The Capcom Thread

mykka · April 5, 2018

I feel we need a general Capcom thread to discuss their shortcomings and successes, and especially to discuss the possibility of them bringing back some franchises.

Also how would you guys feel about a Capcom vs Capcom done right?

GetTheTables · April 5, 2018

For as much as I've found that I love my animu games, like a lot of people who have stuck with the company Capcom has a special place in my heart. I remember the awesome days of going into the arcade and seeing some crazy new shit that Capcom came out with, or reading about cool games I may never play in magazines, or their PS1 era experiments.

All that said, Capcom is one of those companies that loves to trip over their own dick. I think part of that is that last generation was supposed to be really rough for a lot of Japanese devs, and I think this gen is seeing them trying to right the ship from that. So I see stuff from them that shows that they care about their legacy and their properties - RE7, some stuff in SFV - and stuff that I don't - MvCI, some stuff in SFV. I think with the success of RE7, the awesome success of MHW, and what I'm assuming is the continued success of SFV (since they keep pumping resources into it) hopefully they can build up enough momentum that we can see some of those cool ideas again.

Capcom vs. Capcom could be amazing but we also need it to be made by a Capcom that has enough of a war chest and enough confidence to be able to make it without having to bend over backwards to a bunch of market concerns. I don't think you can get around some stuff in the current development environment (DLC, season passes, pre-order incentives) but no one wants a Capcom vs. Capcom to happen only for it to be a clusterfuck of DLC gated content and nickel and diming (sort of what happened to SFxT).

mykka · April 5, 2018

The problem is MH and RE arent part of the same division as MVC or SFV. Its their fighting game division (division 2 I believe) that seems to fuck up a lot.

GetTheTables · April 5, 2018

Yeah you can tell that they are different divisions. I feel like one of the hard things right now for Capcom FG fans is that Capcom FGs haven't been pulling in the bucks for awhile now so I'm guessing that those brave souls have to make due with whatever leftover yen they get after the executives come back from drinking. And due to the nature of the genre, barring some kind of big crazy franchise score like DBFZ (or maybe even French Bread's rumored JoJo game) that division is always going to play second fiddle.

One of the reasons a Capcom vs Capcom is our best bet for another proper Vs game though. At least then its all in-house. Though I could also see another Capcom vs. SNK working out if SNK stays in the game for a bit.

misterBee · April 5, 2018

I don't have company loyalty. I don't care who makes the games as long as the game is good. I certainly don't need Capcom vs Capcom if it's just going to be a fan circle-jerk.

Quite frankly I think the US is too dedicated to Capcom fighting games. Too many people will try any game as long as it has Capcom's name on it, but then run away screaming from games from other companies, regardless of quality. The market has plenty of games right now and I honestly don't think I need anything else from Capcom.

mykka · April 5, 2018

I dont think it has much to do with it, people just enjoy Capcom characters. That's why the whole function thing got the backlash it got. I still enjoy other franchises, but I enjoy SF the most for example, due to its characters.

Darc_Requiem · April 5, 2018

14 minutes ago, misterBee said:

I don't have company loyalty. I don't care who makes the games as long as the game is good. I certainly don't need Capcom vs Capcom if it's just going to be a fan circle-jerk.

Quite frankly I think the US is too dedicated to Capcom fighting games. Too many people will try any game as long as it has Capcom's name on it, but then run away screaming from games from other companies, regardless of quality. The market has plenty of games right now and I honestly don't think I need anything else from Capcom.

That's not really true. Namco and NRS fighters outsell Capcom fighters. SNK and ArcSys games are niche in the US but that holds true worldwide. DBFZ is the first Arcsys fighter with big sales numbers.

GetTheTables · April 5, 2018

I think characters are part of it but a lot of people also identify with brands. They know SF and they know they "like" SF, so they'll play whatever SF is out there even if they hate SFV as an example.

I get some of the loyalty because for awhile some of Capcom's franchises were the only/biggest representatives of that style. So if you liked team fighters you didn't have much else other than MvC2. And they had some of the most well known 2D fighters for a significant span.

I do agree that nowadays I think people should be more open to other options. Capcom used to have the market cornered with their own options; nowadays I think we have just as rich a suite of options but now its from different companies. Especially in a world where so many people have issues with SFV but something like UNIELst (which is surprisingly close despite it being an anime style game) is right over there languishing in relative poverty.

I've always played whatever caught my eye though (which for a long time was "anything labeled a fighting game) so I've never been one to stick with any company just because.

misterBee · April 5, 2018

33 minutes ago, Darc_Requiem said:

That's not really true. Namco and NRS fighters outsell Capcom fighters. SNK and ArcSys games are niche in the US but that holds true worldwide. DBFZ is the first Arcsys fighter with big sales numbers.

I'm talking about the US FGC. In other parts of the world people play what they like. In the US people are too scared to leave the SF reservation...

Darc_Requiem · April 5, 2018

47 minutes ago, misterBee said:

I'm talking about the US FGC. In other parts of the world people play what they like. In the US people are too scared to leave the SF reservation...

Mortal Kombat, Injustice, Tekken, and DBFZ sales say differently.

misterBee · April 5, 2018

Those sales include casuals. Watch tournament streams and viewer numbers and you'll see a different picture.

The others may sell more overall, but the community definitely skews more towards Capcom at the hobbyist/competitive level.

Darc_Requiem · April 5, 2018

58 minutes ago, misterBee said:

Those sales include casuals. Watch tournament streams and viewer numbers and you'll see a different picture.

The others may sell more overall, but the community definitely skews more towards Capcom at the hobbyist/competitive level.

Capcom has the biggest prize pool at the competitive level. So of course it gets the biggest numbers for that particular market. That market is niche though. It doesn't reflect the majority of the market. DBZF hits a lot of the same notes as Marvel, despite not having a massive prize pool, it's pulling good numbers. Players that like Marvel style gameplay have a legitimate option. Players of SF style gameplay don't.

misterBee · April 6, 2018

Yes, but I'm not referring to the the majority of the market. I'm only concerned with the competitive/niche/hobbyist scene, which for some reason in the US is overwhelmingly Capcom. It's not 1992 anymore. SF2 isn't the only game in existence. Capcom isn't the only game in town and the reverence people have for it isn't really deserved anymore.