Capcom is a company known for its legacy of successful video games but began as a manufacturer and distributor of electronic game machines before earning this title. Starting in 1979, they distributed game machines such as the CP system, but it wasn’t until 1983 that they began embarking on making their own video games and were recognized for the cutting-edge technology and design used throughout their games.
Capcom created their first coin-operated game in 1983 ‘Little League’, which in 1984 was released as a real video game entitled ‘Vulgus.’ This was only the beginning of their venture into video game-making territory, going on to create some greats such as Street Fighter, Ace Attorney, and most famously their ongoing franchise of Resident Evil games. In the late 1980s, they began marketing home computers – not a device popularly used for gaming at the time but still allowed them to explore new territory in technological advancements for the realm of gaming.
Curran and Seaton argue that the bigger the company is, the less scope for creativity there is, but I don’t see this theory being applicable to Capcom. Their work involves a large team and rather than working as a conglomerate with everything they need already underneath them, they bring in companies to work alongside them on games. This can be seen on the Resident Evil games, as the company collaborated with companies such as Dreamcast, Virgin Interactive Windows, Gamecube and more. Those working on the games are carefully selected to bring the game to its highest standard. The game has a large scope for creativity with tons of fan-based things following such as cosplays, walkthroughs and fanfictions. The company is interactive with fans through social media, and even for the most recent Resident Evil 4 remake took fans suggestions on board.
The company definitely defies Curran and Seaton's suggestion of not doing anything outlandish or edgy as they tackle the horror genre with the dystopian element of zombies, with graphic language and content that not only restricts their audience in terms of age but also for those who cannot stomach it. Looking at their other games such as Ace Attorney, this still explores darker themes, and we can see the range that the company has by comparing the completely different stylistic choices of the two games.
The company has creative approaches in their output and how they market the game, such as in the release of Resident Evil 6 creating the ‘No Hope Left’ campaign whereby websites appeared showing graffitied symbols of the game as promotion. They use the social media marketing aspect to their advantage, as well as creating trailers that also catch the eye, such as this one placed on a billboard with visual effects that would catch an audience's attention.
The ideologies of the company are reflected through the teams they carefully put together to make the project they are working on have the best output it possibly can – not just for profit, but for invested fans. This can be seen with the continued lore and storyline of Resident Evil continued throughout the games.
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