titles held by Capcom – such as Monster Hunter, Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, Lost Planet, Dead Rising and many others – we will promote shortening of the sales cycle in pursuit of further earnings stabilisation and growth.

In addition, Tsujimoto also stated that teams developing "major titles" will be limited to 100 people "with multiple sequel titles developed at the same time."

Yep, I take it Resident Evil 7,8 and 9 are being developed now, no? I mean, it's not like Capcom was pulling back when it comes to sequels either. Prime examples such as the Megaman, Resident Evil and Street Fighter franchises all had a ton of sequels and even spin-offs even before reaching the next numbered entry in the franchise itself.

Is this good news for you or should Capcom develop more new IPs before they milk their franchises dry?

Thanks, Eurogamer