14 DAY TRIAL // Right after the Dead Space spin-off for the Wii, Dead Space Extraction, got released, Visceral Games is getting right back to work. Electronic Arts' recently rebranded Redwood Shores studio wastes no time basking in the glory of a new release and reveals that Dead Space 2 has entered the "later stages of preproduction." The information is extracted from Visceral's job listings.
The job opening was posted by EA senior recruiter Jeff Ballard and it's for the "Lead Combat & Controls Designer at Visceral Games." In the words of Jeff the company is "Seeking a highly motivated lead combat designer for the Dead Space franchise on Xbox 360 and PS3." From the looks of it, it seems like the next installment in the main Dead Space saga won't have a release for the PC, after the original game sold a meager 36,000 copies up to this point, on the local market.
The more detailed job description brings even further details regarding the current development state of the game. First, Dead Space Extraction is revealed to be a full, standalone Dead Space 2, and not a theme variation like Extraction. The post further reveals the state of the project, and just how far along in development it really is. “The game is in the later stages of preproduction, ready for production in the next few months, with many of the navigational and combat mechanics in place." Details about what can be expected in terms of gameplay and story are vague, and all that is revealed is what is already to be expected from a Dead Space sequel. “This M-rated action/shooter sequel will set new standards for an action-packed story-driven console experience." But on the other hand, the game is in preproduction, so the fact that they announced the concept itself should be enough.
The team will still have the "same core team" to develop the game so even with the pressure and necessity of innovation, we can at least hope there won't be any major mishaps. News regarding the former development team comes to ease the fears raised by the departure of general manager Glen Schofield and COO Michael Condrey affecting the new game.