Capcom eyes Hollywood for new IP drive

Capcom is looking to obtain Hollywood licences in the hope of expanding its portfolio in the West, as well as optioning more of it's own IP to movie makers following success with the Resident Evil franchise.

With a range of mature-rated titles already in its portfolio, newly appointed VP of licensing Germaine Gioia revealed to the Hollywood Reporter that the publisher is considering expanding its scope to incorporate other content in a bid diversify.

"I think it is becoming clear that the very largest successful publishers are delivering more and more of a balance to the marketplace," said Gioia.

"They need (not only) their own intellectual property and good solid original development but (also) licensed product that can reach across cultures."

Capcom has already enjoyed some success with its original intellectual property. The Resident Evil franchise is currently Sony Pictures' second most successful franchise after Spider-Man, with a third movie in the series currently in production.

According to Gioia, Capcom would consider timing games to coincide with theatrical and DVD releases to maximise sales, as well as help offset the high production values associated with videogame development.

Any IP created specifically for Hollywood would also be developed by Capcom's current videogame creators, while the company would still continue to develop titles for its core gaming audience.

"For the near-term, I'm going to look at the game engines that Capcom has and the capabilities internally at the studios and presumably see if there are things we can take advantage of with properties that might do well with recognisable characters or storylines associated with existing games engines," said Gioia.

"But that doesn't always work, so it might be a while before certain licensed properties that have been developed from the ground up are out in the marketplace," she added.