Capcom Co., Ltd. (株式会社カプコン, Kabushiki-gaisha Kapukon) is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. It is the creator of several popular video game franchises, including Mega Man, Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, Darkstalkers, Devil May Cry, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Ace Attorney, and Okami.
Company history[]
Capcom started life as I.R.M. Corporation, founded on May 30, 1979 by Kenzo Tsujimoto, as a developer and seller of electric parts for game machines.[1] The company and its subsidiary, Japan Capsule Computers Co., Ltd., later underwent a name change in 1981 to Sambi Co., Ltd.,[1] while in June 11, 1983, Tsujimoto established Capcom Co., Ltd. to take over the internal sales department.[1] The name Capcom is a portmanteau of the term "Capsule Computers", something the company used to describe the arcade machines they were developing at the time as to set them apart from personal computers.[2] According to them, they often liken their games to "a capsule packed to the brim with gaming fun".[3]
In May 1984, Capcom released its first video game, an arcade title known as Vulgus.[1] It wouldn't be until December 1985 that Capcom began seriously developing video games for a home console market after establishing its US branch, Capcom U.S.A. Inc. The company's first home release was with the Nintendo Entertainment System port of their arcade shoot-em-up, 1942.[1] By the turn of the century, Capcom had gained massive popularity with both arcade and home console markets, mainly bolstered by the release of Street Fighter II: The World Warrior,[1] which would start the rise of competitive fighting games in the 90s and inspire the creation of several other franchises, most notably Mortal Kombat and Fatal Fury. Their increased popularity would eventually lead to its historic collaboration with Marvel Entertainment, resulting in the creations of X-Men: Children of the Atom and the Marvel vs. Capcom series.
In January 1989, Capcom and Sambi merged to form the current Capcom, later transferring offices to Higashi-ku, Osaka, Japan.[1] In May 1994, the company moved offices again to its permanent location in Chūō-ku following the building's completed construction.[1] Since then, Capcom has expanded its business into other ventures. In June 2006, the company began developing games for the mobile market with its establishment of CAPCOM INTERACTIVE, INC. in the United States.[1] In February 2019, Capcom launched its very own Japanese eSports league, the Capcom Street Fighter League,[1] after its increased involvement with the scene following the release of Street Fighter V in 2016 and the creation of the Capcom Pro Tour.[4]
Outside of video games, Capcom have had immense success with films based on its franchises, starting with the feature adaptation of Street Fighter in 1994. This was later followed by the Resident Evil film series beginning in 2002, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li in 2009, and Monster Hunter in 2020. Despite all of the films having been universally panned by critics, most have nonetheless been financial hits at the box office.
Involvement with Super Smash Bros.[]
Capcom became the third third-party company to join Smash Bros. following the inclusion of one of its company mascots, being Mega Man from his eponymous franchise. He joined Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U as one of the first newcomers revealed. His inclusion also brought with him the stage Wily Castle, a summonable Assist Trophy in the form of Elec Man, collectible Trophies, and several pieces of Music. He would later be joined by Ryu, the protagonist of the Street Fighter series, as the game's first DLC newcomer. Packaged with Ryu is the stage Suzaku Castle and a collection of Music from Street Fighter. Separate paid DLC Mii Fighter Costumes modeled after X, MegaMan.EXE, Zero, and Proto Man from the Mega Man series, and the Hunter and Rathalos armors from the Monster Hunter series were also made available.
All Capcom fighters and all related content from 3DS/Wii U returns for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, though its representation has significantly increased. These include fellow Street Fighter character Ken Masters joining as a playable newcomer and as Ryu's Echo Fighter; the monster Rathalos from Monster Hunter as a boss in Classic Mode and World of Light; new Assist Trophies being the aforementioned Rathalos, Zero, Dr. Wily, and Guile; new DLC Mii Fighter costumes modeled after Arthur from Ghosts 'n Goblins, Felyne from Monster Hunter, and Dante from Devil May Cry; and DLC Spirits of characters from the Resident Evil series (Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy, and Albert Wesker), Monster Hunter Rise (Magnamalo, Palico, and Palamute), and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin (Razewing Ratha).
Outside of its own franchises, Capcom's three The Legend of Zelda games (Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, and The Minish Cap) are also referenced throughout Smash Bros. The titular Minish Cap, Ezlo, cameos as a Sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (alongside Zelda as she appears in the game and a Small Shield) and as a Spirit in Ultimate (alongside Din, Nayru, Ricky, Dimitri, Moosh, and Vaati from the Oracle games).
Trivia[]
- Capcom is tied with Konami, Sega, and Square Enix for having the most fighters out of the other third-party companies, at three.
- Much like Konami, they have one Echo Fighter out of the three, being Ken.
- Much like Konami and Square Enix, Capcom also has two of their fighters hailing from the same series; in Capcom's case, that would refer to Street Fighter.
- Capcom has the most Assist Trophies out of all third-party companies, at 5. They also have the most bosses, at 2 (Rathalos and the Yellow Devil).
- Capcom has the unique distinction of being listed twice in the copyrights, as Street Fighter is owned by Capcom U.S.A. Inc. whereas the rest of its franchises are owned directly by the Japanese branch.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Capcom - History (English). Capcom. Retrieved on 2 January 2021.
- ↑ Yeezy, Kelvon (29 June 2020). The Stories Behind The Names of 15 Gaming Brands You Know (English). Hongkiat. Retrieved on 2 January 2021.
- ↑ Capcom - Origin of Company Name (Japanese). Capcom. Archived from the original on 5 March 2010. Retrieved on 8 September 2020.
- ↑ Capcom Pro Tour (English). Capcom. Retrieved on 2 January 2021.
| Companies | |
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| First/second-party companies | Nintendo · HAL Laboratory · Game Freak · Creatures · The Pokémon Company · Intelligent Systems · Next Level Games · Monolith Soft · Retro Studios · Sora Ltd. |
| Third-party companies | Konami · Sega / Atlus · Capcom · Bandai Namco · Square Enix · PlatinumGames · Xbox Game Studios / Rare Ltd. / Mojang Studios · SNK · Disney |
| Other related developers | Game Arts · Havok · Paon DP List of companies with minor representation |