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Rumour: Dead Space 4 Cancelled Following Poor DS3 Sales [EA: "Patently False"]
- Thread starter V_Ben
- Start date
Uno Venova
Banned
I hope selling out the identity of a IP never works for publishers in the future.
was never gonna sell 5 million regardless.
beelzebozo
Jealous Bastard
i can't help but think a series of this popularity would have had no trouble whatsoever staying in the black in the snes/genesis era. the window of viability just continued to become more and more obscene.
captainnapalm
Member
Unless the survival horror aspects are extremely important to you, you will like Dead Space 3. If you just like Dead Space for the sci-fi vibe, the cool locations and atmosphere and story, you'll enjoy 3.
popsicle_sundays
Member
Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew
Banned
Can't say I'm surprised. After seeing DS2 being a bomba, I bet EA thought that co-op and action is what the series need. Didn't work out that well for them, did it?
angular graphics
Banned
Good. I was disappointed with how they marketed the third game (co-op TPS etc) and didn't pick it up, and if future Dead Space games were going further down that route (it's EA.. of course they would), then I'm glad they decided to scrap them.
Yeah, though the cover shootering of DS was certainly regrettable the actual failure here seems to be EA somehow expecting the series to be of a class of sales that it wasn't even close to.
Was this expectation based on what the game's budget required or is EA not willing to settle for something that is only marginally profitable?
I don't agree, but sadly, that's probably how EA is going to see it.
CliffyB + majority of gaming media: "If you don't like microtractions, STFU and vote with your wallet, you entitled pricks"
Consumers: "I'm not buying DS3"
EA: "Why did the the entitled pricks not buy DS3? Don't know, maybe there weren't enough microtransactions for them to embrace"
Most of my console buddies did buy it. We all loved one and two so it was neat to play 3 together. Two of my buddies that I expected to buy it didn't. They are also the two who thought the first game was scary survival horror and not campy action horror. Lol. I think it makes sense.
Interrobang
Member
"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."
They basically changed an entire part of the game to squeeze in microtransactions.
Made me lol
Look, Cliffy! We voted with our wallets! Now a series we loved is dead.
I'd say it's the Return of the Jedi in a Star Wars Trilogy analogy. DS1(IV), DS2(V), DS3(VI).
It's the latter. Shooters sell a lot, Operation Raccoon City sold well, and damn, even Alien Colonial Marines had decent sales. But the market is overcrowded as hell, so it's hard to break even when you have AAA budgets. Capcom did the right thing by giving ORC to an external studio with a medium sized budget.
Clear
CliffyB's Cock Holster
LuchaShaq said:
By your own admittance you haven't played the game! Played single-player its still DS as you remember it, it really isn't Army Of Two in Dead Space pants.
Don't judge the game by the demo either, what appears as a continuous stretch of play in that thing is actually a 2-3hr stretch of mid-game with all the quiet, tense moments cut out.
I swear, when people pick this up from the bomba-bin in a few months time they are going to be quite pleasantly surprised.
plagiarize
Banned
there is nothing 'for the best' about this. EA cancelled it because it wasn't mainstream ENOUGH, not because it had gotten too mainstream. The funds that would have gone to Dead Space 4 are going to go to something completely mainstream and dude bro, rather than something only partly dude bro.
So, from my perspective, a series I loved has now been replaced with something I likely won't that will probably only cater to an audience that's already widely catered to. That's not for the best at all. We've lost a horror series (action horror, yes) and it will be replaced by a pure action shooter. Ho hum.
So, from my perspective, a series I loved has now been replaced with something I likely won't that will probably only cater to an audience that's already widely catered to. That's not for the best at all. We've lost a horror series (action horror, yes) and it will be replaced by a pure action shooter. Ho hum.
SpiderJerusalem
Banned
I haven't started 3(maybe this weekend) yet but if the series is dead I'll be bummed. I play too randomly to play co op with someone though and none of my friends play them. I've liked all the books, comics and spinoffs that they've put out and I was kind of hoping for another Extraction type game sometime. I hope they make 4 if they ended on a cliffhanger.
it was very short sighted to expect 5 million sales regardless of budget, etc. Mocrotransactions are stupid for a game loke this. Removing the threat of having no ammo kinda flies in the face of what deadspace was about. A shame since we need more games like deadspace.
Metroidvania
People called Romanes they go the house?
Goddamnit EA marketing. Dead Space wasn't gonna succeed as a ME3 style tps, it would have been better to even be more like old school RE4.
I enjoyed the game initially, but waaaaay too much locked room + 5 enemies roaring towards you stopped getting fun quick. Got predictable, which kills any sense of horror.
That and while the weapon customization system technically works, why take out the Power Nodes in the first place? It was at least strategic in using them for rewards in the locked doors versus upgrading your suit/weapons. Now the new Tungsten turners are easy as shit to make as long as you farm with your resource bot every once in a while.
I enjoyed the game initially, but waaaaay too much locked room + 5 enemies roaring towards you stopped getting fun quick. Got predictable, which kills any sense of horror.
That and while the weapon customization system technically works, why take out the Power Nodes in the first place? It was at least strategic in using them for rewards in the locked doors versus upgrading your suit/weapons. Now the new Tungsten turners are easy as shit to make as long as you farm with your resource bot every once in a while.
That's why I actually think they did the right thing with the series. There is only so many times you can have a character walking around an abandoned ship tensely shooting aliens.
Visualante2
Member
Tragic affair, I didn't want it to end this way but it is fitting given how they traded authenticity for mass market appeal.
I would guess the executive producer is to blame, couple more games like Dead Space 3 and you might as well just shutter Visceral really. Where's their spine to say no to this pillaging of their IP?
Next up, Army of Two.
I would guess the executive producer is to blame, couple more games like Dead Space 3 and you might as well just shutter Visceral really. Where's their spine to say no to this pillaging of their IP?
Next up, Army of Two.
Huh. So voting with your wallet works after all. After I got burned by Dragon Age 2, I decided that I wouldn't buy another EA game unless it got really good word of mouth after release. Coincidentally, I have not bought another EA game since.
Honestly, I don't see how this is sustainable for EA. How many franchises have they messed up while trying to force them to reach CoD level mainstream success? It just seems silly watching them repeat the same mistakes over and over without learning from them.
Honestly, I don't see how this is sustainable for EA. How many franchises have they messed up while trying to force them to reach CoD level mainstream success? It just seems silly watching them repeat the same mistakes over and over without learning from them.
educator
Member
Seeing a respected brand being cancelled is never fun. EA is all about money (nothing wrong with that, they're a business), and when a game is failing to meet it's expected numbers, stuff like this happens. Im unsure of how the previous games sold, but I would guess DS2 sold less than the first one.
DS (sold well, EA decides to green-light the next one) - DS2 (sales are ok, but worse than the first one. EA gives it a last chance and green-lights the third installment) - DS3 (Sales are plummeting and isn't reaching the numbers expected.)
Basically, sales have been declining since the first one. For EA, they either try to resurrect it or drop it. In this case, they dropped it.
On the other hand, I still think EA would benefit from having a few minor IP's (still in the millions though), and not only focus on producing hit after hit. That model might work for them, but this is the side effects us gamers have to live with, unfortunately.
DS (sold well, EA decides to green-light the next one) - DS2 (sales are ok, but worse than the first one. EA gives it a last chance and green-lights the third installment) - DS3 (Sales are plummeting and isn't reaching the numbers expected.)
Basically, sales have been declining since the first one. For EA, they either try to resurrect it or drop it. In this case, they dropped it.
On the other hand, I still think EA would benefit from having a few minor IP's (still in the millions though), and not only focus on producing hit after hit. That model might work for them, but this is the side effects us gamers have to live with, unfortunately.
Cliff B better get to work on a new blog post that blames fans.
Deadly Cyclone
Pride of Iowa State
The funniest part to me (having liked what I played so far of 3) is that 4 gets canned, yet Army of Two is still coming out.
blizzardjesus
Banned
I didn't know that Deadspace 3 came out already...
ThisWreckage
Banned
Adding multiplayer and co op to sequels never works out. Those type of features have to be included in the FIRST title. If those features are included in sequels it gives the impression that it's half-assed, taking resources away from single player, a popularity grab, or something that should have been included in the initial title in the first place.
alfredofroylan
Member
That'll bomb even harder IMO, but then maybe their budget is smaller so EA decided to give another shot at the series.
Omegasquash
Member
Well, that would suck, if really real. I liked Dead Space. It was good.
Queue the images of EA shooting Visceral in the back of the head.
Queue the images of EA shooting Visceral in the back of the head.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
Such a cool franchise, it's a real shame. Visceral changes the game to how EA wants it, and then EA cans the whole franchise because DS3 isn't performing well enough a few weeks after release.
Don't get to comfortable with new ips next generation, because I shudder to think of how quickly they'll be killed off.
Don't get to comfortable with new ips next generation, because I shudder to think of how quickly they'll be killed off.
dummydecoy
Member
Fuck. I wouldn't care if they gave the third one a proper ending but instead we got a cliffhanger.
Diseased Yak
Gold Member
This really sucks. I just beat DS3 last night, and I really loved it. The microtransactions were just a fucking button that popped up along with the rest, they weren't needed to beat the game nor were they intrusive. The co-op stuff only reared its head once, toward the end of the game, that had a door lock that read "co-op". That's the only time I noticed anything during my single player run.
I liked the plot pretty much, but of course there were problems with characterization and such, but nothing really egregious. I'm just sad there wont be another.
I liked the plot pretty much, but of course there were problems with characterization and such, but nothing really egregious. I'm just sad there wont be another.
Hunter-Zero
Member
This can be said of almost every series out there, and it´s a really funny thing to say when your avatar is Mario.
Honestly, I'm not sure they knew what to do with it anymore. Core fans of the franchise didn't like the move to a more "action" based experience, but the move itself wasn't really bringing in new gamers.
Given how weak the first one sold (relatively speaking) I'd say we should just be happy it got a full trilogy.
Plus, on the bright side, a good developer gets to work on a new IP.
Given how weak the first one sold (relatively speaking) I'd say we should just be happy it got a full trilogy.
Plus, on the bright side, a good developer gets to work on a new IP.
At least we can rest assured that EA won't repeat mistake of destroying a franchise's identity in order to pursue the phantom of mass market sales.
Oh who am I kidding it's EA.
I'm not certain, but I believe that DS2 sold more than DS1. Regardless, what killed the series is the fact that they jacked up the budget and, by extension, the sales projections of each installment. They could have managed the budget and turned the franchise into a perennial solid seller, but no. They want CoD/Madden level money.
Oh who am I kidding it's EA.
I'm not certain, but I believe that DS2 sold more than DS1. Regardless, what killed the series is the fact that they jacked up the budget and, by extension, the sales projections of each installment. They could have managed the budget and turned the franchise into a perennial solid seller, but no. They want CoD/Madden level money.
michaeltraps
Member
Yeah, I'd have to agree with you there. Though I had no idea that Raccoon City and Aliens sold well. The entire industry is in a really weird place, for sure.
Metroidvania
People called Romanes they go the house?
Still can't believe EA wanted/needed 5 million when the only EA press release numbers I can find have Dead Space eventually hitting 2 mil and Dead Space 2 with initial 2 mil and nothing after that.
They seriously claimed to want double-ish the amount of sales for DS3 at the end of a console generation by adding in co-op and "micro"transactions (which are far in price from what I think of microtransactions).
I'm sure playing with friends increases sales of a game, but when it happens at the expense of the identity of the franchise, it doesn't really help all that much long-term. At least DS2 kept things interesting, if more shoot-bangy. DS3 just cranks that "clear every room" mentality up to 11.
But then you think about the whole system of resources that replaces power nodes, and for me personally at least, it's a much worse/cumbersome system. You can just literally farm bots all day long to get whatever resources you need as long as you wait 10 (or 5 with the right 5 dollar microtransaction) minutes.
Ugh, suits lost any sense of identity too. And while they were all different visual-wise, who cares about a new suit's flashy style after 10 minutes or so when in DS2 they introduced suits that had actual effects on combat? Yeah, most people rocked the advanced or elite advanced suit at the end, but you could at least change things up during the process of the game, which could potentially change your style of play or give you rewards for finding the suit.
They seriously claimed to want double-ish the amount of sales for DS3 at the end of a console generation by adding in co-op and "micro"transactions (which are far in price from what I think of microtransactions).
I'm sure playing with friends increases sales of a game, but when it happens at the expense of the identity of the franchise, it doesn't really help all that much long-term. At least DS2 kept things interesting, if more shoot-bangy. DS3 just cranks that "clear every room" mentality up to 11.
But then you think about the whole system of resources that replaces power nodes, and for me personally at least, it's a much worse/cumbersome system. You can just literally farm bots all day long to get whatever resources you need as long as you wait 10 (or 5 with the right 5 dollar microtransaction) minutes.
Ugh, suits lost any sense of identity too. And while they were all different visual-wise, who cares about a new suit's flashy style after 10 minutes or so when in DS2 they introduced suits that had actual effects on combat? Yeah, most people rocked the advanced or elite advanced suit at the end, but you could at least change things up during the process of the game, which could potentially change your style of play or give you rewards for finding the suit.
greatnorthern
Member
I loved Dante's Inferno
o/
How many more series must they kill before they realize that maybe they should stop trying to "appeal to a wider audience"? They fail every single time. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed Dead Space 3, but it did not hold a candle to the first 2 and now another one bites the dust because EA has apparently never read the definition of insanity. Stop doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different result. It does not work.
I would have given DS3 a shot, except it couldn't be activated on Steam and I have some brain disorder preventing me from purchasing games not on Steam other than Blizzard games.
Not surprising to hear that it may have been cancelled, and given the direction the series was taking, I'm not terribly sorry to hear it.
Not surprising to hear that it may have been cancelled, and given the direction the series was taking, I'm not terribly sorry to hear it.