Resident Evil 6 ships over 4.5M copies

Capcom has announced that the latest installment in its Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil 6, has shipped more than 4.5 million copies worldwide since the game's release on October 2.

According to Capcom, this initial shipment is the highest ever for a Capcom game.

However, shipment figures indicate the number of games shipped to retailers around the world, not the number of games sold through to consumers. Capcom has not yet revealed sales figures for the title.

The publisher also revealed that the Resident Evil series has recorded cumulative sales of more than 50 million units worldwide since the first title in the franchise was released in 1996.

Earlier this week, Resident Evil 6 producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi commented on the rift between fans and developers, and said that the franchise can't please everyone.

Resident Evil 6 shipped on Tuesday to reviews that ranged from positive to cold. GameSpot's critique of the game praised its voice acting and narrative structure, but lamented the title's ubiquitous and lengthy quick-time events, as well as its unimpressive set pieces.

Capcom expects Resident Evil 6 to sell 7 million copies, becoming the publisher's best-selling title in its history.