Capcom recently filed new trademarks in Japan for a handful of their older IPs: Power Stone, Darkstalkers, Dino Crisis, and Mega Man, which is titled Rockman in Japan. Does this mean that we’re getting new games from those franchises? Not necessarily, but let’s look at what we do know.
For starters, before anyone gets too excited, know that studios file new trademarks all the time to keep their IPs safe and out of the hands of rival studios. This could be nothing more than upkeep and preventative measures. It’s also possible that these are simply ideas they’re entertaining and they filed the trademarks on the off chance they decide to follow up on one of them. Filing a trademark for an IP is in no way a commitment to develop a new game.
With that stuff out of the way, let’s look at the good news. Capcom enjoyed tremendous success with their remake of Resident Evil 2. Not only did it do well financially, but it was a major critical hit, too. Now they’re hard at work on a remake of the next game in the franchise, Resident Evil 3, and the hype for the game suggests that it could be just as successful as its predecessor. Capcom is finding success breathing new life into old properties.
Unsurprisingly, in Capcom’s 2019 investor report, the studio revealed to plans to explore “dormant intellectual properties.” After the success of Resident Evil 2, why wouldn’t they? These are all popular franchises that Capcom is renewing trademarks on and they all made big marks back in their day.
The most notable of the bunch is probably Dino Crisis, considering that it’s another survival horror game like the Resident Evil series. Capcom could be wagering that part of Resident Evil 2’s success is thanks to the current popularity of horror games, a part of the market that’s been booming lately.
Power Stone, Darkstalkers, and Mega Man are all classic franchises, Mega Man especially, and there’s an argument to make for bringing each franchise back. The popularity of the Nintendo Switch and its handheld layout makes an excellent case for further Mega Man games.
So will something substantial come of these trademarks? We don’t know yet, and this news certainly doesn’t confirm anything, but considering the current climate and Capcom’s recent wins, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if this was the start of some sort of wave of remakes and reimaginings. And, as always, gaming needs more dinosaurs.
