Dead Rising 2, Lost Planet 2 confirmed?

For the next installments in the two franchises, Capcom is apparently focusing on a multiplatform release from the get-go. Speaking to Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu (a screenshot of which was obtained by Kotaku and translated by GameSpot), Capcom's Keiji Inafune told the gaming news outlet, "Please expect new Dead Rising and Lost Planet titles. While they will be on multiple platforms, we are thinking about having the 360 version play out differently."

Wait, did he just say new Dead Rising and Lost Planet games?

A sequel to Dead Rising has been hinted at since the original made its strong debut on the 360 in 2006. Most recently, reports surfaced in November that Dead Rising 2 was in development at Vancouver, Canada-based Blue Castle, the studio behind 2K Sports' well-received arcade-style baseball title The BIGS. What remains unclear, however, is whether or not Inafune's comments apply to an all-new Dead Rising, or simply the aforementioned Wii port, Dead Rising: Chop Til You Drop.

However, Capcom has made no mention of a follow-up to its sci-fi third-person shooter Lost Planet. Be that as it may, the inevitability of a new installment in the series is all but a foregone conclusion. Aside from buoying Capcom's fiscal-year 2007 performance, the publisher has already announced plans to extend the franchise to the silver screen. In fact, Capcom devoted its entire E3 2008 press conference to the upcoming film, which will be penned by David Hayter, better known as the voice behind Metal Gear hero Solid Snake.

As for having the titles play out differently on the Xbox 360, the move would not be without precedent. Following the release of the original Lost Planet in January 2007 (not June, as initially reported), Capcom released Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies for the Xbox 360 and PC in May 2008. The reworked edition expanded upon the original, adding in a range of new single- and multiplayer modes as well as in-game items. Though the original Lost Planet was released for Sony's PS3, the Colonies edition remained a Microsoft exclusive.

The official story: Capcom had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.

Bogus or not bogus?: Barring a lost-in-translation moment, Inafune's comments clearly indicate that Capcom is at work on a new Lost Planet. It is less clear, however, whether Frank West has received a brand-new photo-journalism assignment. However, mounting evidence suggests that the dead will indeed rise again.