Capcom and Bandai Namco ink cross-licensing deal for fighting games
"Online matching" agreement will reduce dev costs and production times for "game series such as Street Fighter"
Capcom and Bandai Namco are seeking to reduce development costs on fighting franchises like Street Fighter through a cross-licensing agreement related to online matchmaking.
In a statement released today, Capcom said that the agreement would, "improve the user experience while accelerating the production of titles and reducing development costs for both parties."
The agreement specifically relates to online "matching", and involves the cross-licensing of patents that Capcom "has been granted in game series such as Street Fighter." According to the Japanese publisher, the partnership with Bandai Namco will allow it to "effectively utilize" those patents "in order to deliver even more exciting content to game players."
"With this agreement as a starting point, Capcom will continue to explore cross-licensing opportunities in order to safeguard its patents while improving the user experience and contributing to a healthier game industry."
Capcom invoked the Street Fighter brand several times in its relatively brief statement, so it is likely to be the focus of the agreement. The last full entry in the franchise, Street Fighter V, did not meet Capcom's stated sales target of 2 million units by the end of fiscal 2017. Instead, it shipped 1.6 million units, while review scores were significantly below the glowing praise heaped on Street Fighter IV.
Bandai Namco is the publisher of Tekken, one of Street Fighter's main rivals in the fighting genre. However, the companies collaborated on the crossover game Street Fighter X Tekken in 2012, while Tekken X Street Fighter still hasn't been released despite being announced back in 2010.
Tekken 7 launched for PC and console earlier this month, entering the UK chart at #1 - the first time it has taken the top spot since Tekken 3 in 1998.