AI-rewritten: This is a summary of an article from The Verge, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article – read it for the full story.

---

Horror has transformed from a niche genre into a dominant force across gaming, film, and television, driven by factors like YouTube’s rise and viral memes. While Resident Evil has existed for 30 years, its recent game sold 8 million copies since launching in February, making it Capcom’s 14th best-selling title. A reboot of the film series directed by Zach Cregger is on track to become the top-grossing movie in franchise history. According to a Game File report, six different Resident Evil titles have sold at least 3 million copies this year alone. In an earnings report, Capcom described this as a virtuous cycle where sales of new and past titles grow together.

This trend is evident in movies, where YouTube-centric films like Obsession and Backrooms earned nearly $1 billion combined. These projects out-grossed established franchises like Star Wars despite costing only $10 million and less than $1 million respectively. Before them, Iron Lung also earned over $50 million without major studio backing. In streaming, every major service is investing in horror series during October. Amazon released a remake of Carrie helmed by Mike Flanagan, while Netflix launched Below starring Josh Hartnett and Charlie Heaton. Other services are airing Friday the 13th prequels, detective series, and new seasons of American Horror Story. Apple TV previously won with Widow’s Bay, which earned record Emmys.

In gaming, Silent Hill continues its run with a Scottish spinoff called Townfall, while Hellraiser received its first video game adaptation. Indie horror games remain consistent bestsellers on Steam and serve as source material for theatrical hits like Iron Lung and Exit 8. Twitch reported that viewers watched 287 million hours of horror content between January and September this year, with the "horror" tag seeing a 6 percent increase in viewership compared to last year. Studios are actively seeking new properties; A24 and Neon are developing SCP Foundation movies, Warner Bros. acquired rights to Siren Head, and Xbox invested in Hideo Kojima’s horror game OD.

Although not every project will be a major hit, studios and publishers are taking the genre more seriously due to its potential for high returns on low investment. Major franchises like Resident Evil and Silent Hill have settled on near-annual release schedules with no signs of slowing down. Industry leaders note that the possibility remains that horror will continue to be weird and unexpected because the best way to scare audiences is to show them something new.