Finally -- LOST PLANET! Lost Planet is an Xbox 360 shooting action-adventure by Keiji Inafune, producer of the stellar zombie-em-up Dead Rising, which is coming out sooner or later. Most amazingly, Lost Planet looks a bit like Halo on a frozen earth, though part of me thinks it'll play something like Resident Evil 4.
This isn't the most exciting news, however -- you see, the hero will be played by Byung-Hun Lee. They call him I Byon Hon over here. He's a super-famous star of Korean television dramas and romantic comedy films. He's got a personality, and he's damned tough. He's currently the second-biggest Korean star in Japan -- the biggest being Bae-young Joon, who they call "Yon-sama."
When I was in Korea earlier this year, I bought Yon-sama socks, embroidered with an image of Yon-sama's face. I got Byung-Hun Lee socks, too. They had Japanese writing on them and everything -- clearly aimed at Japanese women.
That Lee would star in a Japanese videogame is beyond amazing. The interviewer neglected to ask Inafune if the game's dialogue would be in Korean or not, though there's a chance it will be. This is a really big idea. Previously, when Capcom picks a big star for a game, it's someone like Takeshi Kaneshiro, or Jean Reno, someone who's popular overall, yet not WHITE-HOT, RIGHT NOW. Capcom's procuring Lee is a masterful move.
Just a moment ago, I pointed to the article, and a girl in the office here literally freaked out. "I want an Xbox 360 now!" She doesn't even care that the game will play brilliantly well! Though I guess she'll find out sooner or later! I believe her -- she WILL buy an Xbox 360 to play this game. It's coming in December of 2006. Dead Rising will have to tide us over until then. Keiji Inafune, "Game Designer of the Year 2006"? Is it too early to cast my vote? I think not! Come with me, people of the internet; let's start calling this guy "the next Kojima." He's certainly paid his dues -- Onimusha sequels, Megaman sequels and what have you.
