Why the heck is Resident Evil called Biohazard in Japan?

[yourbeliefs]

Biohazard makes much more sense now for the series. Resident Evil was appropriate for the first game, but once the series progressed more and more outside of 1 closed arena (Police Station/Lab in RE2, Town in RE3, Spanish county in RE4, Africa in RE5) it really should have changed. People put too much emphasis on name recognition and think that people are too stupid to realize when something they know has changed their name. Now that's its really focused more on the fact that it's a virus, and now a weapon of terrorism, Biohazard really matches the theme more.

 

[asinann]

Probably something unlucky about calling it Resident Evil 5, just like on there hotels there no such floor as 13 , dosent exist why??

What could be unlucky about that?

And I just think it's weird how they have no floor 13.

The building I had my internship had no 4th floor. Go to the elevator and you'll see G-2-3-5-6-7. Probably cuz it's a Japanese company.

Maybe that other guy that quoted me was right, maybe it is 4, not 13.

Probably something unlucky about calling it Resident Evil 5, just like on there hotels there no such floor as 13 , dosent exist why??

What could be unlucky about that?

And I just think it's weird how they have no floor 13.

I thought it was floors with 4 in it? Because the kanji for 4 is the same as the kanji for death? Or was that just in hospitals? Meh.

Yeah him/you. haha

Don't know why I thought it was 13, you guys seem to think it's 4.

**If any one find out any info on the unlucky numbers for Japan, please, tell me.** (sorry about the Off-Topic)

In most cases in the US hospitals and hotels don't have a "13th floor."

They usually go 1-12, then 14+.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

Biohazard makes much more sense now for the series. Resident Evil was appropriate for the first game, but once the series progressed more and more outside of 1 closed arena (Police Station/Lab in RE2, Town in RE3, Spanish county in RE4, Africa in RE5) it really should have changed. People put too much emphasis on name recognition and think that people are too stupid to realize when something they know has changed their name. Now that's its really focused more on the fact that it's a virus, and now a weapon of terrorism, Biohazard really matches the theme more.

Yeah I don't know why they had to change it. Maybe it's better for marketing. Resident Evil probably got a better reaction than Biohazard.

 

[Velocirapture07]

Easy. Resident Evil translated into Japanese means "No more tentacle porn". This of course is a strongly opposed position in Japan.

 

[DigitalSushi]

Guys, no offense, but I can make presumptions on my own. I need someone who knows why they did, presuming it is known. 'cause you don't market a game under two different titles because you bloody feel like it, there must be an acutal, tangible reason.

because Resident Evil sounds cooler than BioHazard.

And your wrong, Capcom have some fetish about changing the names of their titles and their characters from Japan to Western world.
Rockman = Megaman
Warzard = Red Earth
Biohazrd = Resident Evil

 

[Syntax Error]

quotage

Basically, in Japan, the number four is pronounced the same as the word they have for "death" thus, the association.

Easy. Resident Evil translated into Japanese means "No more tentacle porn". This of course is a strongly opposed position in Japan.

Just my two cents: the Licker from RE2 was mighty close.

 

[AceDiamond]

As an aside I keep wondering if the Biohazard/RE series was meant from the get-go to be a parody of B-movie horror flicks, because Resident Evil does sound very B-movie-ish as a title (see Dead Alive or Brain Dead depending on which side of the Earth you're on). Throw in the hilariously bad plots and acting and there you go.

More on topic, localization rebranding isn't a new concept. Hell Capcom does tend to do it a lot, from the complex (Biohazard/Resident Evil) to the simple (Rockman/Megaman).

 

[Ghadente]

The real question should be... why is Biohazard called Resident Evil?

* Biohazard sounds more accurate for a title description of the series, but Resident Evil sounds cooler in my opinion, especially when the voice says it on the title screen of the games (you can just very the evil in the way he says it).

 

[Hexadecimal16]

Its the same as them changing the Dr. Robotnik to Dr Eggman : (
The japanese change a lot of things, and I generally don't like them.

He will always be Robotnik to me. Always.

Also, lol @ Localized Malice.

 

[NoDamnNames]

I think a more appropriate question is why is Biohazard called Resident Evil in North America.

 

[Your once and future Fanboy]

the real question is why they called it resident evil in Europe and north america. Biohazard was the original name for the franchise.

 

[Onihoshi]

I think a more appropriate question is why is Biohazard called Resident Evil in North America.

Exactly. i can't believe that Americans are so far stuck up their own asses to notice that Resident Evil is in fact a Japanese game. And it was change for that reason since all the lets call them north Americans, to avoid offending anyone, would not get it why its biohazard since no one is wearing a yellow biohazard suit in stead going around a residence full of zombies which clearly don't look hazardous just little skin lacking.

Also in Japan Biohazard must sound way cool since they don't translate it but use the english word and that aplies to them the same way it applies to americas resident evil.

I'm just mad that Europe also has resident evil in stead of biohazard. would prefer the latter.

 

[batti]

Trying not to scare the Americans.
"Hey let's buy Biohazard".
"What. Are you some kind of terrorist?".
"Um, no. It's a Video game".
"Ooh"

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

Because Biohazard was the original name of the series. However due to some pathetic nothing band that no one has heard of already having that name they had to change it for legal reasons. Also apparently there was a olllllld DOS game named Biohazard soo.

I wouldn't consider the band Biohazard a "pathetic nothing band" as they were one of the groups that helped create the whole rap-rock/nu-metal scene back in the early 90s. That being said, that genre of music generally sucks.

Personally, I think the name Biohazard fits better with what is actually going on in the games, since Resident Evil seems to imply some sort of haunting or supernatural shenanigans (in my mind, at least).

 

[SuperFelix]

Its the same as them changing the Dr. Robotnik to Dr Eggman : (
The japanese change a lot of things, and I generally don't like them.

I always thought it was originally Eggman in Japan, but they changed it to Robotnik for some unknown reason for the west. Then they gradually changed to Eggman so all territories are synched in terms of main villain name. Something like that...

 

[Clashero]

Same thing happened to Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy, now that I think about it. Also the movie DeadAlive.

 

[gamegod25]

Biohazard probably sounded too ambiguous.
See, we Americans tend to be... rather thick, all told.

Speak for yourself. Anyway you have to admit that Biohazard is about as generic a title as you can get. Seriously the only way it could be more generic is if it were called "Game"

 

[NoDamnNames]

I think a more appropriate question is why is Biohazard called Resident Evil in North America.

Exactly. i can't believe that Americans are so far stuck up their own asses to notice that Resident Evil is in fact a Japanese game. And it was change for that reason since all the lets call them north Americans, to avoid offending anyone, would not get it why its biohazard since no one is wearing a yellow biohazard suit in stead going around a residence full of zombies which clearly don't look hazardous just little skin lacking.

Also in Japan Biohazard must sound way cool since they don't translate it but use the english word and that aplies to them the same way it applies to americas resident evil.

I'm just mad that Europe also has resident evil in stead of biohazard. would prefer the latter.

Honestly if the franchise was called BioHazard in English from the start, people would think "Resident Evil" sounded funny. I know I did when the first one came out. Biohazard fits the series much better.

 

[Ionami]

You're not allowed to have the word "Resident" within 7 words of "Evil" in Japan. Just one of those weird customs they have.