Resident Evil, the original zombie-shooter phenomenon, is preparing for a new release in the upcoming holiday season. And Capcom says Resident Evil 6 is expected to be the biggest game the 16-year-old franchise has launched to date.

The plan is the biggest Resident Evil game ever, Capcom's SVP of Planning and Development Christian Svensson said to GameInformer. We're not messing around.

He also said that the newest post-apocalyptic shooting game has seen the highest number of pre-orders than any other Resident Evil release.

The pre-orders for Resident Evil 6 are off to a fantastic start, he told the magazine.

Although the holiday season brings new titles from gaming heavyweights such as Assassin's Creed 3, Svensson is sure that Resident Evil 6 will prevail.

We're saying, 'Get the hell out of the way.' We're a big game. We're letting you know we're coming, he said.

Recent releases such as Mass Effect 3 and Diablo 3 may be hogging the spotlight, but Resident Evil fans are still a prominent part of gaming culture. According to video game industry news site Gamasutra, the next edition of the classic game was ranked as the most anticipated game of 2012 for UK players. It beat out competitors such as Call of Duty for Vita, Assassin's Creed 3, Halo 4 and Max Payne 3.

The flesh-eating, virus-infected series has released 22 games to date. In addition, numerous films have been made based on the survival-horror game, the first released in 2002 and the most recent is set for a 2012 release date.

But for those with a desire for guts, gore and guns, Capcom will be releasing another addition to the Resident Evil family before the sixth installment. Fans can expect to see Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City this spring.

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