CES 2009: Capcom to show off Street Fighter IV, Resident Evil 5

Yes, we always talk about how game companies should do different things. But when you look at the sales charts, sequels keep raking in the bucks. There’s something safe about the familiar games that always deliver. Capcom has two such franchises in Resident Evil and Street Fighter and the latest installments of both will be on display at the International Consumer Electronics Show (January 8 through 11, 2008).

The popular fighting franchise boasts global sales of more than 25 million so gamers the world over are waiting for Street Fighter IV‘s February 17, 2009, launch date on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A PC version is scheduled for later release. The fourth installment of the series is kickin’ it old school with 2D character renderings.

The whole setup looks sort of like a live-action painting and I can’t wait to see how it plays. Characters are a mix of long time favorites like Chun Li and M. Bison with some new characters including El Fuerte, a Mexican luchador and aspiring gourmet chef. This latest effort enters a different gaming landscape than its predecessors, though. The arcade culture that helped the game and fighting genre’s popularity is nearly extinct in the United States. First-person shooters are now the game of choice for much of the young male demographic SFIV needs to be a huge success. We’ll know if the World Warriors still pack their signature punch in a little over a month.

Everything that Street Fighter did for the fighting genre, the Resident Evil series did for survival horror. Resident Evil 5 hits March 13, 2009, (appropriately on a Friday the 13th) on the 360 and PS3. There are no zombies in this one. Rather, you’ll be fighting majini. (Yeah, I didn’t know what meant either.) According to Capcom, it’s a Swahili word for evil spirit. In gaming terms, it means you’ll be fighting swift-moving, intelligent beings with enemy AI designed to take full advantage of the 360 and PS3′s technological capabilities.

The evolution that may be causing the most buzz is the implementation of co-op play in the RE series. It’s a natural fit for the storyline, which has always been about a team of special agents investigating the strange supernatural happenings. Co-op is also a necessary component of pretty much any game with gunplay in it these days. As far as the story, Capcom ads have thrown out a huge red herring with a tombstone marking the grave of longtime character Jill Valentine. If you read comic books or watch soap operas you know: No corpse = No death.

So, yeah. We’ll see you in March 2009, Jill. Save some ammo for us.

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