|
 Interview
with Yutaka Haruki
-
Producer of Dead Rising at Capcom -
August 2006
With
other press members of XCN (Xbox Community Network), we have been able to ask
some questions to Yutaka Haruki, producer at Capcom, about the game Dead Rising
on Xbox 360.
XCN : Is
there any plans to take the photo elements of Dead Rising any further? For example,
letting us upload the photos we take to somewhere online?
Yutaka Haruki
: Allowing users to upload photos that they had taken was something we looked
at during the development process, but unfortunately were not able to implement
it in the final version.
XCN : How
challenging was it to get so many zombies on screen at once and still keep a steady
framerate? Will the final game be totally free of slowdowns?
Yutaka
Haruki : Well, first off let me say that having so many zombies on screen
was only possible thanks to the processing power of the Xbox 360. It was always
a clear vision for the development team that in Dead Rising the player should
face wave upon wave of zombies and we are certainly very happy with the quantity
we have achieved. XCN : What’s
your favorite weapon for destroying the zombies? Who came up with the ideas?
Yutaka Haruki : To be honest I can’t single one out as there are so
many.
XCN : Why is a journalist
the main character of a game? Why was Frank West not a cop or a regular civilian?
Yutaka Haruki : We chose Frank’s profession to be a photo-journalist
for a number of reasons. Firstly it gives him a motive for going to Willamette
– he wants to find out what is happening there, why the Army is not allowing
people in or out and hopefully post a story that is going to make him famous across
the globe. It also allowed us to implement the photography feature into the game
something which adds another dimension to the already multi-faceted gameplay.
Finally I believe that while Frank is a photo-journalist, in many ways he is just
an ordinary person like you or me and therefore has to make use of the items he
finds in the shopping mall in order to stay alive. Sure, the longer he survives
the more skills he can obtain, but when he first enters the mall he is just an
ordinary guy. 
XCN
: Was it hard to implement and generate the record number of zombies coming
in never-ending waves? Do zombies have a unique behavior and appearance?
Yutaka
Haruki : While each of the zombies does not exhibit individual characteristics,
there are a number of zombie types and each of these behaves in its own way. Also,
as day changes to night all the zombies become far more aggressive making Frank’s
task of survival even harder. XCN
: How many different endings will the players find in “Dead Rising”?
Yutaka Haruki : All I can really say is that there are many endings and
these will differ depending on the way you play the game. XCN
: How many zombies can there be on screen at any one time? Any special technical
accomplishments you are proud of in that respect?
Yutaka Haruki : Nobody
knows, we want you to count them !! XCN
: What is the online side like, is it player v player or do you team up with
people across LIVE ? Or is it both?
Yutaka Haruki : Dead Rising does
not feature any form of multiplayer mode as we always wanted it to be a single
player game as we felt that Dead Rising provides a unique experience that would
be lost if we had included a co-op or any other multiplayer mode. 
XCN
: What variety of scenarios does the game take place in?
Yutaka Haruki
: All the game takes place in the Willamette Mall, but as this is a US mall
it is vast, with many sections on a number of levels and naturally includes areas
such as a food hall, cinema and many different shops. In addition, the player
will be able to explore the outside area between the mall. XCN
: With downloadable content on the way, how much longer will you be supporting
the current release?
Yutaka Haruki : We have already released a number
of picture packs and desktop themes but as for game content there will be eight
brand new outfits for Frank to wear available at launch, with more
to come at a later date. XCN : Is
there anything you wanted to include in the game but had to be cut?
Yutaka
Haruki : Whenever you are developing games there are certain items that don’t
make it into the final game, but I can’t say that any were omitted because
they were too over the top. XCN :
Do you plan a continuation of Dead Rising with maybe a different story?
Yutaka Haruki : At the moment the team is taking a well deserved break
so we are not really thinking about another title right now. Also, we want to
see the feedback we get from the people who have played Dead Rising as this would
have an impact on any new title.
XCN : Many
thanks for your time !
Related links : -
Dead
Rising videos - Dead
Rising official site - Other
Xbox 360 interviews
Max73, Xbox
Gazette, September 2nd 2006 Thanks to : Yutaka
Haruki, Capcom,
XCN
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