EA Aims to "Broaden" Dead Space Audience

[jollybarracuda]

Why do companies do this? Really. When was the last time that watering down any video game was popular? Has there really ever been profit increases from doing this? I assume there must have been somewhere if companies keep doing this, but it only ever seems to gather hate for it.

And on top of it, really? 5 Million units to sell? It seems like post-funding EA predicted the franchise was no longer going to make money, so they're just shutting it down with a ridiculous sales standard.

 

[Landrius]

So, above all things I know I must remain objective. This stuff about it needing to sell five million copies just to be profitable sounds crazy, but it's being done for some... reason. Maybe it's a moronic reason, but it's got to be there. EA does... things like this, as far as I have been led to understand. I can accept that and move on, even if I have to clench my teeth. I don't care about EA, I care about Dead Space (somewhat).

It is entirely possible that Dead Space 3 will still be good, despite what I have been seeing/hearing and the impressions these things have made on me. How likely that is I can't say, but the possibility is still out there somewhere.

Okay. Now that I have been sufficiently neutral and logical:

*headdesk* God bleeping damnit, EA. "Broaden the audience" is the phrase I associate with "Let's order the coffin and get that gravedigger a-diggin'". Rightly or wrongly, that's what it looks like to me. And I don't doubt that's what it looks like to a lot of people.

I enjoyed Dead Space 1 and 2, not because they were the epitome of "survival horror" but because they were great at something I like to refer to as "action horror". They were good in their own ways. If they take the "horror" part (the wonderful atmosphere, the story, the hallucinations) and dampen it until what we're left with is the "shoot dudes with a gun" aspect to make it more "appealing", I know it will achieve the opposite effect for me and likely for many others. It will be extremely unappealing.

There. Glad to get that out of my system. Now to move on with life.

captcha: "freezing temperatures". That seems rather relevant to Dead Space 3. Is this thing sentient or something?

 

[Viper114]

I think people are rushing to judgement way too quickly. Yes, the idea to "broaden" the fanbase is dumb, and making DS3 even more "action-y" is a bad idea, but to cry foul so soon is a bit premature, even if you do you have natural predisposition of HATE to EA in general. I don't think the goal of 5 million units is going to happen, and it's dumb to think that in order to sustain an IP you need to sell that many (there are other IPs that don't need that kind of selling power), but I'm not going to give up on DS3 just yet. Yes, I have my gripes based on that video, but I'll save my judgement for a while longer.

 

[404notfound]

I like how EA "need to sell 5 million units" to make a game viable to produce when smaller companies, such as Egosoft with their X game series, can make awesome games and expect to ship a much smaller number than 5 million units and still make it profitable enough to continue the series in the same way as they started it.

 

[shrekfan246]

Just replace Bioware with "Visceral". Depending on your views, add Bioware to the pile in the second image, too.

No, EA, you don't need 5 million copies to sell to keep the franchise profitable. If you want to actually end a franchise for once, just say it, we'll probably applaud you for it. If you want an excuse to axe Visceral Games in the near future, well, your track history is already working against you.

 

[xPixelatedx]

It will remain a horror game

Will attempt to broaden its audience

Pick one.

Welcome to this gaming gen, where corporations are so cartoonishly greedy, it's not enough to pull sales from any one crowd; they must pull sales from EVERY CROWD, at once! Can't be done, sorry EA. The more action-game you make it, the less horror it will be. This isn't opinion, it is indisputable fact. Pro tip:you cannot make the best romance movie if it is also trying to be a blockbuster horror movie. You cannot make the world's best pepperoni pizza if you keep adding all the other toppings. Etc. Etc. Etc.

You NEED to sell 5 million copies? No you don't. You created an unnecessary situation that demands you do. If making these games has gotten so ludicrously expensive, it's because you made them ludicrously expensive. I would be willing to bet money that the team making this 3rd game is what.. 2x.. 3x larger then the team who made the first Dead Space game? Maybe bigger? And why do you have to pay so many more people? To do all those crazy cinematics and make the game more actiony/Gears, right? Here's a thought, instead of changing the game in a way that would make it so much more expensive to produce and then telling us we have to buy this new lackluster version because it's more expensive, why not make it the way it was before? You know, the way you could afford to make it? Clearly that pulled in enough of a profit to spawn two sequels, so you should get just enough of an audience to more then pay for the production costs. Don't fumble the ball then ask us to pay for your mistakes, especially when you fumbled from getting too greedy.

But perhaps I am the fool. I am the one trying to talk reason to the worst company in America. I wish I could say that explains everything, but the 'graveyard of titans' from this gen is one that spans every walk of life. This is not how a Console generation should end.

 

[koroem]

Well, say goodbye to Dead Space after this, guys.

Should have said good bye to dead space already. From the sounds of this, it isn't Dead Space, its a co-op/multiplayer 3rd person shooter using the Dead Space license. Dead Space is solo survival horror, not co-op/multiplayer shoot-em-up.

I'm not an EA hater, but I really hate them right now for killing this franchise.

 

[Emiscary]

It will remain a horror game

Will attempt to broaden its audience

Pick one.

Welcome to this gaming gen, where corporations are so cartoonishly greedy, it's not enough to pull sales from any one crowd; they must pull sales from EVERY CROWD, at once! Can't be done, sorry EA. The more action-game you make it, the less horror it will be. This isn't opinion, it is indisputable fact. Pro tip:you cannot make the best romance movie if it is also trying to be a blockbuster horror movie. You cannot make the world's best pepperoni pizza if you keep adding all the other toppings. Etc. Etc. Etc.

You NEED to sell 5 million copies? No you don't. You created an unnecessary situation that demands you do. If making these games has gotten so ludicrously expensive, it's because you made them luxuriously expensive. I would be willing to bet money that the team making this 3rd game is what.. 2x.. 3x larger then the team who made the first Dead Space game? Maybe bigger? And why do you have to pay so many more people? To do all those crazy cinematics and make the game more actiony/Gears, right? Here's a thought, instead of changing the game in a way that would make it so much more expensive to produce and then telling us we have to buy this new lackluster version because it's more expensive, why not make it the way it was before? You know, the way you could afford to make it? Clearly that pulled in enough of a profit to spawn two sequels, so you should get just enough of an audience to more then pay for the production costs. Don't fumble the ball then ask us to pay for your mistakes, especially when you fumbled from getting too greedy.

But perhaps I am the fool. I am the one trying to talk reason to the worst company in America. I wish i could say that explains everything, but the 'graveyard of titans' from this gen is one that spans every walk of life. This is not how a Console generation should end.

Really wish I had the disposable income/time to buy you a beer sir.

Well spoken.

 

[Combustion Kevin]

people are not buying dead space for the gears of war-style action, therefore the old fanbase will be discouraged to get it.

the others already have gears of war, so they'll not get it.

me, I hope they keep the tenze atmosphere broken up by harrowing encounters, that's what I bought it for, comparable to DOOM 3.

and five million? please, EA is going down the drain like this for sure, we're going to see it die down considerably over the next few years and see others fill the gap, hopefully.

 

[Piflik]

The thing is...people who want to play Gears of War already have Gears of War and they will buy the next Gears of War.

Why are EA insisting on catering SEQUELS of a games to people who DIDN'T buy the first games? If you really want to make a shooter than don't bastardize a established game of a different genre...

 

[theultimateend]

Five million? Why? Lower your freaking costs.

Smarter than 99% of major development teams.

How exactly are you not a batrillionaire!

I'm being silly but this is the simple answer.

 

[Worr Monger]

It will be even more hilarious when they make it Origin exclusive.....

 

[tmande2nd]

Oh sweet bloody Talos.....

1) A studio makes a good game that has a few fans (Dragon Age/Command and Conquer)
2) EA buys them out and makes a so/so game out of this (Dragon Age 2)
3)EA copies what other games do that are popular at the moment for the next game (Mass Effect 3)
4) Said game pisses off any fans left from step 1/2 since its not what they wanted, and no new fans come in at step 3.
5) Slaughter the company and move on.

Leaving a dead company, a dead IP, pissed off fans, but at least Electronic Arts made some more money.

Please someone in the industry DONT SELL YOUR COMPANY TO EA!

 

[Pinkamena]

Ah, yes... I remember when I had played through the original Dead Space. I had high hopes for the sequels. Thanks for ruining what could have been a pretty good survival horror franchise, EA. Love ya.

 

[NiPah]

Thank god EA won't put it on sale though, wouldn't want to ruin an IP that you're actively trying to end.

But I guess Valve is just as bad as EA because... oh wait... at least we can blame the hate of origin on Valve fanboys right? right? fuck...

 

[shrekfan246]

1) A studio makes a good game that has a few fans (Dragon Age/Command and Conquer)

While I don't really disagree with what you've posted, I think it's hilarious that you've singled out Dragon Age: Origins as Bioware's example. Considering it was released after they were acquired by EA.

 

[ElPatron]

So they will make a shooter that shooter fans won't recognize as an established shooter franchise, and at the same time alienate the existing fanbase?

In a perfect world they wouldn't sell one single game even if they were selling a bundle with two copies.

The game better be a frigging awesome shooter otherwise they will be ripping off a lot of people from their time and money. Somehow I just want this game to fail. This and Resident Evil 6.

 

[RJ 17]

Soooooo if 5 million is the benchmark...anyone gone through the list yet to spell out which franchise have failed to hit that number and thus - by EA standards - should have immediately been axed? I just really can't help but feel that a large number of their sports games should have ended a long time ago... (could easily be wrong, it's just my hunch).

As for the "We're changing it to appeal to broader audiences" statement...yyyeeeeeeeeah. Anyone translate that as "We're going to butcher the out of this series until it's a generic, bland, rolled-off-the-assembly-line 3rd person shooter." DS 1 was pretty creepy. DS 2 had it's moments...DS 3 doesn't even take place in space and they broke the 1 major rule of horror games: isolation. You can't really even get a good "startle scare" (which is all DS can hang its hat on) if you've got a budy that's equally overpowered as you are walking right beside you.

It didn't work for Resident Eviil 5, it's not going to work for Resident Evil 6, and it sure as hell isn't going to work for Dead Space 3. They're taking the game out of "survival horror" and tossing it into 3rd person action"" from the sound of things.