Speaking in a recently published in-house Capcom interview, company head Keiji Inafune stated that developing titles for Xbox 360 was a key factor in achieving success and recognition in the overseas markets of North America and Europe.

In fact, when explaining his reasoning behind the decision to initially release Lost Planet and Dead Rising as 360 exclusives, Inafune said he thought developing for the 360 was the only way to gain foothold in overseas markets. It was seen as a rather bold move by a Japanese developer, but in the end, it paid off:

I think I can only get away with saying this now, but I really thought that the using the Xbox was only way to break into overseas markets, and I took that hypothesis all the way. In the end, I am very happy that I did so.

Capcom no doubt made a sound choice. In part due to being released a year later, the PS3 just didn’t have a comparable install base. Back in 2006, the 360 was where it was at, so to speak. Now that both platforms have a substantial install base, we’re seeing more of a focus towards multi-platform development from third-party studios. Capcom is obviously continuing this trend with titles like Devil May Cry 4 and Resident Evil 5.

vol09. Keiji Inafune [Capcom IR]

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