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Itsuno Shoots down "DMC's Dependence on Sales" Hysteria in Interview

WolfOD64

WolfOD64

That Guy Who Hates Fox McCloud
In an interview with GameSpot, Itsuno clarified a statement he made recently that worried the DMC fanbase, where it was implied that the series' continuation was riding on the success of DMC4's Special Edition. Here's his recent revision of that misunderstanding:

Something I read, and I wanted to confirm with you, is there a survey within the game for fans, which will help determine the future of the franchise?

I think it's a bit of a misunderstanding. At the time of Devil May Cry 4, I spoke to an interviewer in Japan and I had given a message to the fans at the end of the interview saying "Let us know what you want to see in the future of DMC." I spoke to the same guy this time around for the special edition and I kind of just made an off-the-cuff comment along the lines of, "We're always listening to your feedback, please buy the special edition." So I think the fans with internet have taken that there is a literal survey somewhere with check boxes that will feed into a future game, but it was just a general comment on my part saying that Capcom values fan feedback.

Because that headline read as the future of the franchise is dependent on this, and that's not the case, is that correct?

No, I have never said anything along the lines of holding anything in the future hostage to sales of this title.​

So breathe easy, guys. The series isn't dead.

He also made a very positive, and somewhat optimistic statement about DmC, and how it's NOT replacing or was ever made with intention of being a replacement of the original series:

The Devil May Cry series has a very dedicated fan base who are still playing Devil May Cry 4 to this day. What do you want to say to them in regards to what they can look forward to with the Devil May Cry series?

After Devil May Cry 4 came out and then Ninja Theory's DMC: Devil May Cry followed it, some fans were disappointed and felt the main series had ended. But I'm glad that the message is out there with Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition that the main series is not over, and that DMC: Devil May Cry did not kill it. But that isn't to say that the latter was just a one shot, that game also got it's own next-gen re-release earlier this year.

Speaking of Ninja Theory and DMC: Devil May Cry, at the time you had said that part of the reason you went with them was that you wanted a different sensibility around the franchise. What were your overall thoughts on the final product and the game?

I think I'm happy with the performance of the game. If it had been a world changing hit, it might have changed the course of the series by becoming the new DMC. But at the same time, if it was a lot less successful than it was, it might have just been a flash in the pan failure that never got followed through with the definitive edition this year. In a way, I'm actually really pleased of where we were able to hit between those two separate extremes.

So you see those, I guess, those two series games as fairly separate?

Yeah, they are a little bit apart in that sense that if you didn't look at it that way you couldn't release the DMC 4: Special Edition, for example.

Do you see yourself sort of taking that on internally again, or working with partners to develop?

I honestly don't know. I don't really know, to be honest, at this stage.
​
DmC, for all intents and purposes, is not a forgotten bastard child. It's not being pushed under the rug, and is still viable for a sequel. But as Itsuno says, the prospect of the game being handled by another outside studio like Ninja Theory is a dubious one.

 
DragonMaster2010

DragonMaster2010

Don't Let the Fall of America be Your Fall
Itsuno confirming DmC wasn't a failure like I always knew it wasn't and making those who said it was look stupid; check.

But I'm glad that the future of Devil May Cry still has a fighting chance and everyone can unclench their buttholes for the time being. Those were some stressful times for the fanbase and I feel it could be relatively smooth sailing from here on out...possibly...maybe...
 
The Good Gentleman

The Good Gentleman

S'all Part of a Miracle Masterpiece
I dunno. I mean....he initially did make the correlation between DMC4SE sales and a future title. Very strongly. Not some mistranslation. He really is going back on his own words. :/

But, in this context, I suppose it's better than letting the series go out on a whimper. So, comon Itsuno. Give us a teaser come TGS!
 
outoftheblue

outoftheblue

Well-known Member
Ok. He is backpaddling.Hard. True damage control at its best.
It was stated before that DMC5 depended on the SE sales. Saying it wasn´t so doesn´t make any difference.

In one line ha says DMC and DmC are two different series and the survival from the original series didn´t depend on the success of the reboot. Then he contradicts himself, again, by saying that had the reboot been an extraordinary breakthrough it would have replaced the old one.....

They are never going to admit, that DmC was their bet and it didn´t come out the way they wanted. I´m not judging the reboot as better or worse than the original series, but keeping both going seems unlikely, and the sales have spoken.

I´m not saying there´s never going to be a DmC2, but the next game to come out, which was the real gamble here, is more than likely to be DMC5.
 
outoftheblue

outoftheblue

Well-known Member
@Kusanagi177 I won´t trash DmC, because I understand we all have different tastes and there will always be a fanbase for it.
Having said that, I never played it, nor have I any intention to do it, because it never appealed to me, neither visually or storywise and gameplay like.
The Deffinitive Edition looks much better, but even so, I´m old school. To the end.
 
Judge

Judge

Well-known Member
Not trying to cause a stir here, but there is an elephant in the room here, which is DMC4 SE's mixed reception.

To suggest that DMC5 should continue might not be in Capcom's or the fans best interests. I haven't seen the sales for the DMC HD Collection, yet I am skeptical about the sales if Capcom didn't want to release DMC4 as a physical copy.

I'm also skeptical about DMC4's sales. Whether the game sold 3 mil back way back when is besides the point, can this series continue without some form of change. Even if its not DmC 2.
 
absolitude

absolitude

the devil is not as black as he painted
just continue with both, each already have fanbase, and there are people who enjoyed both that will gladly buy them when they're both out, how ****ing hard can it be? i don't think it's financially a problem, certainly not with DmC, since from what i've read here, it surpasses the production cost..

somebody should ask capcom seriously, what's so big a problem with continuing the franchise.. all this fuss is really driving me nuts..
 
Judge

Judge

Well-known Member
tehrugger said:
Mixed reception? Reviews are pretty good so far. It has a 9.7 on ign.com, a 4.5/5 on gamefaqs.com, a 9/10 on steampowered.com, 5 stars on playstation.com.

The HD collection sold a little under 1.2 million copies according to vgchartz.com, which isn't bad. The DMC4:SE did get a physical copy in Japan. Why they didn't release a physical copy in the West I do not know. Not sure how well it's selling, but from what I hear sales aren't too bad.

So yeah, there's no reason to believe that DMC5 being made won't be in "Capcom's or the fans best interests".
Click to expand...

http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-one/devil-may-cry-4-special-edition

75 on PS4, 74 on PC and 78 on X1. Even with the X1 reception, its still mixed reception, when you count everything, its been recieved worst than the HD Collection.

The DMC HD Collection selling 1.2 mil copies has not been confirmed by Capcom. It might not have even sold 0.2 mil copies. We don't know what it sold, yet we know for a fact it did not crack 1 mil.

"So yeah, there's no reason to believe that DMC5 being made won't be in Capcom's or the fans best interests"

Well this interview Itsuno has discussed that sales dosen't determine the franchise's future. What does then? Fan reaction? Critical reception? Because I personally don't see how DMC5 is anymore viable than DmC2. Theres been a lot of fans who've also discussed problems with DMC4 in the last few days, and the reviewers havent been kind. Which is why Capcom wanted to reboot DMC in the first place.

Pretending these concerns don't exist or that the DMC Collection sold 1.2 mil copies, when we don't know if it sold 0.1 mi copies won't change the concerns surrounding these issues that Hideki Itsuno has alluded to in his interview.
 
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