As far as video game companies go, Capcom is probably one of the better known. Their reputation has been built over decades, after its inception in the late 1970s. Since then, they have developed and published some of the most influential games, such as Mega Man, Street Fighter, and Resident Evil, to name a few.
But because their games have helped define various genres and the overall gaming landscape, in fact the people behind those games have shaped the company into what it is today. From big name directors to lesser -known designers and illustrators, here are the 10 most famous people behind some of their most influential franchises.
10
Shu Takumi - Ace Attorney, Dino Crisis 2, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Shu Takumi is the man behind Ace Attorney, a detective -themed visual novel series that finally moves to the West later this month.
He has served as writer and director for the series since early 2001 but actually joined Capcom in 1994. His other credits include Dino Crisis and its sequel, Dino Crisis 2, where he oversaw the production of the game as director.
9
Tokuro Fujiwara -Ghosts’n Goblin, Bionic Command, Sweet House, Mega Man
Tokuro Fujiwara is a video game designer known for his involvement with many classic Capcom games. He served as general manager for Capcom’s Console Games Division from 1988 to 1996, and during this time he helped produce games in the Mega Man series.
He has also served as director of games such as Ghosts ‘n Goblins, Bionic Commander, and Sweet Home, the inspiration for the Resident Evil series.
8
Akira Kitamura -Mega Man
Akira Kitamura is a Japanese artist and video game director. He is best known for his work on the Mega Man series, starring as artist and director on the first game. In creating iconic video game characters, he drew inspiration from the likes of Astro Boy and Ninja Captor.
He will also serve as a director for a second game in the series but left the company during the expansion of Mega Man 3. He has since retired from video game development.
7
Kaname Fujioka - Moon Hunter
Fujioka Kaname is a game designer and artist best known for his work on the Monster Hunter game series.
He has served as director or creative director for nearly every game in the series so far, the most recent being Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of the Ruin, which was recently launched for PC and Nintendo Switch.
6
Ryozo Tsujimoto - Moon Hunter
Ryozo Tsujimoto is the head of Capcom’s User Game Development Division 2, the team responsible for games like Monster Hunter, Onimusha, and Ace Attorney.
Born in 1973, he joined the company in 1996, starting as a game planner. His father, Kenzo Tsujimoto, is the company’s CEO, while his brother, Haru, is its President. He has served as a producer on the Monster Hunter series since 2007.
5
Yoshiki Okamoto - Final Fight, Street Fighter II, Onimusha
Yoshiki Okamoto is a video game designer whose career began at Konami, where he worked on games like Time Pilot and Gyruss. He joined Capcom in 1984 and is best known for his work in games such as Final Fight and Street Fighter II.
He is also the creator of Gun Smoke, the forerunner of Rockstar video games Red Dead and Red Dead Redemption. He recently created the mobile game Monster Strike for Mixi, a Japanese social networking service, where it became the best-selling mobile app of all time.
4
Takashi Nishiyama - Street Fighter
Takashi Nishiyama is famous for creating the Street Fighter franchise. Before working for Capcom, he designed a game called Kung-Fu Master, which is considered their first hit.
He would work with Hiroshi Matsumoto to make the first game in the Street Fighter series but left Capcom before the expansion and launch of his sequel, Street Fighter II: World Warrior.
3
Hideki Kamiya - Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, Okami
Hideki Kamiya is a game designer and director best known for his work in games such as Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, and Okami.
He joined Capcom in 1994 but left in 2006 to help out with PlantinumGames alongside other former Capcom employees. Since then, he has directed and supervised games such as Bayonetta 1 and 2, The Wonderful 101, and Astral Chain.
2
Keiji Inafune -Mega Man, Onimusha, Dead Rising
Keiji Inafune started at Capcom in 1987 as an illustrator. His early work included the original Street Fighter and Mega Man games. He will remain at the company until 2010, working on other game series such as Lost Planet, Onimusha, and Dead Rising.
At the time of his departure, he was Head of Global Production. Prior to that, he served as Senior Corporate Research & Development Officer.
1
Shinji Mikami - Resident Evil, Dino Crisis
Often considered the godfather of horror games, Shinji Mikami is best known for his work in survival horror games, Resident Evil and Dino Crisis. He joined Capcom in 1990 as a junior game designer and worked on games like the SNES version of Aladdin. His next big project was the original Resident Evil, which started as a remake of Sweet Home.
He was also appointed general manager of Capcom Production Studio 4, which is primarily focused on the development of their survival horror games. He left Capcom in 2007. His latest projects include The Evil Within and its sequel, as well as the upcoming PS5 console exclusive, Ghostwire: Tokyo.
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