Wow! The murmurs were there for months, but today Capcom has proudly announced they have Devil May Cry 4 in development for not just the PS3, but also the Xbox 360 and PC platforms. The action game will be released simultaneously on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in Q4 2007.
“Devil May Cry is a series of popular, stylish action games. Since the release of the original Devil May Cry on PS2 in 2001, the series has shipped 6.8 million copies as of December 31st, 2006, proudly making it one of Capcom’s flagship titles. The series appeal is not limited to games; an animated TV series to be broadcast on Japan’s WOWOW network is slated to air Spring 2007. The latest iteration, Devil May Cry 4 will take advantage of each platform’s hardware strengths to achieve the most stunning visuals in the series to date, and the introduction of a mysterious new protagonist [Nero] will keep the action fast and fresh.”
The Capcom PR closes by saying the company was among the first software developers in the world to make games for the next-generation consoles, and those efforts have been met with great success. — They are likely talking about Dead Rising and Lost Planet on Xbox 360, which so far remain exclusive, but with this new multiplatform strategy PS3 and PC gamers might soon get a chance to play those as well.
Multiplatform is becoming a necessity with growing development costs with PS3 games getting future releases on the Xbox 360 as well, that’s games like Virtua Fighter 5, Grand Theft Auto 4, Assassin’s Creed, and Mercenaries 2. Sony exec. Phil Harrison recently spoke with bloggers about losing so many (initially) exclusive franchises in recent month. He explained this by saying:
“I don’t think PS3 has the install base to support Rockstar’s investment in GTA IV on its own. Reinventing a sandbox-oriented series on next-generation platforms can’t be a cheap endeavor, so while PS3 plays catch-up with Xbox 360 in terms of userbase, Rockstar must unsurprisingly cover its bases and ensure they’re reaching the maximum amount of gamers when GTA4 releases this October.”
Any guesses as to what third-party PS3 game we expect to be an exclusive is next? Could it be Metal Gear Solid 4, Tekken 6, or Final Fantasy XIII?