And by "banned" we can assume that, at least in Germany's case, Dead Space was refused classification by the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle, as many graphically violent games have been before it.

In Japan's case, we're not quite sure if Dead Space was "banned" or given a dreaded sales-killing Z-rating by the CERO ratings board, making it essentially a money losing venture to release it in that country.

And China? No idea.

In Germany, when not outright refused, as in the case of Gears of War, Army of Two and Crackdown, some titles have their content noticeably sanitized — see The Darkness. Based on our experiences with Dead Space, cleaning up the game would take some serious effort.

You know what else is sanitized in Germany? The public restrooms. The Germans know how to keep a toilet clean, people.

Good News Bad News [Dead Space via GameSpot]

The PC version will now hit on October 20. We've liked it a lot in our multiple hands-on experiences, so we think you might like it too. We'll know next month!

So the game loses some of it's spooky Halloween ambiance, but that's more than made up by how frighteningly well EA is handling this title.

DEAD SPACE RELEASE BROUGHT FORWARD
EA's New Survival Horror IP Moves in early

London, UK – August 29, 2008 – Electronic Arts today announced that its new sci-fi survival horror game Dead Space™ will now be coming to stores on October 24th for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system, and October 31st for PC.
The decision to bring it to fans earlier was due to completing the game early. Having spent months of polishing, it will soon be ready to scare gamers across the UK.

Gamers can check out the newest trailers and get all the latest dev team news at the Dead Space website www.deadspacegame.com

The first of the two stories, "Misplaced Affection", is the story of an organ replacement tech who falls for a female officer. The second, "13", features the story of a sleeper agent faced with tough decisions. It's all terrible atmospheric, doing an excellent job of heightening my excitement for the game. Head over to NoKnownSurvivors.com right now to check it out.

At the Leipzig Games Convention, we got to try out a new level of Dead Space, the mining deck of the Ishimura, the space-faring "planet cracker" overrun by bad alien things. We also got our first taste of zero gravity puzzles — and got owned by various Nectomorphs in the process.

After reacquainting ourselves with Dead Space's controls — no small feat, because they're more than a little bit confusing and currently our only real complaint with the game — we loaded up on supplies and upgraded.

Similar to the progression path in BioShock, there are dispensers and work benches scattered about the ship that will let you upgrade your character. You'll need to spend nodes to refine your weapons and character attributes, spend credits for things like medi-packs and fuel for your telekinetic tools.

After taking the elevator down to the mining deck, we ran into a few nasty critters we hadn't seen before, including the Pregnants — bloated, yellow beasts that, if you shoot them in the belly, spill a dozen or so scorpion-like pests. Since Dead Space's combat mechanic focuses on strategic dismemberment — or in this case decapitaiton — we didn't make the mistake of unloading our laser cutter in the guts of anymore Pregnants.

We died a couple times, playing Dead Space like a run and gun shooter. Bad idea, as ammo is in short supply and Nectomorphs have a habit of showing up where you least expect them.

After finally clearing the hallways of the mining deck of unwelcome aliens, we set in on one of the game's puzzles, a zero gravity octagonal room. A giant beam of energy ran through the center of the room and, in order to turn gravity back on and get the walkways we needed back in their right places, we had to toss a couple meteorites in the beam.

Using our telekinetic left hand, we had to launch ourselves from platform to platform, hunting down any remaining rocks that were visually obscured. Pretty straightforward stuff, but tentacled Nectomorphs kept getting in the way.

After de-boulderizing the room, we flipped the gravity back on, causing a new swarm of aliens to come looking for us. Since our ammo was limited, we opted to let the gas-filled Boomers (or are those the gas-filled zombies from Left 4 Dead?) take out nearby Nectomorphs. A couple shots in their bloated arms and the room was cleared without too much effort.

Like our last hands-on time with the game, we walked away impressed. Dead Space looks really damn good, plays well — even if we get a bit of claw-hand from controlling it — and comes packed with atmosphere. There's some nice weapons variety, including a handy buzzsaw that one can guide at specific body parts after launching a blade, and the upgrade system looks to have some serious depth.

We're looking forward to it with appropriate dread.

The entire video (.mpg) is on Planet Xbox 360's site. Camera work's a little shaky, but all you need is the audio. Schofield, with little prompting, talks very candidly about the game's design, how it compares with other familiar titles, and how it all came to be.

Schofield himself visited with horror directors Wes Craven and Eli Roth, and writer Warren Ellis, to inform EA's perspective on horror and how it will translate into the gameplay. Craven had a "really deep philosophy" about horror, getting downright creepy because it involves a family aspect. Roth "was little more about torture porn than the horror," Schofield says with a laugh.

But what really gets my hopes up about this game is when he talks about the reason it exists: "We wanted to make a game for us," he said. A game the small-but-passionate dev team wanted to play itself. Every gamer wishes he or she had that kind of creative outlet, and the resources to fill it, and if we had that kind of access we wouldn't waste it. And in the pitch meeting, when EA's business side "saw the numbers Resident Evil 4, it was a fairly easy business case." It sounds like they're getting all the support they need to make a winner.

Other fun details: Schofield thinks Dead Space would make a good movie, but acknowledges you can't make it on a $10 million budget like you can a game. He's also talked licensing for tie-in products, like action figures and, perhaps facetiously, a candy bar that crunches like a bone and drips cherry filling like blood.

Also, Schofield has a huge set of guns. That is all.

Glen Schofield Speaks Out on Dead Space [Planet Xbox 360]

Oh, I got released from an NDA the other day, so I can finally say that I wrote a bunch of the groundwork, backstory and structure on the forthcoming EA videogame DEAD SPACE, which recently got a comic prequel from the hands of Antony Johnston and Ben Templesmith. I believe there was at least one other writer on the
project, but I'm sure there's some of me in there somewhere.

Very good! Dead Space just got that more interesting.

Thanks Austin for the tip!

EA Faces A Bumpy Ride [Forbes.com]

I know I've been really sweet on Dead Space lately, but vids like this earn it. So what's the verdict here gang? There's a decapitation, and a de-legging, and a buncha bodies, and floating blood and gore, and a zombiefied Isaac. The worst part of this, for me, is the pained singing of the lullaby. Please, pairing bloody violence with a child's song? So overdone.

Granted, this is intense (for a trailer anyway) and I can't imagine it being shown on television. But why is this trailer a no-go for U.S. release, but OK for Europe?

Two Dead Space Trailers, One the ESRB Doesn't Want You to See
[Arstechnica]

The EA-UTA deal is said to "significantly ramp up EA’s film and television slate" which currently consists of a "feature version" of The Sims, a MySims animated series and a Dead Space animated, direct-to-DVD feature. In other words, pretend to be surprised when the Army Of Two movie script leaks later this year.

Hit the jump for the full press release. We'll have additional details on all of EA's Comic-Con related announcements through the week.

Electronic Arts Signs With United Talent Agency

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced it has signed with leading Hollywood talent and literary agency UTA for representation in motion pictures and television.

UTA will help the company develop a comprehensive strategy for moving its intellectual property into the realm of large-budget motion pictures and television series. EA’s broad portfolio of titles includes top-selling franchises such as Army of Two™ and Need for Speed™ as well as eagerly awaited new titles such as Dead Space™ and Mirror’s Edge™.

“UTA is an ideal partner for us to bring the richness and story telling nuance of our popular games into other forms of media that give consumers more ways to experience these creative concepts,” said Patrick O’Brien, Vice President of EA Entertainment. “Some of our teams have already made steps to expand our games into other forms of media like online, social networks and print publication. This partnership will help us take these efforts to the next level and match each of our titles with the right artists, producers and financiers.”

“We view EA as an emerging entertainment force, not just because they are a great untapped IP rights holder, but because at their core they care most about how viewers respond to their stories and creative vision,” said UTA partner Richard Klubeck in making the announcement. “We’re excited to work alongside the EA team as they make this important expansion of their intellectual property strategy.”

The relationship is expected to significantly ramp up EA’s film and television slate, which currently includes a feature version of the popular The Sims™ game in script development at 20th Century Fox with producer John Davis and a MySims™ animated television series in development at Film Roman. EA is also in production with Starz/Film Roman on an animated DVD feature version of its new title Dead Space to launch with the game.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS FreestyleTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, POGO, Army of Two, Need for Speed, Dead Space, MySims and The Sims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mirror’s Edge is a trademark or registered trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

United Talent Agency is one of the entertainment industry's premier talent and literary agencies, representing many of world's most widely-known figures in every current and emerging area of entertainment, including motion pictures, television, digital media, books, music, mobile and live entertainment. Collectively, UTA agents represent a significant cross-section of today's most acclaimed artists and entertainers, including nominees and winners of Academy, Emmy, Grammy, Screen Actors Guild, Directors Guild, Writers Guild, Producers Guild, Golden Globe, People's Choice and Webby awards. The agency is also globally recognized in the areas of film finance, corporate consulting, branding & licensing, endorsements and the representation of production talent. The agency also operates UTAOnline, the first dedicated broadband representation division of a major agency.

Dead Space was one of those titles that sort of snuck up on me, very appropriate for a survival horror game.

Before taking up a controller for any length of time, I was sort of impressed with its look, but I hadn't yet been introduced to some of the game's interesting gameplay designs. Things like strategic dismemberment and the lack of a HUD and the true zero gravity sections of the game. All three combine to make Dead Space both more immersive and otherworldly.

In Dead Space you will play as Issac Clarke, a space engineer responding to a distress call from a "Planet Cracker." In the game's reality, these giant spaceships tear apart dead planets to extract ore. In the case of this particular ship, the planet they were raping wasn't so dead. Soon after boarding the ship, and realizing that most everyone onboard is dead, Clarke is separated from the rest of his team.

From the get go the game nails the look it needs to pull off a space thriller. Things are sterile, dark and otherworldly. Event the design of Clarke's outfit, a blend of deep sea diving suite and steam punk welder's mask, is fantastic. The lack of a HUD helps put you more into the game, making you pay more attention to the little noises and signs of what's going on around you.

The weapons, the weapons are fantastical as the multi-limbed, mutli-headed creatures your face. Dead Space leans heavily on the limited ammo feature found in almost all horror survival games, but than adds a twist. To kill the monstrosities you face you can go ahead and empty a clip into one, and maybe kill it, or you can carefully, and systematically blow off it's head and limbs. You do this by selecting the correct weapon, often one that fires multiple lasers or shots, and lining up the laser sights with the weaving limbs.

My first deep look at the game had me playing through a level of the ship's hydroponics lab. Creatures scuttled and ambled toward me from around corners and out of plants. Some burst from the bellies of dead humans. I lased, shot and burned them all. Other creatures produced toxic gases, slowly killing me until I could find and destroy them. All of the things I took on were wholly unique creations to this game. The creature design, I found, is just amazing.

After making my way through the hydroponics lab, a developer skipped me to a boss battle. In it I had to deal with some patches of zero gravity. My boots, automatically magnetized, allowed me to stick to the floor. To move I would just look at an area that had metal and jump to it, floating crazily to my goal and than latching on.

The boss itself was nested in a giant circular room, its tendrils hidden in ooze. To defeat it I had to run around the walls of the moving room and deal out damage, methodically, taking down the creature one tendril at a time.

I think Dead Space's blend of deep space horror and tactical combat is going to resonate both with hardcore fans of the thriller genre and those more reluctant in the past to dip into it.

Here at E3, we chatted with Dead Space senior producer Chuck Beaver and asked him about creating fear in such an action-heavy, fast-paced environment. Many of the standard-setters for survival horror — think Silent Hill and the earlier Resident Evil games — used atmosphere, environment and careful pacing to terrify players. But Beaver's got some very specific tactics planned for Dead Space:

I'm the sort that when an enemy leaps out and terrifies me, I reflexively mash my pause button. Not only does it give me a little break to calm down, but it lets me check my health, ammo and other stats (anyone else do this?). I will not, said Beaver, be able to hide behind my pause menu anymore. Everything in Dead Space happens in real-time.

"It keeps it live," he said. "So if you don't have your shit together, you're going to be in trouble."

This extends beyond the game mechanics themselves into Dead Space's narrative structure — there are no game-stopping cutscenes or scripted events, Beaver told us, in an effort to present a continually-flowing game experience. Beaver cited the "divine design"of Half-Life 2 as an inspiration for this. The overall intention is to tell the story without having to stop the gameplay in order to do so.

Although Beaver said the team studied horror films like The Thing and Alien for inspiration, films like these, he said, use certain visual auditory structures to create fear in a way that can become predictable. Aside from the continual focus on real-time, uninterrupted action, Dead Space relies on depriving the player of any predictive cues they can use to know when the scary stuff's going to happen. As a horror title, he explained, a key strength is that the actions and events are specifically designed to be unpredictable.

I asked Beaver if he had one area of uncertainty with this title, and that's where he and I talked about the difficult task of having to create a survival-horror title in an era that favors in-your-face shooting mechanics. Though Dead Space is very action-intensive, Beaver hopes that people don't see a shooter when they look at it — he's aiming for the middle ground where favored and current game mechanics meet environmental storytelling and psychological fear and suspense.

Joystiq noticed that James Wan, the director of the "Saw" series of horror flicks, was credited on GameTrailers as the director of this clip. Interestingly, he's not mentioned at all in the credits. But it does give us a definitive date for the game's release: Oct. 21. So you'll have 10 full days before Halloween to get all sorts of scary cosplay ideas.

Saw Director Takes a Stab at Dead Space with 'Loved Ones' Trailer[Joystiq]

They got a demo room filled with top-notch titles like Dead Space, Warhammer Online, Mirror's Edge, Mercenaries 2, and Madden 09, as well as the EA Software Showcase booth, which will be showing off even more games - The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, Crysis Warhead, and Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 to name a few. Throw in partner games like Rock Band 2 at the MTV booth and Valve's Left 4 Dead and you've got a whole lot of real estate for the gaming press to cover in a very short time. Hit the jump for the full monty, including listings of which games are up for coveted E3 awards.

EA Unveils Blockbuster Games for 2008 Holiday Including Spore, Madden NFL 09, Mirror’s Edge, Dead Space, MySims Kingdom, LITTLEST PET SHOP, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames and More
E3 Titles Showcase Quality, Innovation and Accessibility on New Properties and Popular Franchises

E3 Media & Business Summit 2008
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today unveiled the games it will feature at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) July 15 – 17. The games — scheduled to ship on multiple platforms in 2008 and early 2009 – include riveting graphics, deep stories and online, socially connected experiences. EA’s portfolio covers many genres and platforms for core gamers and new players alike. Veteran players will love the feature innovations in our core titles; new players – women, young people and adults – will have a wide selection of highly accessible games like MySims™ Kingdom, Hasbro’s LITTLEST PET SHOP and FaceBreaker™ a new arcade-style boxing game from the new EA SPORTS Freestyle™ brand.

“EA’s 2008 lineup is our best ever,” said EA CEO John Riccitiello. “This is the year that our core franchises leap forward with stunning innovation and we introduce more brand new games than any other year in our history. Sports lovers will compete in an all new holographic mode in Madden NFL 09 and experience the online evolution of their players in NBA LIVE 09. Action fans will be able to destroy everything in sight in Mercenaries 2 and be scared witless in our new Sci-Fi horror title Dead Space. We’ve got casual family titles like Hasbro’s LITTLEST PET SHOP and genre-defying experiences like Mirror’s Edge and Spore. EA has never offered consumers a stronger, more innovative and diverse line up of new games.”

“EA’s 2008 lineup includes titles that are going to change how people purchase, play and socialize in games,” said EA COO John Pleasants. “Spore – scheduled for release in September – can be experienced as a single player or in an online social network that will form its own galaxy. Battlefield Heroes brings comic-styled warfare together with multi-player fun in the first free-to-play First Person Shooter. MySims PC brings multi-player interaction to the universe of MySims. Warhammer Online promises realm-versus-realm gameplay, unique in the scale and consequence thousands of players can experience together in a game. These games are great examples of the many titles that will allow consumers to interact with their friends and with EA’s content in new ways that bridge the gap between games and social networks.”

EA will kick off its E3 presence with a press conference hosted by CEO John Riccitiello, and spotlighting many of the creative leaders as well as featuring new titles from EA.

The complete line-up of titles on display at E3 by location at the Los Angeles Convention Center includes:

Titles showcased in the EA Demo Room - Meeting Room 402 A&B at the LACC

Dead Space TM

In this new game from EA’s Redwood Shores Studio, a massive deep-space mining ship goes dark after unearthing a strange artifact on a distant planet. Engineer Isaac Clarke embarks on the repair mission, only to uncover a nightmarish bloodbath—the ship’s crew horribly slaughtered and infected by an alien scourge. Now Isaac is cut off, trapped, and engaged in a desperate fight for survival.

E3 award consideration: Best Action/Adventure Game

FaceBreaker

A new game from EA Canada, FaceBreaker offers irreverent fun, immersive gameplay and eye-popping stylized graphics. In this in-your-face, arcade world full of ego-wielding characters, each boxer comes to life with unique attributes and distinct personal style. In addition, FaceBreaker K.O. Party, built exclusively with Wii™ consumers in mind, brings the magic of social play right into the living room with pick-up-and-punch intuitive gestures. In FaceBreaker, it just feels good to rearrange an opponent's face.

HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT

A new game from EA’s Casual label, HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT creates a whole new way for families and friends to play together. Players join host Mr. Potato Head as they play the classic Hasbro games well known by all as well as exciting new versions created for the Wii and PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system. Launching this November, HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT features family favorites such as CONNECT FOUR, BATTLESHIP, YAHTZEE, BOGGLE, SORRY! and the all new, SORRY! Sliders.

E3 award consideration: Best Social/ Casual/ Puzzle Game

LITTLEST PET SHOP

A new game from EA’s Casual Label, LITTLEST PET SHOP pets come to life this October in the LITTLEST PET SHOP video game. Launching on the Wii, Nintendo DS™ (3 versions), and PC, girls can explore three unique worlds as they discover their own magical Pet Shop. LITTLEST PET SHOP gives girls the opportunity to play with and collect 20 LITTLEST PETS on the Nintendo DS and 30 on the Wii and PC. Earn Kibble Coins to buy over 100 accessories for pets as well as tons of digital playsets in game from the 2008 toy-line. Players can play in either explore in free-play mode or in compete in more than 15 different fun and accessible mini-games.

Madden NFL 09

Developed by EA Tiburon, the ground-breaking Madden NFL 09 marks the 20th anniversary of one of the best-selling and most critically-acclaimed videogame franchises of all time. Among the more than 85 new features and enhancements, the game includes adaptable gameplay tailored to every type of gamer, improved graphics and animations, and a new network-inspired broadcast style presentation that delivers an authentic NFL experience. With unique controls, modes and presentation, Madden NFL 09 All-Play is designed specifically for the Wii and features fun, approachable and innovative gameplay. No matter the skill level, players can be competitive with three gameplay styles to choose from, ranging from Easy to Advanced.

E3 award consideration: Best Sports Game

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames™

From Pandemic™, an EA studio, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is an explosive open-world action game set in a massive, highly reactive, war-torn Venezuela. A power-hungry tyrant messes with Venezuela's oil supply, sparking an invasion that turns the country into a warzone. But in this game where gamers play the role of mercenaries, international crisis is all upside and the mercenaries can only profit from all the chaos.

E3 award consideration: Best Console Game

Mirror’s Edge™

A new game from EA’s DICE Studio, Mirror’s Edge takes place in a city where information is heavily monitored, agile couriers called Runners transport sensitive data away from prying eyes. Gamers play a Runner called Faith, and this innovative first-person action-adventure is a personal story. In this seemingly utopian paradise, a crime has been committed, Faith’s sister has been framed and now she is being hunted. Mirror’s Edge delivers gamers straight into the shoes of this unique heroine as she traverses the vertigo-inducing cityscape, engaging in intense combat and fast paced chases. From the makers of the groundbreaking Battlefield franchise, Mirror’s Edge is an action-adventure experience unlike any other.

E3 award consideration: Best of Show/ Best Original Game

Mobile, iPhone™ & iPod® titles

iPhone/iPod Touch Games from EA Mobile™
EA Mobile was one of the first companies to announce that they are making games for the iPhone. This July EA Mobile will announce the ever popular SCRABBLE, Sudoku and Tetris® for the iPhone and iPod touch, and coming this fall EA Mobile will announce an original game called Spore™ Origins, based on the PC/Mac version of Spore. The unique capabilities of the iPhone and iPod touch offer a completely unique mobile gaming experience through the use of features like the accelerometer, touch screens, and high definition graphics.

iPod Games from EA Mobile
Three new iPod games will be available this July – MONOPOLY, SCRABBLE and YAHTZEE! All three games are based on popular board games and are under license from Hasbro, Inc. The iPod Click Wheel™ provides an excellent game play experience as players take family fun to their iPod.

Mobile Phone Games from EA Mobile
EA Mobile will offer previews of two original games for the mobile platform Spore Origins and Wolfenstein RPG™, as well as Tetris® POP. Spore Origins is an original action-puzzle game for mobile phones from the creators of The Sims™, and Wolfenstein RPG is a fun mobile version of the classic first person shooter created in conjunction with id Software. Tetris POP is an all new version of Tetris, the consistent best seller on mobile, offering a range of game play with 17 different mini-variations. And finally, attendees can see a demo of the recently-released Kung Fu Panda™, based on the major motion picture from DreamWorks Animation.

The Sims™ 2 Apartment Pets for the Nintendo DS

From EA’s Redwood Shores Studio, The Sims 2 Apartment Pets for Nintendo DS, players can care for a variety of local pets, including loveable cats and dogs, slithery snakes, hamsters, colorful birds, and cuddly rabbits to make sure they receive the right treatment so that they stay happy, healthy and good looking. Simoleans earned can be used to furnish the perfect apartment and buy fun pet accessories like hats, shoes and toys. Players can use the Nintendo DS touch screen and stylus to play cool mini games and unlock new objects for their Sim and their pets.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 09 for the PSP®

From EA’s Tiburon Studio, with Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 for the PSP, everyone plays and anyone can win. From the seasoned veteran or to the novice hitting the links for the first time, gamers play with maximum control and aim for consistency using a simplified swing system in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09. Gamers can take aim at family, friends, and rivals in the all-new EA SPORTS Cup tournament, where momentum is gained or lost after every swing. With easy-to-use swing mechanics and an all-new controller system, gamers play their way to the top of the leader board with Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09.

Zubo™

A new game from EA’s Bright Light Studio, and designed exclusively for the Nintendo DS handheld system, Zubo is perfect for kids of all ages. Launched into the fully 3D world of Zubalon, kids will meet the colorful and comical stars of the game, the Zubos. While traveling through the game, players can befriend any Zubos they meet along the way, feeding and nurturing them, helping them gain skills and strength, and assisting them in chasing off the evil Zombos in strategic battles with an innovative rhythm action mechanic. With 55 Zubos available to find and recruit to a player’s squad, over 100 fully animated comedy battle moves, 10 lands of Zubalon to explore, plus a wealth of interactions and mini-games, Zubo offers a deeply rewarding Nintendo DS experience. Zubo will be available this fall in Europe and spring 2009 in North America.

MySims, made for the PC

From EA’s Redwood Shores Studio, in MySims, made for the PC, players can find all the fun of the first MySims game plus new and unique online features, characters and content as they create their own town and discover its surprises. New features in MySims, made for the PC, are the ability to safely chat and play games like Tag and Hide-and-Seek with online contacts. Players can also share constructions, like personalized buildings and furniture with up to seven other online friends. Even package and send off custom creations via email or instant message so those select others can use them in their own MySims town.

MySims Kingdom for the Wii and Nintendo DS

From EA’s Redwood Shores Studio, the MySims Kingdom experience begins in The Capital, the majestic land at the center of the adventure. After meeting an initial cast of characters including King Roland, Princess Butter, and constant companions Buddy and Lyndsay, players can venture beyond The Capital. Adventure awaits as players get in their boats and sail to many more lands on the horizon.

E3 award consideration: Best Handheld Game

Spore

A new game from EA’s Maxis™ Studio and industry veteran Will Wright, Spore is a personal universe in a box. In this universe players can create and evolve life, establish tribes, build civilizations and even sculpt entire worlds. In Spore, there are a variety of creation tools that allow players to customize nearly every aspect of the universe: creatures, vehicles, buildings, and even spaceships. While Spore is a single player game, gamers’ creations and other players’ creations are automatically shared between galaxies, providing a limitless number of worlds to explore and play.

E3 award consideration: Best PC Game

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09

From EA’s Tiburon Studio, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 for the Xbox 360 TM will feature dynamic, personalized gameplay via Tiger Woods’ personal coach, Hank Haney. In Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09, a player’s skill level is dynamic, constantly adjusting throughout the round just as it would during a real afternoon out on the links. EA SPORTS GamerNet is a ground-breaking online innovation that features a refined, easy-to-use interface in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09. Online play has also been enhanced with Simultaneous Play allowing up to four players the ability to play each hole at the same time. In addition, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 All-Play for the Wii features new graphics and user interface while also incorporating interactive and social mini-games. The standing swing control, the most “true to life” golf mechanic you can find in any videogame, truly takes advantage of the Wii console’s unique control scheme.

Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™

A new title from EA’s Mythic Studio, gamers declare allegiance and join thousands of mighty heroes on the battlefields of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, the new MMORPG from the creators of Dark Age of Camelot™. Players enter a grim world of perpetual conflict to fight for the Realms of Order or Destruction and invade enemy lands, besiege imposing fortresses, and sack sprawling capital cities for the glory of the Realm.

E3 award consideration: Best Online Multiplayer Game

Titles showcased in the EA Software Showcase - Booth #131 at the LACC

Command & Conquer TM Red Alert TM 3

EA Los Angeles has traveled seven years back in time to resurrect Red Alert, the most-beloved series in the storied, 25-million-unit-plus-selling Command & Conquer franchise. Shipping this holiday for the PC and Xbox 360, Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 brings back the series’ trademark light-hearted tone and action-oriented gameplay while breaking new ground in the strategy genre by adding a fully co-operative story campaign, increasing the emphasis on naval gameplay and housing the best looking graphics a Command & Conquer game has ever seen.

Crysis Warhead®

Award-winning independent studio Crytek and EA Partners are going back to the South China Sea this fall with the PC-exclusive Crysis Warhead, a parallel story to Crysis®, one of the highest rated games last year on any platform. Players will don the Nanosuit of Psycho, the more brash and aggressive Delta Force squadmate of Nomad, experiencing his intense, explosive adventure on the other side of the island. Crysis Warhead is built on a new, enhanced and optimized version of Crytek’s industry-leading CryENGINE® 2 technology.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince™

Gamers will relive all the thrills, action, and excitement of the movie this holiday season! In the game of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, players will return to Hogwarts to help Harry survive a fraught sixth year. They will also have a chance to engage in exciting wizard duels, mix and brew magical ingredients in Potions class and take to the air to lead the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory. Players may even get sidetracked by Ron’s romantic entanglements as they journey towards a dramatic climax and discover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince. From EA’s Bright Light Studio, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is scheduled for release in time for the movie launch this fall for the Wii, PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PSP (PlayStation®Portable), Nintendo DS, Windows PC, Macintosh® and mobile devices.

The Lord of the Rings: Conquest™

From Pandemic, an EA studio and the creators behind the best-selling Star Wars Battlefront™ and Star Wars Battlefront™ II – players grab their blades, bow or staff and ride onto the battlegrounds of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world to fight for either good or evil. For the first time, an extensive single-player campaign lets players ask the question: “What if Frodo failed to destroy the One Ring?” Including tons of adversarial arenas and both a variety of online and split-screen co-op modes, the gamers’ choice is clear: save Middle-earth or destroy it?

SimCity™ Creator for the Wii

From EA’s Redwood Shores Studio, SimCity Creator is a visually exciting experience with a completely new user interface, designed specifically for the Wii and the Wii remote. Players will discover many ways to customize your city, including 13 city styles to explore, such as American, European and Asian themes. For the first time, players will take the liberty to build transportation systems with free placement of rounded and curved roads and rail lines, taking cities to new creative and curvy heights.

MADDEN NFL 09

See details above

NBA LIVE 09

From EA Canada, NBA LIVE 09 has fundamentally shifted the way gamers look at sports simulation games and emulates - with absolute precision - an NBA player based on last night, not last season. Coupled with new features like Pick and Roll Control, Defensive Lockdown Control, Signature Playcalling and Quickstrike Ankle-Breakers, the NBA LIVE experience will hook gamers from beginning to end. For those in need of some extra coaching, NBA LIVE 09 takes gamers to training camp with the NBA Academy that gives them a chance to hone their skills.

NCAA® FOOTBALL 09

From EA Tiburon, NCAA Football 09 offers the electricity that can only be found on Big Play Saturdays. Powered behind groundbreaking gameplay controls and unique college-style animations, NCAA Football 09 arrives on campus with all the excitement and pageantry of a storied college bowl game. Gamers will experience the exhilaration of making big plays on the field with the ability to directly control and influence the game through the all-new Break Away Engine. The Break Away Engine allows players to break in and out of moves, giving the user ultimate control with instant responsiveness on the field. NCAA Football 09 is all about the wide-open collegiate style gameplay and the unique atmosphere typically found on college football Saturdays.

Skate It

From EA’s Black Box and Montreal studios, Skate It brings the fun and soul of skateboarding to the Wii and Nintendo DS. Loaded with all-new gameplay features and a unique set of controls, gamers can express their very own skate style by carving through the world, owning the sickest spots, and putting together the ultimate skate line. Feel the rush of nailing the gnarliest tricks by using the Wii Remote and the stylus-based Flickit Nintendo controls. Or, players can get in touch with the skateboard even more by planting their feet on the Wii Balance Board, and using it to skate, manual and throw down dozens of other authentic moves. Hands or feet, both can be used to deepen the connection between the player and the boarding experience.

TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 09

See details above

Other titles will be shown by EA Partners in the following locations:

Rock Band™ 2

Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game company, and MTV Games are taking the groundbreaking music platform that forever changed the face of music video games to the next level this September with the release of Rock Band 2. With the original providing millions of players a new way to interact with the music and artists they love, Rock Band 2 is the next evolution of the franchise that redefined the standard for music games. Delivering an unparalleled selection of new music adding to the Rock Band's already massive library, support for all purchased downloads from the online music store, and an overall deeper gameplay experience, Rock Band 2 will continue to give millions of players a whole new way to enjoy the music and artists they love.

– Rock Band 2 will be on display at the MTV Games Booth located at Suite 308A in the LACC.

E3 award consideration: Best Peripheral/ Hardware Game

Left 4 Dead

Left 4 Dead (L4D) is a new action title from Valve, creators of the Counter-Strike and Half-Life games, that promises to redefine the co-operative genre as those titles did for multiplayer and single player action games. Due for release on the Xbox 360 and PC this November, the co-operative gameplay of L4D casts four "Survivors" in an epic struggle against hordes of swarming zombies and terrifying "Boss Infected" mutants.

– Left 4 Dead will be on display at the Valve booth located at 511B in the West Wing

E3 award consideration: Best Action Game

I used to be all nice and kind of shake the question off. Nowadays I'll blurt something out. Just to be chatty. Friendly. Etc.

So I saw the sixth level of Dead Space, EA's Halloween-dated third-person horror game for the 360 and PS3. I've been impressed with it so far. Horror in space is a good theme, not exactly overdone in games. The game looks great - I love the way the pop-up level map floats in the air in front of the character, in full 3D.

Ah, but this was my verbal feedback to the Dead Space team…

I told a rep for the team that I believe that the way to kill a spooky mood — or really any mood — is to over-sell it. Level six of Dead Space, set in a hydroponics area, is creepy enough. You've got your crawling monsters. Your dark corners. You've got a cool flamethrower that suddenly doesn't work because — problem! — you just walked into a room filled with poison gas (and no oxygen).

What I didn't think they needed so much of is music. They had lots of it. The music seemed to be telling the player that it's time to get scared. And that's kind of the EA way, right? Lots of music playing in the background while you play your game. I suggested they tone it down, especially if they're trying to evoke the feel of Alien, which I think they are.

Then I scurried away to eat some catered food. Because eating free food is much more journalistically responsible than providing development feedback.

I can't be the only gamer who thinks that some game designers have too much music in their games. Let the moment play out, no?

"Strategic dismemberment?" Counterproductive headshots? And bodyshots? I'm ready to call Dead Space the No. 1 and No. 2 game of its genre* — because it looks like it'll both piss me off and scare the shit out of me. It also looks like you get to relearn all you know about third-person shooting just for one title.

(*Note to EA, that's not a testimonial. Don't lift it out of context pls. Kthx.)

New Dead Space Trailer Advises Strategic Dismemberment [PS3Fanboy, video hosted by IGN]

Leading up to last week's event all of the stuff I saw about the game made me feel like it was another shooter, albeit one set in space, but one that didn't seem to offer anything new or interesting to the formula of scary shooters.

But after spending ten minutes or so watching a demonstration and then a few minutes controlling a hapless space engineer, I've got a taste for the game.

The most defining element of the game, besides its graphically rich environment, is the way in which you have to dispatch enemies. Instead of selecting your favorite weapon and pouring ammo into the limb-sprouting Necromorphs that populate the darkened halls of the abandoned spaceship, you have to be slightly more tactical. Each form of the creature, it seemed has it's own particular weakness and a weapon that best takes advantage of that.

After watching the accompanying writers at the demo get obliterated by a varied selection of limb-waving, ceiling-scrambling aliens, I was handed over the controller to give it a try. The weapon I settled on looked like a cross between some sort of battle rifle and a pitchfork. Blue targeting lasers emitting from the prongs of the device helped me try to line up the weapon's spread with the swaying tentacles of my first opponent. A couple of misses and I settled on the empty-the-clip-into-the-abdomen method, which causes a bit of a mess, but did little more than delay my death by a few more minutes.

Dead Space, which is due out for the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, this Halloween, seems to add a level of tactical weapons use that I've rarely seen in a third-person shooter. Graphically, the weapons and their resulting damage is amazing, but whether the tactical shift will be perceived as a welcome change or an annoyance stands to be seen.

Dead Space - Exclusive Story Trailer

BioWare Announces Special Pre-Order Offer for Mass Effect on PC

EDMONTON, Alberta—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS), is proud to announce that key retailers across North America will be offering $10 off for all pre-orders of Mass Effect™ for the PC1, shipping to retailers May 27, 2008 in North America and June 6, 2008 in Europe. Gamers will receive the $10 discount by pre-ordering Mass Effect at both specialty and online retailers including GameStop, Amazon.com and GoGamer.com.

Gamers who pre-order Mass Effect through the Electronic Arts online store will receive bonus items2 from the game Dead Space™, the highly anticipated sci-fi survival horror game by EA, including the first issue of the Dead Space comic book and a Dead Space poster while supplies last.

Published by EA and re-designed for the PC by Demiurge Studios and BioWare, Mass Effect invites players to take the role of Commander Shepard as they set out on an adventure to save the galaxy from imminent destruction. Wrought with treachery, heroism, difficult decisions and a universe filled with unique and colorful species, Mass Effect delivers a truly compelling storyline.

Fully optimized for the PC, Mass Effect includes a new Tactical Heads-Up Display, higher resolution visuals, an enhanced inventory system, fully optimized controls designed specifically for the PC, individual squad control and a new decryption mini-game. The "Bring Down the Sky" downloadable content for Mass Effect on PC, featuring 90 minutes of new gameplay, will also be available free for registered BioWare Community members at the launch of Mass Effect PC.

Originally released for the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system, Mass Effect has received critical acclaim throughout the world with more than 80 awards including 2007 Console Game of the Year and Role-Playing Game of the Year (http://masseffect.bioware.com/previewsawards/).

The $10-Off pre-order offer is available now at all participating retail and online retail outlets. The Dead Space pre-order offer is available now at the Electronic Arts online store at www.eastore.ea.com. Mass Effect is rated "M" for Mature by the ESRB. For more information about Mass Effect, please visit www.masseffect.com.

I wouldn't say yes. I'd literally scream it. I'd just ask them to be authentic and make it work while being as respectful to the comic story and visuals. So no sudden space vampires as big as a truck, etc...or any uber-boss like that. EA certainly would have the chops to make a beautiful game version of it. They do gore and blood damn well.

Variety: How did you come up with the story for the film? How much were they involved with it?

SG: They have a very detailed bible. It's basically "'Alien' meets 'Doom' in space.

"We are really excited to be working with Film Roman to create an animated feature that will tell the portion of the Dead Space saga between the comic and game," said Glen Schofield, Executive Producer for Dead Space. "With the video game, comic book and now animated movie, Dead Space has become a true multimedia brand.

EA and Starz Media Join to Produce Animated Dead Space Movie

Feature Based on Highly Anticipated Video Game Is First Project Between Starz Media and Electronic Arts

BURBANK, Calif. & REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) and Starz Media announced today the development of an animated movie prequel to the highly anticipated sci-fi survival horror game Dead Space™. The companies also have animation projects in development for two other EA franchises. The relationship kicks off with this Dead Space prelude that will deliver new details on the horrifying tale the game will unleash this Halloween.

The script for the Dead Space animated feature picks up the plot where the original comic book series ends and leads up to the beginning of the Dead Space game. The story focuses on the events aboard a futuristic mining spaceship, the USG Ishimura, after it pulls a mysterious artifact from a remote dig site. The artifact triggers the sudden invasion of a long-dormant alien presence, and the Ishimura's crewmembers find themselves locked in a frantic struggle to survive. The animated feature is slated to premiere at the same time as the game is launched.

This project signals both companies' belief that mass-appeal games provide opportunities for new and exciting programming in a variety of different media. This announcement comes at a time when the video game industry is valued at more than $30 billion worldwide for packaged goods, wireless and online games in calendar year 2007 and game-inspired entertainment is pervasive in movie theaters, on TV and across online media.

Starz Media is currently in discussions with broadcasters worldwide that have already expressed interest in airing Dead Space, which is scheduled to be released via broadcast TV and then on DVD. The company will launch international sales of the animated feature at the upcoming MIP-TV market in Cannes, France. Starz Media will also market the movie through its home entertainment company Anchor Bay Entertainment, as well as via online and wireless distributors.

The deal with Starz Media and its animation unit Film Roman reflects EA's growing commitment to developing filmed entertainment projects based on the company's games. For Film Roman, the venerable animation company behind "The Simpsons," "King of the Hill" and the pre-school hit "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!," the booming video game business is fertile territory for developing new hit movies and series.

"Due to the richness and complexity of stories that have evolved for video games, they have become a type of entertainment that can span generations and provide fantastic inspiration for other forms of media; especially in the realm of animated features," Film Roman President and COO Scott Greenberg said. "We're particularly thrilled to be starting off with Dead Space."

"We are really excited to be working with Film Roman to create an animated feature that will tell the portion of the Dead Space saga between the comic and game," said Glen Schofield, Executive Producer for Dead Space. "With the video game, comic book and now animated movie, Dead Space has become a true multimedia brand. Each of these elements delivers the story to new audiences and tells it from different aspects and perspectives."

Film Roman is producing "Dead Space" in alliance with Digital Tetra Inc., in Korea. The Gotham Group of Los Angeles, a leading animation representation company, helped put the production arrangement together.

Under development at EA Redwood Shores, Dead Space is not yet rated by PEGI or ESRB. For more information about the game, go to the website at www.deadspacegame.com.

EA will have a bevy of titles on hand as part of their sponsorship including Mass Effect, Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath, Spore and BOOM BLOX. They will also be showing a sneak preview of Dead Space, their upcoming space horror game.

The event runs from April 30 through May 4 at the Apollo West End theater in London. Hit the jump for the full release.

Electronic Arts UK Signs as Official Games Sponsor for SCI-FI-LONDON

SCI-FI-LONDON today announces that Electronic Arts, the world's leading interactive entertainment software company, will be the official games sponsor for this year's SCI-FI-LONDON, the UK's only dedicated science fiction and fantastic film festival which will run from 30 April - 4 May 2008 at the Apollo West End theatre.

As exclusive games sponsor, EA will be showcasing PC and console titles as part of the festival line-up, to include Mass Effect™, Command & Conquer™ 3: Kane's Wrath, Spore™ and BOOM BLOX™, while festival-goers will also get the chance to see a sneak preview of the forthcoming epic space horror game Dead Space™. As well as seeing exclusive trailers for the games before film screenings, there will be opportunities to play them and win merchandise.

Festival Director Louis Savy said: "We are extremely pleased to have secured EA as our key sponsor for this year's SCI-FI-LONDON festival. Their current and upcoming title roster fits perfectly with our programme, which aims to appeal to a variety of science-fiction fans. Visitors to the show will be in for a treat as they get to see and play some of EA's incredibly cinematic and sometimes scary games."

Gary Booker, EA UK Marketing Director, said: "We're excited to be involved for the first time with SCI-FI-LONDON, a key event for the UK's science-fiction film fanbase. Great story-telling isn't limited to the big screen and we'll be at the festival to show that video games offer a fantastic way of telling and interacting with these stories at the same time."

EA activities during the festival will include:
• The chance for visitors to play some of its key current titles as well as sneak peaks and demos of unreleased games
• Big-screen trailers and teasers
• Supporting SCI-FI-LONDON's artist-in-residence, The Artful Dodger (aka A-Dee), who will create a series of science fiction themed canvases in the window of Forbidden Planet (Shaftesbury Avenue, WC1) from 24th April for 7 days.

Further details of EA's presence at SCI-FI LONDON will be revealed as the festival draws closer.

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/videogames/39/

"I was saying is you don't pause to grab your ammo. You better ammo up before you begin your fight. Because you can't really be safe. [The combat] is happening live and in real time. The reason for me is that adds tension, because people are saying, 'S—, I've got to get more ammo. I've got to get more health.' That's what you want in a survival horror game. We're not going to make that incredibly difficult. You may have to back away from the fight. We're just trying to make you think out a little bit more."

EA's 'Dead Space': Original, 'M-Plus' And... Actually Pause-able After All?? [MTV Multiplayer]

EA AND IMAGE COMICS ANNOUNCE DEAD SPACE COMIC SERIES WITH BEN TEMPLESMITH AND ANTONY JOHNSTON Limited Edition First Issue Only Available at WonderCon in San Francisco

Chertsey, UK - February 21, 2008 - Electronic Arts and Image Comics today announcd a new comic book series based upon the upcoming original survival horror video game; Dead Space™. This new six-book series set in the Dead Space universe will be written and illustrated by Ben Templesmith and written by Antony Johnston.

The Dead Space comic is the prequel story for the game. This series tells the gut-wrenching tale of a deep space mining colony that unexpectedly pulls an ancient and vicious alien life force from the dark rock.

The first issue will be on comic store shelves from March 3rd (£TBC) each. However, a limited edition version of issue #1 with exclusive cover art will be available at this week's WonderCon in San Francisco. In addition, Ben Templesmith and Antony Johnston will be signing the first issue of the Dead Space comic at the convention on February 22nd & 23rd at the Electronic Arts/Image Comics booth where the first 25 people each day will receive a free copy.

"The world of Dead Space has such a deep storyline that it's easily adaptable to other mediums," said Executive Producer of Dead Space, Glen Schofield. "We love the fact our story is being told across multiple forms of media, providing different experiences to different audiences, which all lead to the same dark place."

Ben Templesmith is an Australian commercial artist best known for his work in the American comic book industry - most notably Fell with writer Warren Ellis, published by Image Comics, and 30 Days of Night with writer Steve Niles published by IDW Publishing. The 30 Days of Night novel provoked a bidding war between film studios for the movie rights when the story was pitched a second time with Templesmith's artwork. Ben has been nominated for multiple Eisner Awards three years in a row for his comic work. He has also created book covers, movie posters, trading cards, and concept work for film.

Antony Johnston was born and raised in the Birmingham, England area and is the author of thirteen graphic novels, including Stormbreaker and Point Blanc (adapted from Anthony Horowitz' best-selling Alex Rider novels), The Long Haul, Julius and Three Days in Europe. He writes two ongoing serials, the sci-fi epic Wasteland and the children's fantasy Texas Strangers. He has adapted many of Alan Moore's prose stories to comics, written for the Texas Chainsaw Massacre comics license, and is the only other writer to have penned a story for Greg Rucka's award-winning Queen & Country series. He also writes novels; his debut Frightening Curves won the 2002 American Independent Publishing Award for Best Horror. His second novel, Stealing Life, was published in 2007.

Under development at EA Redwood Shores, Dead Space ships Fall 2008 for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system and the PC. This product is not yet rated by PEGI or ESRB. More information about Dead Space is available at www.deadspacegame.com.

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This March Image Comics will begin publishing a six-issue mini-series based on the upcoming video game Dead Spce, according to Comic Book Resources. The comic books will lay out the story leading up to Electronic Art's sci-fi survival horror game.

When they did this for Mass Effect with a book I thought it was a bad idea... until I read the book, then I thought it was a great idea. The thing that made the Mass Effect book so brilliant was that you didn't absolutely need to read it to start playing the game, it just helped a whole lot. More importantly, those of us who did read the book were extra jazzed about playing the game to see what happened. I think it's great how these sort of literary prequels help to emphasize the storyline of a game rather than the mechanics and graphics.

Dead Space Comic Begins in March

Move over Alien, there's a new scary... alien in space. GameTrailers managed to nab a world exclusive trailer for EA's upcoming space horror game, Dead Space. I'm a big fan of the survival horror genre but usually my tastes tend towards the Silent Hill, Resident Evil end of things. I have yet, to my memory (which is admittedly poor) played a horror game in outer space much less zero gravity, so I'll be anxious to check this out when it hits next year. Definitely one for lights out...

Tonight's, tomorrow morning's, episode of Game Head will be packed to the gills with details on the upcoming Simpsons game, including a sit down in The Simpsons writers' room at Gracie Films with Matt Selman, Time Long and Matt Warburton to discuss the more than 8,000 lines of talk that went into making the game funny.

More importantly, perhaps, the show will be premiering the first footage of EA's Dead Space.