Capcom recently renewed its Dino Crisis trademark registration in Japan, sparking renewed speculation about the franchise's future. The application, filed on March 4th, covers games for computers, consoles, and mobile devices, as well as online gaming services. Despite the move, the company has not officially announced any projects related to the series.
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Gematsu noted that in Japan, this type of registration often indicates specific intentions on the part of developers. The news quickly spread across gaming forums, where fans recalled that Capcom adopted a similar strategy before reviving the Onimusha franchise.
The company's recent history also reinforces this possibility: in 2019, it re-registered the trademark in Japan, and in 2021, it renewed its registration in the United States, granting it ten years of validity. However, these previous moves did not result in the series' return.
Capcom maintains interest in the franchise with new brand renewal
In recent years, Capcom has been investing in remakes of its successful franchises. The Resident Evil series received new versions of its classics, revitalizing audience interest. Furthermore, in 2023, the company conducted a survey asking players which games they would like to see remastered, remake, or sequel. Dino Crisis was among the most voted, alongside Okami—which had a sequel announced at The Game Awards 2024.
The lack of a new Dino Crisis has always raised questions among fans. The same team behind Resident Evil developed the first title in 1999, under the direction of Shinji Mikami. The innovative approach of replacing zombies with ferocious dinosaurs created a unique survival horror experience, guaranteeing immediate success. The game sold approximately 2.4 million copies on PlayStation 1 and spawned two sequels.
In 2000, Dino Crisis 2 was released with a more action-oriented approach, pleasing many players and reaching 1.2 million units sold. However, Dino Crisis 3, released in 2003 exclusively for Xbox, distanced itself from the series' roots by setting the narrative in space and replacing the classic dinosaurs with mutant creatures. The lukewarm reception and low sales contributed to the franchise's hiatus.
Technical challenges and recent moves indicate a possible return of Dino Crisis
The failure of Dino Crisis 3 wasn't the only reason for the series' disappearance. Realistically recreating dinosaurs has always been a technical challenge, especially when compared to the simplicity of animating zombies. Creating giant creatures with agile movement and detailed textures requires advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, which could have been a hindrance on previous generations of consoles.
Despite the long hiatus, Capcom has demonstrated that it still sees value in the franchise. It recently re-released the first two games on GOG, a digital distribution platform for classic games, with support for enhanced graphics, 4K resolution, and cloud saves. The titles were also made available on the PS Store, albeit with a delay.
Another factor that could influence Capcom's plans is the success of Monster Hunter. Shinji Mikami has stated in interviews that the company would have no reason to bring back Dino Crisis as long as Monster Hunter continued to dominate the market. However, with the recent trademark registration and the trend of reviving classic franchises, fans remain hopeful.
