Capcom games like Lost Planet sell better worldwide than they do in Japan.

SEPT. 12, 2008 • In a shareholder financial report, Capcom chief executive Kenzo Tsujimoto outlined goals of expanding the publisher’s business in global markets. To that end, Tsujimoto said Capcom would not be entertaining acquisitions or mergers in Japan, yet would be aggressively pursue acquisitions and partnerships worldwide. As of March 2008, the company said 53 percent of its game sales came from Japan, with North America accounting for 28 percent, and Europe 19 percent. Driving the global perspective were examples like Lost Planet, which sold 150,000 units in Japan, and 2 million units worldwide.

Impact: Square Enix and Koei have been looking at Tecmo, and Capcom says it would like to expand through acquisition or partnership. These are all companies that have been around since the dawn of the video game era, but have struggled to capitalize on the global expansion of the business. Japan is the second largest game market in the world after the U.S., but with the soaring cost of game development having a primary focus on Japan no longer makes sense for high-end games.