Resident Evil
In 1993, Capcom executive Tokuro Fujiwara instructed developer Shinji Mikami to create a new game using elements from his 1989 Famicom title Sweet Home. The project began as Biohazard in Japan, but marketing executives faced a significant obstacle when preparing for the United States release in late 1994. A DOS game and a New York hardcore punk band had already registered the name Biohazard, making international distribution legally difficult. Company personnel held an internal contest to choose a replacement title, which resulted in Resident Evil becoming the official Western name. The game debuted on the PlayStation in 1996 before receiving ports for the Sega Saturn and Windows platforms.
The original 1996 entry introduced tank controls where character movement depended on facing direction rather than camera angle. Pressing up moved the character forward relative to their own orientation while pressing down caused backpedaling. This scheme felt counter-intuitive when characters faced the camera directly since controls appeared reversed compared to standard three-dimensional games. Some critics argued this intentional clumsiness enhanced stress levels and difficulty for players. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis added a 180-degree turn command that hinted at future directions for the series. By 2005, Resident Evil 4 switched to tracking cameras and over-the-shoulder third-person views with fluid aiming mechanics. Later entries like Resident Evil 7 returned to first-person perspectives using virtual reality technology starting in January 2017. Resident Evil Village followed in May 2021 as a direct sequel incorporating action elements inspired by the fourth installment.
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. In its first two days of release, the 2023 Resident Evil 4 remake sold more than three million copies globally. That same title reached four million units within two weeks making it one of the fastest-selling entries in the entire franchise. In Japan alone, the game moved 89,662 PlayStation 5 copies and 85,371 PlayStation 4 copies during its opening week. The original Resident Evil 2 remake outsold the initial version within just one year achieving sales exceeding five million copies. Seven of the top ten best-selling horror games in North America belong to this series. The films have grossed more than $1.2 billion combined with video game revenue creating the highest-grossing horror franchise overall.
From 2002 through 2016, six live-action films were produced under the direction and writing of Paul W.S. Anderson. Milla Jovovich starred as Alice, an original character created specifically for these movies rather than appearing in the source material. Despite receiving mostly negative reviews from critics, the film series generated over $1 billion worldwide becoming the third-highest-grossing video game adaptation ever made. A reboot titled Welcome to Raccoon City arrived on the 24th of November 2021 written and directed by Johannes Roberts. By March 2025, Sony Pictures secured rights to future projects including a new untitled film set for release on the 18th of September 2026. Filming was scheduled to begin in Prague during November 2025 with Austin Abrams confirmed as the lead actor. 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.
The franchise expanded beyond games into animated films starting with Biohazard 4D-Executer released at Japanese theme parks without featuring main characters. Feature-length computer-animated entries began appearing in 2008 continuing storylines alongside Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. 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. Comic books emerged through Marvel Comics in 1997 followed by WildStorm monthly issues lasting five problems between 1998 and 2009. Novelizations included Hiroyuki Ariga's 1997 novella Biohazard: The Beginning distributed as a Sega Saturn pre-order bonus. Stage plays like Bioroid: Year Zero appeared in summer 2000 while Biohazard The Stage opened in Japan during 2015 focusing on Chris Redfield and Rebecca Chambers.
GameSpot listed the original Resident Evil among fifteen most influential video games of all time for defining survival horror genre conventions. The franchise sparked a revival of zombie popularity leading to renewed interest in zombie films throughout the 2000s. George A. Romero stated in 2013 that Resident Evil and House of the Dead popularized his concept more than anything else in early twenty-first century culture. Screenwriter-director Alex Garland credited the first game as primary influence behind his script for 28 Days Later released in 2002. Edgar Wright cited Resident Evil 2 as main inspiration for Shaun of the Dead starring Simon Pegg who also acknowledged starting the zombie revival trend. Robert Kirkman named Resident Evil his favorite zombie game while Greg Nicotero credited it with introducing zombies to younger generations unfamiliar with Night of the Living Dead. Choreographers Sharon B. Moore and Derek Aasland developed an Undead Bible guiding nearly one thousand cast members through unified movement research ensuring consistent physicality across film productions.
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Common questions
Who created the Resident Evil game series and when did development begin?
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.
Why was the original Resident Evil game renamed from Biohazard for Western audiences?
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.
How many copies of Resident Evil games have been sold worldwide by December 2022?
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.
When will the new untitled Resident Evil film be released and who is directing it?
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.
Which animated series premiered on Netflix and when did it debut?
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.