Capcom
- For the original NASA meaning, see capsule communicator.
| The current Capcom logo. | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer and video game industry Entertainment industry |
| Founded | May, 1979 |
| Headquarters | Osaka, Japan |
Key people | Kenzo Tsujimoto (CEO) Yoshiki Okamoto |
| Products | Mega Man Street Fighter Resident Evil (See complete products listing.) |
| Revenue | JPY 52 billion (2004) |
Number of employees | 1,206 |
| Website | www.capcom.com |
Capcom (カプコン in Japanese) is a leading Japanese developer and publisher of computer and video games. It was founded in 1979 as Japan Capsule Computers, a company devoted to the manufacturing and distribution of electronic game machines. Their current name is a conjunction of Capsule Computers.
History
Over the years Capcom has created some of the biggest and longest running franchises. The company released their first arcade game in 1983: Vulgus. Their early games were mostly arcade games such as the scrolling shooter 1942.
In the late eighties, Yoshiki Okamoto joined the company from Konami. In 1987, Capcom released his game Street Fighter. In the same year the company also released the hugely influential platformer Mega Man (Rockman in Japan), for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Final Fight, a scrolling fighting game, was released in 1989. In 1991 Okamoto's Street Fighter II was released in the arcades. Resident Evil (Biohazard in Japan), a successful survival horror game, was released on the Sony PlayStation in 1996.
Two Capcom development houses, Clover Studio[1] and Flagship[2] have created successfull titles in recent years, including the Viewtiful Joe series and the The Legend of Zelda: Oracle Series (under supervision of Shigeru Miyamoto).
In 2002 the company released a movie version of Resident Evil, and in 2004 Resident Evil: Apocalypse.
Mascot
Capcom's original mascot, Captain Commando, is a superhero who wears a futuristic armor of unknown origin. His name forms the words CapCom if you combine the first three letters of each word. He originally appeared in the early Capcom Famicom/NES game Section Z (the arcade version of Section Z has similar gameplay, but it is not clear that the hero is the same person) and in the manuals of Capcom's early Nintendo Entertainment System games to thank players for purchasing them. He later appeared as the title character in an arcade game bearing his name, as well as in Marvel vs. Capcom and its sequel, in which he is often considered to be an excessively powerful character. In Marvel vs. Capcom, he still serves as a mascot, regularly shouting "Capcom!" during fights and relaying Capcom-themed messages after winning. He displays the ability to quickly change from regular clothing, including a cowboy hat, into his armor, suggesting a secret identity. Mega Man has superceded Captain Commando as Capcom's official mascot, primarily because of the immense popularity of the Mega Man series. Captain Commando's storyline is not connected to that of Commando and Bionic Commando, despite the similar name.
Subsidiaries and related corporations
Capcom U.S.A., Inc. was established in California as the official North American subsidiary of Capcom in August 1985.
Capcom Entertainment, Inc.
Capcom Studio 8, Inc. was established as the R&D division of Capcom USA, Inc. in June 1995.
Capcom Asia Co., Ltd. was established in Hong Kong as the official Asian subsidiary of Capcom in July 1993.
Capcom Eurosoft Ltd. was established in United Kingdom as the official European subsidiary of Capcom in July 1998.
Captron Co., Ltd. manages the rent, lease and operation of real estate properties.
Flagship Co., Ltd. is the development studio that made Onimusha and the Zelda games on the Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance, most recently releasing The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap.
Capcom Charbo Co., Ltd. manages the rental, maintenance and lease of electronic game machines.
CE Europe Ltd. was established in London in November 2002.
CEG Interactive Entertainment GmbH was established in Germany in February 2003.
Clover Studio Co., Ltd. is a development studio based in Osaka. It was founded in July 2004 and has been responsible for the Viewtiful Joe series.
See also
References
- "CAPCOM: Corporate Profile: Capcom Group." December 27, 2004. Accessed on June 20, 2005.
- "CAPCOM: Corporate Profile: Corporate History." Accessed on June 20, 2005.
- "CAPCOM: Financial Information." Accessed on June 20, 2005.