EA Aims to "Broaden" Dead Space Audience

[SpectacularWebHead]

"I always prefer a good audience. I'd rather feed 100 percent of 10 people. Hollywood would rather feed 1 percent of 1 million people. Commercially speaking, my way is not better." - Jean Luc Godard

"I understand your concerns, Lieutenant; and I know that if I were in your position, I would be doing the same thing - looking for answers. But you're not going to find any, because I don't have any to give you." - Jean Luc Picard.

 

[RJ Dalton]

Well, they can't make the game any less scarier than the previous two games, so why not give up trying and just turn it into a generic shooter with particularly ugly bad guys?

 

[SnakeoilSage]

*Shrug* The gameplay looks alright to me. Isaac isn't Velcroing himself to chest-high walls and the co-op looks fantastic. I get that there's a lot about EA to despise, but seriously, how many of us are bitching just for the sake of bitching like the mewling little status quo sheep we are? "They changed Dead Space! EA came and took m'babeh!"

Please. I'm buying Dead Space 3 'cause I like the series and I like the creative team behind it. They do good work considering the Atlas-ian EA bullshit they have to hold up. At least they aren't bending over for it like Bioware.

 

[Rossmallo]

Oh dear fucking christ. Sorry to quote Jim here, but these guys are now officially worse than Activision.

That being said, as long as they don't fuck up The Sims any further, I can tolerate them, but if something happens to that one last thing they're doing semi right, I'm getting out the matches.

 

[Machine Man 1992]

*Shrug* The gameplay looks alright to me. Isaac isn't Velcroing himself to chest-high walls and the co-op looks fantastic. I get that there's a lot about EA to despise, but seriously, how many of us are bitching just for the sake of bitching like the mewling little status quo sheep we are? "They changed Dead Space! EA came and took m'babeh!"

Please. I'm buying Dead Space 3 'cause I like the series and I like the creative team behind it. They do good work considering the Atlas-ian EA bullshit they have to hold up. At least they aren't bending over for it like Bioware.

We're bitching because EA is taking a promising horror franchise and turning it into a straight up shooter.

Yes, Dead Space always had shooting elements;the whole franchise is based off the fact that you can blow the limbs of multifanged beclawed monstrosities from the depth of space. But they're taking everything good about Dead Space and turning it into "Gears of Lost Planet".

You understand? EA IS TAKING THE "SPACE" OUT OF DEAD SPACE! It's not that they changed the game; hell, the second game gave Isaac a voice and a character, altered the tone a bit (as it it was less "alone in a haunted house" and more "OMG, what is wrong with you people!?"), and gave the story some much needed "oomph." EA is homogenizing the game to look like every other grey shooter.

 

[loa]

*Shrug* The gameplay looks alright to me. Isaac isn't Velcroing himself to chest-high walls and the co-op looks fantastic.

Jump to 15:00 [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/354050/video-20-minutes-of-dead-space-3/], observe isaac taking cover behind chest high walls while fighting soldier guys and wielding a goddamn assault rifle.
Looks just about fan fucking tastic, doesn't it. Cause we all know, dead space is all about enemies shooting bullets in wide open areas while isaac does the forward rolls he is known for.
Thank you for calling.

 

[Otaku World Order]

You know, I was never that big a fan of Dead Space, but at least it had a solid, creepy visual style, and some unique features. It seemed like it really could be a solid horror franchise with just a bit more polish, something that seemed to come out in the sequel...

And now that's all gone.

Thank you for that, EA. Idiots.

 

[SnakeoilSage]

*Shrug* The gameplay looks alright to me. Isaac isn't Velcroing himself to chest-high walls and the co-op looks fantastic.

Jump to 15:00 [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/354050/video-20-minutes-of-dead-space-3/], observe isaac taking cover behind chest high walls while fighting soldier guys and wielding a goddamn assault rifle.
Looks just about fan fucking tastic, doesn't it. Cause we all know, dead space is all about enemies shooting bullets in wide open areas while isaac does the forward rolls he is known for.
Thank you for calling.

I see no velcroing. Please hang up and try your call again.

 

[SnakeoilSage]

We're bitching because EA is taking a promising horror franchise and turning it into a straight up shooter.

Yes, Dead Space always had shooting elements;the whole franchise is based off the fact that you can blow the limbs of multifanged beclawed monstrosities from the depth of space. But they're taking everything good about Dead Space and turning it into "Gears of Lost Planet".

You understand? EA IS TAKING THE "SPACE" OUT OF DEAD SPACE! It's not that they changed the game; hell, the second game gave Isaac a voice and a character, altered the tone a bit (as it it was less "alone in a haunted house" and more "OMG, what is wrong with you people!?"), and gave the story some much needed "oomph." EA is homogenizing the game to look like every other grey shooter.

The thing about horror games is that, past Sequel #2, it gets near impossible to scare someone. Did you feel an over-abundance of fear in Dead Space 2? Did Resident Evil 2 even creep you out? Was there ever a moment in any Silent Hill game when you were actually scared, and not just enjoying the suspense and ominousness?

Face it, bro. You're not going to get another "Dead Space" from more Dead Space sequels. Isaac has carved his way through hordes of them. At this point, his nerves are steel, and so are ours. We're ready for them. If this feels like a generic shooter, fine, don't play it. I'm going to, because the story matters to me, and that sets it apart from the other gray shooters. It has characters and a plot I'm invested in. If all you want is jump scares and creeping around, go play Amnesia - there are tons of fan-made maps you can play to give you plenty.

One thing I would like to see is a Dead Space game without guns. Just kinesis and stasis. You use the environment to knock necromorphs back and run like hell. That'd be fun. It wouldn't be much for advancing the story, but it would give you the horror you seem to want in the setting you claim to enjoy.

 

[Machine Man 1992]

We're bitching because EA is taking a promising horror franchise and turning it into a straight up shooter.

Yes, Dead Space always had shooting elements;the whole franchise is based off the fact that you can blow the limbs of multifanged beclawed monstrosities from the depth of space. But they're taking everything good about Dead Space and turning it into "Gears of Lost Planet".

You understand? EA IS TAKING THE "SPACE" OUT OF DEAD SPACE! It's not that they changed the game; hell, the second game gave Isaac a voice and a character, altered the tone a bit (as it it was less "alone in a haunted house" and more "OMG, what is wrong with you people!?"), and gave the story some much needed "oomph." EA is homogenizing the game to look like every other grey shooter.

The thing about horror games is that, past Sequel #2, it gets near impossible to scare someone. Did you feel an over-abundance of fear in Dead Space 2? Did Resident Evil 2 even creep you out? Was there ever a moment in any Silent Hill game when you were actually scared, and not just enjoying the suspense and ominousness?

Face it, bro. You're not going to get another "Dead Space" from more Dead Space sequels. Isaac has carved his way through hordes of them. At this point, his nerves are steel, and so are ours. We're ready for them. If this feels like a generic shooter, fine, don't play it. I'm going to, because the story matters to me, and that sets it apart from the other gray shooters. It has characters and a plot I'm invested in. If all you want is jump scares and creeping around, go play Amnesia - there are tons of fan-made maps you can play to give you plenty.

One thing I would like to see is a Dead Space game without guns. Just kinesis and stasis. You use the environment to knock necromorphs back and run like hell. That'd be fun. It wouldn't be much for advancing the story, but it would give you the horror you seem to want in the setting you claim to enjoy.

Okay, first off, I'm not usually a horror fan but that idea kicks so much ass.

Secondly, I thought Dead Space the first was the only really scary one of the bunch. Most of the appeal was the atmosphere and I really liked the mythos that's been built up.

Thirdly, Dead Space doesn't need mass market appeal; horror gamers are a highly entrenched, tappable market all by themselves, EA doesn't need to make Dead Space a bland shooter out of it. They've basically hybridized the game into an indistinct grey blob of a half dozen other genres. I'm concerned it's just not going to feel like the Dead Space I fell in love with.

 

[Terminate421]

AGH!!!

FUCK EA!!!

Before I didn't give a shit at what they did. But they stabbed Dead Space right in the heart and then shat on its corpse!

It's exactly like the Alien franchise history!!!

Alien 1: Great
Aliens: Great
Alien 3: SUCKED

Dead Space 1: Great
Dead Space 2: Great
Dead Space 3: Sucked

Their reasoning? "Broaden the audience" like anyone at all pays attention to the third game in a franchise at this point. It will sell less than Dead Space 2, I'd put my life savings on that bet. Pirates don't count either.

 

[Terminate421]

With the release of Lost Planet 3, I guess the new thing is "third person ice planet alien shooter".

I liked Dead Space. Hell, I bought the Dead Space 2 collector's edition (mainly for the toy plasma cutter...yea..I know) but seriously.

I hope this bites EA in the ass really really hard. I'm positive it will, because it has NEVER worked before. Dragon Age 2, Mass Effect 3, and now you've come out saying that you're "broadening the demographic" of another game? Its like you don't even care that you're losing money because the idea of having the 1% chance of making 100 bajillion dollars gives you an erection. Its so comically stupid that nobody here is taking it seriously.

Hell it might be a good game, but the publicity is so fucking atrocious that nobody is going to touch it.

EA is running out of IPs though.....the next few years are going to be interesting....

Your post just gave me an idea.

Assuming Dead Space 3 would have been good and had no co-op and be much like Dead Space 2, would you find the game more terrifying in a forest setting? I still find the food/environment place in Dead Space 1 rather unsettling.

Ice isn't that scary IMO. The problem being its too white and loud. It fits for lost planet but not this franchise.

 

[UrieHusky]

"A big girl"? Why does your profile say that you're male?

Wha..? "A big girl" refers to somebody who is scared easily, regardless of gender o.o

 

[SnakeoilSage]

Okay, first off, I'm not usually a horror fan but that idea kicks so much ass.

Secondly, I thought Dead Space the first was the only really scary one of the bunch. Most of the appeal was the atmosphere and I really liked the mythos that's been built up.

Thirdly, Dead Space doesn't need mass market appeal; horror gamers are a highly entrenched, tappable market all by themselves, EA doesn't need to make Dead Space a bland shooter out of it. They've basically hybridized the game into an indistinct grey blob of a half dozen other genres. I'm concerned it's just not going to feel like the Dead Space I fell in love with.

Yes, it's true. If EA had its own head up its ass any further it'd be licking the inside of its ribcage. But the guys at Visceral care about their game and the setting and they're doing their best to keep the story alive, even as they juggle EA's ridiculous demands for the next "popular product" killer instead of just making games. A WoW-killer, a CoD-killer, etc. etc.

 

[samaugsch]

"A big girl"? Why does your profile say that you're male?

Wha..? "A big girl" refers to somebody who is scared easily, regardless of gender o.o

Oh. I always thought that was "little girl". I guess they both mean the same thing. lol

 

[loa]

One thing I would like to see is a Dead Space game without guns. Just kinesis and stasis. You use the environment to knock necromorphs back and run like hell. That'd be fun. It wouldn't be much for advancing the story, but it would give you the horror you seem to want in the setting you claim to enjoy.

You do realize that's what dead space was supposed to be first?

All about zero gravity puzzles, using the environment to stall enemies, no real "weapons" because, well, you're an engineer so they're just tools made into makeshift weapons.
Like the plasma cutter, you can see how that is actually supposed to be used to cut metal things on spaceships.
Picture a handyman using nailguns, welding tools and wrenches to fight off zombies in space.
That was the first concept of it.

Unfortunately they fucked that up in dead space 1 already by adding outright weapons or nonsense "tools" like the force gun or the gun that shoots flying buzzsaws but at least they played their "we're in space" cards right with the zero g and vacuum sequences that make this game stand out from the rest.

 

[TheEndlessSleep]

A survival horror game with coop? Yet more evidence that EA have no idea wtf they're doing...

 

[The Crazy Legs]

EA... just wow. You literally cannot make shit up that's more wrong headed and greedy than what these guys come out with on an almost daily basis.

If any of my favourite game series were under the sway of EA I'd be fearing for their survival right about now.

I fear for FancyPants Adventures.

... No. No, no, no. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! Please. Tell me that that was your sick idea of a joke. Please don't tell me that EA's got their hands on that game. Please! They're ruining Dead Space, they ruined Mass Effect, they've ruined Battlefield (I say ruined because I kind of liked Bad Company); PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE JOKING ABOUT THEM HAVING CONTROL OVER THE FANCY PANTS ADVENTURES!!!

*goes to Wikipedia* NOOOOOOOO!!!

 

[The Crazy Legs]

AGH!!!

FUCK EA!!!

Before I didn't give a shit at what they did. But they stabbed Dead Space right in the heart and then shat on its corpse!

It's exactly like the Alien franchise history!!!

Alien 1: Great
Aliens: Great
Alien 3: SUCKED

Dead Space 1: Great
Dead Space 2: Great
Dead Space 3: Sucked

Their reasoning? "Broaden the audience" like anyone at all pays attention to the third game in a franchise at this point. It will sell less than Dead Space 2, I'd put my life savings on that bet. Pirates don't count either.

Well, the Dead Space games do share a lot in common with the Alien movies, specificly the xenomorphs and necromorphs.

1. -morphs' names are somewhat similar
2. -morphs use vents to move around quickly
3. First entry takes place on a ship
4. Second entry involves some sort of colony (the Sprawl & LV-426, accordingly)
5. -morphs want to kill everything, while they can infect

Am I missing something here?

Captcha: "Pampers: describe this brand with any words"
WHAT THE HELL IS THIS SHIT?! IS THE CAPTCHA ADVERTIZING NOW?!

 

[trophykiller]

I was never actually frightened during dead space 1. It may seem odd, but as everyone was freaking out over how terrifying it was, I was thinking "finally, a game with dismemberment!". I hated how in other games, either your foes would stay completely intact upon death, or the loss of a limb would result in instant death.

Finally, I saw a game in which they dared to allow my foe to stand up after having a limb blown off. Words cannot describe how much fun I had with that.