Dead Space 4 Passed Up Over Nigh-Impossible Sales Targets: “Companies Are Now Looking for the Next Fortnite”

Dead Space is arguably one of the most iconic and recognizable franchises in gaming, even if it has been 13 years since the last instalment in the sci-fi space horror shooter series. Now, in a recent interview with FRVR, Dead Space writer and producer, Chuck Beaver, has explained why the chances of Dead Space 4 happening are vanishingly thin in the current gaming landscape. Unfortunately for fans of the genre, it seems as though a combination of factors is at play, but the majority of the blame appears to lie on poor sales figures, especially compared to the modern video game industry’s expectations.

Beaver explains that a game with the production value of Dead Space—a AAA horror with high production value—would need to sell incredibly well in order to cover the development costs: “Horror games have a bit of a ceiling, you know, and I think the number back in Frank Gibeau’s day was 5 million units to keep going on Dead Space. I think the number is like 15 million units now, given the cost of things.” Meanwhile, when Resident Evil: Requiem recently crossed 6 million sales in just over two weeks, it became the fastest-selling Resident Evil game to date. He goes on to comment that “companies now are looking for the next Fortnite. They need something that is a perennial moneymaker…something like a single-player package game with no live-service offering that’s like it’s just a dinosaur fossil of a business model.”