In my initial response upon the announcement of Dash 3's cancellation on my site, I stated that fury should most properly be directed towards Capcom's Financial Board of Directors (BOD), and not the developers. In response, #20 laid a short essay where he insist that everyone (though not in equal parts) are to blame, and anger should be directed to all for the cancellation. While his statement is most certainly a reaffirmation of "self-determinism", I still stand firm on my opinion. But rather than have my explanation of this hide in the comments section, I'm presenting it here.
The problem with #20 assessment is the assumption that the board of directors are like some benevolent judge who always give nice straight and direct guidelines and provides very specific rules and requirements to direct their decisions. Also that executives always follow through with their word. As such, #20 claims that it is most fundamentally the shortfall of the Dash 3 Project Dev. room and us fans for not fulfilling the "requirements" set by the board of directors in getting them to green light the development. The reality of the matter of the matter is that they aren't like that. Not at all. Quite the opposite in fact.
Much of the reality of the corporate world is that they are to this day still heavily ruled by the whim's, assumptions and prejudices of the people in charge. And likewise, these people are not exactly open to new ideas, or even willing to learn or accept their faults AFTER being proven otherwise. In the case of Capcom's BOD, that point is quite literal and specific. In a recent interview with Famitsu, Inafune Keiji revealed that Capcom's functioning operating practice was NOTHING BUT SEQUELS to currently known financially viable series. (This explains all the EXE/Shooting Star sequels the last several years, as well as the Street Fighter and Biohazard titles). That is the say, the BOD did not dare push the development of a new game for the risk of the financial repercussions if the game were to fail. Dash 3 would for all intents and purposes be a new game, sadly something that the executives would not be that willing to take a bet on.
Much of the reality of the corporate world is that they are to this day still heavily ruled by the whim's, assumptions and prejudices of the people in charge. And likewise, these people are not exactly open to new ideas, or even willing to learn or accept their faults AFTER being proven otherwise. In the case of Capcom's BOD, that point is quite literal and specific. In a recent interview with Famitsu, Inafune Keiji revealed that Capcom's functioning operating practice was NOTHING BUT SEQUELS to currently known financially viable series. (This explains all the EXE/Shooting Star sequels the last several years, as well as the Street Fighter and Biohazard titles). That is the say, the BOD did not dare push the development of a new game for the risk of the financial repercussions if the game were to fail. Dash 3 would for all intents and purposes be a new game, sadly something that the executives would not be that willing to take a bet on.
But how about Capcom's most recent new successful IPs, Lost Planet and Dead Rising? Doesn't that defy that statement? Well surprise surprise, they were produced under Inafune and from that exact same interview, Inafune revealed that the development of those two was completed via corporate defiance and manipulation on his part. Inafune expected the prototypes for Lost Planets and Dead Rising to not get green lighting, which they didn't. So underhandedly, he exceed the development cost of the Prototypes for the games by some "400%", meaning the game will actually be much further along in completion, and forcing the executives to be unable to "cut their losses" and see the game through to market. As it sounds, it was a risky move by Inafune, who mostly likely would of been fired if not for those games turning into the successes they now are.
Wait, if the BOD were proven wrong, wouldn't they have learned by those examples? OF COURSE NOT. That's why our beloved Megaman Universe was taken out earlier this year. Inafune pushed for that product, explaining that it would a good method for developing the downloadable game market of Capcom as well as giving them a framework to develop a Downloadable Content market. But soon after Inafune's departure, the BOD were right back at not risking money on the "new 'idea of DLC, and Universe was out.
And the one thing I will love the point out about the last two paragraphs, Inafune's place in those projects were all from the seat of a DEVELOPER. He was in quite the similar seat at the people in the Rockman Dash 3 Project Development Room. The exception being Inafune having quite a bit MORE seniority and power in comparison to Eguchi et. al. And even then, Inafune barely skated by until he was unable to take it anymore and resigned. So how much power do you think the Developers have? Ultimately they are bounded by finances to get stuff done, which the BOD hold on to firmly with an iron claw.
If we were to take the BOD at their word, we would at least be expected to see the Prototype version released to the public, and sales of it should of been the determining factor for Rockman Dash 3's completion. But did they follow on their word? NOT AT ALL. So tell me, how do we lay blame on the Developers again and not the BOD?
And the one thing I will love the point out about the last two paragraphs, Inafune's place in those projects were all from the seat of a DEVELOPER. He was in quite the similar seat at the people in the Rockman Dash 3 Project Development Room. The exception being Inafune having quite a bit MORE seniority and power in comparison to Eguchi et. al. And even then, Inafune barely skated by until he was unable to take it anymore and resigned. So how much power do you think the Developers have? Ultimately they are bounded by finances to get stuff done, which the BOD hold on to firmly with an iron claw.
If we were to take the BOD at their word, we would at least be expected to see the Prototype version released to the public, and sales of it should of been the determining factor for Rockman Dash 3's completion. But did they follow on their word? NOT AT ALL. So tell me, how do we lay blame on the Developers again and not the BOD?
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