Ichii: Capcom to embrace the Western market but not at the expense of Japan and Asia

Capcom's head of consumer software development, Katsuhiko Ichii, has said the firm is "never going to stop" challenging itself as it continues to focus on its global strategy.

Speaking in a Famitsu interview translated by 1UP, Ichii said he agrees with Keiji Infune, the firm's previous head of development, that Capcom needs to embrace the Western market, but not at the expense of the Japan and Asia.

"Capcom has been in danger at points because while they had good games, they also made titles that weren't accepted by the market," said Ichii. "Even if we have solid core development skills, they were not coordinated well with the business side of things. One of my first aims entering Capcom was to establish a real business strategy and make it a tandem effort. It's hard to grow when each of your brands aren't being developed fully. We don't have infinite funds and manpower, so we can't make everything we want to. We have to make decisions.

"We've been active overseas for a very long time, but it's not as if we're strictly looking at the Western market. It's a global strategy, and while we're doing our best in the US, Japan is still vital to us, as well as the rest of the Asian market. I've come to realize that it's important to be in tune with the situation and game culture of anyplace you're trying to compete."

Ichii goes on to say that the future is not going "to be easy, that much you can see from the financial reports of any publisher," but Capcom will continue to challenge itself and produce "new brands in the years to come."

"It's part of our mission to keep gamers satisfied," he said. "Large or small, we're always taking new steps forward."