Capcom Affirms Stronger PC Game Focus

Though PC games are not well-embraced in its home country of Japan, the continued push for more titles from Capcom's Western divisions will result in more computer versions of its console games, the company said. Writing on the company's official blog in response to a fan's questions, Capcom SVP and corporate officer Christian Svensson affirmed the importance of the platform, saying that its console development is informed by "bleeding edge" PC tech. "Engineering insights from Intel and Nvidia have assisted the MT Framework team, which in turn has helped us on nearly any/every platform, from high-end PC to X360/PS3 to and 3DS and smart phones," he said. MT Framework is the company's internal multiplatform engine, which has powered games from Dead Rising to Devil May Cry 4 and the Lost Planet series, some of which have been released on PC. Svensson said that while PC gamers in Japan still represent a small market, the online gaming scene is growing, saying that the company's Monster Hunter Frontier is "one of the largest, if not the largest online PC game in Japan." Most of the company's PC efforts are currently focused on South Korea and China, and to a lesser extent on expansion into Russia and Brazil. During its most recent investor relations presentation, Capcom put particular focus on the importance of its online business, saying that it "is expected to expand and drive the growth of the entire game market." This doesn't mean that the company is putting aside a core game output for the PC, however. According to Svensson, Capcom has "more titles coming with PC versions than ever before," citing Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Dead Rising 2: Off the Record and Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition as examples. The latter of which marks a turnaround; the original Street Fighter IV hit PCs, but the first release of Super Street Fighter IV skipped the platform due to piracy concerns.