"I really wanted to do something as cool as Halo. I'm a big Halo fan, but it's not well know in Japan. It's very interesting, but very American. But we wanted to do something that had more of a Japanese flavor. That's why we added robots. In America, mech-type robots are not so cool. Just look at the mechs in The Matrix."
Capcom said it couldn't sell it. It was "just a mech game," but Inafune contested that it wasn't just a mech game. It was his take on Halo. The company balked and said a Halo type game won't sell in Japan. "I told them that I wasn't just making a game for Japan, but for the world." Even getting a flat out rejection, he and his team started working on Lost Planet independently. They had done the same for Dead Rising, and again Inafune persisted and then showed them what they had been doing after the fact. The buildings are separte, so managers aren't able to check everything they do, he says. "When we described the idea, we couldn't get approval," Inafune says smiling. "But, when we showed them what we were working on, we got approval."
The title is the second big exclusive for the Xbox 360, a console that is struggling in Inafune's native Japan. The producer seems to be one of the console's strongest supporters. "The tools are straightforward and on time." he says. "The schedule is clear, Microsoft support's developers and the console wasn't pushed back. I was impressed that Microsoft was able to launch the console on time. For us developers, that's the most important thing. Trust."
I notice during the entire interview, Inafune doesn't look at his cell phone, answer calls, check emails and doesn't even check his watch once. He sits there focused, providing his undivided attention. I ask him how he does it. How do you churn out all these big games? Original games at that.
"My staff. Think about it," Inafune says. "I have a really good staff, so I am able to work on various, different projects. That's what's wrong with Kojima. He's focusing on Metal Gear Solid way too much. And pins everything on that, where he could be working on another interesting, new title. That's why I have a good staff. I can explain the concept, and they can do it. The localization team is great as well. That's why."