Capcom: Mega Man is still very important, fans in the West ask about franchise often

Capcom tells investors that the Mega Man franchise plays a key role for the company--could a new release be on the way?

In a recent meeting with shareholders, Capcom executive management was asked point blank about Mega Man and what's next for the franchise. It's been 7 years since the last mainline Mega Man game with 2018's Mega Man 11, and fans (who also happen to be shareholders) want to know if new games are on the way.

While Capcom didn't confirm a new Mega Man game, the company did reiterate its overall stance on the 38-year-old franchise. Mega Man is important, Capcom says, echoing previous statements about wanting to take "great care" in making new Mega Man games. The numbers reinforce Capcom's assertions: Mega Man is the company's fourth best-selling video game franchise of all time with 43 million unit sales.

Capcom also says that the West has a curiously strong appetite for Mega Man merch. Overseas fans are always wanting more Mega Man products.

Below is a quick transcript of what Capcom told its shareholders about Mega Man:

Q． Please tell me about your plans for the Mega Man series.

A． The Mega Man series is one of our most important IPs, and we are continuously considering ways to develop it further. However, we do not have any additional information we can share at this time.

Q． What are your expectations regarding revenue contributions of merchandise sales from the Mega Man series?

A． While we do not disclose individual sales figures by IP, we receive a particularly high volume of inquiries about the Mega Man series from overseas markets. We will continue to focus on expanding this business further.