One of Capcom’s flagship in-house development teams has slowed down game creation in favour of working on technology for virtual reality projects, with hopes it can create "must-play games" that are a "half-step ahead of user expectations," and explore ideas that aren't borne out of marketing data.
On October 13, the corporation published a report detailing strategies for growth in the future. Included in the document is a message from Jun Takeuichi, head of Development Division 1 and producer of recent Resident Evil titles, who said the team is working on a VR engine. Division 1 is the department best known for creating the Resident Evil games, but in Capcom’s latest financial report, the publisher reveals the team has a new focus, according to Polygon.
"At present, we are focusing our energy on challenging the virtual reality game market. In this terrifying world, you can twist and turn as you like, but there’s no escaping the creatures closing in on you…until you remove your VR headset and return to reality, that is," he said. "We delivered this very experienced with our Kitchen VR technical demo at E3 2015. The response was excellent. Currently, we are building a new game development engine able to support VR, which is the hottest market right now, while simultaneously developing titles for current game consoles. We have just set sail on our latest voyage." Project Kitchen is a PlayStation VR experience that places players inside a kitchen along with another nefarious presence. It is set up to be a SAW-like scenario, giving the player no context for the events, leaving them to experience the horrors of the scenario. Takeuichi stressed that this does not mean Division 1 has abandoned games development entirely, adding that VR titles will be created “while simultaneously developing titles for current game consoles”. Although Takeuichi alluded to non-VR experience for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, it is not yet clear what these titles are. Capcom recently told fans to "stay tuned" for Resident Evil 7 news. "We're currently not at a state to talk about it," added producer Masachika Kawata when asked directly about Resident Evil 7. Discussing the idea that the Resident Evil series is "losing its horror touch," Kawata seemed to agree, and indicated Capcom wants the franchise to return to its horror roots. "Since there's been more spinoff titles, I can see how it can be perceived in such a way. And of course I believe that we should produce titles that bring out the horror. I'm thinking about it and also preparing for it."
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