Next Resident Evil could be a SOCOM-style multiplayer effort. Zombies everywhere weep

Hands up if you thought Resident Evil 5's decidedly unscary slide into a two player co-op action game was as awesome as a zombified gibbon smoking a stogie. Well, all fourteen of you may be excited to know that the next entry in Capcom's undead 'em up could well be a SOCOM-esque online multiplayer title called Resident Evil: Racoon City. Mainly because it's rumoured Slant Six Games (who made Sony's online shooter) has been handed the keys toCapcom'srotting kingdom.

According to a document the chaps and chapettes at Kotaku recently received, Slant Six is currently employing folk to work on the game in Vancouver. It's official site says the developer is working on "an amazing new project". And that it's being made with a "new publishing partner on a world class franchise". Now, to our slowly decomposing frontal lobes, that sure as shit sounds like Capcom and Resident Evil.

Above: Giant cockroaches aside, Resi going online with the Outbreak games blew the big one

Adding further fuel to that thing cavemen are scared of, several former employees of Slant Six have listed an unannounced "multiplayer action game" for PS3 and 360 on their profiles on job networking site LinkedIn. Earlier this year, the developer was also hiring for a "Japanese translator/interpreter". Asjarnalists who can't be assed writing in anything but clich%26eacute;s would say, the plot thickens.

Above: Resi 5's slant towards more social gaming could be just the beginning for the series

If all this is true and not merely malicious gossip cooked up by the interweb's ever reliable soux chefs, then it represents a growing trend of Capcom sourcing out some of its biggest franchises to Western devs. Over the last couple of years the Japanese giant has passed over the reins to Devil Ma Cry (Ninja Theory), Dead Rising 2 (Blue Castle Games) and Bionic Commando (GRIN).

To be honest, colour us slightlydubious. Resi has hardly strived in the online arena so far. Alright, fighting undead creatures in a zombified zoo in Resident Evil: Outbreak: File #2 was an ace idea, and Resi 5 was enjoyable played in co-op. But by and large, the Outbreakgames were a bit of a disaster and the last game'smultiplayer action argubably stripped the series trademark horror away. And lets not even go into Capcom's last online-focused title...

Above: Dang. Seems like we went there

Still, the SOCOM games are more than solid and Resident Evil could certainly use some fresh ideas to stop the series stagnating any further. Anyhoo, want to you think about the potential prospect of an entirely multiplayer Resi? Share your word-based opinions below.

Source: Kotaku

Nov 2, 2010