DmC: Devil May Cry

Being entirely honest, I think that if Capcom had announced DMC5 and DmC simultaneously or DMC5 first, and assured that DmC would not "reboot" or "replace" the core of the franchise that was being continued with DMC5, then I don't think I would have cared at all that DmC was being made. I still would not have considered buying or playing the game unless it was a completely brand new IP with all new characters, but the chances that I would have hated or complained about it much would have been slim to nil.

But under the current circumstances, I would continue to hate DmC and a possible DmC2 even after DMC5 was released, because now Ninja Theory and Capcom have turned DmC into more than just a spinoff game. They've turned it into a blunt statement of just how much they hate their own IPs, history and fans. They've turned DmC into a symbol, but not the kind they want it to be.

Capcom and Ninja Theory like to tell themselves that DmC is a symbol of valuing intelligence over nostalgia, of being willing to try new things rather than stick to the familiar. But in reality, they made DmC into a symbol of corporate greed and disrespectful creative narcissism, the two things killing the video game industry. Capcom pushed for radical changes that match up with whatever they think is "cool" with the masses, and Ninja Theory valued their own "genius" above what came before them to such an extent that they openly insulted the history, characters and fans of the very series of which they're supposed to be making a new entry.

By tossing out what made the series and characters what they were, forcing in ideas that belong in a new IP instead of DMC, and attacking the fans for daring to actually care about seeing the history of the IP they love get the respect it deserves, Capcom and Ninja Theory drew a line in the sand. This line basically said you should buy DmC if you hate the DMC series or love to be insulted and mocked if you ever showed any love for the franchise.

Frankly, even if Capcom and Ninja Theory managed to sell the most units of any game released with DmC, they undoubtedly hurt any potential sales by dividing the community into DMC and DmC crowds. At best, DmC doesn't get the added sales of hardcore DMC fans that might have bought it under different circumstances. At worst, Capcom and Ninja Theory just stupidly killed the potential sales of ANY future DMC or DmC game because many DmC fans will now refuse to play any future DMC games made, and vice versa.