Capcom: Our Resident Evil Gamer Fanbase Is Too Old

[Karloff]

Capcom: Our Resident Evil Gamer Fanbase Is Too Old

5.2 million Resident Evil 6 sales are great, says Cacpom. Its original sales target was 7 million.

"The main [Resident Evil] user group is now in their late-30s to 40s," says Capcom in a special report on the series' 17 years of success, "and the average age is also going up as the series goes on with an increasing possibility that some percentage of the existing users will outgrow games altogether." Change is needed, which is why Capcom's reaching out to people it wouldn't otherwise consider part of its traditional gaming market.

Placement in fashion magazines, opening Universal Halloween Horror Nights [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/118074-Resident-Evil-Restaurant-Comig-Soon] are three strategies Capcom pursues to keep the Resident Evil name alive. Get people who've never touched a controller, and perhaps never will, and you've rejuvenated the fan base, goes Capcom's logic.

"These collaborative events are opportunities to be enjoyed by non-gamers as well," Capcom says, "so it is important to plan them so that anyone can enjoy them and not aim them at a section of our core gamers."

It's all part of a global reach strategy. Capcom can't rely on consoles alone to spread its message, but even places that don't have a significant gaming market segment have movie screens, and with each movie released comes new Resident Evil fans. In fact, claims Capcom, the brand has such strong recognition that all it has to do is put Resident Evil in the title and Hollywood comes running.

But gamers don't come running. In the same article, Capcom boasts of 5.2 million global unit sales for Resident Evil 6, claiming it "succeeded in making its mark as a global title again." That ignores the game's original 7 million sales target, Capcom's net income plunge [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/120511-Western-Resident-Evil-6-Reception-Doesnt-Worry-Capcom].

Here's hoping Resident Evil 7 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/126942-Resident-Evil-7-Will-Return-to-Survival-Horror-Roots] - or whatever it ends up being - doesn't have the same kind of "success." Capcom has said that gamers' response to Resident Evil 6 will be factored into its future releases; we shall see. "In the future, [Resident Evil] will discover new possibilities and progress as a title that can compete globally without disappointing any expectations," says Capcom. But a title as movie, as pop culture icon, or as game?

Source: Capcom [http://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/feature/hit2013/index.html]


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[Eiv]

I would give my first born for HD remakes of Res Evil 1,2,Nem,CodeV.

 

[Seventh Actuality]

If the gimmick restaurants and dressing up don't pan out, they could always try making good games.

 

[Trishbot]

The gamers "outgrew" the original RE format?

Is that why Pokemon, a game that was birthed around the same time period nearly 15 years ago, continues to sell so well to both old fans AND new fans?

Capcom... we need to talk. Resident Evil was once king of the survival horror genre, a trend setter... rather than a trend follower, embarrassingly copying Gears of War, Uncharted, God of War, Call of Duty and other market trends to diminishing results.

You won't win the Call of Duty crowd. They already have Call of Duty. Win the Resident Evil crowd. That's what Resident Evil was best at.

 

[Metalrocks]

even when i did enjoy RE5 and 6 for being actually solid action games, it doenst mean you need new fans. stick to the old formula that made RE we know.
i still wish code veronica would have been released on to pc because i was really curious about it. and yes, an HD/remake of RE 1 and 2 would be really awesome. but this i would prefer in 3rd person perspective.juts like revelations which is a RE game i really enjoyed a lot and played it several times. at least i had to be aware of my ammo.

 

[Dr.Awkward]

Ah Capcom, how you continue to be out-of-touch with your fans.

How about we find these execs, get on their good side to the point where they're willing to follow us, and then leave them in the middle of a big gaming convention where we then announce who they are? Then they will see what and who they're really messing with...

 

[nodlimax]

Capcom you're talking out of your a**....

I'm 29, I loved the older actual survival horror RE games (namely RE 1,2,3). Resident Evil 4 was still good but more on the hilarious side of things. RE5 was average at best and I didn't even want to play RE6 after seeing video footage. I want more RE games that are similar to the first 3.

They had their scary moments, the survival aspect was very dominant. I don't like CoD (anymore - same same each year) or GoW. I want a survival horror games that are able to challenge me as a player (make me think). AND get rid of the freaking QT events. I hate them, I hate them, I hate them....

 

[Phrozenflame500]

Placement in fashion magazines, opening Universal Halloween Horror Nights [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/118074-Resident-Evil-Restaurant-Comig-Soon] are three strategies Capcom pursues to keep the Resident Evil name alive. Get people who've never touched a controller, and perhaps never will, and you've rejuvenated the fan base, goes Capcom's logic.

Or you could go back to making good fucking games so people will go back to buying them.

Honestly, the fact a game with a 68 on Metacritic (where every triple-A game is required by law to get at least an 80) managed 5 million sales is both surprising and depressing.

 

[RJ 17]

Here's an idea, Capcom: STOP MAKING RE GAMES!

For god's sake, I didn't see how they could continue the series after the ending to 5 killed off the main antagonist for the entire series by DUMPING HIM IN A VOLCANO AND SHOOTING HIM WITH TWO RPGs! But apparently they just had to keep going, and we got the laughable excuse for an RE game known as RE6.

Meanwhile, in other news, a former Capcom employee started up a Kickstarter for a game that's a direct Mega Man - a franchise that Capcom has all but abandoned - clone that's specifically and unapologetically designed to be a Mega Man clone and the Kickstarter FUCKING EXPLODED! Seriously, it reached it's initial goal in very quick succession, so they kept adding stretch goals and people just kept throwing money at them. What's that? You say Mighty No. 9 is the 3rd most-funded game on Kickstarter?

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/128377-Mighty-No-9-Becomes-3rd-Most-Funded-Game-on-Kickstarter

Priorities, Capcom. Do you have yours straight?

 

[luvd1]

Fans too old? That's a new way shifting the blame for not hitting your target. As for just putting the name res evil and Hollywood comes 'a knocking. That's sweet.

 

[Omegatronacles]

Apparently Capcom subscribes to the Square Enix school of video games sales targets, where you take a somewhat successful franchise, change everything about it, set your sales targets stupidly high then complain when you still get fantastic sales.

 

[loa]

Dear god, they want to "broaden their demographic" even more?
How can you butcher resident evil so it "appeals" to people who read fashion magazines?
Add a dress up minigame?
And how does resident evil 5 or 6 specifically appeal to people in their "late-30s to 40s" in any way?
That was as juvenile and nonsensical as it gets.

Also a biohazard restaurant sounds like a good place to get food poisoning, maybe they should rethink their marketing.

 

[kannibus]

I smell shitty franchise reboot being retargeted for "younger, hipper crowd" (we can still use those words, right?). There is a couple of questions though:

1) How big will Jill Valentine's boobs have to be for this remake?
2) Chris Redfield is already a refrigerator with arms and legs, what home appliance will he emulate next? HDTV?
3) When will Umbrella get the message and give up on biological weapons and concentrate on the much easier to control legions of killer robots?
4) How big will Rebecca Chambers' boobs have to be for this remake?
5) Will they get the lucrative Pepsi sponsorship?
6) When will they be acquired by Disney?
7) Which character will be go for the mandatory recast as African American?
8) How big will Claire Redfield's boobs have to be for this remake?

Answer these questions please CAPCOM.

 

[Something Amyss]

Honestly, the fact a game with a 68 on Metacritic (where every triple-A game is required by law to get at least an 80) managed 5 million sales is both surprising and depressing.

Wow, that calls for dumbfounded Nathan Fillion.

This seemed hard to believe, so I looked it up on Metacritic. And then saw the USER REVIEWS WERE EVEN LOWER!

you are too "casual" ;P

That's not true. Capcom's targeting people who might never pick up a controller. Obviously, there's no "too casual!"

Meanwhile, in other news, a former Capcom employee started up a Kickstarter for a game that's a direct Mega Man - a franchise that Capcom has all but abandoned - clone that's specifically and unapologetically designed to be a Mega Man clone and the Kickstarter FUCKING EXPLODED! Seriously, it reached it's initial goal in very quick succession, so they kept adding stretch goals and people just kept throwing money at them. What's that? You say Mighty No. 9 is the 3rd most-funded game on Kickstarter?

Corporations have gotten used to telling us what we want. Considering gamers' general consumer response, it's not completely surprising. I was glad to see Might No 9 do well, as Capcom trolled its fanbase over their desire to see more Mega Man content. Hopefully, they won't be laughing in the end.

 

[Psychobabble]

If the gimmick restaurants and dressing up don't pan out, they could always try making good games.

Eh? Whasht that schonny? Schpeak up. I cansht hear you over the crackling of my knees.

Yep agree here, it isn't the fanbase getting long in tooth that's the trouble, it's the games not being up to snuff. Sad how media companies always think the answer is image over substance.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

That's okay Capcom, although I liked ORC and eventually got to liking Resi 6 I'm fine with getting off at the next stop and leaving you for some other franchise that doesn't want to abandon it's old fanbase because it's simply "outdated" for your profit concerns.

I don't think I've ever been more insulted by any Publisher/Dev by them giving such a bullshit excuse as "you're too old now gtfo" and then Capcom desires to be the first to do so.

Shit what's next, you're too middle aged?, too tall?, too small, too fat etc, the list of retarded excuses could go on forever.

 

[Elijah Newton]

Mentally this dovetails with an article (which I can't source right now, sorry) saying Games Workshop worked to actively discourage older fans because it was easier to sell to younger ones.

I'm not saying the earlier games weren't objectively better, I've not played any iteration of the Resident Evil series. I absolutely think older fans of any IP should have games they enjoy playing.

But? I do find it hard to argue with the logic that younger folks are easier to please (and therefore less expensive in terms of writing / crafting a product) and less judgemental. I have a bit of sympathy for companies wrestling with how to open their IPs to new folks without alienating fans.