Capcom explains the appeal and future of Resident Evil

The Resident Evil series is one of the longest-running franchises in gaming. The reason it has remained popular since its inception in 1996 is because of its "elaborate settings and world," Capcom said in a new feature recalling the origins and predicting the future of the series.

"The secret lies in its elaborate settings and world. Horror is a common entertainment genre around the world, but Resident Evil adopted the setting of epidemic disaster that could be a reality rather than a wild fantasy in order to make the horror convincing," Capcom said. "This sense of realism is smoothly incorporated into the story as well as feeding the fear as horror."

In addition, Capcom said the "attractive" characters featured in Resident Evil games is a significant selling point for the franchise. Players enjoy following a character throughout various games, Capcom said.

"The main characters have made many appearances spanning all the titles and get older and more mature as the series goes on. A character who was a rookie police officer when he debuted is a member of an organization under the direct control of the president in the latest game, and a powerless young girl has matured into a U.S. agent," Capcom said. "Rather than fading away over the 17 years, they have become even deeper characters. This character appeal has also helped to win firm fans."

The third main reason why Resident Evil has remained popular over the span of almost two decades is because Capcom taps different creative talent to lead production on each new title, the publisher said.

"The development team and producers in charge of Resident Evil change for every title," Capcom said. "Therefore, each creator adds their own touch to the strong Resident Evil identity, constantly creating a new Resident Evil just like a relay."

The most recent entry in the series was October 2012's Resident Evil 6, which received mixed review scores. Despite this, the game appears to be a commercial success, having sold more than 5.2 million units globally. Looking to the future, Capcom said the next installment in the series will touch upon "new possibilities" that will appeal to players across the world.

"In the future, [the Resident Evil series] will discover new possibilities and progress as a title that can compete globally without disappointing any expectations," Capcom said.