Capcom: We used Xbox 360 to break into Western markets

Keiji Inafune, the head of research and development at Japanese publisher Capcom, has stated that the firm decided to opt for platform and timed Xbox 360 exclusives on some of its earlier releases this generation because it believed it was the best way into the Western market.

I think I can only get away with saying this now, but I really thought that the using the Xbox was only way to break into overseas markets,” Inafune said in an interview on Capcom’s website. I took that hypothesis all the way. In the end, I am very happy that I did so.

I think the success of these two titles was a major achievement for our company. That the Xbox 360 was such a big hit, and the products that we made for the overseas market were so well received, was extraordinary.”

Capcom’s Dead Rising 2 has been confirmed as a multi-platform title, and the original has just been ported to Wii.

Lost Planet 2, however, could yet prove to be an Xbox 360 exclusive – though the publisher’s unwillingness to clarify its ambiguous statements suggests otherwise. The first Lost Planet was exclusive to 360 for a certain period before eventually heading over to PC and PS3.