Capcom Plans to Continue Supporting Physical Game Releases
The Street Fighter and Resident Evil publisher has no plans to abandon physical media.
The future of physical media has been a major area of concern for video game fans. While many people have made the jump to all-digital ownership, there are a lot of gamers that still prefer having physical copies. As publishers increasingly look for ways to cut costs, we're seeing some companies abandon physical releases altogether, but it seems Capcom has no such plans. During the Q&A portion of the company's 45th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, Capcom addressed whether it plans to move away from physical releases. As of right now, it seems the demand for physical games remains too significant to ignore.
"Given that a significant number of end users demand physical games we currently do not expect to eliminate physical products," the company replied.
When Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics was announced last month, many fans breathed a sigh of relief when they discovered Capcom planned to release a physical version. Not all Capcom games are getting the same treatment, as this month's Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess was a digital-only release. Given that, it's likely we'll see Capcom approach physical releases on a case by case basis, but this is certainly good news for game collectors.
Capcom's commitment to physical games comes just two months after Nintendo stated the same during a financial results briefing. On the whole, digital downloads tend to be more convenient than physical games, but gamers have sufficient reason to worry about their future; we've seen a lot of digital storefronts close down over the last few years, and the all-digital games on these platforms have become lost media as a result. As long as publishers continue supporting physical media, there's at least a way for gamers to access these titles by purchasing them on the secondary market. 10 years from now, gamers will still be able to track down copies of Capcom games like Street Fighter 6 and Resident Evil 4, but all-digital releases like Kunitsu-Gami might be harder to obtain.
Out of all the companies in the video game industry, it's not surprising that Capcom has pledged to continue supporting physical games. The reality is, there are a lot of collectors of older games out there, and Capcom's oldest titles still hold a lot of interest decades after their initial release. It's impossible to say if we'll still say the same about Capcom games releasing in the modern era, but by continuing to support both physical and digital games, Capcom is ensuring that a new generation of gamers will still be able to discover them.
Are you happy that Capcom will continue to support physical games? Do you still buy physical media? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
[H/T: Nintendo Life]
