Dead Space Goes Multiplayer

Necromorph slap-chopping is about to become a whole lot more social, as EA appears to be adding online multiplayer support to the upcoming Dead Space 2.

A job listing posted on Linkedin tells the tale: Electronic Arts is "seeking a highly motivated Senior Online Level Designer for the Dead Space franchise on Xbox360 and PS3," who will "conceptualize, script, direct, and build online levels for the game" and "create extremely fun, satisfying and polished multiplayer levels."

There's no indication how the multiplayer will work at this point, whether it will be tacked on as a separate, non-story component similar to that of the equally multiplayer-unfriendly BioShock 2, or somehow shoehorned into the sequel's plot. Perhaps the game's hero will be joined by his old drinking buddies Frederik Heinlein and Harlan Bradbury for some hot vivisecting action. Whatever the case, it's a bit of a surprise move given that surviving alone in a hostile environment is a core component of the game and not, one might think, particularly conducive to online gameplay; but not really surprising at all, on the other hand, since most major publishers these days seem to feel an instinctive need to offer multiplayer support in pretty much every game they put on the market.

Dead Space was, as the job listing notes, an award-winning title but it wasn't a particularly huge seller and given EA's current dire straits, a more conventional appeal to the mass market is hardly a shocker. I can't say I'm a big fan of the idea, though; multiplayer survival horror just doesn't work for me as a concept. But no matter how you feel about it, there is one good bit of news for Dead Space fans: Despite the recent bone-deep cuts at EA, the listing says the company is "100 percent committed" to the franchise.

via: Joystiq