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What's in a name? The Biohazard-Resident Evil name change revealed

Posted Apr 8, 2009 at 3:04PM EST by Glenn M.

Listed in: Wii, PS3, Xbox 360 Tags: biohazard, Capcom, Japan, New York

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Ever wondered why they called it Biohazard in Japan and Resident Evil in the US? Games Radar asked that very question that I'm sure a lot of you guys out there want to know as well. The answer comes from Chris Kramer, senior director of communications and community at Capcom US, who even reveals that he found Resident Evil super-cheesy.

I was still in my pre-teens when I had my first encounter with Biohazard. Loved playing it, even tried finishing it without a memory card! Couldn't understand a darn thing, though. So needless to say, I failed big time on the Japanese version. It was later that I got my first Resident Evil.

I went like, "Biohazard sounds cooler. But oh well, the residents are evil anyway." Then I dismissed asking why and simply thought it was like the Balrog-Vega-M.Bison confusion in Street Fighter II, which was also from Capcom too.

Many, many years later, I work for QJ and only then do I find out why. Capcom Japan had already decided to go with Biohazard in 1994. Unfortunately, registering that name in the US would be "next to impossible," said Kramer. "As an example, I pointed out that a crappy DOS-based game had just come out in the US called Â‘Biohazard' (not to mention the New York hardcore band of the same name) and that we'd never be able to secure the mark. As a result, the head of marketing held a company-wide contest to come up with a new name for the game."

It was then that an unnamed designer in Capcom Digital Studios came up with Resident Evil, which the best of the marketing group liked because the game was set in a house. "I voted against the name Â– I thought it was super-cheesy; canÂ’t remember what I felt was a better alternative, probably something stupid about zombies Â– but the rest of the marketing crew loved it and were ultimately able to convince Capcom Japan and Mikami-san that the name fit."

And so, after years of playing and watching it evolve, the game still carries its mansion-set ancestor's name. It's not as politically correct anymore as the Japanese name, but I've come to love it anyway.

News on the latest Biohazard / Resident Evil title:

Mission start: Resident Evil 5 Versus mode goes live today

Via Games Radar

100% of voters think this story ROCKS!

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--That is one of the dictionary descriptions for the word "Resident". So, like you, I've always considered that the name doesn't refer specifically (or only) to a 'house setting', but that the "Evil" was already inside the people. And that the bio-weapons bring out that evil that was already sitting there, dormant, inside of them. I think it fits even more with the movie depictions of the Umbrella corporation: whatever they do or build, it will be Evil, because the evil is Resident in everything about the company.

# baby alert — truk 2009-04-09 13:21

wah wah wah wah

# Aww. — blkthunda 2009-04-09 13:57

It scares you huh?

# if i was at that meeting — xche78x 2009-04-10 00:54

i would tell them to call it "Life Threat" or "Mad Danger"

hehehe

# ... — Koolaidsred1 2009-04-10 01:17

I loved 1-4, but I'd have to agree with him on the huge failure of RE5.

# Hmm — sesa 2009-04-10 04:29

I guess the rest of the world doesn't agree with u

# WooT! — PSPMAN90 2009-04-10 11:43

Huge failure? Nah u are just a Hater of RE lol

I always liked Resident Evil.... Biohazard can go to Japan and stay there

I'm expecting Resident Evil Dark Chronicles for Wii :)

# Old Biohazard game published by Apogee Software? — BuzzNAcid 2009-04-10 14:11

Dude, I'd rather play old Apogee Biohazzard than a lot of these next gen games. Apogee rocks.

# Go cry me a river — shadows_flames 2009-04-10 16:42

What a baby, You would not know a good game if it smacked you on the face

# ehh I like Resident Evil way more in my opion — shadows_flames 2009-04-10 16:44

It has a ring to me, Biohazard is Alright but its not for me

# resident evil charm — truk 2009-04-11 16:17

one of the main reasons why i liked resident evil is because the cheesy dialogue. it was so awful haha

Jill: Barry, aren't you supposed to be in the other wing?

Barry: I know, but I found this weapon. It's really powerful, especially against living things!

Jill: Thanks Barry!

genius.

# I like every name. But some are so cool.. Evil — mac armstrong 2010-08-30 05:09

What bigger name for a super-cheesy game. The alternation never evolves with the times, the adventure and articulation acting is usually horrible, the controls accept consistently been terrible.

Wow, RE4 was a success! Just accommodate it with arid story, backward AI partner, "instant death" sequences, last-gen controls, brainless contrivance commands, and the affliction end action I've anytime seen.

Bristol seo Bath seo

# RE: What's in a name? The Biohazard-Resident Evil name change revealed — konstantinos-greece 2011-04-09 11:58

hey Biohazard i had download the resident evil 4 from you

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What's in a name? The Biohazard-Resident Evil name change revealed

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