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Rejoice! Visceral says Battlefield Hardline 'will work' at launch
Battlefield Hardline will operate as expected at launch, according to Ian Milham, creative director at Visceral Games. "What you're basically asking is, 'Is your game going to work?' And the answer is yes, it's gonna work," Milham told Game Revolution. The statement follows a rough launch for the last game game in the series, DICE's Battlefield 4, which suffered months of connectivity issues after its October 2013 arrival. That led to multiple law firms alleging that publisher EA issued "materially false and misleading statements" regarding Battlefield 4's playability. When a CEO like EA's Andrew Wilson publicly deems a game's launch as "unacceptable," questions about the next game's stability will certainly come up.
The former lead for Uncharted is heading up a new Star Wars game
One of the talents that helped define the last generation of console games has a new home. Amy Hennig, the creative director and lead writer of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and its PS3 sequels recently joined the team at Visceral Games (best known for the Dead Space series), where she'll serve as creative director for its in-development Star Wars title. This comes after she abruptly ended her decade-long tenure at developer Naughty Dog early last month. At first, the idea of Visceral working on a game set in that galaxy far, far away almost suggested something in the vein of survival horror, given the studio's pedigree. Hennig's hiring throws a bit of a curve-ball to expectations, though, especially with her expertise in creating a believable group of rag-tag adventurers; her style is pretty much a perfect fit for Star Wars. We likely won't see this game for awhile yet (especially considering DICE's in-the-works Battlefront sequel was teased last year), but this news is almost enough to make us forget that the travesty of Dead Space 3 ever happened.
Halo 4 lead designer joins Visceral
Halo 4's lead designer Scott Warner has joined Visceral Games. Warner announced the career change via Twitter, and will be a design director with Visceral. Visceral, a subsidiary of EA, is the developer of the Dead Space series. Visceral Games is currently working on a project outside the horror franchise, and a Star Wars game for next-gen consoles.
EA scores exclusive rights to develop future Star Wars games
Electronic Arts and Disney announced a multi-year agreement today that will see future Star Wars video games exclusively developed and published by EA. This news comes a little over a month after the house of mouse made the decision to stop internal development at LucasArts. EA's developers scheduled to take on the Star Wars universe include DICE (Battlefield), Visceral (Dead Space) and BioWare, the latter of which will continue development of its already released Star Wars MMO (The Old Republic). The financial terms of the agreement have yet to be disclosed, but EA will create games for a "core gaming audience" while Disney will produce casual titles for mobile and social outlets. Now that the force is strong with EA, our fingers are crossed for a new installment in the KOTOR franchise.
Dead Space 3 Awakened DLC review: Event horizon
Note: This review concerns events that happen after the ending of Dead Space 3. As such, it discusses elements that may spoil the story for those who haven't finished it. You have been warned. Dead Space 3's "Awakened" DLC was pitched as a couple of different things. It was to serve as an epilogue to the game, presumably providing some clarity on the more nebulous plot points. It also promised to return players to the sort of horror that was more pronounced in the first two Dead Space games, a horror born of claustrophobia and psychosis.Awakened delivers on these two points to a certain extent, but much more so on the former.%Gallery-180986%
Dead Space 3 adds microtransactions to series, demo out today
Dead Space 3 will scare up extra revenues through its microtransaction system. Eurogamer reports that crafting materials in the game can be picked up by the player, scavenged by bots or purchased through the in-game store. Apparently there are guards in place to prevent players from buying the best gun in the game right from the start.Dead Space 3 associate producer Yara Khoury confirmed the feature, adding that purchases with real world money aren't required in the game. The in-game currency will be offered in different denominations, but there's currently no official details.The game's demo is available now on Xbox 360 and later today for PS3, following the PSN udpate.
Unlock N7 suits in Dead Space 3 with Mass Effect 3 save file
A variant of Commander Shepard's N7 armor will be available in Dead Space 3 for those with a Mass Effect 3 save file. To obtain the armor for Dead Space 3 heroes Isaac Clarke and John Carver, players will need to purchase the full game of Dead Space 3 and make sure they have a Mass Effect 3 save file on that same platform. The bonus suit is available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.The Dead Space 3 demo should be generally available on Xbox 360 and PS3 tomorrow, January 22. Dead Space 3 will launch and cut up necromorphs on February 5 and 8 in North America and Europe, respectively.A similar armor trade promotion was done last year between Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Mass Effect 3.
Visceral Games may be working on a MOBA game
Visceral Games, best known for the Dead Space series, just might be working on a free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) title, according to recent job listings discovered by IGN. Perhaps most telling is the listing for a Global Community Manager, who will work in the Play4Free division (EA's team focused on free-to-play titles) and is expected to have "an unhealthy passion for MOBA games."The studio is also seeking a character designer with experience in "MOBA, Action RTS, Action RPG, or Related Genres." Finally, Visceral is looking for a character concept artist for "an upcoming PC action title." Alongside the portfolio requirement, it's noted that "highly stylized pieces with exaggerated proportions" are considered a plus. Given the typically larger number of playable characters in a MOBA, and the need to identify them from a distance, such exaggerated proportions are common among MOBA character designs.Is Visceral developing a full-on MOBA? Given its recent history with Dead Space, it's possible the studio is working on a shooter with MOBA elements, perhaps something akin to Super Monday Night Combat (though probably much darker in design).A third, much less likely but still tantalizing possibility: a Jack the Ripper MOBA.
The quiet, solo side of Dead Space 3
Sitting in a brightly lit office above Times Square in the middle of the day made it easy not to be scared by Dead Space 3, even with bodies reanimating, spawning grotesque appendages, and chasing me down. Which isn't to say it isn't scary, just that my surroundings – not to mention two other human beings – rounded off the scary, sharp edges.I didn't play co-op, and I wasn't outside on an ice planet. I piloted returning protagonist Isaac Clarke through much of what you'd expect from a Dead Space game: creepy, atmospheric spaceship corridors pocked with vile mutant humanoid creatures trying to eat my flesh. My mission was an optional side quest in Dead Space 3's flotilla section – a mess of once operational ships now relegated to graveyard duty. But despite the level's original Dead Space feel, executive producer Steve Papoutsis tells me the demo wasn't intended as a response to the mixed fan reaction garnered from the third entry's action-focused E3 2012 reveal."Every time we show something new, we understand that when it isn't what we've done in the past, people are gonna have questions and wanna know what the meaning of it is or how it all fits together," he says. At E3, Dead Space 3's co-op was revealed in an action-heavy scene that some fans felt wasn't representative of the series' past entries. Papoutsis directly addresses that concern.%Gallery-160984%
All clues point to concept art for Visceral's canned Jack the Ripper title
The rumors began in 2009 -- whispers of a game from EA and Visceral based on one of the most notorious serial killers of all time, Jack the Ripper. Visceral was said to be seen hunched over its work table, working on its downloadable title The Ripper and laughing manically until some time in 2010, when the project faded away without a trace.Finally, in 2012, we may have cracked The Ripper wide open. Former Visceral concept artist Joey Spiotto has a batch of concept art for an unnamed game on his website, and it leads to one obvious conclusion -- The Ripper. Spiotto lists work on his LinkedIn profile on an unannounced project for Visceral from 2008-2009, and directly after for EA, where he says the project was canceled in 2009.The screens depict shadowy figures, bloody vampire-esque characters, acrobatics, a leading lady and a cane katana of some kind. Check out the full run of screens on Spiotto's website.
Visceral seeking multiplayer lead for 'bold new franchise'
Visceral is working on a "thrilling online action shooter" as part of a "bold new franchise which is a cornerstone" of the studio, according to an Electronic Arts job listing. The listing seeks a multiplayer lead, specifically someone with "architectural knowledge and experience making realistic world levels." That would seemingly preclude Dead Space 3 as a potential project, what with it being set in space and all. Then again, if rumors are true, EA may have a lot in store for the Dead Space franchise, so perhaps the ad is referring to realistic environments ... in space.Beyond that, we can only assume Visceral will be tackling another epic poem. Beowulf X, anyone? Homer's Badass Road Trip? Only time will tell.
Pre-order Battlefield 3 on Origin, get Dead Space 2 for free
That free game that Origin is offering for a Battlefield 3 pre-order? It's totally Dead Space 2! So now on top of early beta access and a host of DLC, EA is offering even more incentive by offering a great game. Of course, there's a catch: there's only a limited number of copies of Dead Space 2 available. It's really silly, considering the free copy is a download. What's the matter, EA? No more storage space in the old digital warehouse? If you want to go with Origin, you've got until September 19 to pre-order Battlefield 3 for your free ticket to the nightmarish space-romp.
The Demise of Dead Space 2's Franco Delille: How Visceral Killed a Man in One Minute
Joystiq interviews Visceral Games and finds out how one gruesome minute of Dead Space 2 was made. In the future, our starship captains won't be as blindly heroic as their television counterparts. Their years of virtual training -- inside holo-capsule games like Dead Space 13: Amputheater -- will impart every single reason to avoid stranded ships and suspect space colonies. Even here, in 2011, Dead Space 2 provides an uncomfortable glimpse at the scary doors, inadequate fluorescent lighting and snarling horrors that await us off-planet. And that's before you die and come back to vicious near-life as a necrotized bag of flesh, running around wildly with scissors for hands. The inhospitable world of Dead Space 2 and the creatures that make a rickety existence within it hardly seem worthy of care or devotion, yet it's all you see in every fuggy, expertly lit scene. There's no better way to see the detail-driven efforts of developer Visceral Games than by narrowing your focus to just one minute of the game, in which you're forced to watch a man shed every semblance of humanity and transform into a grotesque mess of flesh. It's probably not as painful as it looks, I found out, because the poor guy doesn't have a brain.
Visceral on the believability of Dead Space's Isaac Clarke
In its continuing series on profiling character design in games, IndustryGamers has posted a chat with Visceral creative director Wright Bagwell on Dead Space 2 protagonist, Isaac Clarke. According to Bagwell, it was very important from the beginning that Dead Space's main character was a "normal everyday kind of guy" and that he made logical sense in the game's universe. "We didn't want you to play a superhero, and we didn't want your character to be a space marine as well," said Bagwell, which led to the idea of an engineer sent to help an abandoned space ship. Not only did this help players identify with Isaac, but it also gave him "a lot of interesting things to do in this world as well." Dead Space 2 presented new challenges, thanks to Isaac's newfound ability to speak. According to Bagwell, the team at Visceral tried to prevent Isaac's dialogue from pulling players out of the game. Thus the team "focused a lot on having him say things that [the team] thought were situationally appropriate." Speaking from personal experience, we can certainly identify with Isaac hurling expletives during the more shocking moments in Dead Space 2. Head over to IndustryGamers to read the whole piece, which includes insights on the characters of Nicole and Stross, as well as Visceral's insistence on using creepy nursery rhymes.
Visceral Games hears disabled gamer, adding customizable controls to Dead Space 2
Spooky cathedrals, fun technology and lots of slimy necromorphs to dismember at will -- is there anything else you could possibly want in Dead Space 2? Well, Gareth Garratt, a gamer living with cerebral palsy, would like to see customizable controls implemented in the game. Garratt is trying to play the horror sequel on PC, partly by pushing a mouse with his chin, and is unhappy that he can't assign the "walk forward" command to a mouse button. Plenty of games allow for customizable controls, he says, so why can't Dead Space 2? Over 20,000 fellow players agree, and they've signed an online Internet petition asking video game publishers to make sure that all games offer customization for their controls. Here's the good news: Dead Space 2 dev Visceral Games has already heard them loud and clear. Executive Producer Steve Papoutsis tells Joystiq that a patch for the PC version of the game enabling full control remapping is on the way, and that "a number of folks on our team are so passionate about getting this fix done that they are currently working hard" on it. Papoutsis says the patch will fix a few other issues with the PC version, and that a release date will be announced "when the patch is fully tested." You can read his remarks in full after the break.
Dog destroys Dead Space 2 disc, Visceral replaces with signed copy
There are lots of ways to get your favorite video game signed by the developers. You could win a contest, corner the developers at a conference and, of course, stalk them. Now, thanks to a Dead Space fan named Ashley, there's another method -- have your dog destroy the disc. Whilst playing her brand new copy of Dead Space 2, it seems Ashley's dog knocked over her Xbox 360, irreparably damaging the disc. Naturally, Ashley did what anyone would do in that situation: She shared her woes on Twitter. Visceral art director Ian Milham spotted her tweets, asked for her address and sent her the goodies seen above. Yes, that is a hand-drawn picture of Isaac Clarke scolding Ashley's dog next to a (very) signed copy of Dead Space 2. Truly, it's a heart-warming story about one of the most disgusting video games around -- and more tolerable as marketing than the "Your Mom Hates This" campaign. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to go coat this Halo: Reach disc with peanut butter.
Visceral: 'A lot of discussion' over live-action Dead Space film
Though there are plenty of jollies to be had from the uber-gory Dead Space Aftermath animated feature, we've got a powerful desire in our heart-of-hearts to lay eyes upon a live-action film set in the Dead Space universe. We're not the only ones. In a recent interview with BBC News, Visceral Games art director Ian Milham explained, "We would love to have a live action film and we've had a lot of discussion. But one of the reasons Dead Space still exists and is popular is because we've made sure to do everything right. So we're doing the same with the film, not just a cheap cash-in but to do something really worthwhile, so we'll see." We appreciate how much thought you're putting into this -- an unprecedented amount of thought, you might say -- though, really, we can't think of an easier game to adapt to film. Here's our simple plan for how we're gonna make this work: Give the rights to adapt the game over to the guys who make the Saw movies. Book two tickets on the 10 o' clock money train to Cashtown.
Dead Space 2 preview: The reeducation of Isaac Clarke
We've heard Isaac Clarke's voice, and it's deeper than you'd expect. It's also got an edge of fear that simply didn't manifest as he stomped through the Ishimura, saving the day with nary a whisper or whimper. If you're worried that a talkative Isaac Clarke might ruin Dead Space 2, though, you shouldn't be. "In terms of how much he talks, last game, zero," said executive producer Steve Papoutsis. "This game, he's somewhere between a two and a half and a three. He's not really wordy, he's not shooting off a bunch of one-liners, he's just speaking when it makes sense for the story." %Gallery-112697%
Next Command and Conquer in production under Visceral label
Next time out, the Command & Conquer franchise will be more Visceral. Although the game, according to EA's Visceral Games label GM Nick Earl, is still "pretty far out," it will be part of the publisher's strategy to expand the Visceral studio as a brand. Earl detailed the multi-studio Visceral branding in a recent interview with Gamasutra, which would explain why the EA Redwood Shores studio that became Visceral has been working on several projects. The Visceral label is a collaboration of EA in the States, the "art-focused" Shanghai studio, EA Montreal and a team in Melbourne, Australia. Earl said, "We're not outsourcing or insourcing -- we really look at it as collaborative development, where everyone is on equal playing ground." Dead Space 2 will be an indication of the result achieved through this new Visceral process.
Visceral Games' Zach Mumbach on Visceral's development culture, autonomy within EA
Though we were shocked to hear it, the folks working on the Dead Space franchise at Visceral Games are apparently the same folks who developed Dante's Inferno. The seeming disparity in development ideals can be chocked up to two things, according to associate producer Zach Mumbach: different creative leads from project to project, and the studio's relative autonomy within EA. If it weren't for that autonomy, Dante's Inferno may have never come to be. "There's always side teams that are maybe 10 or 15 people that are working on ideas. And honestly that's how Dante's Inferno came to exist. Jonathan Knight [executive producer] took a team of roughly seven dudes and they were like, 'Hey, this is cool, let's see if we can make this,'" Mumbach explained to us last week in the basement of a swanky midtown NYC club.
