Capcom Taking Wait-And-See Approach On Streaming Platforms

Capcom has dabbled in cloud streaming, but as we prepare for more services to launch in earnest, the company says it's taking a cautious approach. In a financial statement, president and COO Haruhiro Tsujimoto said it's watching to see how these platforms catch on before jumping in.

In the statement, Tsujimoto noted the advent of 5G and the growing number of platform holders that are starting their own streaming services.

"Capcom pays close attention to future developments, and has adopted a multi-platform strategy under which we welcome the opportunity for new services to enhance the game environment for users, for example: the potential that wide adoption of cloud gaming will increase the overall game player population," Tsujimoto said. "At the same time, it will also be necessary to objectively analyze developments as we move forward, such as what actual merits users find in the new services and whether changes will arise in doing business with platform providers."

The company has experimented with streaming, notably in the case of bringing Resident Evil 7 to Switch in Japan. The company subsequently said it was looking into bringing other games to Switch in a similar way. Tsujimoto's statement suggests that these experiments don't necessarily signal a willingness to put its catalog on streaming services like the upcoming Google Stadia or Microsoft's Project xCloud.

Google Stadia is readying to release its Founder's Edition on November 19--albeit with some limitations at launch. Microsoft's xCloud, meanwhile, is just entering public trials.