Dead Space 3 Needs 5 Million Sales Or Franchise Goes Bust, Says EA

[EHKOS]

This is actually a good thing. Most series start getting stupid after their third outing. Killing a series off at three will keep it in line. Honestly, who thinks we NEED a Dead Space 4?

 

[DJ_DEnM]

Welp, I at least hope they close the Dead Space trilogy. I don't want to have a franchise cancelled before it ends.

It already ended on the first game.

Spoiler: But what about that thing at the end!

No.

Then what about the sequel?

 

[TwoSidesOneCoin]

Huh....goodbye Dead Space, I hardly knew ye...never finished the first one, so.....guess I won't be shedding too many tears. I did immediately think that this was just a dick move to shut down the developer behind the games as well.

Oh why does it remind me of this as well? Although instead of PS3 being held hostage, it's Dead Space.

http://cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/articles/article/8093/piratesfull-10-10-2010.jpg

 

[aguspal]

This is actually a good thing. Most series start getting stupid after their third outing. Killing a series off at three will keep it in line. Honestly, who thinks we NEED a Dead Space 4?

Dead space fans, maybe?


Its the only logical thing. Well so long as it is a good game.

 

[theultimateend]

Then what about the sequel?

You mean the one they are making right now? Because other then this news no other sequel has been made.

 

[SnakeoilSage]

Sounds like EA wants the fans to do the work for them and save a few bucks. Yeah, word of mouth is probably (still) the most reliable form of marketing, but forcing us to do it for you is pretty damn low. You'll take the money we give you, you'll like it, and you'll keep making the games we want, not the other way around Sweetheart.

 

[EHKOS]

This is actually a good thing. Most series start getting stupid after their third outing. Killing a series off at three will keep it in line. Honestly, who thinks we NEED a Dead Space 4?

Dead space fans, maybe?


Its the only logical thing. Well so long as it is a good game.

But usually it isn't as good as the first three. Mostly because the devs think they should take it in a new direction to keep it fresh, and it ends up loosing the feel of the original three and thus just doesn't feel right.

 

[jklinders]

Wait wait ... Do they need to sell 5 million copies? Or make 5 million dollors in profit ? Because what you title says and what the OP says are two different things . There is no way DS3 is selling 5 million copies so if that's what they are aimin for , they are screwed . 5 million dollors in profit is possible though , but still a Pretty high number . Exactly how many copies of the games needs to be sold to generate 5 million dollars in profit?

A paltry 84,000 for 5 mil in profits.

Sadly they want to sell 5 million COPIES of the game. I think it's a ploy to off the current devs really, rather than a real number they want to achieve.

They'll still have the IP, but they can get new people to work on it. They could anyway, sure. But this is just a slightly more polite way of doing it? I dunno..

Maybe I'm splitting hairs here but 84000 copies would equal about 5 million in revenue not profit. Unless all those programmers voice actors and equipment and licensing used for the game is completely free.

I think asking 5 million copies (around 300 million in sales) in sales to ensure continued viability for the franchise is little short of madness, much as I felt when Peter Molyneux said the same a few years back. But sales =/= profit by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Just_A_Glitch]

Okay, I'll say it...

Do we need another Dead Space after the third one?

I really enjoyed Dead Space, and I absolutely adore Dead Space 2. Second favorite game last year after MvC3 (counting it and Ultimate together). I also cannot wait for Dead Space 3.

But do we need more after that?

Yeah, it could be nice if they could keep the series fresh, but chances are it would only start to go downhill by that point, if it doesn't by the third. I'd rather the series leave with dignity than needless sequel after sequel. If Dead Space 3 is the end to the series, I will tip my hat to one of my favorite game series of all time and bid it adieu (or probably replay each game numerous times again). We got three full games out of it. That's more than most. I'll just be happy with what I get.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Ah the wonderful world of sales projections, they made it like Gears of War so now if it doesn't sell equally as that smash hit they don't even want it anymore...

 

[SecondPrize]

Am I from the future? We did this a few months ago, after the first time EA said Dead Space 3 would have to sell 5 million copies.

 

[Jegsimmons]

wait...5 million copies?

thats...fucking halo 3 levels!!!

Holy shit! considering that out of an average new game of 60 bucks, 20 is profit for the stores/distributors (these are rough estimates), 20 is actual production cost and another 20 is actually profit.....actually, thats probably no correct at all but i digress.

That means 5 million times 20 equals out to be a 100 millions dollar profit.


and considering that i dead space is not GTA4 or a halo title, i doubt it cost more than 100 mil to make DEAD SPACE. they'd make a profit with only 20% of those sales!

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

"Buy Dead Space 3 or the franchise gets it!"

Smooth EA, truly you are turning into the mafia of the games industry.

 

[Amethyst Wind]

Well I hope Mirror's Edge 2 doesn't end on a cliffhanger, because there's no way it makes enough for EA to fund a third.

Shame too because EA sucks and Mirror's Edge was awesome.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

I'm gonna wait for a review on this before buying it, or till it's bargain bin priced. I'm certainly not getting it at full price. I suspect it's going to be so watered down and diluted, a mediocre third-person shooter, in space with only the aesthetic and the "limbs" thing to differentiate it from any other. Plus all the crap I don't want, like M/P, "broadened appeal" (ie. make it a shooter), online passes, most likely some bullshit day 1 dlc, securom....I have to stop. I can't think of EA right now. It just makes me sad. I still hope it turns out okay but with low expectations I'll either be proved prophetic, or pleasantly surprised.

 

[aguspal]

This is actually a good thing. Most series start getting stupid after their third outing. Killing a series off at three will keep it in line. Honestly, who thinks we NEED a Dead Space 4?

Dead space fans, maybe?


Its the only logical thing. Well so long as it is a good game.

But usually it isn't as good as the first three. Mostly because the devs think they should take it in a new direction to keep it fresh, and it ends up loosing the feel of the original three and thus just doesn't feel right.

Yeah I guess. Either that or if they keep it the same then people complain than its just the same game again and they are milking the series...

It must be kinda hard to be a game dev lol

 

[Skratt]

I feel for any dev that works for a company that is beholden to EA. The culture at EA corporate is so toxic that anyone working for that company is in danger is having their soul sucked out through an uncomfortable opening. EA has said, and I'm paraphrasing, "this job would be great if it wasn't for all of the customers we have to try and please".

EA does unfriendly things to their customers and then resents them for being upset about it. They really are a giant organization of fail.

 

[jbm1986]

EA... your perspective is lacking.

Spoiler: And I find their lack of perspective disturbing.

Bah, let it fail I say. That'll teach EA for using such stupid marketing tactics.

Remember this?


Yes I know that was for DS2 not DS3 but still...

 

[OldDirtyCrusty]

Dead Space is turning into Dead Game. Great move EA.
With all the new footage it doesn`t seem like it would please the guys who liked the franchise in the first place. Even the second didn`t really manage this. How do they expect this to work out.

Visceral Games:
"This is madness"
EA:
"THIS IS E.AAAAAAAAA"

Hopefully the whole thing doesn´t lead to another dead developer.

 

[Zenn3k]

Wait wait ... Do they need to sell 5 million copies? Or make 5 million dollors in profit ? Because what you title says and what the OP says are two different things . There is no way DS3 is selling 5 million copies so if that's what they are aimin for , they are screwed . 5 million dollors in profit is possible though , but still a Pretty high number . Exactly how many copies of the games needs to be sold to generate 5 million dollars in profit?

500,000 copies need be sold to make 5 million in profit.

Assuming $10 profit from every game sold...and thats probably a low-ball as well.

If the previous two sold 2 million copies, it should easily make 5 million in profit, plus.