OSAKA / JAPAN — In a surprising move, police in Japan will be using Street Fighter adverts to recruit cybercrime officers.
Green Gaming Man reported that Capcom, the Japanese game developer and publisher has been working with police on 'crime prevention awareness campaigns' for some time, but it's the first time Street Fighter characters have been approved for recruitment.
Capcom received the request from Osaka police to use characters from the game, which has sold 42 million units as of March 2019 because of its palpable influence.
According to Capcom's own site, 3,000 flyers and 1,000 posters of Capcom's Street Fighter will be distributed in Osaka prefecture police stations, police boxes, and train stations.
The move comes at a time when cybercrime has seen a noticeable rise in recent years. According to Statista, in 2018, Japan fell victim to 58,477 cases of online illegal businesses.
Camcom said on its site the game was selected for the brand's powerful image, popularity among a wide range of age groups, and the affinity that esports has with cyberspace. The characters will be featured in hiring campaigns with the aim of raising the number of officers specializing in cybercrime.
