Dead Space 3 Catch-All

All I have to say is "God dammit".

God dammit +1. My excitement for the game is already waning. My preorder has shifted from special edition to standard.

That 5 million says to me that EA isn't just expecting DS cover it's own costs but that it must make up some shortfall elsewhere. I'm anticipating staff cuts on launch week and that Jack the Ripper game (a crap idea anyway) will be held hostage by production delays unless DS makes a mint. Well, it was a nice time Visceral.

To be fair, there are always staff cuts on launch week or thereabouts. Some people work on contract for a single game.

But anyway, yeah, f*ck EA. Still.

LobsterMobster wrote:

To be fair, there are always staff cuts on launch week or thereabouts. Some people work on contract for a single game.

Not really Dead Space related, but the next time this happens I'll have to take a look at precisely what's going on. If they are indeed just contracted for a set project isn't it a case of "fixed term contracts end, not renewed" rather than "Company lays off hundreds" which implies they were permanent employees.

Possibly tied into this is the whole crunch/overtime compensation issue. I guess it's down to the compensation terms of the contract, but I guess a permanent employee is generally given a salary which doesn't necessarily get overtime compensation, and a contractor is generally paid by time worked which would be less attractive to a company if they want to crush.

Going by the various reports it seems like the industry has been taking the worst aspects of both from the employee perspective.

http://attackofthefanboy.com/news/ea...

I really want to be excited for this game. But it just seems like they are clearly taking the wrong path with this game. And just dealing out the excuses.

I really like Dead Space series, even enjoyed animated-comic and movies... but everything I read about DS3 is just not selling it for me. I think I'll go on media black-out and keep an open mind until the game will be released.

The Conformist wrote:

http://attackofthefanboy.com/news/ea...

I really want to be excited for this game. But it just seems like they are clearly taking the wrong path with this game. And just dealing out the excuses.

You know that co-op is optional right?

I don't see how market research = excuses, which is what these reports about this are based on. The majority of complaints about the co-op seem to be coming from people posting on dedicated gaming discussion forums, and I think that folks seem to forget that this demographic represents the minority of people who play games.

Not to mention that co-op has been discussed - and asked for - by the Dead Space fan base since the first game*.

*this is from my own personal experience spending a lot of time on the official Dead Space forums back in 2009

Pfff, System Shock2 had coop in 1999.

Enough industry speculation...MOAR DEAD SPACE 3!

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/GXKc8.jpg)

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/BlsqV.jpg)

http://www.shogungamer.com/news/1432...

Steve Papoutsis on the exploration aspects:

Papoutsis explains it like this: “Think of the game having a variety of hubs, and then there are spokes that come off those hubs. Some are required for your alpha path or your A to Z progression through the game.” However, other choices are optional. ”You might find an audio, video or text log that motivates you to go find this place; you might be just exploring because you want to see what’s over in that corner of the world and find an interesting-looking door that could lead to a dungeon, so to speak, of stuff to do,” he explains. “There will be other paths available through the game just for you to go out there and find, and figure out what’s going on.”

http://www.officialplaystationmagazi...

EDIT: official Visceral staff has confirmed that these particular screens were scanned in from a print version and tweaked before posting, so that explains the poor-ish quality.

More screens and Eurogamer article link:

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/LyIpL.jpg)

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/seOvZ.jpg)

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...

RPS hands on:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012...

Of note:

apparently the universal ammo that showed up in demonstration videos, and indeed in the early version of the game I played, is a placeholder and will not be in the final version of Dead Space 3.
nel e nel wrote:
The Conformist wrote:

http://attackofthefanboy.com/news/ea...

I really want to be excited for this game. But it just seems like they are clearly taking the wrong path with this game. And just dealing out the excuses.

You know that co-op is optional right?

I don't see how market research = excuses, which is what these reports about this are based on. The majority of complaints about the co-op seem to be coming from people posting on dedicated gaming discussion forums, and I think that folks seem to forget that this demographic represents the minority of people who play games.

Not to mention that co-op has been discussed - and asked for - by the Dead Space fan base since the first game*.

*this is from my own personal experience spending a lot of time on the official Dead Space forums back in 2009

I completely understand that Co-op is an optional feature. I suppose my complaint about the article is that they state that people have said that the game is "too scary" and that people would like a partner because of that. I call complete bunk on that, I have also occupied many message boards since the very first Dead Space and very very rarely have I ever seen anyone say that they want co-op and never have I seen anyone claim that it is too scary. I've been an avid survival horror fan since old school Resident Evil, and like many other fans out there, I'm disappointed to see them head the "Action" route with this series. Scarce ammo, dark dank corridor's, looming sounds heard off in the distance all seem to be something survival horror developers seem to be phasing out just to get a chunk of the money that games like COD bring.

In a recent article by IGN they hit on the fact that Dead Space 3 does indeed have sections that call back to the origins of the series, however the new controls and surplus of ammo seem to take away from that feel just a bit. Instead of latching on the train that is COD, why not take the formula they have and improve specifically on survival and horror? Games, like many things in this industry go in spurts, there's going to be a time when the whole COD/Action run and gun will die down and people will have to rely on creativity again, much like many independent developers do these days. They had something so very clever and interesting with the Dead Space series, and with a market FULL of action and third person cover shooters, why do we need another one?

nel e nel wrote:

Not to mention that co-op has been discussed - and asked for - by the Dead Space fan base since the first game*.

*this is from my own personal experience spending a lot of time on the official Dead Space forums back in 2009

Was this before or after the release of RE5? I though co-op was going to be a great idea for Resident Evil and introduce new things to the genre. After dying 20+ times in a cutscene because there was lag between my brother's XBOX and mine, I assure you it was not. I'm going to make the assumption that there was a degree of "us too!" in the audience requesting co-op for DS. Yes, an assumption, an evil internet flame-bait assumption.

If co-op is in Dead Space I'm going to play it, optional or no, and that is why I care. The trick is going to be deciding how. Will it be on the second playthrough, when I can say "Hey, that corpse over there on the right? It's going to grab your ankle" to my partner or will it be scary enough that the two of us can get into the mood and want to get hit by the jump scares together on a first run?

That's what's bugging me. The uncertainty about how the story will play out and whether it's a better game solo or with a friend. Which one is the awesome game and which one is the okay game? I'm open to it being either one but I want to get the best experience from Dead Space from the starting necromorph kill.

Uh-oh.

The Conformist wrote:

I completely understand that Co-op is an optional feature. I suppose my complaint about the article is that they state that people have said that the game is "too scary" and that people would like a partner because of that. I call complete bunk on that, I have also occupied many message boards since the very first Dead Space and very very rarely have I ever seen anyone say that they want co-op and never have I seen anyone claim that it is too scary. I've been an avid survival horror fan since old school Resident Evil, and like many other fans out there, I'm disappointed to see them head the "Action" route with this series. Scarce ammo, dark dank corridor's, looming sounds heard off in the distance all seem to be something survival horror developers seem to be phasing out just to get a chunk of the money that games like COD bring.

Unfortunately EA exists as a company to make money not a better video game. Action games sell more than survival horror does and they are not going to allow them to make a better survival horror game because that would make it more niche and sell less copies. Not to say I like this but the cold hard truth is we are not going to see large companies like EA or Activision make games "Better" just whatever sells more. And what sells more is more action and more simplification.

The Conformist wrote:

Instead of latching on the train that is COD, why not take the formula they have and improve specifically on survival and horror? Games, like many things in this industry go in spurts, there's going to be a time when the whole COD/Action run and gun will die down and people will have to rely on creativity again, much like many independent developers do these days. They had something so very clever and interesting with the Dead Space series, and with a market FULL of action and third person cover shooters, why do we need another one?

I can get behind this sentiment.

Unfortunately, the gaming industry is a business just like any other, and what we all know is that the most popular ideas are copied ad nauseum until they're driven into the ground and rejected by an oversaturated public looking for something new.

No big revelation there, it's just sad to witness when you feel like devs have created something special that fails to return investment, forcing them to conform to more popular and marketable design philosophies.

Nel e nel is right. We are not the ones funding big-budget projects like Dead Space. It’s a larger group out there that never make it to gaming message boards. They’re the ones with the marketing muscle to pull an IP like Dead Space away from its roots and towards a more homogenized, proven experience. Remember that Dead Space never was a big money-maker. I find it hard to believe given the overall quality of the franchise but there it is. If the devs/publishers can’t sustain the IP’s budget based on returns then they’re forced to adapt to safer waters or wither on the vine completely.

..............

All that aside, I'll be on board for launch. The franchise has earned enough good will with me to keep supporting it up front.

Yah, I am actually pretty excited to play through Co-op with the Nel-e-nator.

Don't ditch me, bro. Necromorphs are scary!

SallyNasty wrote:

Yah, I am actually pretty excited to play through Co-op with the Nel-e-nator.

Don't ditch me, bro. Necromorphs are scary!

Awwww crap. It's gonna be like the ending to each L4D mission. "Screw you guys, I'm gettin the hell out'a here!"

gains wrote:
nel e nel wrote:

Not to mention that co-op has been discussed - and asked for - by the Dead Space fan base since the first game*.

*this is from my own personal experience spending a lot of time on the official Dead Space forums back in 2009

Was this before or after the release of RE5? I though co-op was going to be a great idea for Resident Evil and introduce new things to the genre. After dying 20+ times in a cutscene because there was lag between my brother's XBOX and mine, I assure you it was not. I'm going to make the assumption that there was a degree of "us too!" in the audience requesting co-op for DS. Yes, an assumption, an evil internet flame-bait assumption.

Probably right around the time RE5 released, but I don't recall anyone referencing RE5 when the idea of co-op would come up. Personally, I thought it was an intriguing idea if done right, but I wasn't 100% behind it. But the point being that there were/are people out there that are excited about this.

gains wrote:

If co-op is in Dead Space I'm going to play it, optional or no, and that is why I care. The trick is going to be deciding how. Will it be on the second playthrough, when I can say "Hey, that corpse over there on the right? It's going to grab your ankle" to my partner or will it be scary enough that the two of us can get into the mood and want to get hit by the jump scares together on a first run?

That's what's bugging me. The uncertainty about how the story will play out and whether it's a better game solo or with a friend. Which one is the awesome game and which one is the okay game? I'm open to it being either one but I want to get the best experience from Dead Space from the starting necromorph kill.

I don't know what to say to this. It sounds like you are afraid of the possibility of being disappointed with one or the other. [hippyvoice]Uncertainty is part of life maaaaan![/hippyvoice]

Aaron D. wrote:

Nel e nel is right. We are not the ones funding big-budget projects like Dead Space. It’s a larger group out there that never make it to gaming message boards. They’re the ones with the marketing muscle to pull an IP like Dead Space away from its roots and towards a more homogenized, proven experience. Remember that Dead Space never was a big money-maker. I find it hard to believe given the overall quality of the franchise but there it is. If the devs/publishers can’t sustain the IP’s budget based on returns then they’re forced to adapt to safer waters or wither on the vine completely.

Aside from wanting to quote someone saying I'm right ;), I just want to highlight the "Dead Space was never a big money maker" comment. IIRC, there were numerous posthumous interviews with various EA/Visceral folks where - by looking at people who had achievements on XBL/PSN and comparing it with actual sales numbers - they stated that Dead Space 1 sold great...in the used market.

EDIT: I also have to say that Dead Space has always been more of an action horror game than survival horror. Even on the hardest difficulty settings on both games, there was plenty of supplies around. Sure, I would have encounters where I would deplete my current stores, but the next room would have a bunch of crates or a store to replenish them.

I don't mind the co-op myself seeing as it is optional, and don't understand why it is a big deal. Especially considering that it just means you can play through single player solo and then co-op for added replay value, potentially even through the harder difficulties (something that I already do in games). What made it suck in RE5 was mostly the incompetence of the A.I., but if you don't have a second player then Isaac will mostly be alone.

So uh...yeah. Not a problem to me.

Hmm. Maybe I need to clarify my statement. Because Dead Space is a spookhouse shooter *spoiler alert* there will be jump scares. On a second playthrough they won't hit as hard so the choice is how I will first experience those moments. Seeing Paranormal Activity in an advance screening with a capacity crowd was an amazing experience. Seeing it again at the local multiplex one week after release with the "common" movie goer just wasn't the same. I want to know what is going to give me that feeling of being terrified but unable to look away.

Of course, most of this relies on who I play alongside. As much as my horror film officianado friend loves co-op, she may stop to analyze the situation and discuss the needlessness of jump scares as a cheap formula for terror when an accomplished film maker can blah di blah blah. My brother might be too chill and get a little dude-bro depending on how many beers he's had. Lobster is another big fan of the series who I trust to play honestly and respectfully but how do our calendar's line up? I don't think either of us is willing to wait for the magic hour if there be necro's in need of a blastin'.

Oh, Altman's teeth! I'm now planning my social life around Dead Space. I think what we've all learned is that I care waaaaaayyy too much about this game.

For what it's worth I read a dev statement (can't find the link now) that said if you're playing DS3 in single-player mode, your co-op buddy will only show up a fraction of the time compared to when two human players are playing the campaign simultaneously.

There's this article that's thinking a bit on how DS3 might go, calling itself a 'pre-mortem': http://www.meodia.com/PS3-detail/pre...

There's 3 (well, 2 and a bit) pages, but the page selector doesn't stand out on the page.

Destructoid interview with Steve Papoutsis

Gamescon trailer:

My plasma cutter is ready.

Okay that's got me a lot more excited than the crap at E3.

nel e nel wrote:

You have my plasma cutter.

FTFY so I can say:

And my boots!

Also, get a taste of the what the weapon crafting system may be like on the game site:

http://www.deadspace.com/weapons

And maybe one of your designs will make it into the game!

Pre-order bonusii have been revealed:

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/VELy1.png)

Currently only listed on EA's sites

http://www.deadspace.com/buy

Developer diary outlining the weapon crafting system:

Just what in the hell is the Jesus and Mary Chain gun?!?!?