Capcom: 3DS dev costs wonâ??t break the bank

Japanese publisher Capcom doesn’t expect to see a ‘dramatic rise’ in game development costs for Nintendo’s powerful new handheld, the 3DS.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata recently admitted that the 3DS’ graphical prowess would naturally lead to a rise in development costs. He said that “if developers decide to try and maximise the graphical powers of the system, then the cost would be more expensive than what it is currently for Nintendo DS and may potentially approach the cost of developing Wii software.”

Yet Capcom – which is building 3DS titles such as Super Street Fighter 3D and Resident Evil Revelations – said it will use a previous MT Framework engine to develop for the 3D handheld.

With its proprietary MT Framework, Capcom believes it is able to “streamline the basic development processes… thus we don’t really expect to see a dramatic rise in costs”.

The MT Framework was used for game development on platforms such as PS3, Xbox 360, and later on the Wii. And while MT Framework 2.0 is now available – and used for projects such as Lost Planet 2 – Capcom is keen to modify its engines to fit best with the broadest range of consoles.

“The MT Framework is tailored to the unique features of each individual platform,” Capcom added.