Inafune discusses Dead Rising 2

Capcom power-player Keiji Inafune has said collaborating with a western developer will make Dead Rising 2 a better game than the first.

Inafune explained there are limitations to developing from a single Japanese perspective. He reckons new collaborator Blue Castle understands the style and can offer an invaluable second opinion on the IP.

"When we started developing Dead Rising 2 with Blue Castle, one of the first things that Blue Castle did for us was to list all of the good and bad things about the game," said Inafune on the Bionic Commando podcast.

"Working with Blue Castle has really shown us how we can not only fix the problems with the original game, but also extend and expand upon the really fun parts as well.

"[Blue Castle] really understood the Japanese flavour that made Dead Rising so unique, they show me that they are serious about creating a game that keeps that Capcom spice intact," he added.

Inafune said Capcom is working closely with Blue Castle on Dead Rising 2. The director, leading planner and other "key staff" from Dead Rising 1 are said to be in contact with Blue Castle at least once a week via video conference.

And this sort of relationship, explained Inafune, will set the tone for Capcom's future global plans.

"We really want to create a game that has Western sensibilities mixed in with our Japanese design ideas. That's the next step in our global design in which Dead Rising 2 plays a very significant role," he said.

Inafune cleverly skirted around giving any specific details for Dead Rising 2, but did suggest that the save system, along with other irritating points, will be ironed out.

"I can't promise that we'll address every player's gripes, but we are planning on fixing problems that we think should be fixed," he said, as coyly as a coil.

He also wouldn't specify whether the casino setting was Reno or Vegas, but did confirm that the clock-mechanic will return. However, this time there will be more goals than time-limited escapes or waiting for rescue.

Dead Rising 2 is in development for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. Those platforms aren't selling as well as hoped across Japan, but Inafune said he thinks Japanese and Western tastes will eventually merge as the markets become more global.

"As more shooters come into the Japanese market, as Japanese publishers like Capcom focus on sandbox games, I think you will start to see a change in Japanese gaming taste," concluded Inafune, pointing at Dead Rising 2 as a frontrunner.