I don’t think there’s any question that Capcom is going all-out with Resident Evil 5. To give a better idea of what we can expect from the latest in Capcom’s survival-horror franchise, the company’s investor relations website posted an interview with one Jun Takeuchi, the Producer for Resident Evil 5 and General Manager of their R&D Strategic Planning Department.
PR Staff: One difficulty [in making a game for an overseas audience] might be the fact that in Japan no one really has firearms, but many Americans do.
Takeuchi: Right, so they might have more of a chance to hold guns or see videos of them, and then that requires us to portray them accurately [in the game]. For the Resident Evil series we even went as far as to consult a firearms specialist to really capture the authenticity.
PR Staff: Were you aware of how guns are handled overseas and how they work, and how gun enthusiasts would react?
Takeuchi: Yes, and in fact, the footwear and gloves the main character wears are all based on real items. We contacted the makers of those items to find out all the little details that go into making them, that way players don’t have a sense of the game being completely divorced from reality. And that’s how we were able to realistically recreate the proper specs for the items used in the game. When you look at the trailer, you see the main character’s clothing and all the fibers that comprise it.
We really paid attention to the details. We made it so that the fabric of his shirt actually gives the illusion of breathing like its real-life counterpart; it is also decidedly different from the heavier material that hangs down below it.
PR Staff: RE4 was a runaway success. What are your sales goals for RE5?
Takeuchi: At the low end of the scale, I would say 2 million copies worldwide. I’d like to see it start there and eventually reach 3 million copies. I think users in Europe and America will be particularly pleased with the game’s content.
PR Staff: I see that RE5 promotions are gradually being released. Could you shed some light on the upcoming promotion schedule?
Takeuchi: In addition to all the usual specialty magazines, we’re also putting more effort into our web promotions.
PR Staff: Is that to attract adults and new users?
Takeuchi: That’s part of it, but nowadays there’s no doubt about the power of web advertising, and it looks like that area will continue to expand.
We have a countdown on the web for the Media Summit at the end of May. There will be something special for all the users who wait for that. Then there’s a countdown for E3. We’ll have continual countdowns, and when each one ends, there will be a special treat on the web site. The Internet represents a new challenge, but one that we seem to be handling well.
PR Staff: Since these promotions are interactive, will you be carrying them out in every country?
Takeuchi: No, but at the same time we want all the global markets to be on the same page. There are web sites for America, Japan, and Europe, but it is part of our global strategy to see to it that the basic concepts behind them are the same.
PR Staff: You’re carrying out a very thorough global strategy.
Takeuchi: Well (laughs), we having meetings every week for the Resident Evil Project in the U.S., Japan, and Europe.
Be sure to check out the rest of the interview at Capcom’s web site!
