Short answers, pulled from the story.
Capcom executive Tokuro Fujiwara instructed developer Shinji Mikami to create Resident Evil in 1993. The project began as Biohazard in Japan before facing legal obstacles for its United States release.
Marketing executives changed the title because a DOS game and a New York hardcore punk band had already registered the name Biohazard. Company personnel held an internal contest that resulted in Resident Evil becoming the official Western name.
By December 2022, approximately 135 million copies of Resident Evil games had been sold worldwide according to Capcom records. The franchise holds Guinness World Records recognition as the best-selling survival horror series.
Sony Pictures secured rights to future projects including a new untitled film set for release on the 18th of September 2026. Zach Cregger announced he would write and direct the upcoming project while stating he had never viewed any previous Resident Evil films before taking on the role.
Netflix premiered Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness on the 8th of July 2021 as a four-part CG anime series starring protagonists from the second game. An eight-episode live-action series also debuted on the 14th of July 2022 exploring plotlines set in both 2022 and 2036 involving Albert Wesker's daughters.