Capcom will use new Street Fighter movie to strategically boost game sales

The Devil May Cry TV show helped sell nearly 2 million copies of Devil May Cry 5. Now Capcom wants to do the same thing with the new Street Fighter movie

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Capcom has found another lever to successfully supercharge game sales: Transmedia content. How Capcom leveraged the latest Devil May Cry TV show on Netflix is a prime example of the company's business strategy. The idea is simple: Plan out a TV show or a movie around a franchise, and then be ready to meet new fans with games, events, and promos. Capcom has a wealth of catalog IP (they have a ton of game franchises and software that's already out) that can be tapped for this purpose.

The upcoming live action Street Fighter movie in 2026 offers another big opportunity to spike game sales. In a recent Q&A with investors, Capcom said that it fully intends to pull off a similar plan with the Street Fighter film. Expect to see steep discounts and new in-game content drops in both Street Fighter 6 and the entire multi-decade series as a whole.

Here's what Capcom said in the Q&A:

Q - Will the increase in unit sales for the Devil May Cry series continue in the second quarter and beyond, and can we expect similar results from other IPs that are used in movies and animation?

A - Linking promotional activities for the Devil May Cry series with the release of the anime led to an increase in sales volume for the games, the results of which we believe have proven more effective than had we conducted these promotions independently. However, we anticipate a slowdown in sales for the series during the second quarter and beyond. While it will also depend on the promotional strategies of the video streaming platforms and distributors, we plan to collaborate our marketing efforts to maximize sales opportunities for other titles as well, including the upcoming Street Fighter movie that has been announced.