EA Cans Dead Space After Low Sales

[Gahars]

Dead Space, the Survival Horror-ish franchise from all the back in 2008, has been one of EA's most prominent franchises in recent years. The most recent game, Dead Space 3, received all sorts of promotion - from online ads to television promos.

Unfortunately, it seems like the game's sales just couldn't live up to expectations, and as a result, the franchise is now both dead and spaced.

Development on Dead Space 4 was ceased after lower than expected sales of Dead Space 3, a source told VideoGamer.com.

The game had been in pre-production at Visceral Games and Visceral Montreal. The latter was reportedly closed after a restructuring.

EA declined to comment when contacted by Eurogamer this morning.

Last month EA Games Label boss Frank Gibeau confirmed layoffs at EA's Los Angeles and Montreal developers. EA has gone on the record to say its core game franchises need to sell upwards of five million copies to remain viable.

Eurogamer

It seems the title also had something of a rough development process, with developer Visceral ordered to make the game accommodate Micro-transactions and (necro-)morph the game into something more action-oriented in the hopes of emulating their other big name franchise, Mass Effect. Evidently, that didn't quite pan out.

This is the second franchise discontinuation from EA this year; in January, EA gave Medal of Honor a dishonorable discharge following Warfighter's disastrous reception.

While EA continues to promote DLC for Dead Space 3, Isaac Clarke and friends have been taken to the curb (and stomped into pulpy bits).

 

[Depravo]

Pfff. I gave up on the franchise during the second game. And I didn't even play the first.

 

[Bladexdsl]

good riddance

 

[Satangel]

I liked the first one, really good game IMHO, quite scary too. I liked it. The GUI was so well done too, I liked the weapons and upgrade system and all.
It's a shame EA cans it so quickly, but I wouldn't be surprised to see this pop up on the new consoles in a few years. Just give them more time to develop, and pressure them less....

 

[Foxi4]

Right, first Medal of Honor, now Dead Space.

There are two options - either EA is adamant to dig itself a grave and quietly die in it or they want to forget about games altogether and start manufacturing hardware instead.

Guess which option is more likely.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

RIP Dead Space puns, you will be missed.

 

[ov3rkill]

RIP Dead Space... the first game was fun and just went downhilll from there. Good times, good times. The story was good though.

 

[Foxi4]

I think it's worth to draw the connection between Dead Space and Medal of Honor again because I just realized something...

>EA has a good IP
>EA changes everything that makes this IP so good (Dead Space is a good horror? Let's make it an action game! Medal of Honor was a good shooter? Let's make it a shooter on rails that pretends it isn't on rails!)
>EA is suprised that the previously well-performing IP suddenly sells badly and gets abyssmal scores from critics
>EA cans a good IP

Right, now I strongly suggest adding brawling mechanics into FIFA. No, let's make it MOBA - after all, the pitch is a lane and the goals are nexuses, right? It's a great idea. Do it.

 

[kristianity77]

Be prepared for more low sales EA if you persist in your shitty little micro transactions. Dead Space 3 is actually a damn good game. Hopefully though it's a step in the right direction that people are beginning to get wise to their rip off tactics

 

[Foxi4]

Be prepared for more low sales EA if you persist in your shitty little micro transactions. Dead Space 3 is actually a damn good game. Hopefully though it's a step in the right direction that people are beginning to get wise to their rip off tactics

I don't see anything wrong with microtransactions as long as you can obtain the content normally through the course of the game. Microtransactions should be "the easy way out" for lazy gamers, not a core part of the game mechanics. They shouldn't make the "donating" players "OP" in comparison to those who do not donate, it should merely be a quick boost.

A lot of games these days go entirely Free2Play thanks to this system, primarily MMORPG's. I don't think it's a bad thing at all since we get to experience more games for less buck and if you don't want to buy stuff, don't - nobody's forcing you.

 

[kristianity77]

I don't see anything wrong with microtransactions as long as you can obtain the content normally through the course of the game. Microtransactions should be "the easy way out" for lazy gamers, not a core part of the game mechanics. They shouldn't make the "donating" players "OP" in comparison to those who do not donate, it should merely be a quick boost.

I suppose the microtransaction wasn't all that I don't like about them. I don't like the fact they switch servers off as soon as they feel like it. I don't like their online codes even for games WITH NO MULTIPLAYER! They are just a bunch of thieving shits in my eyes and it's the wrong way to go.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I think it's worth to draw the connection between Dead Space and Medal of Honor again because I just realized something...

>EA has a good IP
>EA changes everything that makes this IP so good (Dead Space is a good horror? Let's make it an action game! Medal of Honor was a good shooter? Let's make it a shooter on rails that pretends it isn't on rails!)
>EA is suprised that the previously well-performing IP suddenly sells badly and gets abyssmal scores from critics
>EA cans a good IP

Right, now I strongly suggest adding brawling mechanics into FIFA. No, let's make it MOBA - after all, the pitch is a lane and the goals are nexuses, right? It's a great idea. Do it.

That might be the only thing that would actually make me want to try out FIFA.

 

[rehevkor]

Good bye Dead Space.. you will be missed.

Dead Space 3 was a bit meh though. Lacked imagination. Lacked anything special.
Dead Space 2 was awesome.

 

[BORTZ]

Well. I have mixed feelings about this. Dead space was a pretty good franchise, scared the willies out of me. Fun as all get out, and no one has really done a good space horror game like they did.

But I am kinda glad they killed it. I mean these three games will be revered and can't be milked into oblivion *CoughAssassainsCreedCough*

RIP Issac.

 

[kristianity77]

I hate the fact that survival horror has died a death. There was nothing better for me at the time than the first Silent Hill. Even the follow ups on the PS2 were all brilliant pieces of work. For me, nothing has yet topped the first time dogs spray out of the windows in Resi 1. Sad times

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Meh. I didn't like the action-y feel of Dead Space 3 so much that I stopped playing it like...45 minutes through. I don't want to go around shooting the shit out of necromorphs and shit, I want to be scarred for life. If I wanted to shoot shit, I'd play Call of Doody. Dead Space 1 will always be my favorite horror game.

EDIT: Don't get me wrong though, Dead Space 3 was a pretty good game. If it weren't a part of the Dead Space franchise, I probably would've played through it.

 

[Foxi4]

But I am kinda glad they killed it. I mean these three games will be revered and can't be milked into oblivion *CoughAssassainsCreedCough*

inb4MassEffectGetsCancelledBecausePeopleDidn'tLikeTheEnding

Now back to serious land...

In a way, this is a sign of times and something gamers should take note of. Games take increasingly large amounts of money and resources to develop so if they don't bring profits to the publishers, they just get canned. We can't expect publishers to throw money into bottomless pits, regardless of whether or not we assume that they can afford it - it's their money and their investment, and people generally tend to stay away from bad investments.

 

[kristianity77]

I'm still yet to play Amnesia as I only have a crappy old laptop. Is it really as good as everyone makes out? They should bring that stuff to XBLA arcade and PSN

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

I'm still yet to play Amnesia as I only have a crappy old laptop. Is it really as good as everyone makes out? They should bring that stuff to XBLA arcade and PSN

Depends. I'm playing through it now, and I'm about 2-3 hours in and I've had 0 scares through the majority of the game.

Also, a little off topic, I totally just watched Stephen King's "It" like...last night. Lol

 

[Kouen Hasuki]

I would expect them to be Boycotting Steam as a release platform didn't help the sales any xD