There’s a rumor making the rounds on the internet concerning a possible fall 2016 release of a HD remaster of Resident Evil: Outbreak (only the first one at this time) on Sony Playstation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One consoles. Take it with a grain of salt, but an anonymous individual that is (supposedly) a former employee of the indie studio that was tasked with the remaster talked about what Capcom wanted and when they wanted it completed for release. Outbreak was, in case you’re not aware, a PS2 gen multiplayer online co-op RE title with numerous characters that specialized in different skills surviving mission based scenarios. The game was a sort of sleeper hit at the time and even earned a sequel but Capcom didn’t follow Resident Evil: Outbreak File 2 with anything further and the series seemed destined for the archives. The studio where this employee worked, which also remains anonymous in the source, was supposedly working on a spiritual successor to Resident Evil: Outbreak to submit to Capcom, which supposedly turned down the projet but then hired the studio to port RE: Outbreak for current gen systems. This isn’t an unprecedented step by Capcom, who already put a stop to the fan made Resident Evil 2 remake that was making noise a few months back but then brought them in to consult on a LEGITIMATE RE 2 remake.
The comments from this former employee, which was initially reported here at the website Middle of Nowhere Gaming, indicate that they were surprised their studio was given the responsibility to remaster the game and explained that Capcom was initially targeting a May 2016 date to ‘go gold’ (industry speak meaning that the game is considered to be in a ‘finished’ state and ready to be sold) with an announcement at this year’s E3, but that it was more likely that the game would see a Fall 2016 release at this point.
It’s an interesting rumor, given that the information in the source is very specific and the fact that Capcom has already plainly stated that one of their business models is to remaster many of their games for digital markets. So what do you think? Are you ready for some Resident Evil: Outbreak HD? I enjoyed both games but wouldn’t consider them the strongest entries in the series. Still, they were curious offerings and a solid attempt at early net based co-op for Resident Evil, a franchise I believe Capcom has always wanted to have more co-op elements what with all the escort missions and multiple storylines. Given what the series has evolved into with the later entries and the current trend in gaming for multiplayer content, it’s very likely that Capcom wants to give Outbreak another chance to connect with audiences.
We’ll bring you more news if we hear anything else about it. In the meantime, go and check out the story on Middle of Nowhere Gaming’s site. It’s a fascinating read whether you’re a fan of Resident Evil or are just curious about the inner workings of the electronic entertainment industry. The only thing I find a little suspect about the rumor is the dubious notion of a 2016 release date. Resident Evil 0 was announced a long time ago and is being released next week. It seems to me that Capcom would want to allow a similar announce window for any title with the Resident Evil name to build more hype for anything related to what’s become their most popular IP. So while I am a fan of the series, I remain cautiously optimistic at this time.
