Capcom is doubling down on dormant and legacy franchises, planning to revive properties like Devil May Cry and Ace Attorney through sequels, remakes, and ports. The strategy emerged from the company's latest earnings report, which outlines a broader push to extract maximum value from its catalog of established IP.
The approach extends beyond games. Capcom aims to expand these franchises into anime, leveraging the rising popularity of gaming adaptations across streaming platforms. This mirrors the success of recent anime tie-ins and the broader industry trend of transmedia franchises, where one property generates revenue across multiple entertainment channels.
Devil May Cry stands as a prime example of this strategy's potential. The action franchise saw a critical resurgence with Devil May Cry 5 in 2019, which sold over 6 million copies and established momentum. A remake of Devil May Cry 4 remains possible under this framework. Ace Attorney, meanwhile, has maintained a dedicated fanbase despite long gaps between releases, with the most recent mainline entry arriving in 2016. The series thrives in Japan but has struggled for visibility in the West, making remakes and ports valuable for reaching new audiences.
Capcom's focus on legacy IP reflects industry shifts. Major publishers increasingly recognize that established franchises carry lower risk than new properties. Remakes of Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, and Resident Evil 4 have all performed strongly, demonstrating consumer appetite for reimagined classics. Ports to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X expose older games to current-generation players who may have missed them.
The anime expansion carries particular weight in Japan, where anime adaptations command significant cultural cachet and generate licensing revenue. Capcom already experienced success through the Resident Evil anime on Netflix, proving that its properties translate effectively to animation.
This strategy positions