Dead Space 3 co-op was introduced following feedback from gamers

EA explained that the first two Dead Space games were too scary for many players and hope that co-op would make the game more accessible while maintaining the sense of horror the series is known for.

Anyone who has played the opening sequences of either Dead Space or Dead Space 2 will know the feeling of sheer terror that the games can invoke in the gamer, with both sections guaranteed to get players’ hearts pounding.

In fact, the Dead Space series have replaced both Silent Hill and Resident Evil as ‘the’ survival horror series with its brilliant set pieces, feeling of isolation and atmospheric environments.

The game has a hardcore following but that seems to be a problem for the series as it does not make the game accessible to a wider audience. The genre and tone of the game do not seem to be a problem for gamers according to a feedback received by EA but the fact that the experience was overwhelming for many is.

Laura Miele, the head of marketing at EA Games, and she pointed out how the co-op feature in the latest instalment in the Dead Space series was based on consumer feedback. She said, “We were hearing feedback that they love the thriller game, but it was pretty scary, and the obvious next step was that they wanted to play with someone. So we introduced co-op into the game.”

The move seemed the next logical step especially seeing how Visceral Games, the developer, introduced a multiplayer component in the second game. Although the mode did not prove to be the hit the developer expected, it did show that more than one player could enjoy the experience at the same time.

Many fans though believe the co-op will ruin the horror and suspense experience in the series, similar to how Resident Evil 5 did when Capcom introduced co-op in their survival horror game.

However, Miele believes that the core pillars of horror and atmosphere will remain in Dead Space 3. She said, “The horror of Dead Space is still all there. It’s still true to its roots and no less scary, but people felt far more comfortable playing it with someone else than they did doing it on their own.”

The marketing boss likened the new co-op experience as going to watch a horror movie with a partner, which is something many people prefer to do. Whether or not the move works out remains to be seen but it seems that the game is targeting more than just hardcore horror fanatics this time around, or as Miele put it, “We’re looking for that to reach out to consumers that perhaps were not open to Dead Space 1 and 2.”

Dead Space 3 is scheduled for a release in February 2013.