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Capcom: We’re focusing on new titles for Nintendo Wii U, not ports

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With 2012 over, Nintendo can finally move on from a nearly three-year-long cycle of developing and marketing new hardware. Since March of 2010, Nintendo has been finalizing and promoting the Nintendo 3DS and then the Wii U, trying to re-imagine its hardware business after last decade’s run of record-breaking machines, from the Game Boy Advance to the Nintendo DS and the Wii. Now it’s time to get down to the business of making games and courting outside developers to do the same. Amongst those developers that will be making brand new games for Wii U in 2013: Capcom.

The Street Fighter and Resident Evil company has yet to announce an original property for Nintendo’s Wii U. In fact, the only game due for the console is Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, a remake of a Nintendo Wii title that was already remade for Nintendo 3DS. That places Capcom amongst publishers like Warner Bros. Interactive, Electronic Arts, and Activision in that its primary releases for Wii U in 2013 appear to be ports or remakes of previously released titles. According to Capcom, though, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is going to be an exception rather than the rule.

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Speaking with fans on the Capcom Unity forums on Monday, Capcom USA head Christian Svensson said that Capcom is focusing on new games on Nintendo’s platform. “With regard to Wii U, in general we’re looking forward, not back so late ports are generally not on the table.”

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Svensson already said in September following the announcement of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate that Capcom is working on other Wii U titles. “There are many thousands of people who are thrilled with the announcement of what is our currently largest brand coming to Nintendo’s existing portable and new console platform,” said Svensson, “The significant of that should not be underestimated. I have to be careful what I say here as it will surely be overanalyzed and misinterpreted to be more than what I’m saying. We have other projects in the works beyond MH3 Ultimate. Unfortunately at this time I cannot provide any details.”

Ports represented some of Capcom’s greatest successes on the Nintendo Wii, particularly Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition, selling more than 1.6 million copies in its first year on shelves. It also developed a number of original titles for the system, including Tatsunoko vs. Capcom and Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles but these weren’t quite as successful. 

Source: Siliconera

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Anthony John Agnello
Anthony John Agnello
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…
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