Resident Evil has always been a popular franchise and cash cow for publisher Capcom, and now it appears to have now joined the prestigious 100 million club. In a pair of reports posted to Capcom’s Investor Relations website, the recent Resident Evil 3 remake has shipped an impressive 2 million copies over the first five days of its release to push the franchise past the milestone marker.
As of March 31, Capcom noted that Monster Hunter series has shipped 63 million copies with Street Fighter moving 44 million and Mega Man shifting 36 million. However, Resident Evil tops all three with 98 million copies from a staggering 135 titles. Capcom followed up that declaration with another that the April 3 launch of its Resident Evil 3 remake had surpassed 2 million copies shipped just five days after release.
Capcom’s Resident Evil 3 re-imagining released alongside Resident Evil: Resistance, a new asymmetrical online multiplayer mode. A demo of the game and an open beta for Resistance dropped in March and helped drive excitement from fans prior to the game’s April release. According to the report, nearly 50% of sales have been digital which bodes well for Capcom’s strategy to push digital distribution over more traditional avenues. It looks like the gambit is paying off in a big way as Resident Evil 2 also managed 6.5 million copies shipped since launching in January 2019.
Resident Evil 3 features several adjustments aside from the graphical overhaul, while utilizing the RE Engine that premiered with the release of Resident Evil 7. Certain story points were reworked including a change to link Nemesis to Resident Evil 4. What that means for potential future remakes is unknown, but it has gamers eager to see more.
The franchise has seen a bit of a rebirth since Resident Evil 7 came out in 2017. Prior to that, the series seemed bereft of new ideas and was starting to show signs of stagnating. It was a similar situation when Resident Evil 4 hit like a breath of fresh air after the series stalled with the original Resident Evil 3: Nemesis in 1999.
This new revamped version has seen its fair share of criticisms, though. Several reviewers have noted the game suffers from pacing problems and that the campaign is too easy and too short for what could have been more robust adventure. Fans will have to wait and see if Capcom addresses these complaints in the future. The publisher has lined up more survival horror with rumors swirling that Resident Evil 8 may debut on the PS5 and Xbox Series X in early 2021.
The Resident Evil 3 remake is now available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Source: Eurogamer
