What does capcom mean?
Capcom is a Japanese video game company, formally Capcom Co., Ltd., headquartered in Osaka. Founded in the late 1970s during the golden age of arcades, it rose to prominence with hit titles such as Street Fighter II, Mega Man, and Resident Evil, and later achieved massive global success with the Monster Hunter series. In everyday usage, the word appears mainly in gaming journalism, fan discussion, and commerce — phrases like 'a Capcom game' or 'published by Capcom' treat it much like other studio names such as Nintendo or Sega. The name derives from 'Capsule Computer,' reflecting the founders' aim of packaging entertainment into compact machines. For gamers, the word carries strong nostalgic connotations, associated with arcade culture and some of the most influential franchises in the medium's history. As a proper noun it is always capitalized and has no plural or inflected forms.
nounCapcom is a Japanese video game development and publishing company, founded in 1979, known for franchises such as Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Monster Hunter, and Mega Man.
- The Japanese video game company Capcom Co., Ltd., developer and publisher of major franchises such as Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and Monster Hunter.
"Capcom announced a new entry in the Monster Hunter series at its summer showcase."
"Street Fighter II, released by Capcom in 1991, helped define the fighting-game genre."
"Fans lined up at the convention hoping to try Capcom's latest demo."
The name Capcom is a compound of 'Capsule Computer' — the founders wanted to evoke arcade machines packed with fun like capsules full of toys.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of capcom
Capcom was founded in Japan in 1979 (incorporated in 1983) by Kenzo Tsujimoto. The name is an abbreviation of 'Capsule Computer,' a term meant to suggest self-contained machines delivering concentrated fun, analogous to toy-filled capsules. The company grew out of the arcade boom and expanded internationally through the 1980s and 1990s. It shares its naming convention with other Japanese portmanteau company names rather than any linguistic root.
How capcom is actually used
Capcom is always capitalized as a proper noun. It functions as an attributive noun ('a Capcom title') rather than having derived adjective forms.
Easily confused with capcom
Namco is a different, historically rival Japanese game company (now Bandai Namco), often mentioned alongside Capcom in discussions of classic arcade gaming.