LGC 2010: ‘Publishing business a roulette table – Reeves

The modern publishing business was tonight equated to a casino roulette wheel during an enlivening speech by Capcom Europe COO David Reeves.

Reeves, once the SCEE boss, was one of an all-star panel at tonight’s London Games Conference at BAFTA. Naturally, he stole the crowd with his inimitable turn of phrase.

To be a publisher in this modern era you have to be a professional gambler, he said, before comparing the fragmented game platform base to a game of chance.

3DS is probably a sure-fire bet,” he said, as is PSP, 360 and PS3.”

He believed that, in around 18 months’ time, the Wii will be replaced by the Nintendo’s next static console – again, a sure-fire bet for Capcom to invest in.

Despite already having made significant investments in these areas, he says, that’s not the endofthe checklist.

You’re taking a gamble on this roulette wheel,” he said.

That’s life on the publishing side. You make all your bets, but also you have to save ten per cent of your chips for this thing called digital games”.

The impromptu metaphor – though it caused the packed room at BAFTA to break into laughter – was nevertheless a telling signal of Capcom’s intentions in the digital space, and how much resource it will spend on it.

You play to your strengths,” he added.

We’re not going social.”