dead space Archives Page 2 of 2

Dead Space Studio Hiring For New “Online Action Shooter”

Ben-Dutka January 23, 2012 Archive 6 Comments

It's always nice to hear about something entirely new, isn't it?

According to OXM , a new EA job listing says that Dead Space studio is seeking a Lead Multiplayer Designer for a new project that will become a "cornerstone for a new EA Games studio."

We had heard Visceral was at work on something new, and now they say they're going places "no other IP has gone before," which is exciting in and of itself. All we know about the new title is that it'll be an online action shooter, and the successful candidate will have "architectural knowledge and experience making realistic world levels." Sounds a little like MAG , doesn't it? As far as we know, Dead Space 3 is in the works as well, but going in a fresh direction is something we have to appreciate.

Hopefully, we'll hear more about this mystery project soon.

Rumor: EA Looking Into Dead Space FPS, Flight Games

John-Shepard November 30, 2011 Archive 24 Comments

We're not sure how gamers will respond to this news, but it's bound to generate plenty of energetic discussion.

Dead Space was one of this generation's best games, and its success spawned a great sequel, animated films, comic books, and even a novel. But if a mystery insider is accurate, EA is just getting started with the critically acclaimed franchise.

We figured EA would be trying to expand the series in a number of different ways, but we had no idea they were thinking about turning the horrifying action series into a first-person shooter. Yeah, you read that right. And maybe it won't be too surprising, as EA released an on-rails shooter for the Wii, Dead Space: Extraction , which was then ported to the PS3.

But they also want to make a flight game based on the Dead Space universe, and after the current titles are complete, the team has been asked to work on "an Uncharted -like game." In fact, Dead Space 3 was in danger of being canceled due to "new brass" at EA that wanted more heavy hitters and less risk-takers like Mirror's Edge .

But DS3 is still a go, and it'll even feature co-op gameplay and take place on the ice planet of Tau Volantis, as previously rumored. Other leaked details weren't confirmed one way or the other. By the way, this third entry will end the trilogy and Isaac may be gone in the future. And evidently, the future holds a flight-based game, an action/adventure Drake-like game, and a first-person shooter for Dead Space .

…not sure what to do with that info.

Resident Evil Has “Unique Problems” That Must Be Solved

Ben-Dutka March 28, 2011 Archive 27 Comments

When the competition begins to shine, it's time for the old ruler to make some changes.

At least, that's how Capcom views the current survival/horror situation. The publisher has confirmed the latest Resident Evil iteration, which will boast a completely new format: that of a squad-based shooter. Plus, with EA and Visceral's Dead Space series seemingly securing the lead in the evolving genre, Capcom feels the need to grow. In speaking to a French gaming publication (and as found by a NeoGAF member ), the Operation Raccoon City producer answered a direct question involving Visceral's award winner:

"We have to work harder because of titles like Dead Space, to be as interesting as possible. Plus, the franchise as a whole has its own unique problems that must be solved. Our fans are also our critics, for example with RE5. Also I wouldn't directly compare RE and DS. But it's always great to see the genre be popular, it's inspiring. Yeah, there's a future for the genre!"

Tactical third-person action involving a team has typically been restricted to military-style shooters, but Capcom wants to infuse the classic RE horror into that perception. It's interesting that they don't necessarily view Dead Space as a competitor; it's a different game, certainly, but one can't argue the similarities. Either way, Capcom now believes they have to be "as interesting as possible"…and that's probably not a bad thing.

Related Game(s): Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

EA Boss On Dead Space 3, Benefit Of Annual Franchises

John-Shepard February 16, 2011 Archive 49 Comments

EA has been on the update path lately and now, CEO John Riccitiello talks about everything from the new Dead Space to the benefit of annual franchises.

In speaking at the 2011 Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference , Riccitiello first confirmed that the publisher had shipped 2 million units as of February 1, but that number doesn't tell the whole story. He says the best measure of the title's success "is what the sell-through has been and Dead Space 2 compared to Dead Space 1 in a like number of weeks, has been about double, a little more than 100% growth." He went on to mention the company's "strong, growing franchises:" Madden , FIFA , Need for Speed , Medal of Honor , Battlefield , Mass Effect , and Dragon Age . He is currently excluding Dead Space because they need to wait until the third entry before the series enters that magical 5 million-unit realm.

After reconfirming EA's license extension with the NFL, Riccitiello expressed his high hopes for Battlefield 3 and added that he makes no bones about it- he wants EA to have "market leadership i n the first-person shooter business." Then, he talked about a hot topic recently: the annual franchise concept.

"There's a great thing about an annual franchise, whether it's us or our competition. When you've got that annual franchise, it's a meal ticket. You can generate a great deal of income. One of the problems with an annual franchise is you don't take the time to reengineer the underlying code base, so it is, if you will, as next generation as it can be. So we think there's a window of opportunity here. We've been investing for three years to build this next Battlefield 3 game, [and] I think it will stand up as the best product in the industry this year. And we're going to get at 'em."

From a business standpoint, that certainly makes a lot of sense. And let's not forget that, based on the evidence, EA really does strive to put out a quality product. Just look at that list of "strong" franchises; it's pretty impressive, no?

Dead Space Save File Nets You Original Plasma Cutter In DS2

Ben-Dutka January 2, 2011 Archive 30 Comments

There are going to be a lot of Dead Space 2 fans out there, and that's primarily because there were a lot of Dead Space fans. Simple math.

And if you were one of many who played and enjoyed the first title – and you hold on to your gaming history – you'll get a special bonus when you pick up the highly anticipated sequel in a few weeks time. Thanks to a reader, we've learned about developer Visceral's plan to include the original Plasma Cutter for those who still have a save file from the first game. So said studio member Louis Gascoigne on his Twitter page :

"gamespot report about carry over of Plasma Cutter in #deadspace2 @deadspace http://tinyurl.com/25mtt5j [you just need any save not comp.]"

Unfortunately, while you'll get the gun, you won't get back any of the upgrades you put into it. Well, that's okay, 'cuz Isaac will have plenty of handy-dandy new weapons to help with his phase two ass-kicking. The demo is currently available to download and we've issued our thoughts on the experience …big surprise that we came away all sorts of happy and satisfied. Can you believe that we're already going to have two legitimate Game of the Year contenders for 2011 in January ? The only question left is- will you have time for both LittleBigPlanet 2 and Dead Space 2 ?

Related Game(s): Dead Space 2

Horror Fans Ask: What Is The Mystery Dead Space?

Ben-Dutka August 3, 2010 Archive 14 Comments

We know Dead Space 2 is on the way (and we can't wait), but we hadn't counted on another – entirely separate – title in the franchise.

Superannuation has stumbled upon a URL registration for "Dead Space Sabotage," which was created by Electronic Arts on July 29. Ever since this discovery, survival/horror fans have been asking: "okay, what the hell is it for?" Well, that's a bit of a toughie… See, there's a lot of "Dead Space" out there: we've got a prequel novel called "Dead Space: Martyr," an animated feature film – "Dead Space Aftermath" – recently announced at Comic-Con 2010, and a graphic novel called "Dead Space Salvage." Oh wait, and there's Dead Space Ignition , a downloadable title announced at E3 and set to release on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live service this fall. Considering all this, "Sabotage" could fall into most any entertainment venue; maybe it's an official orchestra for the game's soundtrack, and they just put out an album. Or maybe the series is going portable on the PSP/DS. …or maybe we'll just have to wait for EA to spill the beans, because all this guessing will likely get us nowhere.

Well, at any rate, we do love Dead Space . The sequel is really what we care most about right now, but you never know what the future may bring.