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[Mister Apoc]

before 2018. Their record profit year was 2008. That means they were in a state of weird fluctuation for almost 10 years (2008-2017) before 2018, and then ever since they just been on this generational run? what was the catalyst?

 

[Rentahamster]

They made good games?

 

[Valt7786]

They stopped chasing trends and the CoD crowd and focused on what made their franchises good again.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

They went through restructuring and stopped outsourcing stuff to dogshit western companies.

 

[T4keD0wN]

what was the catalyst?

 

[Nintendo's Witch]

They have the best IPs in the industry and they are goated.

 

[Tarnpanzer]

When was the last time they had a streak of bad/mediocre games?

 

[rkofan87]

before 2018. Their record profit year was 2008. That means they were in a state of weird fluctuation for almost 10 years (2008-2017) before 2018, and then ever since they just been on this generational run? what was the catalyst?

fun gameplay

 

[kiphalfton]

Remakes!

 

[StreetsofBeige]

They stopped chasing trends and the CoD crowd and focused on what made their franchises good again.

That's a good point. Out of all the big gaming companies, has Capcom ever made any dude bro shooters?

 

[HRK69]

They have the best IPs in the industry and they are goated.

Nah, I'm leaning Nintendo

I think the real debate comes down to what kind of 'gamer' you are, because both companies are masters of their specific crafts

 

[nush]

That's a good point. Out of all the big gaming companies, has Capcom ever made any dude bro shooters?

Mercs.

 

[Valt7786]

That's a good point. Out of all the big gaming companies, has Capcom ever made any dude bro shooters?

They tried to with RE6, literally admitted they were trying to lure over the CoD crowd with it.

 

[proandrad]

They decided to keep doing what made them rich. Making good single player games that appeal to their customers.

 

[Guilty_AI]

They started focusing more on pc

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

They've never not made money, they've had a few downer years, but even then the lowest they had in cash was about 150m; they just make good games people want like the capgod they are and always have been.

 

[Ceallach]

They stopped chasing trends and the CoD crowd and focused on what made their franchises good again.

This

 

[Comandr]

They stopped chasing trends and the CoD crowd and focused on what made their franchises good again.

This is the answer. They focused on the various series that made them what they are, and refined them without alienating the crowd that loved them until the first place.

Resident Evil is still Resident Evil. It might be bigger, and sometimes louder, but it's still spooky and campy and that core hasn't changed.

Monster Hunter is still Monster Hunter. It's faster and more fluid than ever, but the core gameplay of high-skill super-satisfying combat hasn't changed. Nothing beats the feeling of landing a perfectly timed true charge slash. Nothin' like it.

It's not like they've never stumbled. I genuinely don't even remember the name of that MP only RE game. Exoprimal came and went. I don't fault them for experimenting, but that experimenting needs to manifest in more Pragmata and less exoprimal.

 

[Grildon Tundy]

A combo of their competitors screwing up and Capcom knowing their audience and delivering them what they want. It ain't rocket surgery.

 

[Bojji]

They made good games?

Rest of the industry:

 

[GloveSlap]

Like has already been said. They seem to have realized that them being Japanese was the appeal and not a problem to overcome.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Recovering from Inafune sabotaging their company with Western outsourcing because Japanese games are "dated" and relied on nostalgia money to propel them to a safe spot.

They're cranking out dormant and fresh IPs now. Inafune FUCKED the company over and it took them a decade to recover.

 

[PauloRoberto]

Ill say...Focus. Because after the absolute lack of focus on RE6, it really looks like Capcom learned this lesson. Latest capcom games clearly dont try to be more than what they really are... something they are LESS than what they should be (i'm talking with you, RE3 remake!)., but that's life...

 

[Durin]

• Stopped chasing western trends as hard as the 360/PS3 days (RE5-6, Lost Planet, Dark Void) and went back to making more distinct games.
• Started remaking and remastering older content people liked, and likely that success influences newer games.
• Expanded their IP like Monster Hunter to larger production value entries (World, Wilds), and successful spin-offs like the Stories games (very Nintendo move).
• Porting more of their games over to PC.
• Still kept making AAA one-and-done games, rather than going as hard on live-service like other publishers...taking some marketshare in that area.

 

[RaidenJTr7]

 

[simpatico]

They went to basics and fundamentals. Stripped everything down and made it lean and mean. Look at the RE6 pitch next to the RE7 pitch. From a globetrotting epic to a story that takes place in one house. The reasonable scope thing is the lesson that publishers here the in west need to learn. Capcom doesn't have any of the contemporary billion dollar bloat monsters on their calendar either. RE9 was a huge production for them and in comparison to mid-level stuff at Ubisoft it was nothing.

The best thing they did was invest in their own tech. They're not paying anyone for engines and what they have looks great on everything from Switch 2 to PC. They have a great foundation to make games for every big platform over the next decade.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

• Stopped chasing western trends as hard as the 360/PS3 days (RE5-6, Lost Planet, Dark Void) and went back to making more distinct games.
• Started remaking and remastering older content people liked, and likely that success influences newer games.
• Expanded their IP like Monster Hunter to larger production value entries (World, Wilds), and successful spin-offs like the Stories games (very Nintendo move).
• Porting more of their games over to PC.
• Still kept making AAA one-and-done games, rather than going as hard on live-service like other publishers...taking some marketshare in that area.

RE5 is a really Japanese game though and so is Lost Planet/2. lmao.

 

[Jesb]

They are one of those rare companies along with Nintendo that always keeps going. They will have their slumps but than have a ton of momentum at certain points.

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

They got back in touch with what people liked about Capcom to begin with instead of chasing trends and trying to westernize so much.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

I feel like this one's pretty self-explanatory. They didn't fall down the woke rabbit hole and they continue to publish games Their audience wants at a good pace. Simple stuff really.

 

[adamsapple]

- Bringing in key franchises back in-house
- Developing their own tech so there's less reliance on external engines and assets
- Genuinely listening to fan feedback and cutting back on shit like DLC on disc
- Revitalizing Resident Evil with VII, which was arguably as big of a benefit to the franchise as RE4 was back in its day

 

[Generic]

By releasing the same games over and over again. Capcom games follow a pattern.

 

[boomtimesbaby]

They're really good at feeling out the zeitgeist. They knew they went overboard with RE6 and went back on it. They knew the market really likes photorealism and the stylized stuff isn't going to cut it anymore. Completely updated their pipeline. Involved western writers for most of their games now. Like did everything right honestly. I'm always impressed with how they adapt.

 

[Sohurmk833]

Make decent to good games that appeal to their audience. Turns out they also appeal to people that weren't their audience in the past. I mean it's not that hard. Other publisher/studios are just too fucking stupid to realize that simple concept: don't (deliberately) piss off your customer.

 

[Unfortunatecookie]

before 2018. Their record profit year was 2008. That means they were in a state of weird fluctuation for almost 10 years (2008-2017) before 2018, and then ever since they just been on this generational run? what was the catalyst?

Aggressive engine development + a realization that there's a massive audience of people who want both singleplayer and multiplayer games. So they simply delivered on both by using old IP.

It's clever what they did. Instead of chasing after market trends or trying to make a new Pragmata every 12 months, they just decided to look at what they already had – RE, DMC, MH, SF, DD — and release games in those franchises, be it remakes or new entries.

 

[Hudo]

Simple answer is that they make excellent games under good project managers (and directors) who know what to focus and spend resources on. A lot of projects incorporate a lot of bloat to inflate a game with "content" / "hours of gameplay" without making it really interesting.

That being said, Dragon's Dogma 2 could've benefited from a bit more content, especially when it comes to dungeons and enemy variety.