Few horror series in gaming are as popular and consistent as Dead Space. The Dead Space trilogy is an all-timer in the genre, and even its spinoff games and tie-ins are well worth players’ time. Unfortunately, the series’ publisher has little interest in returning to it for a fourth entry, at least according to its creators.
Dead Space creator and director Glen Schofield, animation Director Christopher Stone, and Creative Director Bret Robbins (now a game director at Absurd Ventures) spoke to Dan Allen Gaming on YouTube about the ins and outs of the Dead Space franchise from inception to its end. The 100-minute interview is an eye-opening look at the successful series’ inception, how it was viewed internally at publisher Electronic Arts before its launch, and what’s next for the franchise.
Sadly, fans shouldn’t hold out hope for a new entry as Schofield says Electronic Arts shot down the prospect as recently as the last 12 months.
“We tried actually, the three of us,” Schofield said. “We’re talking this year.”
“We didn’t go too deep. They just said ‘No, we’re not interested right now,’” he continued. “We respected their opinion. We know their numbers and what they have to ship and all that.”
Schofield and Stone said that they actually have a clear idea of what a fourth Dead Space game would be. But ultimately, they didn’t try to push their luck as they spoke to the person best positioned to give them a possible greenlight. Stone hasn’t given up hope on the idea.
“The industry’s in a weird place right now,” Stone added. “People are real hesitant to take chances on things. So you take it with a grain of salt. Who knows, maybe one day. I think we’d all love to do it.”
Knowing we were so close to getting a new Dead Space only to have it shut down is a total bummer, to say the least. Last year, the Dead Space remake developed by EA Motive was both a reminder of how timeless the first game’s atmosphere and game mechanics were and a proof of concept for how perfectly Dead Space would fit in today’s gaming landscape.
The decision to revisit the franchise for the first time in over a decade seemed like Electronic Arts testing the waters for the series’ return. However, as reported earlier this year, the remakes didn’t sell well enough for EA to want to follow up. The rumored remake of 2011’s Dead Space 2 was allegedly shelved. The trio’s pitch for a sequel was likely shot down for similar reasons.
The survival horror genre has had a bit of a renaissance in recent years. Capcom created the template for how to modernize the scares of decades past with its Resident Evil remakes. Konami would follow it for the excellent Silent Hill 2 remake in October. Last year, Remedy Entertainment pushed the limits of what horror storytelling looks like in games with Alan Wake 2.
Dead Space missing its opportunity to bask in that broader renaissance (beyond its awesome remake) is particularly dissapointing when some of the franchise’s biggest influences are riding high again at the box office and getting unexpected second chances in gaming, it seems unfair for Dead Space fans to watch from the sidelines.
Dead Space holds a special place in many older players’ hearts as it represents a golden period for Electronic Arts. At a time when most people wrote off the publisher off as an entity that rarely strayed from successful annual franchises like Madden NFL and Need For Speed, 2008’s Dead Space (along with Mirror’s Edge) both proved that the publisher was willing to take big swings with original ideas that could become new franchises. Mirror’s Edge would soon become a cult classic with a divisive sequel, while Dead Space would become one of the best games of its generation.
All hope is not necessarily lost for a sequel, however. If the 2024 Game Awards have taught us anything, never count old gaming franchises out. If Capcom is willing to bring Okami and Onimusha back from obscurity after 20 years, maybe someday Electronic Arts will eventually bring Isaac and his ongoing battle with Unitology back for one last terrifying joyride.
