Capcom, one of the most famous video game makers in the world, turns 40 today.
The company was formally established on June 11th, 1983, by Kenzo Tsujimoto, who established the firm's direct predecessor, I.R.M. Corporation, in 1979. I.R.M., along with its subsidiary Japan Capsule Computers Co., Ltd., were focused on the manufacture of electronic game machines. The companies would become Sanbi Co., Ltd. in 1981 before Tsujimoto established Capcom a couple of years later. The name, as you might have guessed, comes from the fusion of "Capsule Computers".
While Capcom's first arcade game was coin-operated Little League (1983), the first 'real' arcade video game it published was 1984's Vulgus. This was followed by 1942, Commando and Ghosts 'n Goblins – games which allowed Capcom to establish itself as one of the leading arcade manufacturers of the '80s. When Nintendo's Famicom / NES took off, Capcom was an early supporter; its Mega Man series would generate bumper profits for the firm.
Capcom's sky-high reputation would be taken to a whole other level thanks to the release of seminal titles such as Final Fight and Street Fighter II, the latter of which became a global phenomenon, selling millions of units and spawning a series which continues to this day. While the company's talent in the realm of 2D visuals led to a string of hits, Capcom was quick to adapt to the world of 3D gaming, releasing Resident Evil in 1996 to critical and commercial success.
Since then, it has added the likes of Monster Hunter, Devil May Cry, Dead Rising, Pheonix Wright and Dragon's Dogma to its enviable stable of hits.