Keiji Inafune departs Capcom.

[Ed Oscuro]

4G: However, although there were many problems, it's worked out until very recently. Why do you think that things have changed so suddenly?

KI: It's because there was no competition before. For example, in the game industry 20 years ago, no matter what kind of game you made, you could sell 200 or 300 thousand copies. If you even made a decent game, it'd sell 500 thousand or a million copies. But those days are over.

4G: Why's that?

KI: For one, competition has intensified, and furthermore, players have gotten "used to" games. To use a simple analogy, any kind of erotic picture will turn on a middle school student, right? (laughs) Oh, but it's not like that so much anymore...

4G: Well, I guess I understand. (laughs)

Haha, awesome stuff. The bit about it being like a communist state...wow...but not really a shocker.

[Obiwanshinobi]

You could probably throw NES Megaman onto that list, as it had pretty broad appeal - before it went animu and saw its fortunes fall.

Rockman has always been heavily inspired by Astro Boy. They just couldn't make him as cutesy as they wanted to on the NES.

[Drum]

I know, I know - but what was on the screen is what counts. OG Megaman had a simpler, more Lego-like appeal. Plus Astro Boy himself had pretty broad appeal.