Capcom expects to acquire a Western studio in the next two years.

Speaking in an interview, the company's vice president of strategic planning and business development, Christian Svensson, said, "I would be sort of surprised if we didn't acquire a western studio in the next two years. I think it's just sort of a given."

Of course, "western" is ambiguous enough that it could mean a studio just about anywhere, but it's a pretty safe bet that Svensson means 'outside Asia'.

Capcom has had a few titles with a clear focus on the Western market of late. The likes of Lost Planet and Dead Rising have had a definite bent towards the tastes of Western gamers, especially given their push on the notoriously unpopular-in-Japan Xbox 360.

Based on other comments in the interview, SPOnG wouldn't be surprised if it were a studio with a focus on downloadable content. Discussing Capcom's recent big push into the area, Svensson said "...I think the retail climate, particularly in the U.S., but to some degree in Europe, we're looking at ever-shortening shelf lives for titles, and I think we're looking at lots and lots of content that doesn't lend itself to finding an audience in two or three months."

Svensson also pointed to a slightly gloomy future for the Japanese market, saying, "I think it's fair to say that we're probably going to see the Japan market as a whole -- not just for Capcom -- continue to shrink as it has in the last couple of years as the west continues to expand: we're really just investing against that trend."

Let speculation as to who Capcom might buy commence in the Forum.

^{Source: Gamasutra}