Lost Planet Producer Interview

With Lost Planet: Extreme Condition almost here, we were dying to find out more about the game from Capcom. Luckily, after a few games on the multiplayer demo they were happy to tell us more, so we caught up with Jun Takeuchi, the game's producer, to get the lowdown on the next big thing for Xbox 360™.

Xbox.com: What were your primary influences when making Lost Planet, both in terms of style and gameplay?

Jun Takeuchi: Halo® was incredibly influential to us. As Japanese developers, what appealed to us was Halo's great gameplay. It isn't just a first person shooter, it also has strong action elements. Halo's influence really pushed us.

Lost Planet producer Jun Takeuchi.

Xbox.com: The movie influences are clearly apparent when you see the game's cutscenes unravel. What values made you choose South Korean actor Lee Byung-Hun as lead?

Takeuchi: When we decided to make Lost Planet, we really wanted to put in lots of Japanese design elements. For instance, the science fiction setting, robotic Vital Suits, etc. But we felt it would be a real problem if we cheapened the Lost Planet experience by making it essentially an anime. So we began to think in reverse.

We thought about how anime, such as Dragonball Z or Ghost in the Shell, had influenced Hollywood. When they make live action films, how are these elements represented? We realized that they try to make these things as real as possible, and that is when the art style of Lost Planet really gelled. The entire production was very film-like, which is why using Lee Byung-Hun made sense. He is an incredible actor, and his digital performance in Lost Planet fits the universe perfectly.

We wanted an actor who could provide a "real" performance, and Lee Byung-Hun has a certain depth to him that appealed to us. When we were casting for the role, we had worldwide appeal in mind, so we looked at many actors from Japan and Hollywood; however, among the team, Lee Byung-Hun was the actor who most stood out.

Xbox.com: You listened to a lot of consumer feedback on the Xbox Live® demo, how did you end up changing the game?

Takeuchi: I think one of the most surprising things to us from the feedback was the number of people playing on smaller televisions, and the font size problem that resulted from that. In the final version of the game, the text size will be larger on standard definition TVs. We also took the feedback about the lobby system to heart, so users can expect an update that will address this feedback.

Xbox.com: Lost Planet is a game of epic proportions, how big was the team working on it?

Takeuchi: It was normally about 40–50 people.

Xbox.com: What multiplayer modes are available in the finished game and how do these work?

Takeuchi: There are various modes in the game, but they can be split up into two categories: team modes, where you split up into a maximum of four teams, and a free-for-all elimination mode. There is also a mode called Fugitive, where one person must try to survive as long as possible while being hunted by up to 15 other players. This mode is very popular with the development team.

There are also many rules variations—winning can be achieved by eliminating an enemy's energy gauge, or (in the case of Data Post modes) either holding on to Data Posts for the longest amount of time, or capturing all the Data Posts. The Data Post games are the most popular team games here at Capcom.

Xbox.com: How many Vital Suits are there in the game and how do these work?

Takeuchi: If you count all the small variations there are a little less than 20 Vital Suits in the game. The design of the Vital Suits can be very different and they influence the design. One VS could have an enormous jump, while another VS has a double jump ability. There is a four-legged Vital Suit that can fight on legs or transform into a tank. The key to using the Vital Suits is to know which one to use in which situation.

Xbox.com: What kind of achievements have you lined up for us in Lost Planet?

Takeuchi: I get the achievement question quite often, but from our perspective as developers, this is something we really want you as a gamer to play and find out for yourself. If you know all the achievements before hand, it loses some of its appeal. Of course, if users are clamoring for information, we might give out a hint or two.

Xbox.com:Will there be downloadable content for Lost Planet on Xbox Live Marketplace in the coming months?

Takeuchi: The biggest thing that we want to do is provide multiplayer maps to users. The team has put quite a bit of work into the multiplayer maps, and they have created maps both in and out of the Lost Planet universe. Capcom is located in Osaka, Japan and right now the team really loves a map they created of downtown Osaka.

Xbox.com: Lost Planet is a great game and a promising series. Do you have any plans for the future of Wayne?

Takeuchi: The user reaction to the downloadable demos has been incredibly positive, so the idea of Lost Planet becoming a series has obviously crossed our minds. But we are still beginners at trying to make games that appeal to western gamers, so if we do make a Lost Planet 2, we are going to have to try very hard to make it even more exciting and incredible than Lost Planet.

Xbox.com: We're excited about the game and can't wait until we get a chance to experience it for ourselves. Thanks for your time!