Ninja Theory’s Tameem Antoniades recently revealed in an interview about the reception that’s been received behind their upcoming reboot of Capcom’s Devil May Cry series.
Following the game’s announcement in September 2010, there’s been a slew of outcry behind the new project with the 2 major factors being that the game is being handled by a non-Japanese developer and that the main hero (Dante) looks nothing like he has in the previous 4 games. Series creator Hideki Kamiya himself had also expressed disappointment over the new look after Capcom and Ninja Theory made the reveal.
DmC: Devil May Cry, the official title of the game, showcases series protagonist Dante as a Westerner and sees him battling his way across the possessed city of Limbo. Being set in a parallel universe in the Devil May Cry universe, the city appears calm at first, but transforms into a twisted parody of itself rife with demons who frequently attempt to kill Dante. Dante finds himself not only fighting blood thirsty demons but also the ever-changing environment of the city as well.
In an interview with OXM, Antoniades explained some of what he had to expect after the unveiling. ”[Enslaved writer] Alex Garland warned me about it because he experienced a similar thing with 28 Days Later where people were upset that it didn’t feature real zombies.
“So I was half prepared for it, although I have to say that it has been pretty eye opening to see some of the creative ways in which people have chosen to vent their hatred. We didn’t expect death threats in comic book form or anti-DmC death metal songs!”
With the uphill battle that Ninja Theory has had to face since getting the go ahead to create the reboot, the developer intends to stay true to the original formula that is Devil May Cry — the stylish combat. “There is of course an expectation from the fans, which is something that has always been firmly in the minds of both ourselves and Capcom,” Antoniades explained. “The Devil May Cry franchise is well established and much loved, so we want to keep the essence of what makes the series unique.
“Combat is something that we are taking very seriously and is one of the areas that we’re working closely with Capcom on.”
Capcom recently came forward on the matter of fan reception when Christian Stevenson, the Corporate Officer and Senior Vice-President of Capcom, recently posted a short comment regarding the situation. ”Death threats have no place in civilized society. Period.”
Ninja Theory’s Alex Jones feels the outrage will die down as more gameplay footage and impressions enter circulation. “It’s pretty hard for me to back the decisions we made without showing actual gameplay to the public. So until that time comes, and it will come soon, I just have to put up with the rage.
“Though I must say, lots of people have come and said that they are now interested in DmC whereas they had previously lost interest in the series. We’ll see how this plays out.”
Thanks OXM.
