Mature games on the Wii need not stay underrated; they just need the right X-factor in order to sell. This is how Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles producer sees the situation.

Looks like we should enjoy the latest RE game (or previous others too) for all that it's worth - it's going to be a looong wait for the next one. Considering that Capcom producer Jun Takeuchi previously said that the next installment in the Resident Evil franchise would be a reboot, the next installment may be a ways off. RE5 producer Masachika Kawata honestly stated that the next installment for RE may be quite a ways off, any time within four to eight years!

With the release of Resident Evil 5 so close that you can almost smell the zombie halitosis, a new rumor got churned out of the mill that Code Veronica will be getting a remake for the Wii.

Capcom's Wii exclusive Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles producer Masachika Kawata was recently interviewed by GamePro where he spoke about the title's gameplay as well as the possibility of online features in both this video game and future releases.

Kawata said that Umbrella Chronicles has multiple features that fans of the series will enjoy, like being able to go through the different areas from previous Resident Evil video games. He elaborated on this saying that players will be treated to a general outline of the entire series as well as details on what happened to the Umbrella Corporation. He also gave word that they will be revealing more information on the characters from previous games including the mysterious Wesker.

With regards to online play, Kawata pointed out that it is an interesting concept and one that they would like to explore both in this game and future releases. Don't get your hopes up though because Capcom's PR team has stated that it is not a currently planned feature for the game and is just one of the ideas the producer would like to pursue.

If you're planning to pick up this game, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles is slated to be out in the U.S. by November 13 this year. It will be followed by a Japanese release on November 15, an Australian launch on November 30, with Europe getting the game on December 13. If you'd care to read the entire interview, feel free to click on our Read Link.

Now that Capcom seems to be exploring all the ways to use the Nintendo Wii and its innovative controls, it's interesting if there are plans for the franchise to make use of other Wii peripherals. Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles is utilizing the Wii Zapper, so Kotaku asked if a Resident Evil game using the Wii Balance Board could happen.

Apparently, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles producer Masachika Kawata digs the idea. While talking about Resident Evil (Biohazard in Japan) implementing the Balance Board with Kotaku, Kawata said:

As a parody, it would be kind of fun to make Biohazard Fitness. Seriously, the game market in Japan has become too hardcore so I think something like Biohazard Fitness would actually broaden the market. Anything to break the market open is a welcome change for me.

We've seen games that focus on annihilating zombies with insane typing speeds, but what kind of spin can you apply to Resident Evil to make it use a balance board and still be scary at the same time? Our bet's on Nemesis' Fitness Training or anything of the sort.

Capcom producer Masachika Kawata and director Yasuhiro Seto sit down for a video interview to delve deeper into the design concept of Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles for the Wii.

They both basically guaranteed that Umbrella Chronicles will be a cloth apart from the previous installments of the franchise. For one, UC is an FPS. As to why they made it such, they explained that initially, it was supposed to be like RE4. However, having seen that it would make the game too complicated to enjoy on the Wii, they opted to develop it differently from the "over the shoulder" gameplay from RE4.

Director Seto defends the Wii and says that "you can easily experience shooting and horror in Wii", and that in fact, there is "greater horror and reality achieved successfully on Wii".

Anyway, the duo goes on to talk more about the game, such as why they opted for a title change for the Japanese version. To find out more what these masters behind Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles have to say, feel free to check out the video below.