Beloved survival-horror game Dino Crisis launched on 1 July 1999 – and to celebrate, Capcom has posted an image of a mangled dinosaur foot that has players speculating about the future of the franchise. For years, keen players have begged Capcom for a new Dino Crisis – a remake, a remaster, a sequel.
Despite this prolonged outcry, Dino Crisis has gone two decades without a new entry. Capcom’s live service dinosaur shooter Exoprimal attempted to fill a void, but the game’s sci-fi battles and multiplayer-focussed action seemingly did little to stem the tide of enthusiasm for a new Dino Crisis.
Fans of the franchise have spent the last few years clawing at every crumb of evidence, every dino-related teaser, hoping for something more. It’s more than likely Capcom’s anniversary post is just a nod to the past, but of course, any acknowledgement of Dino Crisis invites rampant speculation.
In the comments section of the dinosaur foot pic, fans are practically begging for a new Dino Crisis, with varying degrees of desperation. One of the most popular comments on the post is a gif that simply reads: “Give the people what they want.”
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Why Dino Crisis has gone dormant
Over the last few years, support for a new Dino Crisis has ramped up, with many fans urging Capcom to revisit the franchise. As nostalgia for the 1990s and early 2000s has grown, calls for a series return have only increased – you can find plenty of threads on Reddit and other internet forums questioning why Capcom hasn’t made a new Dino Crisis in years.
The answer is likely to be quite boring. Capcom has occasionally asked fans whether they’d want to see a new Dino Crisis, to wildly positive response. The company is certainly aware of the demand, and the continued popularity of the franchise.
But realistically, Capcom already has enough games and popular franchises under its belt, and it must focus on its most commercially-viable properties. That means more Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and Monster Hunter over returns for niche franchises. While Dino Crisis sold millions in the early 2000s, the gap of time since the last franchise entry means only older, hardcore fans are likely to remember Dino Crisis. There’s every chance it would find a new audience in the modern era, but guaranteed successes like Resident Evil will bring more return.
That said, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Capcom does revive Dino Crisis in future, particularly as the voices crying for its return grow louder. The company is in a very robust financial position currently, and has become great at balancing multiple games in development.
Dino Crisis may not have the name value or sales potential of a new Resident Evil, but in future, there may be enough scope and time for the franchise to make a grand return. Until then, Capcom will likely continue dino-feet posting, stoking the fires of speculation.
