Capcom To Continue Western Focus, Projects Online And Social Growth

The Japan-focused PSP title Monster Hunter Freedom 3 might have been Capcom's best-selling game of its fiscal 2010, but this year the company is projecting that Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City -- a game being worked on by Vancouver-based, Western audience-friendly developer Slant Six Games (SOCOM series) -- will be its top seller. As part of a presentation made to its investors, Capcom offered its outlook and strategic plans for the coming year, projecting that the survival horror series' spin-off will sell through 2.5 million units in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. According to the company, it will outsell fighting game Street Fighter X Tekken (estimated at 2 million), new IP Dragon's Dogma (1.5 million) and Dead Rising 2: Off The Record (800,000). Clearly, Capcom is trying to capture a healthier share of the lucrative Western markets. According to the company, its market share in both North America and Europe was only 1.6 percent (ranked 13th and 14th, respectively), compared to the third-ranked 11 percent it commands in Japan. Packaged console games represent the largest part of Capcom's business -- and will through at least fiscal 2015, according to the company -- but its mobile, online PC, and console digital businesses are projected to grow tremendously while its packaged business ultimately declines. Its social and online business in particular "is expected to expand and drive growth of the entire game market," according to the company. In the coming year, the company says it will ramp up both its social and mobile game development to meet with industry trends. It will create a global business out of its social games, the company said, establishing development in North America, Europe and Japan.