The decision to upgrade Resident Evil 2 for modern platforms follows an outpouring of fan support for a remake in recent weeks, culminating in the project being officially pitched last month. Capcom has since approved Hirabayashi’s pitch, setting the project in motion.
“It’s been great to see so many positive comments from fans that have pushed the project to get approved,” Hirabayashi stated. “The team here at Capcom Japan really appreciates fans’ passion and support and will do our best to bring fans what they really want.”
Interest in the Resident Evil series has swelled over the last few months after a revamped version of the original Resident Evil hit the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and other consoles in January. Capcom confirmed that the game was a sales success, announcing that a similarly enhanced version of Resident Evil 0 is slated for a multiplatform launch in 2016.
While the Resident Evil and Resident Evil 0 reissues are based on previously released versions for the Nintendo GameCube, Resident Evil 2 requires a complete overhaul. Late-’90s ports for the Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo 64 saw only minor improvements, and did not upgrade the core experience in the way that Resident Evil‘s subsequent GameCube remake did.
Given the time and resources required for a Resident Evil 2 remake, Hirabayashi turned to fan outlets on Twitter and Facebook in order to drum up support for the project. His efforts elicited hundreds of responses, prompting Capcom to give him the go-ahead for pre-production.
Capcom has mined past entries in the Resident Evil series for revenue following the release of Resident Evil 6 in 2012, which largely met with low review scores and a negative reception from fans. The series has seen few entries since, save for the occasional reissue and spinoffs like the recent Resident Evil: Revelations 2.
A release date for Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 remake is not yet known.
