There's a few third party titles that sold poorly despite critical acclaim from the press. Do you think it’s still simply a matter of making the best game possible, or is there more that needs to be done to reach that audience beyond a high metacritic rating?
Daryl Allison, Senior Producer at Capcom: I think we all wish we lived in a world where quality was all that mattered – if you make it, they will come. Plenty of times it does. Unfortunately, some craptastic games sell too well and too often, and plenty of great games go unnoticed. Fortunately, I was able to be part of giving one of those great games a second chance to be appreciated, bringing Okami to the Wii, and it has sold quite well. It’s good to see that game get the commercial respect it deserves. (And it proves great 3rd party games can sell on the Wii!)
So, yes, quality has to be there. You’re fooling yourself if you go forward with a plan intending to sacrifice quality. More directly to your question, quality isn’t where it ends though. You still have to know your market – what do they want, what do they buy? Someone could come out today with a 100% rated NES game about goats, boomerangs, and unicycles starring Ben Stiller … and, as interestingly entertaining as it might be, I’m willing to bet it would not sell very well.