According to Capcom’s total sales figures, the Resident Evil series has shifted a mind-frazzling 40 million copies as of this week. That’s over 3 million pairs of soiled pants a year since the first game hit the PlayStation in 1996.

Resident Evil 2 is still the best-selling title in the series, with almost five million copies sold. However, Resident Evil 5 has crept up on its older brother like a sneaky undead brain-guzzler. In just two months, the game has sold 4.4 million copies - not a bad little effort, that.

The nearest contenders to the Capcom crown - Mega Man (28 million) and Street Fighter (27 million) - are popular franchises that have enjoyed some rejuvenation of late. But with the likes of Darkside Chronicles due out at the end of the year, as well as re-releases of 0 and 1 on Wii, Resident Evil is unlikely to be overtaken any time soon.