A quick translation of a Japanese-based article that was released earlier this morning revealed that Capcom is preparing their official line up for E3 2014 due in June. While no names of titles were mentioned, there was a colossal hint dropped that one of Capcom’s “big game titles” would be prepared to make its debut on the expected date. Various sources point in the direction of the iconic Resident Evil 7, which has been under wraps for some time now. Though, there has been a lot of theorizing in terms that Capcom wouldn’t dare walk into E3 2014 without having a profitable title attached to its listings. After the release of Resident Evil 6, numerous fans of the series found themselves underwhelmed at that game mechanics, plot, and shift in the Resident Evil franchise into more of an action game experience over influential horror. In an interview with Michael Pattison that was published last year, the SVP of marketing reassured that the outcry following the prior installment was universal. Fans desired Resident Evil to revert back to their classical survival horror roots. So far, all available clues are beginning to point in that general direction, much to the relief of those who might be anticipating the next installment of the Resident Evil series.
The idea that Resident Evil 7 was already in the works isn’t exactly news, however. We’ve been aware that the game is expected due to a LinkedIn job posting for the game. Therefore, it went without say that we could be expecting it sometime in the near future. What we haven’t been aware of is just how soon Capcom would be able to release information to their audience. Sankei Shimbun, the publisher of the Japan-based news article, pointed readers to the upcoming event and dropped a mention of PlayStation along with it. Though this doesn’t necessarily mean that the “big game” is going to be a PlayStation exclusive, it does seem a little odd that the Xbox 360 or Xbox One went without mention.
So why is there so much building suspense for the E3 lineup to include Resident Evil 7? Well, to answer that we’ll have to dive into the success of Resident Evil 6 and the unexpectedly popular Resident Evil: Revelations for the 3DS being launched on multiple platforms. As the numbers stand, Resident Evil 6 can be attributed for bringing Capcom over 5.6+ million sales. The accessibility after the 3DS release left their fans asking for Resident Evil: Revelations to be taken to various platforms. Which added yet another landslide of sales for the Japan-based game developers; meaning that while it could possibly not be Resident Evil 7 getting primped for a E3 2014 appearance, the probability is weighted highly in the game’s favor. But we won’t know for certain until E3 is finally here and Capcom’s representatives have taken the floor. For now, we’re still on eggshells, even if all indication has begun to mount support in Resident Evil 7‘s development.
We’ll keep you informed as new information begins to surface in accordance to Capcom’s motives and development prior to the E3 2014 release. Rumors are still circulating, so we’ll be sure to try and distinguish fact from fiction. Feel free to leave a comment if you’re interested in seeing or hearing more about Resident Evil 7‘s impending launch, or what changes you’d like to see made in the Resident Evil series.