Amid industry-wide layoffs that have already affected more than 6,700 people in 2024 alone (on top of 10,000 laid off in the games industry last year), Capcom has announced it is increasing its starting salary in Japan by more than 25 percent. Plus, those already working at the company behind games like Street Fighter 6, Dragon's Dogma 2, and the Resident Evil franchise will be getting an increase in their salaries as well. 

This news comes by way of VideoGamesChronicle, which reports that the existing pay for "new graduate hires" is around $1,560 per month but, starting in Capcom's 2025 fiscal year, that will change to around $2000 a month, representing a more than 25 percent jump in pay. Existing salaries will be bumped up by more than 5 percent, on average, in Capcom's 2024 fiscal year, according to VGC, and current employees will also get a "one-time special payment," as "an investment in the people who support the future of the company." 

"With the increase in starting salary, Capcom is pursuing further investment in human capital and the acquisition of exceptional talent," Capcom writes in a statement, according to VGC.

The publication notes Capcom increased it salaries by 30 percent in 2022 with a new bonus system tied to the company's overall business performance. Which, given Capcom's excellent run over the years, including Street Fighter 6, Resident Evil 4 (remake), Resident Evil Village, and more, those bonuses were likely great. 

For more, read Game Informer's Street Fighter 6 review to find out why it's one of our favorite fighting games in years, and then check out the reveal trailer for Monster Hunter: Wilds, which is due out sometime next year. After that, read Game Informer's Dragon's Dogma 2 impressions after going hands-on with it for a few hours. 

For more about Dragon's Dogma 2, which launches March 22 and is Capcom's next big release, check out the following stories: 

• Dragon's Dogma 2 has just one save file to encourage exploration
• Dragon's Dogma 2 main story campaign is about the same length as the first game
• Dragon's Dogma 2 has an uncapped framerate, but no visual presets or modes on consoles

[Source: VideoGamesChronicle]

The RPG Maker series is arguably the most efficiently named “game” in the medium. It is a tool that lets players make their own RPGs. The series has been around in Japan since the late '80s but has regularly made its way to North America across myriad platforms. It has always existed somewhere between a development tool and a fun, digital creativity toy. The next entry, RPG Maker With – considering it will be for consoles – seems to fall more in the direction of the latter.

With doesn’t appear to have any major surprises. It boasts user-friendly and intuitive controls, all kinds of new assets to build your game with, the ability to make your own assets, and it will let you share your creations, finished or in-progress, with others online.

RPG Maker With is coming to Switch in the Fall of this year and will make its way to Sony platforms in 2025.