JBoc924
The video game industry has seen many changes throughout its lifespan. There was once a time when Japanese developers, arguably the fathers of gaming, were at the forefront and putting out the best in the world of interactive entertainment. Now things are a bit different. While said eastern developers/publishers are still largely successful– thanks to established franchises–the world of gaming has seen the uprising of the western developer, along with their own brand of game development which has brought us franchises such as Call of Duty and Halo.
Having said all that. it still comes as a surprise to see big publishers like Capcom hand over their big franchises to western developers, or other, external developers in general– as they did with Dead Rising 2 and the upcoming Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. It’s also a little concerning when it comes to the potential quality a different developer can bring to the table. Especially in Resident Evil’s case, because if this rumor’s to be believed, it looks like Operation Raccoon City isn’t the only title in the series that’s been given to another developer.
Yup, that’s right: Resident Evil 6 may be currently in development by California-based developer Spark Unlimited. According to the developer’s official site, they’re currently hard at work on two projects. One of them is ” a breakout game based on an established console franchise,” while the other aims to bring forth “a bold new take on 3rd person action/horror.” They seem to be working with a big name publisher as the following blurb states:
We are in FULL PRODUCTION of a high-profile, popular game property for a major publishing partner. With the public disclosure expected sometime in 2012, we are looking for innovative and creative professionals to bring to life a Triple-A game for an awaiting, highly critical audience. Employing agile techniques (SCRUM) we are developing this product utilizing our experiences with the Unreal engine.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this project they’re working on is in fact Resident Evil 6, with the big publishing partner in question, of course, being Capcom. I’m just sort of surprised that the next big numbered sequel in the franchise won’t be handled internally, like next year’s Revelations will be. But, again, this should just be classified as a rumor for the time being.
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