Last week, Capcom announced that it was moving Devil May Cry 4 over to both the Xbox 360 and PC in addition to its PS3 release. The news was considered by many as an indication that Capcom, a longtime supporter of Sony, had broken ranks with the PlayStation in order to secure a wider user base of gamers, thusly increasing its chances of generating larger profits. But the decision hasn’t gone over well with some PlayStation loyalists who see the move by Capcom as abandoning the ship.
On the official Capcom forums, member RJV expressed his displeasure at the apparent snub to Sony:
"I just read about this whole Devil May Cry 4 going to the Xbox 360 and my question to you is, How much of a backlash have you received against this notion? Claiming things such as PS3 exclusiveness and that the game can only run under the PS3’s power… What have you to say to that? I’d really like to know and what is the possibility of a retract[ion] of this movement or else time sensitive exclusiveness?
"You’ve probably heard this before but Sony was good to you so why turn your back on them now?
"You guys said the same thing with Resident Evil 4 and the GameCube. I seriously am starting to doubt you Capcom, as a company. Sorry if it sounds like I’m ranting but it’s pretty frustrating hearing something like this after being promised another."
While other forum members support Capcom’s decision and said that the company, after all, has to make money on its investment, the outrage of over 7,500 petition signatures and subsequent comments of offended DMC fans seems to have gotten the attention of Capcom brass. Christian Svensson, senior director of research and development, explained on the Capcom forums, "We are certainly moved that people are so passionate about our products that they would go to such extremes."
He continued, "At the same time we feel that allowing more people access to our content pleases far more people than it displeases (after all, we’re not denying DMC4 to anyone that was already going to get it). It really is the best decision for the company and for consumers." The thread regarding this topic has since been locked, and many of the comments and signatures on the petition simply point out how absurd the petition is.
Bottom line? It’s all about money.
