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[GDJustin]

I interviewed Capcom Mobile's General Manager about a bunch of stuff this week:

http://www.modojo.com/features/20060302/49/

As a big Phoenix Wright fan I hit her pretty hard for info, expecting not to get much, but she was actually pretty chatty about it. Wouldn't give any details of new cases, though Here's some cliffnotes:

-The cases will be NEW. Exclusive to the mobile platform. I suppose I *could* have misunderstood her, but my understanding, and I'm 99% certain, is that these aren't translated scenarios from the JP-only PW2 and PW3.

-If the game does well they'll support it for a long time. She said there could be a new case a month for over a year, if demand is there.

-On some carriers you'll be able to choose from a menu of all the avail. cases. So the PW mobile game just sorta acts like a "player" that different episodes can be inserted into. Microtransaction-style.

-Off-topic, but she also announced that Viewtiful Joe Mobile is coming. Game was previously unannounced.

Edit: my two cents is that this game could just be mobile gaming's "killer app" to get traditional gamers interested. We had a topic about this last week... about how hardcore gamers (mostly for good reason) completely ignore mobile gaming. PW has a better chance of getting hardcore gamers to care than Doom RPG or Zuma Mobile or Spinter Cell Mobile, if you ask me. Neeewww caaases!!

 

[StorablePrawn]

I would buy a new phone to play this, if it really is new cases every month.

 

[A Link to the Past]

This is disappointing. If it turned out to be GS2 and 3 translated, that would give an indication of their release on the GBA.

 

[MrDaravon]

This is disappointing. If it turned out to be GS2 and 3 translated, that would give an indication of their release on the GBA.

Agreed. Most people (including myself) either don't have a cell phone that can play these, or don't want to play these on cell phones. I'm fucking baffled by this decision still, the mobile game market for these type of things is nothing like it is in Japan, hello.

 

[GDJustin]

I don't think its true that most people who are PW fans don't have a phone capable of handling the game. You might be surprised what phones can handle... PW is all sprites, menu navigation, not a lot of text, etc.

I bet any middle-of-the-road handset bought in the last 12-18 months could handle the game.

Also, I think its much MORE exciting that it isn't GS2 and 3 translated. I think the fact that Capcom is AWARE of the game's cult status, and is giving it a big mobile push, is an indicator that they might give it some GBA love as well. If it was the old cases translated, I'd say we'd never see a GBA release. This shows more effort and attention to the brand.

 

[A Link to the Past]

I don't think its true that most people who are PW fans don't have a phone capable of handling the game. You might be surprised what phones can handle... PW is all sprites, menu navigation, not a lot of text, etc.

I bet any middle-of-the-road handset bought in the last 12-18 months could handle the game.

Also, I think its much MORE exciting that it isn't GS2 and 3 translated. I think the fact that Capcom is AWARE of the game's cult status, and is giving it a big mobile push, is an indicator that they might give it some GBA love as well. If it was the old cases translated, I'd say we'd never see a GBA release. This shows more effort and attention to the brand.

No, I'm fairly certain it would! All Capcom would have to do is code the translation, new images and sound bytes (which would already have been made), and produce some cartridges.

 

[thetrin]

I don't understand why Capcom doesn't do monthly cases via Nintendo WiFi on the DS. Granted, people would expect the interactivity of case 5 in every downloadable case, but I'm sure people would get used to a lower level of interactivity in exchange for new monthly media.

 

[A Link to the Past]

I don't understand why Capcom doesn't do monthly cases via Nintendo WiFi on the DS. Granted, people would expect the interactivity of case 5 in every downloadable case, but I'm sure people would get used to a lower level of interactivity in exchange for new monthly media.

Email Capcom plz

 

[GDJustin]

Well I don't really see how you can say that Capcom porting over GS2 and 3 cases to mobile is better news than them making all NEW cases. This shows much more of a Phoenix Wright commitment. To me it implies that they have other plans for GS2 and 3.

Like if they were just porting over GS2 and 3 to mobile, to me that would say "Ok, yeah, PW is still on their radar, but they're half-assing it." Which is better than nothing.

But THIS news tells me they still have a lot of faith in the brand. Even if you don't care about mobile gaming its exciting, because it proves that Capcom has looked beyond sales. They recognize the potential.

 

[thetrin]

Email Capcom plz

Don't tempt me.

 

[BorkBork]

what's considered well in terms of sales on mobile phones?

 

[Matlock]

Justin: the keyword was "new for the US." Way to misinterpret it.

 

[PkunkFury]

How big are these games? I really want every case but I'm not sure my phone will be able to hold a whole years wprth. If I delete one will I have to buy it back to play it again??

ughhh... just release these on a cartridge Capcom...

 

[GDJustin]

Justin: the keyword was "new for the US." Way to misinterpret it.

I asked her point blank if they were making new cases an she said "yes, we're writing new cases, exclusive to the mobile version"



TheTrin, they couldn't just be beamed to DS's. How would you keep them? Demos sent via WiFi don't stay on your system... they're gone once you shut it off. The DS doesn't have a little mini HD to store all this stuff.

 

[Frank]

what's considered well in terms of sales on mobile phones?

150K+ a month.

Difference between regular (console/PC titles) and mobile titles is that the commercial life span is somewhere around 2 years.

On console/pc titles you sell mostly the first few months and then it slowly dies. On mobile it raises with time towards a peak somewhere in month 6 and then it kind of stays there, eventually dying at some point (as I was saying 1-2+ years).

How big are these games? I really want every case but I'm not sure my phone will be able to hold a whole years wprth. If I delete one will I have to buy it back to play it again??

The size depends on the handset. Doing games for mobile is a nightmare from a production point of view because of all the fragmentation - it's like making a game multiplaform across 3 generations of consoles. Indeed, the games are simpler but still you have to redesign a lot for all the various package limits, memory limits, screens, keys, sound engines and whatnot - that's if you really want to support a wide range of phones. If not, well, it's simpler.

I wouldn't know about how are they gonna make the whole pricing thing. Could be you pay for each and every episode (and if you delete one, you have to pay for it again - also you will most likely need a memory card to keep them all) or could be a monthly fee thingie and you have acceess to the whole library as long as you pay. Or something. I'm in production not the bussiness side so I wouldn't know.

I guess it's gonna be more clear when they will annouce what handsets will be supported.

 

[GDJustin]

I wouldn't know about how are they gonna make the whole pricing thing. Could be you pay for each and every episode (and if you delete one, you have to pay for it again - also you will most likely need a memory card to keep them all) or could be a monthly fee thingie and you have acceess to the whole library as long as you pay. Or something. I'm in production not the bussiness side so I wouldn't know.

I guess it's gonna be more clear when they will annouce what handsets will be supported.

Capcom told me it would vary by carrier. Some will allow you to pick and choose cases to download, each case costing $x. Others might limit that freedom somewhat, by charging you $x per month, but giving one case monthly.

 

[C- Warrior]

Was this a phone / email interview or in person?

 

[Frank]

Capcom told me it would vary by carrier. Some will allow you to pick and choose cases to download, each case costing $x. Others might limit that freedom somewhat, by charging you $x per month, but giving one case monthly.

Well, there you go.

 

[thetrin]

I asked her point blank if they were making new cases an she said "yes, we're writing new cases, exclusive to the mobile version"



TheTrin, they couldn't just be beamed to DS's. How would you keep them? Demos sent via WiFi don't stay on your system... they're gone once you shut it off. The DS doesn't have a little mini HD to store all this stuff.

I didn't mean having no media to store it on. I meant have a couple core cases that come preloaded on a DS cart (maybe the first few in the mobile line up), and then leave room to download more cases. Maybe have it so that it only saves the case on the cart as long as you're in the middle of it. Once you finish it, erase the case from the cart, and add one line of code to your overall saved game saying you've finished the case.

Done and done.

 

[Chris Michael]

Damn, what the heck is with all this Capcom support for cell phones? Cells are getting entirely NEW, even 3D versions of Capcom's biggest franchises (RE, Onimusha, DMC, PW, now Viewtiful Joe, and many others), yet 90% of all their DS/PSP support is ports/rehashes of old games.

WTF?! Support REAL game systems with NEW games, Capcom!

 

[GDJustin]

It's because Capcom Mobile is its own studio. It's not like "capcom" is a single individual that makes choices. "Capcom Mobile" was formed, has its own head, etc. Capcom Mobile makes decisions with how to cover the mobile market.

 

[jj984jj]

Given that the screen of the case they showed on a mobile phone was from PW3, I doubt they are new. She is probably the one misinterpreting what is happening and is relaying the wrong message, whoever at Capcom told her could've meant new for the US and she misunderstood.

 

[GDJustin]

The screens are from GS3?

I don't have them in front of me, but the ones I saw were from PW1, I'm almost certain. The 4th case. The campsite, specifically.

But anyway, I conceed that maybe one of the two of us misspoke or misheard. Ultimately, we're gonna be getting more English Phoenix Wright, and to the majority of gamers the cases will be brand new. So we all win

 

[Link1110]

The screens are from GS3?

Well, its possible that was just to show it off. In the conference for FF9-11, square showed off ff11 with backgrounds from ff8 and 9 because nothing from ff11 was done yet. If they're still in the writing process for the new cases, that was probably just a placeholder.

Besides, gs2 and 3 are out in japan for cell phones already (I think,) so it could be that they were showing that.