170°

EA's Schappert Admits To Mirror's Edge, Dead Space Failures

John Schappert, chief operating officer at Electronic Arts used his time at DICE to talk about 20 years of technology transitions in the gaming industry. Aside from the obvious technological advances, Schappert says that one of the big changes is the number of gaming platforms and the difficulty in tracking data on such a fragmented marketplace.

NPD information, one of the biggest tools that analysts and companies rely on, is largely incomplete. It doesn't track big-box retail sales or online sales, leaving huge gaps in the data. That leads to negative (and inaccurate) headlines in mass media and the gaming press. Schappert says that the gaming industry is in the midst of a transition, and that the industry has survived them in the past. It doesn't make it any easier, he says, but it's something that the industry can prepare for. He then provided some suggestions and commentary.

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gameinformer.com
Nihilism5600d ago (Edited 5600d ago )

I bought them both, don't blame me.

EDIT:

I was very happy to hear that Dead Space 2 is coming to PC after all...

Seriously 90% of the game I buy are EA games ( either published or developed ), so I don't know why they're crying poor, I think it's just because Activation is making more, they are willing to sell that last piece of their soul, so the EA CEO and Kotick can get their jelly wrestle on...in money

thereapersson5600d ago

You would think that with all the praise it received, that it would have garnered better sales. Hell, the trailer alone was enough to get me to buy it.

kratos1235600d ago

i also got them both good games but i liked dead space a lot more

silverbeld5600d ago

'NPD information, one of the biggest tools that analysts and companies rely on, is largely incomplete. It doesn't track big-box retail sales or online sales, leaving huge gaps in the data. That leads to negative (and inaccurate) headlines in mass media and the gaming press.'

Duhh. :)

CBaoth5600d ago (Edited 5600d ago )

Not every new IP is going to generate massive sales. But both Dead Space and Mirror's Edge have sold over 2mil copies across PC/PS3/360.

He then goes on to blame both the release window and lack of marketing as the prime reasons. Guess the Einstein doesn't realize EA controls those 2 factors absolute.

Finally he blurs the context of his point by whining about fragmented data and the NPD. This leads to erroneous headlines that have a negative sales impact? EA could easily circumvent these fanboy articles by announcing sales milestones as they happen. But no, we're too worried about Bobby and his boyz, we prefer the cryptic releases with "sales not reaching our expectations" BS months later. Where's the numbers then? What were you expecting to sell?

JasonPC360PS3Wii5600d ago

Everyone should buy Dead Space it's a fantastic game. PS3, PC, or 360 get out there and buy Dead Space it's what RE5 should have been.

zeeshan5600d ago

DEADSPACE was BRILLIANT! My new RESIDENT EVIL =)

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 5600d ago
Xi5600d ago

One of my favorite games this generation. And personally I think it's the best looking released thus far.and yes even better then K2 and UC2 imo.

Nihilism5600d ago

I haven't seen the console versions, but the PC version is amazing, awesome lighting, ambient occlusion, physx etc, not many games look half as good.

inbetweener5600d ago

While I respect your opinion, that is just ridiculous. How can you objectively think that Mirror's Edge is better graphically than those two powerhouses? I can understand if you like the art style better, but technically its not even close.

DARK WITNESS5600d ago

I bought both games day one and they really were great games.

i would not say mirrors edge was the best this gen, but it was my favorite game to use the unreal engine so far - even over masseffect 2.

as for dead space, it really is one of the best looking games this gen and underrated by many in that department, which really makes me sad.

i liked it over gears 2 and resistance 2. but thats just me.

FragGen5599d ago

Xi: Put down the crack pipe and step away from the console.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5599d ago
Fade_Walker5600d ago

Failures? Dead Space was great! Mirror's Edge wasn't my cup of tea, but not bad by any means and far from a failure.

Leio5600d ago (Edited 5600d ago )

People like him with a suit and stand talking dont give a shiat fact.

Both deserve more sale at least now when EA are trying to make good games.

BlackCountryBob5600d ago

I have them both, great games, especially Mirrors Edge, don't know why they chose to release them at xmas though; Mirrors Edge would have been an excellent summer game.

CannonB85600d ago

And thoroughly enjoyed them. There's no greater (or scarier) experience than Dead Space in a pitch black room with Full Dolby Digital.

Show all comments (35)
190°

Dante’s Inferno Remains an Underrated Game 15 Years Later, But It Shouldn't Stay That Way

There's still time for the Visceral Games cult classic action-adventure game Dante's Inferno to return to the limelight 15 years later.

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gamerant.com
Snookies12133d ago

Absolutely loved this game. Don't know why it went under the radar with so many people.

Cacabunga133d ago (Edited 133d ago )

Was outshadowed by GOW3 it was a bad decision to release it at the same time because EA was counting on a push from xbox players. The game was DOA. I never played it

darthv72133d ago

....that's a you problem for not playing it, but the game wasn't DOA. It was very widely revered. The story was to continue in the sequel and the EA decided to focus on other projects. That wasn't the fault of the game and/or GoW.... it was the fault of EA and not wanting to invest in the team behind it.

Do yourself a favor and play it. If you have an XBO or Series X, you can find a cheap 360 disc as it's BC. It still hols up exceptionally well still to this day.

Cacabunga133d ago

Darth

It was suicide mission to release it the same day as gow3. A massive majority of ps3 skipped it.
Nothing to do with the game itself, it’s EA who didn’t manage and bet wrong

Cacabunga133d ago

Darth

Lol I just read this
“it was the fault of EA and not wanting to invest in the team behind it.”

Did you know that this same studio who didn’t get investment from EA who delivered Dead Space 1-2-3 and Battlefield Hardline? 😆

Popsicle133d ago (Edited 133d ago )

Game was loaned to me and I never booted it because GoW3 was getting all of my attention at the time. After GoW3 I had no desire to even try Dante’s Inferno because I was ready to move on to a different type of game. Not saying Dante is a bad game. It may be great. It just didn’t get to it.

darthv72133d ago (Edited 133d ago )

@caca, what I mean by team are the guys who actually worked on it. The ones who did this game are not the same ones who worked on dead space. They may all work at visceral, but they are in different teams.

So it really was about EA choosing not to continue on with Jonathan knight and his crew and instead turn their focus on the upcoming Dead Space 2 which was from a different team.

A lot of people think a developer is just that and is not made up of different teams for different projects. The sequel was to expand on the story further. They had all kinds of new ideas all story boarded and ready to go. EA just had other plans.

jwillj2k4133d ago

Not out shadowed but written off as a gow clone by multiple magazines, howrver in reality was a darker game entirely.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 133d ago
Exvalos133d ago

Came out around time of God of War and Devil may Cry, got lost in the ether.

ShwaaMan133d ago (Edited 133d ago )

I think it was a couple of factors,
1. Everyone was anxiously waiting for God of War 3 to release(myself included), so we could see what the Santa Monica Studio were going to accomplish with the mighty PS3.
2. It was such a direct ripoff of the GoW formula right down to the button prompts, (such as clicking L3 & R3 to activate your ultimate) .
Now, of course lots of games borrow and evolve ideas, but this was like a carbon copy with a different skin and not quite as good or pretty.
3. It was cool to look at, it played fine, good artistic design and everything, but our standards were astronomically high after GoW 1 & 2… and it just wasn’t anything to write home about.

That being said, I have been wanting to revisit it for years.

darthv72133d ago

It's probably the best GoW clone ever. Better than even 3 to some extent. The story may be loosely based on the poem but the liberties they took with the various levels of hell were pretty entertaining.

Definitely worth playing through again. It also helps that it plays even better on an XBO/ Series.

cluclap132d ago (Edited 132d ago )

Better than 3 to NO extent dude. I get it, you liked the game, but it was objectively worse than GOW3 in every way. I was one of the few who played both at the time as I couldn't get enough of GOW formula, and i liked it as a straight-to-dvd kind of game, but it did nothing better than GOW3 my guy.

Inverno133d ago

I think with a few live service features EA could revive the IP and turn it into a million dollar franchise.

Christopher133d ago

Look, EA is dumb, but they can still read comments on random aggregate sites. Let's not help them with more bad ideas.

Christopher133d ago

1+ million sold back in that day wasn't underrated.

Show all comments (32)
200°

EA Cut Dead Space's Marketing Budget to Pour Into Mirror's Edge Due to Mock Review Scores

Former Visceral Games devs reveal Dead Space's marketing budget was cut in favor of Mirror's Edge because of mock review scores.

Knightofelemia177d ago (Edited 177d ago )

I wish EA would just release a DS2 remake. DS is my favorite horror game and DS2 is the best one in the franchise. But because DS1 failed to meet certain numbers EA scrapped the DS2 remake. SH2 remake was great rumors are Konami might be asking for another SH remake. The RE2 remake was great EA just needs to give it another try. But all they seem to do is shitty sports games that are no different from the year before. Change a few players, add different uniform colours, maybe change a team logo. Wash, rinse, repeat.

goken177d ago

Agreed. DS was great. But DS2 was even better. Would love to see a DS2 remake, though I would love to see a DS4 even more.
The problem with EA is they make easy $ from the slight changes to their sports titles like football FC games (whatever it’s called nowadays). People just lap that sh1t up.
Comparatively, games like DS which don’t sell 10s of millions, can’t sell them team player add ons and all the like, would seem a hassle to make and unappealing comparatively. Especially when you consider that most EA non sport titles haven’t actually performed well recently.

Pyrofire95177d ago

Dark Souls 2, Darksiders 2, Dead Space 2, Death Stranding 2, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2

chicken_in_the_corn177d ago

The Dead space remake was so good. Better than the original. Shame they won't remake 2.

__y2jb177d ago

I loved the original dead space but the remake I just found boring. Game design has moved on and the game really showed its age, just small area encounters repeated again and again.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 177d ago
DefenderOfDoom2177d ago

I bought Dead Space during launch window and I never bought a Mirror's Edge game .

Inverno177d ago

Then they went on to screw both games over.

UnbreakableAlex177d ago

I'd rather see a new and great Mirrors Edge than another boring Dead Space.

100°

Mass Effect Companion Tier Ranking

One of the best things about the Mas Effect series is the companions you meet along the way. So here is a tier list of all the companions from Mass Effect!

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lordsofgaming.net
IAMRealHooman195d ago

Bro missing companions: Legion, Grunt, Samara/Morinth, Javik, EDI

anast195d ago

Legion, Zaeed, and Jack are my favorites.

RiseNShine195d ago

To think that Bioware at some point was capable of doing games like this, you see those characters and remember them like good old friends, and now check ME Andromeda, Anthem, Veilguard etc and wonder what the hell happened.

anast195d ago

They lost too much talent.

IAMRealHooman195d ago

some in andromeda are decent, I agree with peebee and Vetra being good companions. Except Liam he's trash tier

anast194d ago

Liam lol I can't stand that dude.

IAMRealHooman194d ago

it's like bitch but your shirt back on, your not blue or spikey get away from me