Turns out that people like really crisp-looking zombies.
Resident Evil HD Remaster is Capcom’s fastest selling digital release (read our review), the publisher revealed today. The company also announced that it broke the record for most copies sold on launch day for any digital release on the PlayStation Network. Capcom only released Resident Evil HD Remaster as a digital game on Xbox and PlayStation consoles as well as PC, and fans of the franchise showed up to purchase the HD-upgrade of the GameCube remake of the 1996 survival-horror game. Capcom didn’t share any specific numbers, but setting a record on PSN means it had a better first day than games like indie hits such as Journey, Limbo, or PixelJunk Eden.
Digital is making up a bigger portion of the sales of all games, according to game publishers. Last generation, digital made up about 10 percent of the sales for games that debuted both at retail and on PSN or Xbox live. This generation, this number is between 15 and 20 percent. This is due to larger hard drives and nearly every game getting a digital version the same day it goes on sale at retail.
This performance for Resident Evil, which has producer Yoshiaki HIrabyashi “thrilled,” is also proof of the continuing popularity of this franchise (if you like Resident Evil, read our suggestions for other entertainment to consume). This horror series has routinely sold well for the company — although the franchise has sputtered of late due to a Resident Evil 6 that was not well received by critics or fans. Despite that, players still want more walking corpses.
While Resident Evil HD Remaster is a high-definition version of the 2002 Resident Evil remake for GameCube, Capcom did add a small number of new features. This includes a very easy mode as well as aspect-ratio options. Most interestingly, the game features the option to switch between tank controls and direct controls. In the original game, players had to turn their character in place before running forward. Finally, in this version, players can simply take off sprinting in any direction with the press of the analog stick.