Dead Space 4 ---- gone.

[soniqstylz]

http://www.videogame...ad_space_3.html

Gee, I wonder why sales were down....

EA has ceased development on Dead Space 4 and effectively axed the series following lower than anticipated sales of Dead Space 3, VideoGamer.com has learned.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source familiar with the unannounced project told VideoGamer.com that Dead Space 4 had been in pre-production at Visceral Games, with a small team at Visceral Montreal allegedly tasked with developing prototypes and mock-ups for the title, and collaborating on ideas for the game's narrative.

However, the project was cancelled after Dead Space 3 failed to meet its sales targets, our source claims, telling us that EA executives visited Visceral Montreal last month to inform staff that the project had been terminated and announce details of the company's restructuring.

Visceral Montreal is rumoured to have closed following the restructuring.

Though EA had yet to announce Dead Space 4, Dead Space 3's cliffhanger ending suggested that a fourth game had been planned by the publisher.

As well as discussing Dead Space 4's alleged cancellation, our source also gave us further insight into Dead Space 3's development, telling us that the game was almost cancelled partway through its development, and saw continuous cuts made to its budget throughout production.

Weapon-specific ammo was allegedly switched for generic ammo late in development, too, as a method for shoehorning in the game's controversial micro-transactions.

EA also advised Visceral that Dead Space 3 needed to appeal to a wider audience than the series' previous two titles, our source added, and the studio was reportedly told to focus on action over horror in an effort to make the game feel more like BioWare's Mass Effect.

Our source's comments tally with those made previously by EA.

Last year, EA Labels president Frank Gibeau suggested that Dead Space 3 would need to sell around five million copies in order for the series to survive.

"In general we're thinking about how we make this a more broadly appealing franchise," Gibeau told CVG, "because ultimately you need to get to audience sizes of around five million to really continue to invest in an IP like Dead Space.

"Anything less than that and it becomes quite difficult financially given how expensive it is to make games and market them."

Though sales figures for the game have yet to be officially released, the game's first week sales in the UK were down 26.6 per cent on the game's predecessor Dead Space 2.

In the weeks following its release, Dead Space 3 has gradually slipped further down the charts. The game currently sits at no.8, placing behind last year's Need For Speed: Most Wanted, Far Cry 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.

EA announced plans to restructure its Los Angeles and Montreal studios in February, stating that though "many employees are being retrained for new positions... a small number will be released".

A former Visceral Montreal employee claims to have told Game Informer that "the entire studio has been laid off".

EA told VideoGamer.com that it does not comment on rumour or speculation when contacted about Dead Space 4's alleged cancellation.

Funny that appealing to a wider audience made for weaker sales.

[McKay]

Classic EA.

[Lingwo]

I mentioned this on CVG too.

They can Dead Space IP but they still churn out Army Of Two games!

[Noir Angel]

Dead Space 3 wasn't actually an overly bad game apart from the gimping of the weapons. Trying to emulate the Mass Effect games or any other company's product is daft, keep appealing to the people that liked the first 2.

[coth]

Considering price of Dead Space 3 i wouldn't surprise sales are going so slow. It cost here a whooping 1200 rubles with a red price at 300 rub.

[McKay]

Dead Space 3 wasn't actually an overly bad game apart from the gimping of the weapons. Trying to emulate the Mass Effect games or any other company's product is daft, keep appealing to the people that liked the first 2.

The problem was they turned it into a generic action shooter and removed all elements of horror.

[The Laughing Man]

UPDATE: EA has responded with the following official statement:

"While we have not announced sales for Dead Space 3, we are proud of the game and the franchise remains an important IP to EA."

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

Yeah, I read on Kotaku this was not true?

I played Dead Space 1. Almost did not finish it, but felt I should since I had played so much.

I played Dead Space 2, did not finish it.

I played Dead Space 3 for about 2 hours as a rental. Promptly returned it that night.

It just completely lost what made it decent to begin with IMHO. Might be time to let it go regardless.

[SierraSonic]

EA is funny, first they say that we should speak with our money, don't buy a game if you don't like micro-transactions.

And THIS is what happens when we do not buy their gimped games... they just cancel the next one instead of making it correctly, and blame it on something else.

EA, just **** you, I'm done, I haven't given you money since you ****ed me with BF3. Now you can for sure never see money from me until you change your ways. #1 worst company for a reason.

[Noir Angel]

Microtransactions in a "premium" game was never a good move. Either make the game F2P and sell additional content through microtransactions, or sell it at full price and simply make good DLC. Gamers don't like to feel they're being ripped off.

[+virtorio MVC]

The EA cycle continues.

[spacer]

It's sad that my favorite past time is continually having its innovation and great series killed off simply because those games in question aren't instant multi-million dollar profit machines.

Dead Space was a great survival horror game. Probably the best since Resident Evil 2. And yet EA has consistently stripped the sequels of everything that made the first one great, and then wonder why it doesn't sell well. I didn't buy the second or third one because of the lack of direction/focus. The addition of micro-transactions was the last straw.

I will never support such obvious abusive cash-grab tactics. Good job EA.

[freak180]

http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/03/05/dead-space-4-cancellation-rumor-officially-debunked-by-ea/

Not Cancel

[Crisp]

EA, just **** you, I'm done, I haven't given you money since you ****ed me with BF3. Now you can for sure never see money from me until you change your ways. #1 worst company for a reason.

Oooh Battlefield 3... a classic start to ruin a franchise. Money talks I guess.

[Motoko.]

[Aaron Olive]

The problem was they turned it into a generic action shooter and removed all elements of horror.

The horror element wasn't removed, it's just that our mindset is already prepared and know what to expect for a 3rd time, Necromorphs jumping out of the vents, stuff possibly jumping down behind you etc, once you get use to things it's not new anymore. Dead Space 3 was an enjoyable game in my opinion and the story did suffer some stupid writing though.

[Motoko.]

The horror element wasn't removed, it's just our mindset is already prepared and know what to expect for a 3rd time, Necromorphs jumping out of the vents, stuff possibly jumping down behind you etc, once you get use to things it's not new anymore.

THe horror element was dulled down, immensely..

DS3 felt like it concentrated efforts as a shooter

[McKay]

The horror element wasn't removed, it's just our mindset is already prepared and know what to expect for a 3rd time, Necromorphs jumping out of the vents, stuff possibly jumping down behind you etc, once you get use to things it's not new anymore.

Too many action cut scenes with huge explosions, the enemy didn't even try and be sneaky or go for the shock factor of making you jump. I jumped a bit sometimes in the earlier games when supposedly dead enemies would leap to life when you walked over them. They make annoying noises that might have been scary hearing it a little bit in the distance, but no they constantly make the noise while they slowly jog towards you. I never once came anywhere near running out of ammo, the fact that ammo is universal now made sure of that. And I ran around never with fewer than 10 health packs at all times. All element of danger or fear was removed because in EAs books, generic shooters with explosions sell well completely ignoring the fact that people don't buy Dead Space for that experience.

I still remember stumbling around with close to zero health in Dead Space 1, dreading encountering an enemy because I only had 2 shots. The atmosphere was incredible.

[matt4444]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-03-05-ea-cans-dead-space-series-following-poor-sales-of-dead-space-3-report

EA have said it was a false story and have accused them of fabricating the story.

I loved Dead Space 1, very scary. Dead Space 2, meh. Have yet to play 3.

[argonite]

This rumor is still being hotly debated on reddit, and the conclusion so far seems to be "we don't know if DS4 is halted yet and we don't have sufficient evidence to call it"

[trag3dy]

So if the article is true EA want's the game to become everything it's not known for? Why make the game like Mass Effect when Mass Effect is already under one of their brands? Doesn't make sense.

[syobon999]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[freak180]

New DLC trailer is out!!! Loving it!!!! :)

[francescob]

So if the article is true EA want's the game to become everything it's not known for? Why make the game like Mass Effect when Mass Effect is already under one of their brands? Doesn't make sense.

I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite comment on the Interwebs!

[freak180]

This is why I think the rumor was pure bull