Famitsu reports Capcom says Resident Evil 5 far off

One of the first Japanese publishers that announced Xbox 360 support was Capcom. Producer Keiji Inafune, best known as the creator of Mega Man, is currently working on Dead Rising for the Xbox 360. He revealed to Famitsu Xbox 360 that the project’s development has entered its final stages and that his staff is currently fine-tuning the game. Inafune also commented that the basic components have been completed for Capcom’s second Xbox 360 title, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. Both games are scheduled for release during 2006 in Japan, and Dead Rising is set to hit the US in May.

When asked about Resident Evil 5, Inafune revealed that development on the game still hasn’t begun in earnest. He explained that his developers are working on the game’s graphics and going through a lot of trial and error to come up with ideas to make it play as an all-new game. Inafune hinted that RE5 wouldn’t be coming out anytime soon, commenting that Capcom has no plans to release it until it’s satisfied.

When asked about other Xbox 360 projects at Capcom, Inafune commented that the company is waiting to see how the Xbox 360 fares at retail before it makes its next move. He commented that making a next-generation game costs a lot, especially in terms of human resources. Inafune explained that Capcom currently has four next-generation games in development, and each requires a team of at least 50 staffers, or 200 total employees, nearly half the company’s designers!! Inafune thinks that the game industry may be entering into a new stage where it has to turn to outside investors to fund ballooning next-gen budgets, much like the film industry does.

There’s no doubt that many Japanese publishers will be announcing new Xbox 360 games at this year’s E3, and one company that’s already confirmed it is Sega. Sega consumer division sub-chief Hiroyuki Miyazaki commented to Famitsu Xbox 360 that his company will be announcing a number of new titles at E3 2006 targeted toward the European and North American market. Miyazaki also said that development on Chromehounds is going well, and it should come out before Mistwalker’s Blue Dragon.

When asked whether Virtua Fighter 5 and House of the Dead 4 would come out for the Xbox 360, Miyazaki commented that both are currently under consideration, given their popularity in arcades worldwide. If you want the long Famitsu read, check this GameSpot page.

PS: A person with wishful thinking might note the sentence I bolded to not just mean a better camera system and controls, but maybe features only possible with the Revolution’s controller…