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Capcom defends MaXplosion against mounting criticism

Publisher denies stealing idea from indie studio Twisted Pixel

Capcom defends MaXplosion against mounting criticism
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| MaXplosion

In a statement issued to outlet Joystiq, Capcom defends against criticism of iPhone and iPod touch game MaXplosion as a shameless clone of Xbox Live Arcade title 'Splosion Man.

"MaXplosion was developed independently by Capcom Mobile. Nonetheless, we are saddened by this situation and hope to rebuild the trust of our fans and friends in the gaming community."

Developer Twisted Pixel, the studio behind the downloadable Xbox 360 game, have been vocal about their frustration with Capcom's stunningly similar game.

The independent studio recounts a meeting with Capcom in which 'Splosion Man was considered for publication; however, the company passed on the game. Capcom denies the concept for 'Splosion Man came out of that meeting.

"While Twisted Pixel did have discussions with our console game team about publishing 'Splosion Man on game consoles, Capcom Mobile is a different division of Capcom with separate offices and as such, had no prior knowledge of any meetings between the console game team and Twisted Pixel."

Regardless, the damage has been done and Capcom has quite the hill to climb in repairing its image.

Perhaps more importantly, the substandard gameplay of MaXplosion presents a challenge for Capcom. Although the company has been successful from a business perspective, many of its games have been panned critically with MaXplosion just the latest example.

Tracy Erickson
Tracy Erickson
Manning our editorial outpost in America, Tracy comes with years of expertise at mashing a keyboard. When he's not out painting the town red, he jets across the home of the brave, covering press events under the Pocket Gamer banner.