Capcom looks like it has yet another hit video game on its hands, with Onimusha: Way of the Sword selling over 1 million copies on launch day.
The milestone pushed total Onimusha franchise sales over the 10 million units sold mark, 20 years after the last new game in the series came out.
“… through several marketing initiatives prior to launch, such as multiple demo releases and hands-on exhibitions, Capcom worked to expand awareness among a broad range of users, resulting in sales surpassing 1 million units on the day of its release,” Capcom said in a statement online.
But of most interest here is Capcom’s comment about repeating the Onimusha trick with other games from its back catalog.
“In addition to regularly releasing major new titles each year, Capcom is focusing on re-activating IPs that haven’t had a new title launch recently,” Capcom said. “The company is working to further maximize corporate value by leveraging its rich library of content, including this title.”
So, which series deserve the Onimusha treatment? I imagine there will be Dino Crisis fans screaming from the rafters here (Capcom is often asked about a new Dino Crisis game in interviews). We haven’t had a new Devil May Cry game in a while (Devil May Cry 5 came out in 2019), but I’m not sure I’d pop DMC in the same bucket as Onimusha, which hadn’t had a brand new game in two decades. Ace Attorney is another popular pick, as are Viewtiful Joe, Breath of Fire, and Lost Planet. Capcom has published a long list of games over the years. Take your pick.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword, meanwhile, continues Capcom’s hot streak, which has seen Pragmata establish itself as a potential franchise following strong sales. IGN’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword review returned a 10/10. We said: “Onimusha: Way of the Sword is an incredible action game with an excellent story to match.”
The Japanese games company has released hit after hit, from Monster Hunter to Resident Evil, Street Fighter to Dragon’s Dogma. What’s next? Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance is due out next year, as is Resident Evil Veronica and Mega Man: Dual Override. Further away is Okami 2, which is in the works at Hideki Kamiya’s new studio, Clovers.
Wesley Yin-Poole
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. He’s obsessed with fighting games, sports games and first-person shooters. His favourite game of all time is Street Fighter 2.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
