As Capcom has at least semi-officially closed the door on future collaboration with future developers, it’s now very clear how little margin for error exists in this generation of gaming development. After pledging to work with western devs in order to expand their sales in the western markets, Capcom’s failure to revive the Bionic Commando series seems to have caused the Japanese game maker to reverse course entirely.

It’s evident developers walk a tight rope in this generation. We complain of “sequelitis”, but once a winning formula is found it’s dangerous or even reckless to deviate from that success. A single failure can topple a small developer, and can cause even a powerhouse like Capcom to feel very uncomfortable.

Our pastime of choice has become big money, but that means developers are less and less likely to take the chances to truly innovate. Hopefully the burgeoning scene of indie and download-only games will keep us awash with fresh ideas to help propel the industry forward!