Capcom

Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and publisher founded in Osaka in 1979. Originally a manufacturer of electronic game machines, the company moved into console and arcade game development in the early 1980s and never looked back. Capcom is responsible for some of the most influential franchises in gaming history and remains one of the most consistent publishers in the industry, known for quality control and a willingness to reinvent its biggest series when they need it.

Mega Man was always a favorite franchise to rent at Blockbuster. I can still remember the easiest order in the third one to beat all the bosses, starting with Snake Man.

Capcom’s Origin Story

Capcom was founded by Kenzo Tsujimoto in 1979 as a manufacturer of electronic game machines. The name is a contraction of Capsule Computers, a term the company used to describe the dedicated hardware it built for its early arcade games. Capcom entered the home console market in the mid-1980s and quickly established itself as one of the premier third-party publishers on the NES, producing licensed games for Disney properties alongside its own original titles.

Capcom’s Key Franchises

Resident Evil

Resident Evil launched in 1996 and defined survival horror as a genre. The original game, set in a mansion outside Raccoon City, established the template of limited resources, puzzle solving, and slow building dread that the series has returned to in different forms ever since. The franchise has sold over 150 million units worldwide and continues to be Capcom’s most important property, with modern remakes of Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, and Resident Evil 4 introducing the series to new audiences while keeping existing fans invested.

Street Fighter

Street Fighter has been the foundation of competitive fighting games since 1987. Street Fighter II in 1991 essentially created the modern fighting game genre and remains one of the most influential games ever made. The series continues with Street Fighter 6, released in 2023, which brought back a large portion of the competitive community and received strong reviews for its accessibility alongside its depth.

Monster Hunter

Monster Hunter was a slow burn in the West before Monster Hunter: World in 2018 turned it into a global phenomenon. The series is built around hunting large creatures, crafting gear from their parts, and taking on progressively harder hunts. World sold over 21 million copies and remains Capcom’s best-selling game. Monster Hunter Wilds continued that momentum in 2025.

Devil May Cry and Other Key Series

Devil May Cry, Mega Man, Ace Attorney, Dragon’s Dogma, and Dead Rising round out Capcom’s major franchises. Each represents a different genre and audience, which is part of what makes Capcom unusual among publishers. They are not dependent on a single type of game.

The RE Engine

Capcom developed the RE Engine internally and first used it for Resident Evil 7 in 2017. The engine has since powered Resident Evil Village, Devil May Cry 5, Monster Hunter Rise, Street Fighter 6, and Dragon’s Dogma 2. Its flexibility across genres and its ability to produce high visual quality while maintaining performance has made it one of the more impressive proprietary engines in the industry.