Ep.154 – Professional Zombie Photography: Keiji Inafune’s Failed Project That Became Dead Rising

In 2006, Capcom released Dead Rising, a zombie action game that turned shopping malls into survival playgrounds. In this episode, we trace the series’ unlikely beginnings as a failed sequel to Shadow of Rome, and how Keiji Inafune’s creative team transformed it into a fast-paced blend of horror, humor, and mayhem. Our discussion covers Inafune’s long career from Mega Man to Onimusha, his vision for Dead Rising’s open-world chaos, and how the team pushed the Xbox 360 hardware to fill the screen with hundreds of zombies. We talk about the game’s photography system, its time-based structure, and the dark comedy that set it apart from other zombie games. Join us as we snap photos, swing benches, and take the ultimate mall tour through Dead Rising on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.