The year is 2024, and we now live in a world where Capcom considers Dragon's Dogma to be one of its "key brands". According to the publisher's latest financial report, the action RPG series currently sits alongside the likes of Monster Hunter, Resident Evil, and Street Fighter as a pillar property.
Sure, it's just some wording in a document, but this is still a fairly big deal when you think about the relatively humble beginnings of Dragon's Dogma. The original game released in 2012 and was, by most metrics, a bit of a flop. It immediately established a hardcore audience, but it was far from being the fantasy RPG blockbuster that Capcom wanted.
It wasn't until years later that the game would get the recognition it deserved. A combination of the excellent, game-changing Dark Arisen expansion and plenty of price cuts helped the release reach an audience beyond its dedicated fans, and it became something of a cult hit.
But even then, it took Capcom 12 years to launch a sequel. So far, Dragon's Dogma 2 has been Capcom's fantasy RPG blockbuster, selling 2.6 million copies since its release on the 22nd March. And that level of success has, again, elevated it to "key brand" status.