Resident Evil Monthly Update: May 2016

Resident Evil Update will be a new monthly article I will write that will compile many important Resident Evil related news stories into one publication. So, here we go!

 

RESIDENT EVIL 7 rumors:

Resident Evil 7 rumors are appearing everywhere with very strong sources to back them up. The rumors are all saying the same thing: A complete, 100%, clean slate Reboot.

Capcom reportedly will be rebooting the series. New characters, New Locations, New Content, completely new universe. Part of the rumor also states that Capcom is intending to bring back the long abandoned “Fixed Angle” camera to the franchise starting with 7, and may possibly drop the “behind the back” standard that Capcom has employed since Resident Evil 4. Much of the design behind Resident Evil 7 is reportedly being influenced on the successful sales of both the Resident Evil HD port and the Resident Evil Zero HD ports, as well as the highly successful response to the Resident Evil 2 remake announcement. It is also taking the poor sales of Resident Evil 6 HD into effect, and the mixed reviews behind Revelations 2.

With that news, there are also rumors stating that some of the development team formally employed at Kojima Productions will be on board with the project. Kojima Productions is famous for Metal Gear Solid, as well as the cancelled game “Silent Hills”. While none of this is confirmed, Michelle Ruff, who voiced Jill in Revelations and Operation Raccoon City, allegedly tweeted, then deleted, that she is possibly on board with 7 in some form. May it be voicing Jill or a new character, we have yet to see.

All of this is coming right up onto the official announcement that Resident Evil is getting “Major Treatment” this year by capcom, where they stated its getting the “Full Assault”. The next major releases are Resident Evil: Umbrella Corps for PS4, as well as HD ports of both RE4 and RE5 sometime this year for PS4/Xone. Resident Evil 2 HD is expected to possibly make an appearance in some form at E32016 as well.

 

Capcom is planning to continue the “Revelations” sub series of Resident Evil:

Resident Evil has four sub series: Outbreak, Survivor, Chronicles and Revelations. Revelations, unlike the previous sub franchises, is extremely successful. Capcom struck gold with the original Revelations, which told the story of Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine in a loose prequel to Resident Evil 5 set on a cruise ship. The game sold very well, and was very well received. Eventually, a sequel, was released which told the story of Claire Redfield and Barry Burton on an old mysterious Russian research island after Claire and Moira were captured by terrorists. As with the first Revelations, this title sold well, and was very well received by critics.

Something that alot of fans like about Revelations, is that unlike the modern numbered entries, the Revelations games are “Survival Horror” focused. Limited items, health and ammo, as well as cramped areas and hard enemies make the games scarier than the newer main titles. Well, due to the success, Capcom is wanting to make a third entry. Capcom talked about it in an interview, and they will likely be making Revelations 3, which will probably take place between Resident Evil 6 and the tentative Resident Evil 7. As before, Revelations 3 will be horror focused, and will also probably star a previously used, but long abandoned character. Perhaps its time for Steve to return? Afterall, Wesker did confirm in Code Veronica that he can resurrect Steve. Did he? Who knows?

 

Resident Evil Zero HD has sold over 800.000 copies:

Being called very successful by Capcom, Resident Evil 0 HD has now sold 800.000 copies. This makes it one of the most successful Capcom re-releases in the series.

 

Resident Evil clone “Sations” has been cancelled: 

Originally revealed in December 2015, Sations is a reboot to a very obscure and unknown Sega Saturn series from, you guessed it, unknown developer “Taptu”. Sations was acquired in 2014 by MintCookie Games and started development in 2015. The title was to take place in a alternate universe Centralia, PA, where the coal fire was put out by a large industrial company in the 80s. Afterward, the town would grow into a city with over 100.000 people. Then, in 1995, a zombie outbreak would occur and a team of police officers would go investigate a secret lab out in the forest near the city. If that isn’t already drawing inspiration from Resident Evil, the title would have also had pre rendered backgrounds, fixed camera angles, and even an inventory management system.

Unfortunately, MintCookie Games is very controversial. MintCookie Games managed to reverse engineer the PS2 online software and made their own unified network service for the PS2 as a non profit project. This prompt a response from game news sites, fans and even from Sony with many debating on if it was real or not, and Sony even contacting the company to cease production of the project. More issues struck the company due to their marketing director leaking many details of both Sations and PS2Net to sites such as Assembler Games and PS2 Online Forums, and so he was fired. This eventually caused him to leak more info. Due to problems with this, and the unprofessional way the owner of the company handled the situation, Sations publisher Focus Home Interactive severed their contract and ties with the company and Sations was left without funding and a publisher. Due to this, Sations has been cancelled, Mintcookie Games has closed, and the Sations IP is officially on the market. A beta for Sations did leak, but Janice, the owner of the IP and company, keeps issuing DMCA takedowns. Sations was intended to release on PSVita, Wii U and PC in 2017.