According to producer Shinsaku Ohara, the original Dead Rising "felt too japanese". Speaking with CVG, Ohara discussed the development of the first installment, saying it was made "in a very Japanese style."

"We had some help from America, but basically it was all done in Japan. We wanted to do it better for a Western Audience this time. Together we've come up with crazier ideas than we did in the first game. What we didn't quite manage in Dead Rising 1 was that it still felt too Japanese. We're much closer to feeling like a Western game with this title."

...Um...what?