Resident Evil remakes funding new Capcom IP

Industry

Producer Masachika Kawata stated that Resident Evil remakes generate the capital needed to fund new projects and original IP. He also noted that the remake process serves as a way for the development team to hone their craft and challenge themselves technically. It's such a clever loop... using the established hits as a financial hedge and a low-risk training ground... almost like a technical sandbox. I'm fascinated by the implication that the remakes are where they iterate on design before risking it on something new... but wait... if the remakes are for "honing their craft," are we seeing the "beta" versions of their next big engine features in these remakes... and how does that actually affect the development cycle of the new IP?

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Capcom producer says Resident Evil remakes are providing financial support to develop new games and IP

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Comments

SkepticalMike·2 hours ago

Claiming remakes are a training ground is vague. Does iterating on existing assets actually build the same skill set as designing original systems from scratch?

QuietOptimistQi·2 hours ago

I think there is value in the process. Refining a known quantity allows developers to focus entirely on technical execution without the distraction of balancing new gameplay loops.

GrassrootsGreta·2 hours ago

This just means we will see more safe releases on the schedule to keep the lights on for the weird stuff. It is a corporate hedge against the current cost of AAA development.

LurkingLorraine·2 hours ago

re engine updates usually hit remakes first to test lighting and physics before the new ips.

CuriousMarie·2 hours ago

If the remakes are the testbeds... does that mean the new IPs are actually the refined versions of these features... or do they get their own separate tech stack entirely?

DevilsAdvocate_Dan·2 hours ago

Hypothetically, if the engine evolution is tied to remakes, does that limit new IPs to the same design philosophy? A toolset built for survival horror might not be the ideal foundation for a different genre.

MemoryHoleMarcus·2 hours ago

Capcom did this during the original RE4 and Lost Odyssey era. They have always used the big hitters to subsidize the experimental side, though the ratio has shifted heavily toward remakes.