GR Asks: Why was Japanese series Biohazard renamed Resident Evil when it was released elsewhere? Answered by: Chris Kramer, Senior Director of Communications and Community at Capcom US.
There are other answers below:
So, in Japan, the game is actually called Biohazard, but when it was brought to the US, there was concerns that they would never be able to get the name trademarked, so they decided to go for something else. They held an internal contest to see what the new name should be, and the name Resident Evil was chosen.
The game was originally called Bio Hazard in Japan. However, it was decided to change the name in North America and Europe after Chris Kramer, the Director of Communications at Capcom, pointed out that it would be impossible to trademark “Biohazard” in the United States. Among others, another game and a band already were using the name.
Raccoon City Native. To my understanding, Capcom couldn’t get a trademark for a series called Biohazard, because of the band that already had that name, so they came up with Resident Evil as a play off of Sweet Home which RE was going to …
Capcom explains why Resident Evil & Biohazard names have merged for Resi 7. Capcom’s Resident Evil series has always gone by two names: Resident Evil in the West and Biohazard in Japan.
But in 2017, the two worlds came together with the release of Resident Evil VII: Biohazard, which is referred to as Biohazard 7: Resident Evil in Japan. According to Capcom , the company deliberately chose to merge the two names for this entry because they felt that VII was a turning point for the franchise and wanted the name to feel impactful to the fans.
In the US and Europe it’s known as Resident Evil because it wasn’t possible to trademark Biohazard in those regions. Everywhere else it is known as Biohazard. #2
It is also easier to distinct this game from the original Biohazard 2. In the West, we are used to games and films getting the same title as previous ones in the same franchise. It were random to Resint Evil because when it came to ship it outside of Japan, there were a band that gone by the name of ‘BIOHAZARD’ so they rename the game to avoid any lawsuits.
“Obviously you can tell we wanted to merge the two titles we’ve had. As fans may know, the game has been called Biohazard ever since the beginning in Japan, and it’s been called Resident Evil in the West. We really want to have the big, impactful feeling of the series being in one place right now, and having one future it’s heading towards.
Resident Evil always was called Biohazard in JP (which imo is a better fitting title since there’s stuff like bio terrorism and such) Might controls everything, and without strength you cannot protect anything, let alone yourself.
In the US and Europe it’s known as Resident Evil because it wasn’t possible to trademark Biohazard in those regions. Everywhere else it is known as Biohazard. #2Related Questions
Why is the Resident Evil series called Resident Evil?
Eventually, Capcom chose the name Resident Evil, a pun on the fact that the first game took place inside a mansion, and the series has gone by two different names ever since. But in 2017, the two worlds came together with the release of Resident Evil VII: Biohazard, which is referred to as Biohazard 7: Resident Evil in Japan.
Will there be a Resident Evil 7 in Japan?
But in 2017, the two worlds came together with the release of Resident Evil VII: Biohazard, which is referred to as Biohazard 7: Resident Evil in Japan.
What was the original name of the Biohazard series?
In Japan, the first installment in the series was released under the name Bio Hazard, spelled as two words at first but changed to Biohazard for later installments. When it came time to localize the game for the US, Capcom ran into some trouble trying to trademark the word ‘Biohazard.’
What is the release date of Resident Evil 7 Biohazard?
Resident Evil 7 Biohazard is set to launch for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on January 24th, 2017. You can check out our impressions on the demo as well as a round-up of all the known endings and secrets by clicking here and here.
