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The Capcom Five are five
video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedba ...
s that were unveiled by
Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. It has created a number of multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being '' Resident Evil'', '' Monster Hunter'', '' Street Fighter'', ''Mega Man'', ''De ...
in late 2002 and published from March 2003. At a time when
Nintendo is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards ...
's
GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the ...
console Console may refer to: Computing and video games * System console, a physical device to operate a computer ** Virtual console, a user interface for multiple computer consoles on one device ** Command-line interface, a method of interacting with ...
had failed to capture
market share Market share is the percentage of the total revenue or sales in a market that a company's business makes up. For example, if there are 50,000 units sold per year in a given industry, a company whose sales were 5,000 of those units would have a ...
, Capcom announced five new GameCube titles with the apparent goal of boosting hardware sales and showing off
third-party developer A video game developer is a broad term for a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large ...
support. Capcom USA followed up with confirmation that they would be exclusive to the GameCube. The five games were ''
P.N.03 (''Product Number Three'') is a 2003 third-person shooter developed and published by Capcom for the GameCube. Set in a space colony compound, the game follows a female mercenary fighting against berserk robots. It was directed by Shinji Mikami a ...
'', a futuristic
third-person shooter Third-person shooter (TPS) is a subgenre of 3D shooter games in which the gameplay consists primarily of shooting. It is closely related to first-person shooters, but with the player character visible on-screen during play. While 2D shoot 'e ...
; ''
Viewtiful Joe is a side scrolling beat 'em up video game franchise created by Japanese game designer Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom and its subsidiary Clover Studio. Games ''Viewtiful Joe'' (2003) The first game in the ...
'', a side-scrolling
action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
-
platformer A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action game, action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform game ...
; ''Dead Phoenix'', a
shoot 'em up Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs ) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of charac ...
; ''
Resident Evil 4 ''Resident Evil 4'' is a 2005 survival horror third-person shooter game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by Capcom. It was originally released for the GameCube on January 11, 2005. Players control U.S. government specia ...
'', a
survival horror Survival horror is a subgenre of survival of the players as the game tries to frighten them with either horror graphics or scary ambience. Although combat can be part of the gameplay, the player is made to feel less in control than in typical ac ...
third-person shooter; and '' Killer7'', an
action-adventure game The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a story ...
with
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the p ...
elements. Though not directly related to each other, they were all overseen by ''
Resident Evil ''Resident Evil'', known in Japan as is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
'' director
Shinji Mikami is a Japanese video game designer, director, and producer. Starting his career at Capcom in 1990, he has worked on many of the company's most successful games. He directed the first installment of the ''Resident Evil'' series in 1996 and the f ...
and, except ''Killer7'', developed by Capcom's Production Studio 4. Capcom USA later clarified that only ''Resident Evil 4'' was intended to be exclusive; the initial announcement was due to a miscommunication with their parent company. Of the five games, ''Dead Phoenix'' was canceled and only ''P.N.03'' remained a GameCube exclusive. ''P.N.03'' received mixed reviews and was a commercial failure, but is now considered a "
cult classic A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
". Both ''Viewtiful Joe'' and ''Killer7'' sold modestly, the former despite critical acclaim and the latter owing to polarized reviews. ''Killer7'' gained a significant
cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
, effectively launching the career of director
Suda51 , known by his alias Suda51, is a Japanese video game designer, video game writer, writer and director. Affiliated with Human Entertainment from 1994 to 1998, he founded Grasshopper Manufacture in 1998 with a number of other Human Entertainment st ...
. ''Resident Evil 4'' was the runaway success of the five, though its GameCube sales were undercut by the announcement of a
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on ...
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...
to be released later in 2005. ''Viewtiful Joe'' also saw a PlayStation 2 version with expanded features, and ''Killer7'' debuted on multiple platforms simultaneously. Since the release of the
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...
, Nintendo struggled to attract third-party developers like Capcom to produce games for its systems. Industry analysts see the Capcom Five case, particularly the loss of GameCube exclusivity for ''Resident Evil 4'', as a major blow to Nintendo–Capcom relations and is emblematic of Nintendo's failure to attract third-party support during the GameCube era.


Background

During the
Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in America ...
(NES) and
Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in ...
(SNES) eras,
Nintendo is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards ...
and
Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. It has created a number of multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being '' Resident Evil'', '' Monster Hunter'', '' Street Fighter'', ''Mega Man'', ''De ...
enjoyed a close relationship, with ''
Mega Man ''Mega Man'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese science fiction video game franchise created by Capcom, starring a series of robot characters each known by the moniker "Mega Man (character), Mega Man". Mega Man (video game), The original game w ...
'' as one of the NES' most prominent franchises. This closeness was partially due to Nintendo's
monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situati ...
of the
video game console A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to ...
market, which allowed the company to compel third-party developers to release exclusive content according to Nintendo's schedule.
Sega is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, respectively. Its division ...
's rival
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
system forced Nintendo to relax some of its restrictions on third parties with respect to the SNES. However, relations with third-party developers reached a turning point when Nintendo decided to retain a proprietary cartridge-based format for the Nintendo 64, in the face of Sony's disc-based
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...
. Due to increased manufacturing costs and severely limited cartridge memory capacity, many third parties—Capcom included—moved to the PlayStation to start new franchises, such as ''
Resident Evil ''Resident Evil'', known in Japan as is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
''. On this new platform, developers could create bigger games while avoiding the restriction of ordering the manufacture of expensive proprietary cartridges through Nintendo, which could lead to under- or
overstock Overstock, excessive stock, excess2sell, B-stock, or excess inventory, is the result of poor management of stock demand or of material flow in process management. Excessive stock is also associated with loss of revenue owing to additional capit ...
ing inventory which might eat into revenue. This third-party abandonment allowed the PlayStation to outsell the Nintendo 64 during that console generation. With the
GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the ...
, Nintendo tried to reclaim third-party developers and catch up to Sony's
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on ...
by featuring disc-based media and powerful system hardware. However, in the first year after its launch, Nintendo sold 4.7 million consoles. In this climate of flagging sales, Capcom held a surprise press conference in Japan in November 2002, announcing five new titles for the GameCube: ''P.N.03'', ''Viewtiful Joe'', ''Dead Phoenix'', ''Resident Evil 4'', and ''Killer7''. The games would be developed in-house by Capcom's Production with ''Resident Evil'' 1 director
Shinji Mikami is a Japanese video game designer, director, and producer. Starting his career at Capcom in 1990, he has worked on many of the company's most successful games. He directed the first installment of the ''Resident Evil'' series in 1996 and the f ...
as supervisor. The lone exception was ''Killer7'', to be produced at
Grasshopper Manufacture is a Japanese video game developer founded on March 30, 1998 by Goichi Suda. They are well known for creating titles such as '' killer7'' and the '' No More Heroes'' series. History The company was founded on March 30, 1998 in Suginami, Ja ...
, with Mikami as co-writer alongside director
Suda51 , known by his alias Suda51, is a Japanese video game designer, video game writer, writer and director. Affiliated with Human Entertainment from 1994 to 1998, he founded Grasshopper Manufacture in 1998 with a number of other Human Entertainment st ...
. When pressed for comment on console exclusivity, a Capcom USA representative confirmed the claim, generating the perception that Capcom was hoping to boost the GameCube's sales and reputation. A statement on their website echoed this support for GameCube. However, Capcom USA soon rescinded their confirmation, blaming it on a miscommunication with the parent company. They clarified that only ''Resident Evil 4'' would definitely be exclusive.


Release and reception


''P.N.03''

''
P.N.03 (''Product Number Three'') is a 2003 third-person shooter developed and published by Capcom for the GameCube. Set in a space colony compound, the game follows a female mercenary fighting against berserk robots. It was directed by Shinji Mikami a ...
'' is a
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
-themed
third-person shooter Third-person shooter (TPS) is a subgenre of 3D shooter games in which the gameplay consists primarily of shooting. It is closely related to first-person shooters, but with the player character visible on-screen during play. While 2D shoot 'e ...
, released in Japan on March 27, 2003. The game features a dexterous protagonist named Vanessa Z. Schneider who battles an army of maverick robots. The game earned the name ''Jaguar'' during development due to Vanessa's fluid motions and agility. Acting as director, Mikami attempted to differentiate it from ''
Devil May Cry is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante (Devil May Cry), Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invasions of Earth. ...
'' by adding defensive and evasive maneuvers. This desire, combined with the limited development time, also led to the replacement of Vanessa's guns with energy bolts. Upon its release, many reviewers criticized the game's short length and controls, although others praised the game as an old-school high-score arcade shooter that requires mastery and patience through multiple replays. Some contemporary critics were aware of the nicheness and cult appeal of ''P.N.03'', summarized by Daniel Etherington from '' BBC Technology News'' who said that " 'P.N.03''probably will not have mass-market appeal despite its quality" as "a hectic shoot-em-up with a fiddly control system, appearing only on GameCube...but there is the definite possibility of cult appeal". It currently has an average score of 63 out of 100 on
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
. Mikami was unsatisfied with the finished product, stating he had hoped to put "a lot more" time into its development. Despite commercial failure, reviewers have called ''P.N.03'' a "
cult classic A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
", and others have called it a spiritual predecessor to
PlatinumGames PlatinumGames Inc. is a Japanese video game developer that was founded in October 2007 as result of a merger between two companies, Seeds Inc. and Odd Inc. Shinji Mikami, Atsushi Inaba, and Hideki Kamiya founded Seeds Inc. after the closure o ...
' 2009 video game ''
Bayonetta is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya and developed by PlatinumGames. The franchise was introduced in 2009 with '' Bayonetta''. Two sequels were released, '' Bayonetta 2'' (2014) and '' Bayonetta 3'' (2022), as well a ...
.'' ''P.N.03'' was the only game of the five that remained a GameCube exclusive.


''Viewtiful Joe''

''
Viewtiful Joe is a side scrolling beat 'em up video game franchise created by Japanese game designer Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom and its subsidiary Clover Studio. Games ''Viewtiful Joe'' (2003) The first game in the ...
'' is a
2.5D 2.5D (two-and-a-half dimensional) perspective refers to gameplay or movement in a video game or virtual reality environment that is restricted to a two-dimensional (2D) plane with little to no access to a third dimension in a space that other ...
side-scrolling
action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
-
platformer A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action game, action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform game ...
, released on June 26, 2003. The
title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
is a parody of
tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, war, fantasy, or horror media featuring such technology but is som ...
superheroes and is trying to save his girlfriend, who has been trapped in "Movieland" by a group of supervillains known as Jadow. To complete his quest, Joe must use his Viewtiful Effects Powers, which are based on camera tricks and special effects used in films. These include "Slow", which simulates
bullet time Bullet time (also known as frozen moment, dead time, flow motion or time slice) is a visual effect or visual impression of detaching the time and space of a camera (or viewer) from those of its visible subject. It is a depth enhanced simulation of ...
; "Mach Speed", allowing Joe to attack all enemies with his afterimages; and "Zoom In", which triggers a camera
close-up A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television production, photography, still photography, and the comic strip medium is a type of shot (filmmaking), shot that tightly film frame, frames a person or object. Close-ups are one of the standard s ...
and unlocks special attacks. Internally, Capcom treated the game as a "staff-focused project" with the goal of increasing the skills of director
Hideki Kamiya is a Japanese video game designer and director who is the vice-president of PlatinumGames. He began his career in 1994 with Capcom, where he directed '' Resident Evil 2'' (1998), ''Devil May Cry'' (2001), '' Viewtiful Joe'' (2003), and ''Ō ...
. The game achieved a Metacritic score of 93 and won GameCube
Game of the Year Game of the Year (GotY) is an award given by various award events and media publications to a video game that they feel represented the pinnacle of gaming that year. Events and ceremonies British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA Games Awards) ...
awards from numerous publications including '' IGN'', '' GMR'', and ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
''. The game sold out its initial shipment of 100,000 to achieve a lifetime total of 275,000 units. Producer
Atsushi Inaba is a Japanese video game producer and businessman. He was the former CEO and producer of the Capcom subsidiary Clover Studio, who developed the games '' Viewtiful Joe'', ''Ōkami'', and '' God Hand''. He is currently the head producer at the dev ...
considered the game a success, achieving his goals of training staff, keeping a small budget, and selling well. However, these numbers were lower than Capcom expected, prompting the publisher to
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...
''Viewtiful Joe'' to PlayStation 2 in 2004, with expanded features. This version sold 46,000 copies with a slightly lower Metacritic score of 90 owing to the lack of
progressive scan Progressive scanning (alternatively referred to as noninterlaced scanning) is a format of displaying, storing, or transmitting moving images in which all the lines of each frame are drawn in sequence. This is in contrast to interlaced video use ...
and
frame rate Frame rate (expressed in or FPS) is the frequency (rate) at which consecutive images ( frames) are captured or displayed. The term applies equally to film and video cameras, computer graphics, and motion capture systems. Frame rate may also be ...
slowdown generated by the porting process.


''Dead Phoenix''

''Dead Phoenix'' was going to be a 3D
shoot 'em up Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs ) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of charac ...
featuring a winged man named Phoenix. Based on trailer footage, IGN compared the gameplay to ''
Panzer Dragoon ''Panzer Dragoon'' is a series of video games by Sega. The first three games were developed in the 1990s by Sega's Team Andromeda for the Sega Saturn. The fourth, ''Panzer Dragoon Orta'' (2002), was developed by Sega's Smilebit team for the ...
''. Players would take control of a winged man as he flies around shooting massive enemies, with the aid of allies on foot. Capcom's announcement described the setting as a mythical
floating city ''Floating City'' () is a 2012 Chinese-Hong Kong drama film directed by Yim Ho. Premise The story of a self-made man in a rapidly changing Hong Kong at the end of British Colonial rule. Reception ''Exclaim!'' writer Robert Bell said "...the su ...
, full of monsters and dragons. ''Game Informer'' announced that a Japanese release was planned in mid-2003. The game was believed to be canceled by May 2003, but Capcom stated at a press conference prior to the 2003
Electronic Entertainment Expo E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publishe ...
(E3) that it was still in development. ''IGN'' speculated that the game may have been retooled as a new ''
Kid Icarus ''Kid Icarus'' is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Family Computer Disk System in Japan and the Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe and North America. It was released in Japan in December 1986, in Europe in ...
'' title, based on Nintendo's trend in the early 2000s of licensing properties to third parties. It was canceled in August 2003 after failing to appear at E3.


''Resident Evil 4''

''
Resident Evil 4 ''Resident Evil 4'' is a 2005 survival horror third-person shooter game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by Capcom. It was originally released for the GameCube on January 11, 2005. Players control U.S. government specia ...
'', a
survival horror Survival horror is a subgenre of survival of the players as the game tries to frighten them with either horror graphics or scary ambience. Although combat can be part of the gameplay, the player is made to feel less in control than in typical ac ...
third-person shooter, had its North American premiere on January 11, 2005, and its Japanese release on January 27. Players take on the role of Leon S. Kennedy, a
United States Secret Service The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...
agent who has been ordered to rescue the daughter of the President of the United States from a cult in rural
hispanophone Hispanophone and Hispanic refers to anything relating to the Spanish language (the Hispanosphere). In a cultural, rather than merely linguistic sense, the notion of "Hispanophone" goes further than the above definition. The Hispanic culture is th ...
Europe. The cult has been using a mind-controlling
parasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson h ...
to turn local villagers into violent drones. The game went through numerous changes during its long development—the team created and discarded four prototypes before settling on the final product. Among these was a version directed by Hideki Kamiya that would be turned into the first ''
Devil May Cry is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante (Devil May Cry), Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invasions of Earth. ...
'' game. Taking over directorial duties, Mikami made the fifth and final version very different compared to previous ''Resident Evil'' games, with an over-the-shoulder perspective and an increased emphasis on action and combat. ''Resident Evil 4'' was the only game of the five to remain confirmed as a GameCube exclusive; Mikami claimed that he would "cut his own head off" (a Japanese
colloquialism Colloquialism (), also called colloquial language, everyday language or general parlance, is the linguistic style used for casual (informal) communication. It is the most common functional style of speech, the idiom normally employed in conversa ...
for quitting his job) if it were to be released on another platform. However, just two months before the game's January 2005 release, Capcom revealed that a PlayStation 2 port would be published nine months after the GameCube version in response to pressure from users and shareholders. This surprise announcement undercut the title's GameCube sales, which totaled 1.6 million, compared to the sales of the PlayStation 2 version, which exceeded 2 million. Mikami apologized to GameCube fans for failing to uphold his promise of console exclusivity. Despite these corporate conflicts, the game received an overwhelmingly positive critical response with Metacritic scores of 96 for both versions. It went on to sweep many Game of the Year awards for 2005 and is consistently listed among the greatest games of all time.


''Killer7''

'' Killer7'', released on June 9, 2005, is an
action-adventure game The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a story ...
with
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the p ...
elements and an unconventional "on rails" control scheme. Unlike other members of the five, ''Killer7'' was developed at Grasshopper Manufacture under the direction of Suda51. Players control the members of an elite group of assassins who are actually physical manifestations of a god-like being named Harman Smith. The game restricts the player's movement to specific branching paths through the environment and combat is only available while stationary in first-person view. This stripped-down control scheme was implemented as a
deconstruction The term deconstruction refers to approaches to understanding the relationship between text and meaning. It was introduced by the philosopher Jacques Derrida, who defined it as a turn away from Platonism's ideas of "true" forms and essen ...
of conventional control mechanics. Gameplay was not finalized until late in development as Suda51 concentrated most resources on story and visual work. This back-loading of development resulted in several delays, the last of which was due to an artistic desire to release the game on July 7 (7/7) in North America. ''Killer7'' debuted as a multi-console release, the only one of the five to do so, to polarized reviews. Some reviewers praised the game for its complex noir plot involving a political conflict between Japan and the US, while others panned it as confusing and incomprehensible. Similarly, the control scheme had both critics and proponents, the latter comparing it to ''
Myst ''Myst'' is a graphic adventure/puzzle video game designed by the Miller brothers, Robyn and Rand. It was developed by Cyan, Inc., published by Broderbund, and initially released for the Macintosh in 1993. In the game, the player's charact ...
'', '' Snatcher'', and other "old-school"
adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based ...
s. Although it received a lukewarm 74 Metacritic score, ''Killer7'' was honored by many video game publications in their year-end awards. Common nominations included "Best Story", "Best Artistic Design", and "Most Innovative Design". However, the central theme was a recognition of ''Killer7s status as a cult game with limited appeal. ''IGN'' named it "Best Game No One Played" and Kristan Reed of
Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson. Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EG ...
called it "a concept game, an arthouse game, a simple game, an often beautiful game, but most certainly never an
everyman The everyman is a stock character of fiction. An ordinary and humble character, the everyman is generally a protagonist whose benign conduct fosters the audience's identification with them. Origin The term ''everyman'' was used as early as ...
's game".


Legacy

The Capcom Five announcement came at a time when Nintendo had been struggling with its new console, with the apparent goal of supporting the fledgling system. However, each successive game's release reinforced Capcom's view that the GameCube was unprofitable; they ported the games one-by-one to Sony's PlayStation 2. Ultimately, four games were released and only one remained exclusive to GameCube. This lone GameCube exclusive was ''P.N.03'' and not ''Resident Evil 4'', as Capcom had repeatedly emphasized in press releases. GameCube owners and Nintendo fans were disappointed by the Capcom Five's failure to improve the GameCube's reputation and sales. Luke Plunkett of
Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. Histor ...
noted that despite best intentions, Capcom's five even at their full potential could not have made up for the GameCube's failings in that generation's console wars. The dramatic reversal of the five is representative of the attitudes of third-party developers toward Nintendo's platform. Capcom discovered a few business principles through their experience with development and release of the five. The first was to focus on multi-platform releases. Second, Capcom needed to streamline development. Prior to the five, the company had announced expected losses of US$103 million for
fiscal year A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many ...
2002, largely due to poor sales and extended development times, and ultimately posted over US$163 million in losses. ''Resident Evil 4'' was a case in point, beginning development in 1999 and going through four discarded versions by the time of its 2005 release. The third lesson was to focus on old franchises rather than create new ones; ''Resident Evil 4'' was the only unmitigated commercial success of the five and also the only game based on an existing property. To wit, ''
Viewtiful Joe 2 ''Viewtiful Joe 2'', known in Japan as is a video game and sequel to ''Viewtiful Joe''. The game was developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom in 2004 for the GameCube and PlayStation 2. The game's story begins precisely where the ori ...
'' started development shortly after the release of ''Viewtiful Joe'' and was completed just a year later. However, the brisk schedule meant that the team was not given time to implement all the features they had wanted, including a cooperative gameplay mode. ''Viewtiful Joe 2'' debuted on both GameCube and PlayStation 2 to reach a wider audience and maximize profitability. To facilitate ''Viewtiful Joe 2''s development, Capcom turned " Team Viewtiful" into
Clover Studio was a Japanese video game development studio founded by Capcom. The studio developed the PlayStation 2 port of ''Viewtiful Joe'', both versions of '' Viewtiful Joe 2'' for the GameCube and PlayStation 2, and the PS2 titles ''Ōkami'' and '' God ...
, a semi-autonomous production company with a focus on developing new
intellectual properties Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, cop ...
(IPs). The separation was also in part due to ''Resident Evil 4''s PlayStation 2 release, which caused significant tensions between Capcom and Mikami, who had touted the game's console exclusivity. However, the studio only produced two new IPs before Capcom closed it in late 2006, following the resignations of Atsushi Inaba, Hideki Kamiya, and Shinji Mikami. These resignations were part of a series of high-profile departures from Capcom, including
Yoshiki Okamoto , sometimes credited as Kihaji Okamoto, is a Japanese video game designer. He is credited with producing popular titles for Konami, including '' Gyruss'' and '' Time Pilot'', and for Capcom, including ''1942'', '' Gun.Smoke'', ''Final Fight'' and ...
in 2003 and
Keiji Inafune is a Japanese video game producer, illustrator and businessman. Starting his career at Capcom in the late 1980s, his job was as an artist and illustrator. The first two games he worked on were the original ''Street Fighter'' and ''Mega Man'' in ...
in 2010. The former Clover developers charged that Capcom's corporate management was reluctant or actively opposed to risky new ideas, a complaint shared by Inafune. They would go on to found
PlatinumGames PlatinumGames Inc. is a Japanese video game developer that was founded in October 2007 as result of a merger between two companies, Seeds Inc. and Odd Inc. Shinji Mikami, Atsushi Inaba, and Hideki Kamiya founded Seeds Inc. after the closure o ...
with members of their old studio. In 2008, they announced the "Platinum Three", referring to ''
MadWorld is a beat 'em up hack and slash video game developed by PlatinumGames, published by Sega, produced by Atsushi Inaba, and directed by Shigenori Nishikawa. It was released worldwide for the Wii in March 2009 and in Japan in February 2010. ''Mad ...
'', ''
Infinite Space is a 2009 role-playing video game co-developed by Nude Maker and PlatinumGames for the Nintendo DS. It was published by Sega in 2009 in Japan, and 2010 in Western territories. The science fiction storyline, set across the Small and Large Magel ...
'', and ''
Bayonetta is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya and developed by PlatinumGames. The franchise was introduced in 2009 with '' Bayonetta''. Two sequels were released, '' Bayonetta 2'' (2014) and '' Bayonetta 3'' (2022), as well a ...
'', which would attempt to carry on the Capcom Five's ambitious and creative original spirit. Outside of Capcom, ''Killer7'' served as a turning point for Suda51 and his studio, Grasshopper Manufacture, effectively launching his career. With Capcom as publisher, ''Killer7'' was his first game to be released outside Japan. While its sales were not up to Capcom's standards, the game's cult success encouraged the director to remake two of his older Japan-only games, '' The Silver Case'' and ''
Flower, Sun, and Rain is an adventure video game developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Victor Interactive Software for the PlayStation 2 in 2001. It was initially only released in Japan. A port for the Nintendo DS (DS) was developed by h.a.n.d. under ...
'', for Western release. It also allowed his next major title, '' No More Heroes'', to be released to critical and commercial success. The game also cemented Suda51's status as an
auteur An auteur (; , 'author') is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded but personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, which thus manifests the director's unique ...
video game director. He would later work with Shinji Mikami again on ''
Shadows of the Damned is an action-adventure video game developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game follows the story of Garcia Hotspur, a Mexican demon hunter who goes to the City of the Damned ...
''. Despite the relative failure of the project as a whole, the individual games of the Capcom Five had a lasting impact on game design. After experimenting with action gameplay in ''P.N.03'', Mikami was able to apply his experience to '' Vanquish'', which serves as an evolution and refinement of the former's gameplay. Reviewers have also called ''P.N.03s "combat...with stylish dance-inspired movements" and "flashy, energetic, intense" gameplay and character design a spiritual predecessor to ''
Bayonetta is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya and developed by PlatinumGames. The franchise was introduced in 2009 with '' Bayonetta''. Two sequels were released, '' Bayonetta 2'' (2014) and '' Bayonetta 3'' (2022), as well a ...
.'' On the other hand, Adam Sorice of Nintendojo suggested that the commercial failure of such a women-driven game made Capcom reluctant to feature female leads in future games for a number of years. Beyond its critical success, ''Resident Evil 4'' became one of the most influential games of the decade. Its "over-the-shoulder" perspective has inspired third-person shooters and action games as diverse as ''
Gears of War ''Gears of War'' is a media franchise centered on a series of video games created by Epic Games, developed and managed by The Coalition, and owned and published by Xbox Game Studios. The franchise is best known for its third-person shooter v ...
'' and '' Batman: Arkham Asylum''. Leon's precision-aiming laser sight has also found its way into ''
Dead Space ''Dead Space'' is a science fiction/ horror media franchise created by Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey, developed by Visceral Games, and published and owned by Electronic Arts. The franchise's chronology is not presented in a linear format; e ...
'' and ''
Grand Theft Auto ''Grand Theft Auto'' (''GTA'') is a series of action-adventure games created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is primarily d ...
'', as an alternative to "lock-on" targeting. On a broader scale, ''Resident Evil 4'' deconstructed the survival horror conventions the first ''Resident Evil'' games established. Some reviewers accused the game of abandoning the genre's essence by adopting an increased emphasis on action and combat. Following ''Resident Evil 4''s lead, many "horror" games in the next few years would shift toward more combat-heavy gameplay, including '' Silent Hill: Homecoming'' and '' Alone in the Dark''. According to industry sources, Capcom's reversal on GameCube exclusivity, particularly with ''Resident Evil 4'', was a betrayal that soured relations between Capcom and Nintendo for several years. After this early pulling of Capcom support, the GameCube went on to sell 22 million units, less than the Nintendo 64's 33 million units and only a fraction of the PlayStation 2's 155 million units. Though ''Resident Evil 4'' was eventually ported to Nintendo's
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, ...
in 2007, it also received a high-definition
re-release In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New audio formats Rec ...
for
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
and
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
in 2011. The 2002 GameCube remake of ''
Resident Evil ''Resident Evil'', known in Japan as is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
'' and ''
Resident Evil Zero ''Resident Evil Zero'' (or ''Resident Evil 0'') is a survival horror game developed and published by Capcom for the GameCube in 2002. It is a prequel to Resident Evil (1996 video game), ''Resident Evil'' (1996), covering the ordeals experienced ...
'' also received remasters for newer consoles in 2015 and 2016 respectively. ''
Super Smash Bros. Brawl ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' is a 2008 crossover fighting video game developed by Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Wii. The third installment in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, it was announced at a pre-E3 2005 press conferenc ...
'' was released in 2008, featuring third party characters like Solid Snake from
Konami , is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. Konami has ca ...
and
Sonic the Hedgehog is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers m ...
from
Sega is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, respectively. Its division ...
as a selling point. ''
Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. Histor ...
'' reported on a rumor that Nintendo refused to include a character from Capcom as a direct result of ''Resident Evil 4''s multi-platform release. Years later, Capcom's own
Mega Man ''Mega Man'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese science fiction video game franchise created by Capcom, starring a series of robot characters each known by the moniker "Mega Man (character), Mega Man". Mega Man (video game), The original game w ...
and
Ryu is a Japanese masculine given name and family name meaning "dragon", "noble", "prosperous", or "flow". Ryū, Ryu, or ryu may also refer to: Fiction * ''Ryū'' (manga), a 1986 series by Masao Yajima and Akira Oze * , a 1919 book by Ryūnosuke Aku ...
appeared as playable characters in the next game in the series, ''
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and (colloquially and collectively referred to as ''Super Smash Bros. 4'' or ''Smash 4'') is a group of two 2014 crossover fighting video games developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS ...
'', with both returning for ''
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is a 2018 crossover fighting video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series, succeed ...
'' along with the debut of Ken Masters. Ultimately, the GameCube failed to reinvigorate flagging support from third parties, a trend continued from the Nintendo 64 through its successors, the Wii and Wii U. The Wii had mostly relied on first-party titles to sell systems until 2009 when in-house development could not keep up with demand for new material. This caused sales to drop and prompted a shift toward more aggressive courting of third-party developers. Despite this, the Wii would go on to become one of the most commercially successful home video game consoles of all time. For the
Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. ...
and
Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generati ...
, Nintendo attempted to recruit outside developers early on to avoid a repeat of what happened to the Wii and reclaim the third-party support it enjoyed in the NES and SNES eras, though low Wii U sales resulted in continued poor third-party support until the launch of the
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
in 2017.


References

{{featured article Capcom games GameCube games