The president of Capcom has outlined a strategic shift in how the company develops its video game franchises. Haruhiro Tsujimoto attributes the publisher's recent commercial success to moving away from individual-led creation toward collaborative team-based processes.
Publisher abandons director-driven model for collaborative studio processes
This change addresses a structural problem where specific intellectual properties became overly dependent on single directors or creators. The previous model often limited continuity and failed to satisfy shareholders when key personnel moved projects in different directions.
Capcom now requires that new titles be rebuilt from the ground up by dedicated development teams rather than driven by one person's vision. This approach allows accumulated technical knowledge and industry expertise to pass down to newer developers within the studio.
The recently released title Pragmata serves as a primary example of this team-first philosophy in action. The game demonstrates how collective effort can maintain high production standards across complex franchises without relying on a single auteur.
Tsujimoto explained that discussions with central figures behind each franchise led to the decision to abandon the individual-driven model. He noted that letting specific developers control entire series often created bottlenecks for long-term growth.
The company believes this collaborative structure ensures consistent quality and allows for smoother transitions between different entries in a game series. This method prioritizes institutional knowledge over individual creative authority.
Source: VideoGameChronicles
