The release of Resident Evil in 1996 marked yet another franchise benchmark. A product that defies easy comparison, Resident Evil instantly established a whole new category of gaming - the survival horror genre - and inspired a new wave of Resident Evil-like products.
The US release of Resident Evil 2 in 1998 broke industry records by selling more than 380,000 units in its debut weekend and grossing more than $19 million dollars. It continues to set records around the world, selling to date more than 4.5 million units. In February 1999, Resident Evil 2 will release for PC CD-ROM computers.
The franchise of Resident Evil alone is worth more than $200 million worldwide. Capcom has signed deals for the creation of a Resident Evil movie(In the making), a line of action figures, and a series of comic books.
The success of these products has extended Capcom's business outside the industry drawing multi-million dollar licensing deals with Disney Interactive, Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc., Simon and Schuster, Toy Biz, and Tiger Electronics.
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