Opprinnelig skrevet av GameInformer
Game Informer: How long has Dead Rising been in development?
Keiji Inafune: If you add in the concept phase, it’s been about two years. But the actual process of making the game itself, it’s been little over a year.
GI: Is the game being built on an entirely new engine, or one that’s already been around for awhile?
Inafune: It’s a brand new engine.
GI: We’ve heard that some dev kits have been hard to come by lately. Is the game running on an alpha kit and how fluid has the development process gone so far?
Inafune: Everything you’ve seen here (at E3) is based only on the alpha kits. Everything that we’ve seen so far is indicating that the final kits will be about four to five times more powerful than what you’re seeing here today.
GI: Compared to what we see now, what key areas will be improved when you get the final kits?
Inafune: I can guarantee this: right now one of the main problems we’re facing with the alpha kits is that we want to pour out tons and tons of zombies. So, that’s what we started off with and that feature will be the first thing we get down. But what’s suffered due to only using an alpha kit as opposed to a final dev kit is that we can only get so many polygons into a zombie. So now, the graphical quality of the zombies is a lot less than what we want since we want to get as many zombies on-screen as we can. But I guarantee that in the end the game will have a lot better graphics with all of those on-screen zombies.
GI: Obviously, when you get a new system the graphics will be a lot better. But what does the Xbox 360 allow you to do from a gameplay standpoint that you couldn’t do on the Xbox or PS2?
Inafune: We were actually initially going to develop the game for current systems. However in doing that, we ran into some problems in not being able to get the sheer number of zombies on-screen that we wanted, the graphics wouldn’t be as good as we wanted them to be, and we wanted the game to take place in a mall, but were limited in polygons. One thing that I can say is that in having this new hardware, you can take games in new directions that you couldn’t before.
GI: One scene of the game that you’ve heavily promoted had a man standing on a truck shooting down at a sea of zombies that have surrounded him. What sort of numbers for on-screen characters are you aiming for?
Inafune: You saw about 1000 zombies in that video clip, although there was some slow-down because of the alpha kits. But, for the final version of the game, we’re shooting for having 1000 zombies on-screen at any given time. On the alpha kits, we have a playable version where we were able to get 300 zombies on-screen with no slow-down. So if the alpha kits are going to be a third or a quarter of the power of the final dev kits, we should be able to clear that 1000 zombie goal rather easily.
GI: Even in the short clips of gameplay we’ve seen, there seems to be a lot of different weapons in the game. How many different items and weapons are there going to be in the game?
Inafune: Right now we have about 100 different items that you can interact with in the game.
GI: The game seems to have a neat dichotomy going on in it. On one hand you have some pretty violent melee combat. And on the other hand, you have this unique photography element since your character is a journalist. How does this idea work in the larger context of the game, since you’re trying to both stay alive and get good coverage? Will there be certain events that you need to photograph while playing?
Inafune: That’s the one area in the game that we haven’t completely worked out yet. But, we are planning on having the player take pictures in the game and depending on what scene or area you’re in, that will dictate what sort of score you receive for it and ultimately end up turning into something the player can use. It’s not something that players will have to do in order to clear the game, since you could probably go through the entire game without taking a single picture, if you wanted to. However, there will be certain advantages for those players who do play through the game and take pictures. For example, you could take a picture, and at the end of the game you could receive extra points for it, or maybe even be considered a hero for doing so. The cool thing is that it’s not just going to be about taking pictures of zombies. True, you will have to take pictures of zombies, but you’ll also be able to take pictures of things like explosions or maybe two characters fighting with each other. There’s going to be a wide variety of different pictures that you can take, and in the end, you’ll be graded on that in some shape or form. While we’re ultimately leaving it up to the player, we do want to focus on the fighting and the action, while at the same time also focusing on getting the scoop.
GI: Will there be different endings depending on your actions?
Inafune: The way we’re thinking about it isn’t necessarily having multiple endings, which are horizontal, but more in a vertical way. For example, you could play three or four days in the game and then it could suddenly end there if you don’t do things right. But, if you do play the right way, you may continue the plotline and clear the game in the best way possible. Another really neat thing is that you have the option to be either a good or a bad person. So, you don’t always have to be the hero. To be very blunt, some reporters out there are low-lifes. But, that’s one way to sell a story. Your main character has the option of getting a scoop by creating a scoop. He may bring a friend over so that they’re set up to get bitten or killed by a zombie, meanwhile you end up with a great chance to get a good picture of what happens.
GI: We also noticed that there was a short video sequence where your character is leading someone around by the hand in a scene quite reminiscent of Resident Evil 4. How will this mechanic work in the game?
Inafune: First off, we’re not implementing a super complex system for that. We really wanted to show the press that you won’t be alone and will need to survive along with other people. This ends up giving you a lot of freedom in letting you choose the direction of your game. But, it also gives you the opportunity to learn about the scariest creature in the game, which is mankind. With zombies, they’re vegetables that exist to feed. But with people, you’re never sure if they’re a friend or an enemy. By putting you in the mall with the other people, who you can either try to survive with or feed to the zombies, you have a whole new spectrum of gameplay possibilities.
GI: We noticed some humorous elements to the trailer that you showed off. Are you trying to be tongue-in-cheek with the humor in the game?
Inafune: I’ll use the phrase “dark humor,” so yes there will be some sarcasm and irony. It’ll be in things like watching a person trying to survive only to be overcome by a horde of zombies. There will be lots of situations that will end up being very funny. Some of the other comedic bits you didn’t get to see will come in the interaction between the people in the game. There could be some basic irony that appears in that dialogue. That’s a lot of different directions we can go, but one thing we do know is that it won’t be super hardcore horror gameplay; there will be plenty of humorous parts to enjoy.
GI: Will there be a video game store in the mall that appears in the game?
Inafune: Yes, there will be and there may even be the possibility of playing a game in there. You never know, maybe you’ll be able to play Resident Evil there. Pretty much everything that you’ll see in the game will be a place you could see in real life. We wanted to create a mall that when Americans saw it, would think that it could be just like the mall down the street from their home.
GI: Given the fact that a mall will have a bunch of clothing shops, will you be able to try on different outfits and alter the visual appearance of your character?
Inafune: Dead Rising is a game that is only limited by your imagination. So, if you can imagine yourself being trapped in a mall with zombies, anything you can interact with there in real life, you’ll be able to do in the game. So yes, if you find a clothing shop you can go on and try on the latest fashions. Anything that you can do in reality, we’re really going to try and make possible in the game.
GI: What’s your favorite thing so far about the Xbox 360 hardware?
Inafune: If I had to pick one thing, it would be how easy it is to make a game for the console. They’ve given us a lot of support and feedback, and it’s always felt like we’ve been part of a team. That, more than anything, really makes the design process more enjoyable. Whenever a new piece of hardware comes out, you end up seeing a lot of numbers and figures thrown around. The system itself has tremendous number crunching ability, but if you don’t have the tools to utilize that, it just ends up being empty space. You then realize the full potential of the hardware and Microsoft has made the entire process very, very easy. I can say that when you compare to what we dealt with on the first Xbox, it’s a 180 degree difference. Microsoft really has put all of their energy and force into doing things right and they’re a force to be reckoned with.
