Capcom Forms New Studio
Capcom has announced the formation of Clover Studio, a new independent studio which will be funded by Capcom Japan. The studio is to be established July 1, 2004 and is ripe with former Capcom talent responsible for classics such as Viewtiful Joe. The sequel to Viewtiful Joe is the studios first announced title. For more details and quotes, read the full release below.
CAPCOM CO., LTD. ANNOUNCES THE FORMATION OF CLOVER STUDIO
TOKYO, JAPAN - April 21, 2004 - Capcom Co., Ltd. of Japan today announced the formation of Clover Studio, an independent studio funded by Capcom Japan, which will be established by July 1, 2004. Atsushi Inaba, producer of the award-winning Steel Battalion(tm) and Steel Battalion(tm): Line of Contact for the Xbox(tm) video game system from Microsoft and Viewtiful Joe(tm) for the Nintendo GameCube(tm), will be named president and CEO. The products Clover Studio will have in development include Viewtiful Joe(tm)2 for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system and Nintendo GameCube, Viewtiful Joe(tm) for the PlayStation2 and Okami (Japanese title) for the PlayStation2 which is currently scheduled for release in Japan. Capcom will be the distribution channel for Clover Studio's products.
"Clover Studio was formed to look at games with a fresh eye and to provide an environment for game-creators to become 'masters of their craftsmanship,'" said Inaba. "In creating the studio we wanted to choose a name and logo that represents our philosophy and vision. We selected the four-leaf clover as our symbol because it signifies happiness and creativity. The symbolic representation of 'Clover' is designed to convey our bold imagination and our approach to creating products, tempered by the delicate concerns of our craft. CLOVER is also an abbreviation of "creativity lover," reinforcing our mantra even further. The studio will work closely with Capcom to see that our vision for creating games becomes a reality," concluded Inaba.
"I'm pleased to support the formation of an independent studio whose mission is to develop creative games that are innovative and inspire the future of gaming," said Kenzo Tsujimoto, president and CEO, Capcom Co., Ltd. "Clover Studio is a creative entity comprised of a group of talented game designers who have a proven record of developing awe inspiring games that push creativity and technology. Clover Studio is good for Capcom and video gamers around the world."
Other notable members joining Atsushi Inaba and Clover Studio are Shinji Mikami, the genius behind the masterpiece Resident Evil and Hideki Kamiya, the director for Devil May Cry. The studio will open with 64 employees.
