CAPCOM
Capcom Co., Ltd. is a major Japanese video game developer, publisher, and entertainment brand headquartered in Osaka, Japan. Founded in 1979, the company is globally renowned for creating genre-defining franchises such as Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Mega Man, Devil May Cry, and Monster Hunter. Beyond gaming software, Capcom expands its IPs worldwide through transmedia licensing, physical collectibles, art books, comics, and media adaptations.
Cronologia
Panoramica
Capcom Co., Ltd. (株式会社カプコン) is a Japanese video game developer and publisher headquartered in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan, with additional facilities in Tokyo and Mie Prefecture, alongside 15 international subsidiaries across North America, Europe, and East Asia. Established in 1979 under its precursor I.R.M.
Corporation, the company officially adopted the Capcom name as a clipped compound of "Capsule Computers"—a term coined to describe its self-contained arcade hardware and its desire to protect its intellectual property within a hard protective outer shell.
Capcom holds a dominant positioning in the global gaming and entertainment market, having created multi-million-selling franchises across survival horror, arcade fighting, hack-and-slash action, and hunting RPGs. Operating under its corporate philosophy of "Single Content Multiple Usage," Capcom actively expands its intellectual properties beyond software into a global merchandise ecosystem. This includes coin-operated arcade cabinets, medal machines, pachinko and pachislot games, official soundtrack releases via its Suleputer music label, strategy guides, and licensed physical merchandise such as action figures, art books, and comic book adaptations.
Storia
Capcom's history began on May 30, 1979, when Kenzo Tsujimoto founded I.R.M. Corporation in Osaka to manufacture and distribute electronic gaming equipment. The business underwent name changes to Sanbi Co., Ltd. in 1981, while Capcom Co., Ltd. was established on June 11, 1983, as an internal sales subsidiary. The companies merged in January 1989 to form the modern parent entity.
Capcom entered the arcade video game market in 1984 with Vulgus, followed by home console releases starting with a Nintendo Entertainment System port of 1942 in 1985. Through Capcom U.S.A., Inc. (founded 1985), the company established arcade dominance with titles like Commando, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Mega Man (1987), and Final Fight (1989). In 1991, Street Fighter II triggered a worldwide arcade fighting game phenomenon.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Capcom launched genre-defining IPs including Resident Evil (1996), Dino Crisis (1999), Onimusha (2001), Devil May Cry (2001), Ace Attorney (2001), Monster Hunter (2004), and Dead Rising (2006). In the modern era, Capcom introduced its proprietary RE Engine in 2017, revitalizing its flagship titles. Recent developments include the launch of the Capcom Creators fan program, the Capcom Games Competition for students, and ongoing releases including Resident Evil Requiem, Pragmata, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Mega Man: Dual Override.
I PEZZI DI CAPCOM
Linee Prodotto
• Coin-Operated Medal Machines (e.g., Little League, Fever Chance) • Coin-Operated Arcade Video Game Cabinets • Home Console & PC Video Game Software • Proprietary Game Development Technology (RE ENGINE) • Pachinko and Pachislot Arcade Gaming Machines • CDs, Soundtracks, and DVDs (Published via Capcom's internal Suleputer label) • Official Strategy Guides & Lore Compendiums (e.g., Resident Evil Archives, Monster Hunter Illustrations, Capcom Design Works) • Licensed Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Published with UDON Entertainment, Archie Comics, DC / WildStorm) • Special Merchandise, Digital Asset Packs, and Care Packages (Distributed via the Capcom Creators initiative and licensing partners)
Licenze
• 1942 / 1943: The Battle of Midway • Ace Attorney (Gyakuten Saiban) • Alien vs. Predator (Arcade License) • Asura's Wrath • Bionic Commando • Breath of Fire • Capcom vs.
Osamu Tezuka Characters (Art Exhibit Crossover) • Captain N: The Game Master (Licensed TV Crossover) • Darkstalkers (Vampire) • Dead Rising • Devil May Cry • Dino Crisis • Dragon's Dogma • Final Fight • Ghosts 'n Goblins / Ghouls 'n Ghosts / Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts • God Hand • Little League / Fever Chance • Lost Planet • Magic Sword • Marvel vs. Capcom (Marvel Licensed Crossover) • Mega Man (Rockman / Mega Man X / Mega Man Legends / Mega Man NT Warrior / Mega Man Star Force) • Monster Hunter (including Monster Hunter Stories) • Okami • Onimusha • Pragmata • Resident Evil (Biohazard) • Sengoku Basara • Street Fighter • Strider • Sweet Home • Viewtiful Joe • Vulgus / SonSon
Reputazione
Capcom holds a legendary reputation among video game fans and pop-culture collectors for its character design, audio-visual flair, and tight arcade mechanics. The brand gained iconic status in the 1990s as a champion of 2D animated graphics in titles like Darkstalkers and X-Men: Children of the Atom, establishing a signature aesthetic that seamlessly transitioned into action figures, statues, and collectible apparel. World-famous characters like Ryu, Chun-Li, Mega Man, Leon S. Kennedy, and Dante remain perennial mainstays for major toy and figure licensing partners.
While Capcom faced past criticism regarding business practices—such as disc-locked content in Street Fighter X Tekken, project cancellations, or network issues at game launches—its overall prestige remains exceptionally high. The company's transmedia strategy has made its artwork highly sought after, with comprehensive publications from UDON Entertainment and official art books like Monster Hunter Illustrations serving as grail items for collectors. Today, Capcom is recognized as one of the premier legacy brands in Japanese entertainment, revered for preserving its historical catalogue while constantly innovating.
Curiosità
• The name "Capcom" is a clipped compound of "Capsule Computers", coined to describe self-contained arcade cabinets filled to the brim with gaming fun and protected by a hard outer shell. • Capcom's very first manufactured product was not a video game, but a 1983 coin-operated medal game called Little League.
• The joke character Dan Hibiki was created in Street Fighter Alpha as a satirical response to a copyright infringement lawsuit Capcom lost against Data East's Fighter's History. • In 1998, Capcom partnered with Sony Music Entertainment Intermedia to launch its own in-house marketing and music record label named Suleputer. • Between October 2020 and February 2021, Capcom hosted a special art exhibition where Tezuka Productions staff illustrated Capcom characters and Capcom artists drew Osamu Tezuka characters.
