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Kawata's "if it's not CoD level sales, it's a failure" mentality is terrible for ANY developer to have. Very few games actually reach those sales numbers, and most are lucky to even reach 1 million. Should they not be made at all? Hell no.
Take Amnesia: The Dark Descent for example. An independantly developed game made on a low budget with a small number of staff. It sold quite handsomely. Why? Because it is a genuinely terrifying game. Not because the developers went to Hollywood to direct the cut-scenes. Not because they had an orchestra play three songs that aren't even included in the retail soundtrack. Not because they spent millions on marketing and promotion. It did not have a wasteful, superfluous budget (like BH5) and it delivered on its horror premise (unlike BH5).
Perpetuating this "CoD or bust" nonsense will only over-saturate the market with dull, mindless games that still won't sell CoD numbers. To most, CoD is pretty much a household name at this point and can run solely on that if it wanted to and still sell and make millions. Cloning it won't work and no other franchise will achieve that same result.
CAPCOM needs to focus on separating themselves from CoD. They need to make their franchises more distinct and unique. If a horror game doesn't sell well, such as Revelations, maybe you should do more research on where the numbers actually are. If you wanted over 1 million, then consoles were the most logical choice. Giving the game bad press by hiking up the price by $10 because of the constraints of the 3DS did not help it. Neither did being on the 3DS in general. Granted, the 3DS made the entire game more unique and enjoyable in its own way, but you can't put precedence on creativity one second and decide that money > everything the very next just because you took a chance you most likely knew wasn't going to be a big splash.
Put the money where it matters and is needed. Going on a big-budget spending spree that ultimately does not give results will not help. It will only put more pressure on the company to make more money and resort to questionable tactics to cut corners and scavenge whatever elements they can from more "successful" franchises, like a leech. Know what direction you want the game to go, be creative, and be a little more tight-fisted with the budget. Don't spend where it isn't needed.
Take Amnesia: The Dark Descent for example. An independantly developed game made on a low budget with a small number of staff. It sold quite handsomely. Why? Because it is a genuinely terrifying game. Not because the developers went to Hollywood to direct the cut-scenes. Not because they had an orchestra play three songs that aren't even included in the retail soundtrack. Not because they spent millions on marketing and promotion. It did not have a wasteful, superfluous budget (like BH5) and it delivered on its horror premise (unlike BH5).
Perpetuating this "CoD or bust" nonsense will only over-saturate the market with dull, mindless games that still won't sell CoD numbers. To most, CoD is pretty much a household name at this point and can run solely on that if it wanted to and still sell and make millions. Cloning it won't work and no other franchise will achieve that same result.
CAPCOM needs to focus on separating themselves from CoD. They need to make their franchises more distinct and unique. If a horror game doesn't sell well, such as Revelations, maybe you should do more research on where the numbers actually are. If you wanted over 1 million, then consoles were the most logical choice. Giving the game bad press by hiking up the price by $10 because of the constraints of the 3DS did not help it. Neither did being on the 3DS in general. Granted, the 3DS made the entire game more unique and enjoyable in its own way, but you can't put precedence on creativity one second and decide that money > everything the very next just because you took a chance you most likely knew wasn't going to be a big splash.
Put the money where it matters and is needed. Going on a big-budget spending spree that ultimately does not give results will not help. It will only put more pressure on the company to make more money and resort to questionable tactics to cut corners and scavenge whatever elements they can from more "successful" franchises, like a leech. Know what direction you want the game to go, be creative, and be a little more tight-fisted with the budget. Don't spend where it isn't needed.
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