Horror stories focused on regional threats and survivors were decreasing in frequency. The sales of sequels to popular games like Silent Hill and newer games like Fatal Frame were beginning to stall, and even the brilliant Resident Evil was beginning to fall. This is the tale of how Resident Evil 4 rescued the franchise.

By
Dave Klein
and
DeVante Chisolm
on

The survival horror genre was founded with Resident Evil, which quickly became one of Capcom’s most successful series. However, the genre’s popularity peaked with Resident Evil 2. Subsequent mainstream RE games eventually provided less and fewer new features. Significant rivals, like Silent Hill, were on the decline by the 2000s, and other Survival Horror franchises stopped trying to make a major impact.

To keep the franchise going, Capcom needed something completely new, and ideally something terrifying enough to ensure its continued success. Shinji Mikami, creator of RE, got tired of implementing the same change over and over again and was prepared to implement it himself. Accompanied by The Sphere Hunter, Dave Klein delves into the tale of Resident Evil 4’s development and how it will not only save the dwindling Resident Evil franchise but also revolutionise the computer gaming industry.

Program Info

How It Saved

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How It Saved

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The show How It Saved is all about second chances. Dave Klein, the show’s host, provides examples of how some video games saved failing franchises or turned around the fortunes of whole companies. This is a look behind the scenes that shows how creativity and business sense can