Publisher says addition of co-op in upcoming shooter Dead Space 3 was a result of research that concluded some gamers would enjoy playing the game with a buddy.
Dead Space 3 will be the first entry in the series to feature co-op, but why now? Speaking to MCV, EA Games' marketing executive Laura Miele said the publisher conducted research that concluded some gamers found the original single-player Dead Space and Dead Space 2 "pretty scary" to play alone.
“We were doing research coming out of Dead Space 1 and 2 and we’re really proud of those products. We received feedback to understand how we can take the game out to even more consumers,” she said. “We were hearing feedback that they love the thriller game, but it was pretty scary, and the obvious next step was that they wanted to play with someone. So we introduced co-op into the game."
Miele made clear that the introduction of co-op in Dead Space 3 will not compromise the horror component that was a focus in the first two games.
“The horror of Dead Space is still all there," she said. "It’s still true to its roots and no less scary, but people felt far more comfortable playing it with someone else than they did doing it on their own. We’re looking for that to reach out to consumers that perhaps were not open to Dead Space 1 and 2.”
Dead Space 3 is due out in February 2013 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. A Wii U version is not planned. The game sees series hero Isaac Clarke return, but this time he has help in the form of co-op partner John Carver. Together, players will battle Necromorphs on a new ice planet called Tau Volantis.
[CORRECTION] An earlier version of this story's headline did not present Miele's comments entirely accurately. GameSpot regrets the error.
For more on Dead Space 3, check out GameSpot's latest preview.
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
1 Like The first one was jumpy because of the pacing of the gameplay and the anticipation before the scare. In the second game I almost always knew when the scare was coming and what would happen. Not scary at all. Now they're just killing it altogether by turning it into a co-op game. Of course they're gonna say anything to keep their old fans as well as attract casuals. They just want ur $60
The problem is that they asked the wrong question. If they ask "how can we make more money out of the game" than the obvious answer is to change the part that made people not buy it. The problem with that, is they forgot to ask "why do the people who bought the games loved them". If they had asked that, they would have realized they made a stupid decision.
I 'm actually hoping they figure out a good way to keep the scary there even with a buddy, being able to share the terror. I mean that would be the Holy flippin Grail, if they managed to crush the small glimmer of hope of playing with a friend, with shear brutal horror. Otherwise go play Army of Two or Kane n Lynch.
1 Like I hope you can still single player this, and by that I mean no companion what so ever not even an AI. I feel the isolation factor is of major importance in survival horror and to take that away would just kill it for me.
I recently started playing the first Dead Space and I love it so far (I'm on Chapter 6). This is the first survival horror game I'll probably beat ha ha. Honestly though it's not scary to me and this is coming from someone who avoids horror games. I think they're too stressful and I end up being to afraid to advance ha. Anyway I don't get why people say it's scary, it's creepy for sure, but I'm definitely not afraid to go around the corner. I think the cool factor outweighs the horror for me It has its moments where I jump though. Side note: I literally cannot play Slenderman because it's way too scary lmao. I got 4 notes and the flashlight was running out and I was like maaaan. Uninstall. But Dead Space is cool and creepy but not "scary"..
So EA is trying to make Dead Space 3 to be more of an action along the lines of the latest Resident evil.
RIP the terror and horror of the original dead space.
6 Like I'm sorry the survival horror game is too scary for you..Um, maybe you should choose a different genre. The feeling of being alone, vulnerable and isolated is what makes a good survival horror.
2 Like Oh yeah I forgot one thing...SCREW YOU EA!!!!!!! I FLIPPEN HATE YOU GUYS YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO RUIN GAME SERIES, DECLARE A WAR ON USED GAMES, CHARGE PEOPLE FOR ONLINE MULTIPLAYER, AND HAVE THE WORST SERVERS IN THE HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Stick with sports games you greedy ****** ******.
2 Like I am very worried about this, they said dead space 2 was scary too and apart from the freaky baby bit in the nursery it was not a scary game, it relied on jump scares like the elevator which in these days is just funny, it someone replied if they agree or disagree i would appreciate it
@L_B_123 I'm with you bro, Dead Space 2 is not scary and Dead Space is supposed to be scary. These people are major sell outs. THERE ARE SCARIER INDIE GAMES OUT THERE AND THOSE ARE LIKE 15 MINUTES LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!! Take Slender for example that indie game relies heavily on paranoia and that is truly being scared. Dead Space 1 had elements of that paranoia that still scares me (but only on hard) Dead Space 2 had so much potential with you going crazy and all but its like they forgot about that in the middle of the game. Dead Space 3 just looks like MW3 survival mode. Who made Dead Space Extraction and Dead Space for iPod? Those were some scary and creepy games.
1 Like @L_B_123 "Miele made clear that the introduction of co-op in Dead Space 3 will not compromise the horror component that was a focus in the first two games."
Sounds like there's nothing to worry about.
1 Like First off, I'm a big fan of DS and this is good news! My brother loves the series too and now we can play it together. But, if you play the game Single player, I did read that if the coop partner is gone, so is the guy. so if you play it in coop after the single player, you learn things you wouldn't know before. WIll it be as scary as the first two? Probably not. (Dead Space 2 isn't even that scary, Dead Space 1? Definitely.) But I don't think that Dead Space 3 is going to be the worst game ever, and I think it will be improved from the others. The point where Isaac is an engineer and shouldn't be gunning down these guys or whatever is silly, since I think that feeling was meant for just Dead Space 1, with Isaac not really knowing about the Necromorphs. But this is the third Dead Space and in time the character learns more and is going to obviously use bigger and more effective weapons or tools. I mean, Isaac isn't going to try to get himself killed, and since he is very experienced with the Necromorphs now, it makes sense that he would use better stuff.
That was a lot of typing! Anyway, can't wait, so many games coming out early 2013 :D
@andreperezpalha You will be loosing a character progression between Issac and the new coop hero John Carver, some scenes may be missing as well. :)
1 Like I don't think that this idea is bad, you still have the option if you want to go co-op or not. And if you guys quit complaining about this, why not try making EA have a Singleplayer and a Multiplayer campaign, two completely different things.
@Gamer_Geek726 It just sucks that they added a character that won't be in the game unless you're playing coop
If co-op's optional, then I'm slightly ok with it, but it's not necessary and I'd rather them just put the man hours used to make the co-op into something like a longer campaign or more suits,guns,etc. I read somewhere that there might even be universal ammo.. plus fighting normal soldiers at points in the is a bummer too (You're an engineer! Not a war hero). Dead Space is my favorite IP and I think this one will still be scary at times, but to sum it up, I highly doubt it'll be as scary as the first 2 and I have a very strong feeling that it'll fall short of them in many, many ways.
1 Like "We?re looking for that to reach out to consumers that perhaps were not open to Dead Space 1 and 2."
Nice, this says it all. You want more sales so you sacrifice the horror aspect with a coop partner.
DS1 and 2 were scarry because there were nobody else running around the game gunning the bad guys down.
Even in SP, if you know there is somebody else of the good guys runing around the base killing bad guys it makes it less scary and more action.
Bad choice.
You will get those couple more sales from action affictionados, but probably you will alienate many more survival horror fans, that wish for a SURVIVAL HORROR game, since Resident Evil 6 has gone from this genre.
cheers
@erMonezza She also said the horror aspect is still there, quit ignoring that part, and playing co-op is entirely optional if you still want the scare, she just said people would be more comfortable playing with a buddy, which I agree with.
1 Like @Gamer_Geek726 @erMonezza Monezza is right, EA has decided that they would rather sell to a wider audience than please the players who have been with the IP from the start. The horror in this game won't be the same quality as with the 2nd, much less the 1st. Now that there will be human enemies with guns and waist high walls to use as cover, its obvious that EA wants to attract an audience that might have been turned off by the horror aspect of the original games. Unfortunately the only way to do this is by turning down the overall horror of this one.
It's no less scary but people are more comfortable? IThanks for ruining another one in the name of higher sales EA.
1 Like Here's the true motive of Egotistical A-holes
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/5946-Why-Do-People-Hate-EA
3 Like I HATE the idea of co-op in this game. I see this franchise going the way of Resident Evil. Thanks EA, I used to be able to say Dead Space was my favorite IP from this console generation. I was a hardcore fan singing the praises of these titles to anyone who'd listen. Now it's looking like I very well may be abandoning it, due to poor game design choices. Sigh well at least I still have the Souls series. Fromsoftware will never compromise their creative vision to make a few extra bucks.
@NormaDean Co-op is entirely optional, you still have the choice if you want it to be scary.
2 Like @NormaDean shhh...don't say it too loudly about souls series. Egotistical A-holes might hear you.
2 Like Let's just hope they keep this one as scary as the previous installments, but knowing EA, dead space will be flushed down the toilet in no time.
3 Like Hey Hi 5 Egotistical A-holes, just like every other 3's (Mass Effect 3 recently), you will s*it on this franchise too till it stinks. Great job John Retardetello.
I don't really like the thriller game therefor i never played deadspace...
but it is clear that introducing co-op into one will ruin it.
@evil-zodiark Dead space 2 is really cool. Try it.
Its said in the demo that the game could still be played as a single-player but i doubt that it would be as scary as the first two.
3 Like "We received feedback to understand how we can take the game out to even more consumers."
Sigh... The ONE game that did not need coop... aaaaaaaand here goes.
@Freboy It's more like "We received feedback to understand how we can take the gamers out to even more slaughterhouses."
1 Like @Freboy I would add: THAT is the reason EA destroys its franchises; lets try and sell more, more more... they greed turned in casualizing stuff and ruining it¡s purity (let Dragon Age 2 be an example)
1 Like oh I posted a Blog "Is it the end for the Survival horror genre" I would love read how the survival horror fans feel about this subject. Please feel free to comment and tell me what your favorite survival horror game. Thx U.
Why are some people saying Co-op is going to kill this game?? It's optional. Meaning you can play it by yourself to get that Dead Space 1 and 2 experience or with a friend to get that Gears of Warish (just my opinion) experience.
@taylormade2g Are you one of the consumers that Egotistical A-holes reached out to so that they could get more money?
2 Like @taylormade2g The fans of the first two games didn't play them for that "Gears of Warish". We played it for solid gameplay (not the best gameplay but solid) and to scare the crap out of ourselves (literally).
Which version of Dead Space 3 is the best looking? You decide.
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