I predict that at some point in the future Capcom IP's will be auctioned off to the highest bidder (similar to what happened to THQ) if things get really bad.
I think they'll be acquired before that happens. Who knows, though, Capcom is pretty damn expensive right now.
It's hard to say what will end up happening, but I think console exclusivity and control of Capcom IP's would definitely be appealing. Think about why Nintendo does so well as a company (franchise exclusivity).
Capcom hasn't really been able to take any risks because of the financial situation they've been in lately, leading to this.
If a Microsoft or Sony were able to leverage several franchises (ie: Megaman/Resident Evil/Devil May Cry/Street Fighter/Darkstalkers/Monster Hunter/etc.) I definitely think that would be appealing to some of these big publishers, and I definitely think it would lead to increased console sales and justification for 'why you should buy our system'.
Microsoft in particular could really benefit from having some exclusive IP's under their belt other than Halo.
Eh, other than Monster Hunter, what does Capcom really offer? Resident Evil is past its prime and needs some work, Megaman has nostalgia but is essentially worthless, Street Fighter has a wide but shallow well, they bungled DMC, Darkstalkers is worthless, their mobile division is a nightmare...
Nintendo makes money off first party because they have strong IPs. If Capcom can't make money off their properties going multiplat, why would a console company take the risk?
Yeah though, who knows. If I owned Sony stock and Sony bought Capcom I would be really upset. MS buying them seems strange and out of character, even though they have the resources. Nintendo is also pretty jacked up financially, so a huge acquisition seems insanely risky. I have been surprised by ludicrous purchases before (Zynga buys NatMo for a half billion), so admittedly I'm not the best judge of these things.
