When Capcom announced that they were bringing a rail-shooting Resident Evil game to the Wii last year, many gamers were hesitant. Third-party support on the Wii has been mediocre to begin with, and even with a solid name like Capcom attached to the title, it was hard to predict whether or not Umbrella Chronicles would be worth playing.

As it turned out, the game is actually pretty good, all things considered. Fans of both rail shooters and the most popular survival horror video game series found the game to be enjoyable. Capcom announced today that Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles has now shipped one million copies worldwide since its release last November.



This may not sound like a lot compared to a giant title like Halo 3, but it’s definitely not too shabby. It just goes to show that the Wii has a lot to offer, if only third-party developers would spend more time making quality games for the system. Hopefully more companies will follow Capcom’s example and release some decent games. In the meantime, I can always play Nitrobike.

Capcom's press release:

Capcom is pleased to announce that Resident Evil® : The Umbrella Chronicles, which was released in November 2007 for the Wii video game system from Nintendo, has shipped over 1 million units worldwide. This is the second Capcom Wii title to ship over a million units, following Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition, which was released in June of 2007.

The Resident Evil series, which has sold over 34.5 million units globally (as of February 29, 2008), is one of Capcom’s most critically acclaimed and beloved franchises. As a testament to Resident Evil’s longevity and success, the series remains as innovative and original today as when the first title shipped in 1996.

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is a brand new game in the Resident Evil franchise, with familiar locales from the entire series, created specifically for the unique characteristics of the Wii console. This action/shooter hybrid reveals the back story behind the fall of the Umbrella Corporation by exploring locations from Resident Evil 0, 1, 2 and 3 as well as new never-before-seen locations, such as Umbrella’s stronghold. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles combines first-person, light-gun style combat with interactive pathways, multiple weapons and new enemies to create an entirely new Resident Evil experience that could only be delivered on the Wii. The game includes a two-player co-op mode and support for the Wii Zapper™ for even more intense light-gun style shooting action.

The Resident Evil series is not limited to the realm of gaming though, as evidenced by its popularity with movie-goers around the world. Autumn in 2007 saw the continued success of the series on the big screens when the Hollywood blockbuster “Resident Evil Extinction” opened in theaters worldwide, going on to generate $147 million US dollars in revenues. Currently, Capcom, in cooperation with Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan Co., Ltd., is in the middle of producing a full-length CG movie, “Resident Evil: Degeneration”.  

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