If you haven’t heard by now, rumors are starting to fly around concerning Resident Evil 5 and an announcement at E3. The biggest (likely nothing more than the result of Xbox Fanboys) is that RE 5 will have some sort of exclusive time frame for the Xbox 360. Meaning PS3 owners will have to wait months if not years.

Sounds 100% bogus to me. Capcom did put on paper that there will be a “huge” announcement regarding their beloved Resident Evil Franchise, however if there was some sort of time frame, what does Capcom or Microsoft earn?

Yes Microsoft could be in a position to sell a “few” more systems. But they would shell out a pretty penny for it. Ask yourself, is it worth it for them? The answer is clearly no. Look at RE4 for the Nintendo Gamecube. If you forgot, Nintendo and Capcom also had a time frame before the PS2 version. Did that even come close to saving the cube from ending up being in third place in the console wars? Of course not.

Also what would Capcom earn? Yes they get money from Microsoft, but at the same time they really limit themselves in terms of units sold. Remember, at this point, no matter what MS really does, they have a hard time moving systems in Japan. Even having exclusives that appeal to a Japanese market hasn’t helped. In the end this scenario (if true) could hurt Capcom’s quarterly sales. Would it be worth it? Probably not.

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Update 6/19:
Capcom Corporate Officer and VP of Strategic Planning and BIZ Dev, Christian Svensson, issued two separate comments concerning the rumored “exclusive MS timed release” on the official Capcom blog which confirm my prediction and hopefully put the exclusive release rumor to bed.

The first comment was made on Jun 18, 2008 – 11:13PM stating:

“The assertion is false. RE5 is a multiplatform release that fits with our oft-stated crossplatform strategy.”

The second comment was made on Jun 19, 2008 – 09:32AM stating:

For the avoidance of doubt… simultaneous release.

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So then, what info could they have at this years E3? Honestly — I have no Idea. I do however, have a few guesses.

1. This could be the least interesting. It could be nothing more than a “limited edition” costing you 20-30 bucks more with some DVD extra’s that you’ll most likely never get the chance to watch. Although I doubt that there will be only one thing announced, I do believe this could happen.

2. Maybe, just MAYBE Microsoft and/or Sony will have some kind of exclusive downloadable content available, much like MS did with GTA IV. Unlike an exclusive time frame, this one is much less risky and cheaper.

3. I save my favorite for last. How about some ONLINE PLAY!?! This would be a win win situation for both 360 and PS3 owners. Imagine something as simple 4 on 4 RE online action. Four humans vs four zombies. Online play for RE could be fantastic, and when you come to think of it, it seems to be the trend these days. Some may say I am reaching a bit, but nonetheless this would be something all RE fans could get truly excited about.

We’ll all find out at this years E3.