Capcom is kicking off a new PlayStation Network initiative in which game publishers will have their own dedicated digital storefronts, Edge has learned.
"Out of all of the third-party companies making use of the digital space, [Sony] recognizes Capcom is one of the best partners for content," said John Diamonon, product manager on all Capcom digital titles.
He said that Sony approached Capcom with the idea. "We're supporting PlayStation Network like no other company," Diamonon claimed.
Capcom expects the store to launch in early November. Diamonon acknowledged that other publishers will offer dedicated storefronts in the future.
Capcom recently released well-received digital offerings across online storefronts on Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. The old school Mega Man 9 launched with much hardcore fanfare in late September, and prior to that the high-def remake Bionic Commando: Rearmed made waves on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
Christian Svensson, VP of business development and strategic planning for Capcom said the company has found online to be a prime venue for "fan-focused" content that "would never survive at retail."
Svensson continued, "...Sony's taking advantage of--in a very real way--one of the benefits of digital, in that there are multiple ways to sort, search and put things in front of people. In a physical store, that physical object can only exist in one physical space.
"With digital, that object can be highlighted in about 20 different ways. I think Sony is first to recognize that. The more opportunities that someone has a chance to see or be exposed to our content ... the more likely it is that someone will give a Capcom title a shot."
He continued, "[Online's] also really good for noodling features and figuring out what people want, which bring ramifications for our bigger online titles."
Diamonon added that Capcom is trying to establish a "digital brand" that gamers will associate with quality, and a dedicated storefront is one way of getting products in front of consumers.
PlayStation Network is by no means the only digital storefront on consoles. But Svensson said Xbox Live Marketplace isn't as conducive to a dedicated store.
"As far as Microsoft goes--how can I say this dimplomatically--there are things I think they'd like to do to promote content in multiple ways, and I think they'll get there eventually... but they're not there yet."
Full piece from edge here.
http://www.edge-online.com/features/capcoms-psn-storefront
