Capcom preparing to release between 20 and 40 PS1 and PSP titles via PSN

by Kevin Kelly { May 4th 2009 at 6:45PM }

Capcom is going to make its PlayStation Network presence a lot more robust as it begins releasing ports of PS1 titles and providing downloadable versions of previous PSP titles throughout the year. We spoke with Capcom's Chris Kramer, who let us know that the company would be listening to what the community wants and figuring out internally what titles to release -- but don't expect any of them to involve licensing shenanigans along the lines of Marvel vs. Capcom.

"We'll definitely be looking at a lot of titles that have things like Street Fighter and Resident Evil in the title," Kramer said. "We're thinking about putting together a long list of the titles we're looking at, and then releasing it on Capcom Unity and having people vote on them. Ultimately we're looking at bringing between 20 and 40 titles to the PSN over the next several months."

Tags: Capcom, Chris-Kramer, downloadable, Sony, UMD

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

George @ May 4th 2009 6:50PM

Well.. about time!

required @ May 4th 2009 7:04PM

No kidding. Why this didn't happen years ago I'll never understand.

Lars @ May 5th 2009 6:18PM

Better late than never! This will go nicely with my PSP2 (when it comes out).

Q4 is looking disastrous for my wallet. PSP2, RB Beatles, and must-have games like Heavy Rain, GoW3, and Uncharted2.

Vidikron @ May 4th 2009 6:50PM

About damn time is all I have to say. Someone tell Sony and Square Enix to start releasing their shit outside the Japanese PSN too.

DrunkRaba @ May 4th 2009 7:35PM

I second that and let out a large YAY!

That's like twice as many titles as are currently available from everyone.

michael @ May 4th 2009 7:51PM

Yeah we need Final Fantasy 7, 8, and 9. We also need a Vagrant Story on there also. I'm excited to see that Capcom support the PSN. Nice to see Resident Evil to appear. Will Rival School be on that PSN also.

"but don't expect any of them to involve licensing shenanigans along the lines of Marvel vs. Capcom."

Oh come on, that's how you can promote the upcoming Marvel vs Capcom 2 game on the PSN. Rerelease the other Marvel vs Capcom game. I never had the PS1 when I was young, and I always wanted to try those game.

Shattercross @ May 4th 2009 11:21PM

The ps1 port of Marvel Versus Capcom 1 is nothing worth writing home about, restrictions in the ps1's memory only let you play tag team if player 1 and 2 were playing as the same character.

Bodachi @ May 4th 2009 6:54PM

Awesome news, hope its coming to the european psn.

Thor @ May 4th 2009 7:09PM

I would hope so too but knowing SCEE and Capcom working together... it'll take a long time

Popfrogs @ May 4th 2009 8:01PM

This is the new SCEE without David Reeves, I think we'll see them a little quicker on their feet than before.

Tyler @ May 4th 2009 6:55PM

Listen up Konami!

Sandman3621 @ May 4th 2009 6:55PM

Why is it only Capcom making these moves? What happened to the other developers? When you go to the "Publishers" side of the store's content, you only have one company, Capcom.

When need more publishers on board!!!

Josh @ May 4th 2009 7:25PM

Because Capcom's the best.

Also, everyone had better start releasing PSP games on PSN, with the PSP Go! coming and all....

Popfrogs @ May 4th 2009 8:05PM

@Archgamer: To be fair, ripping and rolling your own PS1 games on PSP has been *necessary* up until this point thanks to NOBODY releasing games in this format.

I've done it myself with FFTactics and amazingly it ran about 100x better than the crappy re-release that Square vomited upon the PSP. Wanna use an item? ssssllllooowwwdooowwwnn. Wanna cast some magic? You guessed it, slowdown.

Anyway if publishers had gotten on board to begin with people wouldn't be forced to resort to deviance to get their portable gaming fix. In addition to my rip I've purchased some of the very few games from the PSN, Castlevania and Wipeout.

ArchGamer @ May 4th 2009 8:20PM

@Popfrogs

First, wrong post.

Secondly, so, basically stealing or copying PS1 games was *necessary* because you were to impatient to wait for the release of PS1 games from publishers was to slow, like FFTactics spells and actions? Are you an idiot? You have just stated basically that your are a thief.

Furthermore, what kind of message are people like you sending companies like Sony, Capcom, Square, etc. by ripping PS1 games into the PSP, piracy is piracy my fellow, and if the companies feel that piracy is a threat to acquiring any profit, then they are not going to release their games if it was soon pirated. Like I said before, people like you ruin things like this from ever happening.

Lastly, I dare anyone to say that I'm wrong about stealing and piracy.

B @ May 4th 2009 8:23PM

It's not stealing when you own the item.

ArchGamer @ May 4th 2009 8:31PM

@B

Its not right when there is Copyright laws.

Magetto @ May 4th 2009 9:23PM

If he owns his own version, and is making a copy of it to work on the ps1, it's well within his rights to do that.

Magetto @ May 4th 2009 9:25PM

Whoops, meant psp*

Zoinks @ May 4th 2009 10:38PM

@ArchGamer

Don't expect anyone here to agree with you. If I own a PS1 game and want to play it on my PSP it's nobody's business but my own.

Popfrogs @ May 4th 2009 11:34PM

@Archgamer (again): Ok if Joystiq doesn't fail this will end up in the same thread.

Anyway, where did I say that I stole FFTactics? I ripped it from my lovingly used copy off my shelf. I know alot of people just hit torrent sites since most PS1 games are nearly impossible to find legally but that's not what I did. Nor did I encourage anyone to download games they don't own and put them onto CFW PSPs.

I'm saying that, since Square doesn't have its head in the game, they missed out on an additional sale from me. By now 3/4 of the PS1 library should be on the PSN for purchase, legal nonsense aside. Japan has a big fat list of titles and the US PSN does not.

We're nearly 3 years into the PS3's life cycle, and 4 years into the PSP's. There is no excuse for publishers to be dawdling around like this when there is revenue to be had, especially for properties that would cost them next to nothing to re-release since there aren't packaging issues and it's all digital.

Kudos to Capcom, and here's hoping Konami can do better than 2 Castlevania titles.

Billop @ May 4th 2009 6:57PM

Psst far too late. the only reason i kept the psp was the abillity to Rip and convert my own discs. If Sony would embrace this people would buy the psp. Oh well, ill go back to playing Resident Evil 2, FF VII, FFIX, Grandia, Rayman, Chrono Cross, Metal Gear Solid and whatever other PSX game i want on my psp!

ArchGamer @ May 4th 2009 7:11PM

People like you ruin things like this.

Dartmerc @ May 4th 2009 8:57PM

Yep. I too own a PSP with custom firmware, and I enjoy playing my own PS1 games on it. But I don't come here and tell everyone how dumb they are, or tell Capcom they shouldn't bother.
I'll be happy to see some good titles for download, it's far easier to buy something from the PSN than it is to track it down on eBay, rip and copy it, and hope that it actually works.

ArchGamer @ May 4th 2009 6:58PM

I have one thing to say;

OMG!

Actually, that's three things, kind of. But still excited

PS Square, I'm waiting.

tmacairjordan87 @ May 4th 2009 6:58PM

Told you guys more ps1 games are coming. Expect more from other people too like sony and square.

Vidikron @ May 4th 2009 7:16PM

Well, I see plenty in the Japanese store. So given that they really have no excuse for the lack of PS1 games in the store, I'll believe it when I can actually buy the games.

tmacairjordan87 @ May 4th 2009 7:22PM

Oh they are coming. I have a friend that works in one of the bigger sony studios and they've gotten word that more are coming from people like Square, Sony themselves, Konami, Capcom as we've seen here, EA and more. He won't tell me what games specifically or when, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't know that either. I'd wager that a lot will be announced at E3 though.

michael @ May 4th 2009 7:55PM

I hope your friend at Sony give what they promise. We need to be on the same level as the JPN one.

Vidikron @ May 4th 2009 8:28PM

I honestly hope you are correct on that and maybe this move by Capcom is indeed the first step. I love my PS3, but the disparity between the content available in the Jpanese PSN store and what is available here has been one of my biggest ongoing disappointments.