How Lost Planet Found an Audience
Snow and bugs are a big part of Capcom's shooter but money may be the most important ingredient of all.
A big part of the problem for game makers is that once they've put in the work they need to find an audience to enjoy it. Doing this can cost more than you may think. Much more.
Consider Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. Capcom recently said it had shipped more than a million copies worldwide of its snowy shooter for the Xbox 360. The game itself cost Capcom $20 million (£10.2 million) to make, and according to an article at Forbes.com the company spent another $20 million on getting the word out.
Mark Beaumont, the new head of Capcom outside of Japan, was the impetus behind the changes in the way Capcom is advertising its games. And if he gets his way, you can expect more of the same from the company.
Japanese gamers were Capcom's biggest audience in 2005, but the company is hoping to skew that in favour of the West this year, reports Forbes. Games such as Lost Planet and Dead Rising were made with one eye firmly fixed on the West.
Is this new approach to games going to have an effect on future big hitters such as Resident Evil 5 and Devil May Cry 4? We'll find out soon enough.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo
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