Lost Planet inspired by Halo

By Tom Bramwell Published 6 October, 2006

Inafune explains LP's origins.

Lost Planet is Keiji Inafune's answer to Halo, the Capcom producer has said.

Speaking to Kotaku recently, Inafune revealed that he originally pitched the game to Capcom bosses as his take on Bungie's seminal first-person shooter.

"I really wanted to do something as cool as Halo," he said. "I'm a big Halo fan, but it's not well known in Japan. It's very interesting, but very American."

Capcom, it turns out, wasn't interested on account of Halo's poor sales in Japan, so Inafune took matters into his own hands and simply set about making it - and taking the initiative paid off. "When we described the idea, we couldn't get approval. But, when we showed them what we were working on, we got approval."

But while the game - in which players take on giant bug-like creatures and space pirates in an icy wilderness - is certainly a reaction to Halo, Inafune added that the team "wanted to do something that had more of a Japanese flavour".

"That's why we added robots," he said. "In America, mech-type robots are not so cool. Just look at the mechs in The Matrix." Indeed.

As you'll know, the game's just now approaching completion - with a global launch set for January - and as well as a combat-heavy single-player campaign, Capcom's including a multiplayer component that received strong write-ups at recent trade shows. A demo of the single-player has been available since May, and a multiplayer demo is due out soon.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (21) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • morriss #1 5 years ago

    Yes.

  • Balסּr #2 5 years ago

    Japanese games developed for Xbox - worldwide release

    Japanese games developed for Sony/Nintendo - half year delay


    Why? 0_o

  • gazareth #3 5 years ago

    I'm so looking forward to this game. The tagline should be "Let's blow shit up". Ahh yeah.

  • Yossarian #4 5 years ago

    robots versus bugs in the snow

  • Steroyd #5 5 years ago

    Japanese games developed for Xbox - worldwide release

    Japanese games developed for Sony/Nintendo - half year delay


    Why? 0_o

    Because Japaneese games don't sell well in Japan?
    Or mybe because of High Def it eliminates the PAL, NTSC Bulls***.

    I'll reserve my judgement on that disproportionate timescale when the Nintendo Wii and PS3 eventually actually get launched.

  • coojam #6 5 years ago

    I wouldn't say mechs in America aren't so cool the way he does...they're not cool in that they're not popular. But...but...the mechs in Lost Planet are just like the mechs in The Matrix.

  • Skeletor #7 5 years ago

    @cooljam
    I think he means that Americans see mechs in games and movies more as heavy tanklike warmachinery whereas in Japan mechs are often portrayed as some kind of futuristic samuraimachines. Some of the Gundam stuff is incredibly stylish and colourful. It's true though that the machines in Lost Planet are probably more like the ones in Matrix than Gundam anime. Stylewise, they probably went for a mixture and ended up more on the American side...

  • Forebodin #8 5 years ago

    As unrealistic as it may be, I'm - along with countless others - just hoping they get around the Microsoft Policy against ranked party matchmaking (ala Halo 2).

  • groovychainsaw #9 5 years ago

    So....better than halo then?
    ;-)

  • alpha-0ne #10 5 years ago

    "I wouldn't say mechs in America aren't so cool the way he does...they're not cool in that they're not popular. But...but...the mechs in Lost Planet are just like the mechs in The Matrix."

    reread the article he didnt say he did not want mechs in due ti the matrix but wanted to blend it with on foot sections

  • coojam #11 5 years ago

    No, I know... He says in the article he doesnt like the mechs in the Matrix basically. The mechs in Lost Planet (or the demo at least) are similar in style to the ones from the Matrix. So wheres the logic?

  • Carrybagma #12 5 years ago

    I thought *all* games are inspired by Halo?

  • freedumb #13 5 years ago

    Japanese mechs are genreally more extravagant in design, it's patronising to say as if they're coloured in by kids. Just look at the mechs in ZOE 2, they're more fun to look at and play in than a the realistic, tank style mech.

  • kissthestick #14 5 years ago

    great read, lost planet def looks like a winner

  • Feanor #15 5 years ago

    Coloured in by kids, eh.

    http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=iZb9C5mWHqY

  • Walshicus #16 5 years ago

    Hah, that video was quite funny!

    I love how every Jap mech game has at least one school girl - IN SCHOOL UNIFORM [beret optional] - piloting a weapon of war. Conceptual realism ftw...

  • Carrybagma #17 5 years ago

    How can something based on something that's not 'real' be more or less 'realistic' than something else based on something that isn't 'real'?

    /existentialist pedantry ftw

    ED:
    :o) @walshicus
    Edited by 1 at 06/10/06 @ 14:19

  • rhinoxious #18 5 years ago

    Halo 8/10
    Halo + robots! 9/10?

    Japansese dev formula:

    western influence + robots + extra cut scenes = game

  • krenzler #19 5 years ago

    "Capcom, it turns out, wasn't interested on account of Halo's poor sales in Japan, so Inafune took matters into his own hands and simply set about making it"

    Good for us I say!

    Inafune is my new hero. :-)


  • stoopidgreg #20 5 years ago

    lost planet looks amazing. there's so many great looking games coming out in time for christmas, makes me want a 360 that much more. anyone feeling charitable?

  • captainrentboy #21 5 years ago

    tinderbox just put the ownage on Halo,you go girl!Whooop!
    Annyway first thing that came to my mind when playing the demo of Lost Planet was Starship troopers in the snow,nothing really said Halo to me :/Unless he's going for that 30 secs of fun over and over thingy Bungie used to go on about.