What Is Capcom? The Japanese Game Publisher Behind Street Fighter and Monster Hunter, Explained by Marine

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Capcom's name literally means "Capsule Computers" — and the company behind Street Fighter and Monster Hunter is currently on an 11-year growth streak.

From Arcade Cabinets to Global Franchises

Capcom's predecessor was established in Osaka in 1979 by Kenzo Tsujimoto, taking its current name, Capcom Co., Ltd., in 1983 — an abbreviation of "Capsule Computers," reflecting the company's early belief that arcade cabinets were self-contained, localized entertainment experiences. Capcom went on to define the fighting game genre with "Street Fighter II" and establish the survival-horror genre with 1996's "Resident Evil."

A Historic Growth Streak

As of 2026, Resident Evil has sold over 170 million units lifetime, and Monster Hunter over 125 million — Capcom's two biggest franchises, alongside Street Fighter's 55 million units. The company is currently on an 11-year streak of consecutive revenue and operating profit growth, with fiscal Q3 2026 operating profit up 75% year-over-year, an unusually sustained run for a major traditional game publisher.

What To Know

Capcom's literal company name being an abbreviation of "Capsule Computers," reflecting an early belief that arcade cabinets were self-contained "capsules" of entertainment, is a fun piece of trivia that also captures a genuinely different philosophy about game design from that early arcade era.

Capcom's 11-year streak of consecutive revenue and profit growth is notable within the traditional AAA game industry specifically because such sustained consistency is unusual — many major publishers experience much more volatile year-to-year performance tied to individual big releases.

What Fans Are Saying

• "'Capsule Computers' is such a fun piece of trivia for the Capcom name."
• "170 million Resident Evil units sold lifetime is an insane number."
• "An 11-year growth streak is rare for any major game publisher."

Original Japanese

• 「『カプセルコンピュータ』が由来というのは面白い豆知識ですね」
• 「バイオハザードの累計1億7000万本という数字は圧倒的です」
• 「11年連続の増収増益は、大手パブリッシャーとしては珍しいことだと思います」

Easy Japanese

「カプコン」は、1979年に大阪で創業した日本のゲーム会社です。ストリートファイターやモンスターハンターなどの人気シリーズを作っています。