Visceral open to old IP, Dead Space sells 1.4 million

by Richard Mitchell { May 5th 2009 at 2:45PM }

With the renaming of EA Redwood Shores to Visceral Games came the announcement that the rechristened studio would focus on generating new intellectual properties. While the studio is working on new IPs, Visceral's general manager Glen Schofield told GameSpot, "If the right license came along--the right movie, the right book or whatever--we'd do that as well." Stating that Visceral wouldn't just be "The New IP House," Schofield pointed to Capcom as a good example of a company that produces great original IP that can be turned into franchises, something he hopes to see happen for Dead Space.

Dead Space, according to Schofield, has moved 1.4 million copies across the Xbox, Playstation and PC. Schofield is satisfied with the numbers given the economic conditions when the game launched last October. He adds that used sales and rentals probably add up to 3 or 4 million people having played the game. Schofield has high hopes for the upcoming Dead Space: Extraction for Wii, saying that both Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles and Resident Evil 4 sold very well.

Regarding Dante's Inferno, Schofield says turning the epic poem into a video game has been fairly simple, noting that the nine circles of Hell translate perfectly into nine different game sections. Adapting the story, said Schofield, is simply "a writing exercise." Remember that, kids: Turning a 14th century Italian poet into a sword-wielding badass is a writing exercise.

Tags: dantes-inferno, dead-space, ea, electronic-arts, visceral-games

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

wrc3 @ May 5th 2009 2:50PM

Dante's Inferno looks like a God Of War clone.

The Dark Wayne @ May 5th 2009 2:53PM

revelation of the year here folks

Obie @ May 5th 2009 3:05PM

Remember when we first saw Dead Space and everyone called it a RE4 clone, in the end it was SO much more. I think the same thing might happen with Dante's Inferno.

Appearances can be deceiving my friend.

NaeemTHM @ May 5th 2009 3:46PM

Hey let's not forget God of War is just an amalgam of other great games. Shenmue did quick time events eons before GoW (Matter of fact RE4 did QTE before GoW) and Devil May Cry was whooping ass with style when Kratos was still in his diapers.

Point is all great games get there ideas from other games.

B3astofthe3ast @ May 5th 2009 4:06PM

It was more than RE4....it was RE4 combined with Metroid Prime...

Lars @ May 5th 2009 5:35PM

I dunno... On the surface maybe GoW and DMC look like clones, but while playing they felt like very different games to me. You might as well call Fallout a clone of Zelda if you're gonna draw weak comparisons like that.

FAnchax @ May 5th 2009 7:00PM

possibly true, since its EA so.....

Obie @ May 5th 2009 2:51PM

I never played God Of War, and I loved Dead Space. Hence, I can't wait for Dante's Inferno.

el serpiente @ May 5th 2009 4:19PM

I've never played golf, and I love tennis! Hence, I can't wait to play basketball!

Almozd @ May 5th 2009 2:56PM

i'm happy it looks like a god of war clone thats the whole reason i want to get it GOW is like one of my favorite games i can't wait for the 3rd this game will help the wait lol

B3astofthe3ast @ May 5th 2009 2:56PM

1.4 mil is impressive, although it should be higher for such an excellent game. Dead space ended up being more "RE" than RE5 did...

uncle jesse @ May 5th 2009 4:48PM

I'm still shocked whenever I hear about the sales of Dead Space. Everyone I have ever talked to about the game loves it and it was so well received by the gaming community. This should have been a massive success for them.

Dead Space has solid graphics, gameplay, atmosphere, etc. What happened? Why didn't more people buy this?

kentuckyfried @ May 5th 2009 5:45PM

alot of people thought the game was going to suck and never gave it a chance, based on the trailers. I've personally had to deal with one such person, they can be so hard-headed. And cheap to boot. Dude's willing to drop $1000+ on a watch, but can't bring himself to spend $65 on a good game.

You just have to let people go and hopefully let them find the quality by themselves.

I guess the bottom line too is that survival horror is still a niche category of game, just like horror films.

The Baron @ May 5th 2009 6:39PM

It came out in the holiday rush.

FlamingEffigy @ May 5th 2009 2:57PM

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Thank God Dante's Inferno is on 360, i need another good action game and God of War would cost me over £300 to be able to play.

PR0F3TA @ May 5th 2009 3:02PM

so you're glad you're able to play a knock off of an original game. Guess you feel the same way about Prototype... since it would cost u as much to play InFamous

The Dark Wayne @ May 5th 2009 3:11PM

that's a poor comparison. Prototype and Infamous are being released around the same time. That's nowhere near the same thing as releasing a game that's almost the same as a game thats now 4 years old. Also really, Prototype and Infamous only have the super power thing in common, aside from that they do things really different

Professor Lario @ May 5th 2009 3:57PM

@PR0 - don't be a jerk. The opposite could be true 10 times over if you look at it the other way. Let's just be happy that more people get to play games, m'kay?

dantebk @ May 5th 2009 3:03PM

I'll happily play some Dante's Inferno. I could use a God of War-style game that also gives me achievement points. Though I always feel a little weird when a character in a game (or book or movie or whatever) has the same name as me.

ArchGamer @ May 5th 2009 3:32PM

Dante is a writer, more of poet actually, who wrote the Divine Comedy where in his first part was titled Dante's Inferno, which is where the game is loosely based on. So, now you know....

Markez @ May 5th 2009 3:48PM

?

Lincoln wrote the Divine Comedy, dude

ArchGamer @ May 5th 2009 3:51PM

@ Markez

I hope you're joking but if not, then go here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Comedy

Professor Lario @ May 5th 2009 3:59PM

Your name is Inferno!? Awesome!!! : )

The Baron @ May 5th 2009 6:41PM

So you're looking for a hack and slash game where you play as a guy called Dante which happens to be on the 360?

I can't think of anything like that already out

dantebk @ May 5th 2009 7:17PM

@ArchGamer
Of course I've heard of the Divine Comedy. What made you think I hadn't?

@Professor Lario
Funny stuff.

@The Baron
I didn't like the demo for DMC4. Hopefully this game is better.

ArchGamer @ May 5th 2009 7:29PM

@ dantebk

My stupid brain. Damn you misinterpreting bastard!

ExMcCloud @ May 5th 2009 3:06PM

Woot congrats Dead Space you deserved it!!!

WRE @ May 5th 2009 3:14PM

Trading Dead Space in for Killzone 2 was a decision I regret, although I'd be hard-pressed to call it a bad decision...

Markez @ May 5th 2009 3:50PM

I'll get around to Dead Space at some point, but does it really have any replayability? Figure once you finish it or screw around for extra cheevos that there wouldn't really be much left to get out of it, where Killzone 2 should have plenty of replayability? Si, o no?

Mr Khan @ May 5th 2009 3:51PM

And you're going to trade in Killzone 2 for Punch-Out!!, right?

(someone cue the "Circle of Life" song, quick)

WRE @ May 5th 2009 3:59PM

Yes I am!

The Baron @ May 5th 2009 6:42PM

Traded in Dead Space for Kill Zone?

I would have gone for Murder Area to be honest.

Bababooey @ May 5th 2009 3:31PM

I hate the Wii. Just saying

ArchGamer @ May 5th 2009 3:33PM

I don't like you. Just saying.

mazza_man @ May 5th 2009 3:48PM

You hate a inanimate object, which you could have no relation with if you wanted to?

Talk about insecurities.

PS. You're a douche and I just fucked your mother. Have a nice day.

JXCgunrunna @ May 5th 2009 3:49PM

GTFO TROLL

if you have nothing worth saying, dont say it.

on topic tho, this is exactly what EA needs to bring them to the top. less bad sequels and more originals with good sequels.

Mr Khan @ May 5th 2009 3:50PM

At the very least, make your trolling relevant to the topic at hand. Like "why is this great studio wasting its time on the fucking Wii? We could get Dante's Inferno much faster, instead we get this point and click horror for preschoolers shit"

el serpiente @ May 5th 2009 4:23PM

Why is this great studio wasting its time on the fucking Wii?

We could get Dante's Inferno much faster, instead we get this point and click horror for preschoolers shit.

Moptimus Slime (Ziggy played Guitar Hero, but not Smash Hits) @ May 5th 2009 4:35PM

wow, usually el serpiente puts at least SOME effort into his trolling, this was just pitiful to read

uncle jesse @ May 5th 2009 4:53PM

I love lamp.

wrc3 @ May 5th 2009 3:33PM

And you may be right! I hope it is.

KwietStorm @ May 5th 2009 3:46PM

Dead Space should have sold so much more than that. It just got lost in the onslaught of games last year, and Dead Space is a new IP.

Mr Khan @ May 5th 2009 3:49PM

Didn't EA list Dead Space as one of their flops (as in, games they expected to perform better or lost money on, not games that sold badly overall)

And i don't know how Dead Space will perform on Wii. Can't exactly cite RE:UC for this sort of thing. Dead Space has nowhere near the brand awareness of RE, so it'll have to stand on its own two legs

Though those legs are looking strong so far.

uncle jesse @ May 5th 2009 4:58PM

Had Dead Space been released last year with the 360/PS3 versions, this game would have tanked on the Wii. I think the name has some recognition (obviously not as much as RE) now and won't be overshadowed by the other console versions. But I have no idea how it will do on the Wii.

Predicting game sales on the Wii is a lot like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emsoEEURZxA

DrgnAK @ May 5th 2009 10:29PM

Well, in the first month of sales, it sold like, around 700,000 units. However, the game has strong legs and still sells well after half a year due to continued aggressive adverts and word-of-mouth. It's done all right, but EA expected AAA sales on a new IP :P.