Capcom Obtains All Platform Rights For MotoGP Videogames

[Steve_OS]

Capcom Obtains All Platform Rights For MotoGP Videogames

Jerez, Spain – March 30, 2008 - Capcom®, a leading developer and publisher of videogames today confirmed that it has secured exclusive worldwide rights to publish official videogames and create peripherals based on the World’s premier motorcycling championship, MotoGP™ across all hardware platforms.

This agreement will run for five years and supersedes the existing rights granted to publish titles on the PlayStation platforms which saw last year’s successful release of MotoGP 07 for the PlayStation® 2 entertainment system.

As part of this new agreement Capcom intends to initially publish titles based on the 2008 MotoGP season for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Sony Computer Entertainment’s PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™), the Wii™ video game system from Nintendo, PC platform and the PlayStation® 2 entertainment system, plus versions for mobile handsets.

MotoGP is the world’s premier motorcycling championship consisting of 18 Grands Prix hosted around the globe. It features the world’s top motorcycle manufacturers such as Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati, Kawasaki, KTM and Aprilia, who provide machinery for the world’s best riders, including reigning World Champion Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa.

The 2008 grid also includes Japan’s Shinya Nakano, plus newcomers for the new season, such as 250cc World Champion Jorge Lorenzo and last year’s World Superbike Champion, James Toseland, from the UK.

Commenting on the announcement Mark Beaumont, executive vice president, officer and head of Capcom consumer software publishing in the Americas and Europe said: “We are very excited to have signed this long term agreement with Dorna Sports, which for the first time grants one publisher worldwide multi-platform rights to the adrenaline fuelled world of MotoGP. We feel this move to a single publisher will greatly benefit our ability to develop titles that deliver more authenticity and excitement to the consumer”.

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports, the exclusive holder of all commercial and TV rights to MotoGP commented: “Capcom has already shown its ability to deliver a title that captures the essence of MotoGP and we look forward to working with them over the next five years”.

[pk500]

It's a sad day for MotoGP console games. The THQ MotoGP games for the Xbox always had more sim values and realism than the Capcom MotoGP games for the PS2.

But as with any video game license, it's money that matters.

Take care,
PK

[mercalnd]

Quote: Originally Posted by pk500

The THQ MotoGP games for the Xbox always had more sim values and realism than the Capcom MotoGP games for the PS2.

Actually, Capcom has only made one MotoGP game for PS2 and it was 07. Before that it was Namco that had the PS2 rights and made the MotoGP 1-4 games. I haven't played Capcom's first entry yet so I don't really know how it is. I've read the graphics were pretty bad.

The review scores on game rankings are all over the place for it, which is not that unusual for a racing game based on a real series as these games are often docked for not featuring spectacular environments and the visual "blandness" of the tracks they feature. Factor in the reported ugly graphics and some of the review scores took a real nosedive yet some of them were pretty good as well, esecially for a first attempt.

I'm willing to give Capcom the chance to prove themselves on 360 and PS3 once they release their first version.

[pk500]

Thanks for the correction, mercal!

Take care,
PK

[TCrouch]

...and my anticipation for SBK08 just got higher. I just hope they don't manage to screw up what worked in 2000 and 2001.