In a surprising move, Apple announced last year that its iPhone 15 Pro models would be able to support full-blown AAA console titles, partnering with the likes of Capcom to bring current-gen games to the mobile platform. Despite a less-than-stellar commercial reception, Capcom appears to be making its iOS ports even less enticing – now forcing all of its Resident Evil games to require an internet connection to play.
Capcom recently took to Twitter to announce an update to its Resident Evil games on iOS, urging players to update their games via the App Store. However, upon closer inspection of the patch notes, it was revealed that the main addition with this update is an added form of DRM, with Resident Evil 7, RE4, and Village now requiring an internet connection to launch. This change has left many players questioning the reasoning behind this decision.
While requiring an internet connection is not uncommon for many mobile games, the fact that all of the Capcom games released on iOS so far are single-player experiences raises concerns among players. The necessity of an internet connection to launch these games seems unnecessary unless the publisher is using it to gather additional data from players. This move by Capcom has sparked a debate among fans about the implications of this change.
The AAA games ported to iPhones have not performed well in terms of sales, with the Resident Evil games reportedly selling fewer than 100,000 copies in total so far. This underperformance may have prompted Capcom to take drastic measures to recoup costs, even if it means implementing controversial changes like requiring an internet connection to play their games. It remains to be seen how fans will react to this latest development from the publisher.
In conclusion, the decision by Capcom to require an internet connection to play their Resident Evil games on iOS has raised eyebrows among players. The move comes at a time when the mobile gaming market is becoming increasingly competitive, and publishers are looking for ways to maximize revenue. Whether this change will have a positive or negative impact on the player experience remains to be seen, but it has certainly sparked a conversation within the gaming community. Fans will have to wait and see how Capcom responds to the feedback and whether they will reconsider their approach in the future.
