This is my last Lunchtime Video, readers. A late night showing of "Coraline" in 3D means I wasn't able to film this goodbye from anywhere special, but the movie did get me wondering: why aren't more games doing 3D gimmicks?

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The acclaimed "Dead Space" series is coming to the Wii later this year, in the form of "Dead Space Extraction." In an e-mail interview, the game's executive producer has revealed a ton details to us about the game's story, controls and more.

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MTV Multiplayer: "Dead Space Extraction" has been described as a prequel, a spin-off and even as an alternate history. How exactly does this game fit in to the original game, the comics and the rest of the lore that's out there? This game is canon, right?

"'Extraction' ... crosses paths with some you've seen before in the comic, animated feature or even "Dead Space.

Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer on 'Dead Space Extraction': It's a prequel that tells the story of a small band of survivors trying to escape the hell on Aegis 7 and get back to the Ishimura. Obviously they have no idea what awaits them there. We created a huge, rich story with thousands of people, deep subplots and many twists and turns in our original manuscript for the franchise. "Extraction" follows one of those plots with all new characters but also crosses paths with some you've seen before in the comic, animated feature or even "Dead Space." It's a finely woven thread that will give the player an all new vantage point to witness and be a part of the amazing chaos and action that happened weeks prior to Isaac arriving. Plus, "Extraction" also has some great twists, turns and surprises of it's own. It's a really cool story on it's own.

MTV Multiplayer: "Dead Space Extraction" has been announced as a first-person addition to the Dead Space franchise. I understand that that means the game will be on-rails, as opposed to being a standard first-person shooter, but can you clarify exactly what kind of game this is and how we'll be playing it?

"'Dead Space Extraction' is a Guided First Person Experience."

Papoutsis: "Dead Space Extraction" is a Guided First Person Experience. The player will be presented with many choices as they play the game, ranging from which path they wish to explore to maneuvering in Zero-G. The game is being developed from the ground up to leverage the unique controls of the Nintendo Wii. Players will use their Wii Remote to aim and dismember oncoming enemies as well as use other mechanics from "Dead Space" such as Stasis and Telekinesis to name a few. When we started designing Extraction, it was important to us to make sure the Controls on the Wii felt natural and made sense. Having the use of motion controls opened up a lot of interesting possibilities for the game that we hope players will enjoy.

MTV Multiplayer: Are we still going to be dismembering enemies in Dead Space Extraction or is this a more standard shooting game?

Papoutsis:You bet! Limbs and Sacks will be flying everywhere, plus we have all new enemies and bosses to test your skills.

MTV Multiplayer: What kind of support does Dead Space Extraction have for multiple players?

" We want player 2 to feel just as involved and important as player 1."

Papoutsis:One of my favorite new features in Extraction is our Co-Op play. Say you are playing the story mode at home and a friend drops by, with the push of a button on your second Wii Remote your friend can jump in with you and start blasting apart Necromoprhs.

It is very important to us that people can play with their friends. Our game offers players a lot of strategy options, one person can focus on Dismemberment while the other is using Stasis to slow down enemies for example. So far when we play we are having a great time figuring out what the best strategy to use is on our variety of enemies and encounters.

Another important goal for us is to make sure that both players always feel engaged, challenged and are using their skills in the game. We want player 2 to feel just as involved and important as player 1 throughout the game.

MTV Multiplayer: The Xbox 360 and PS3 Dead Space gave gamers an excellent sense of horror through high-end graphics and surround sound. For those uncertain about whether the Wii is powerful enough to deliver similar scares, what can you say?

Papoutsis:It has been great developing 'Extraction' on the Wii. The system is very powerful and so far we think we are doing a good job of recreating the same great Atmosphere as seen in Dead Space. If you have a chance, take a look at our first trailer video, that is 100% gameplay footage. So far I’m very happy with the visuals the team has been able to achieve. We won’t stop where we are now though, we are always trying to improve.

Thanks for the interview Stephen; I hope we can talk more about Dead Space Extraction soon or better yet play some Co-op together.

MTV Multiplayer: Thanks for your time. I'm looking forward to the game.

[All images taken from the first "Dead Space: Extraction" trailer.]

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'Dead Space' For Wii Is Not A Port

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"Dead Space: Extraction" isn't what you expected, readers. It's not a port of the "Dead Space" game you've already played, but an all-new installment.

"Extraction" is a first-person, motion control-driven "horror experience," according to the Electronic Arts press release. Translation? It's an on-rails shooter, not unlike "Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles."

"Extraction" is a prequel to "Dead Space" and doesn't take place on the familiar Ishimura. Players are dropped into the Aegis VII mining colony. It's not clear who the player is, but EA's said they're introducing a new heroine character that must be protected because she "may be their only hope for survival."

Almost sounds like an adventure the rest of us would like to have seen as downloadable content for the other versions, no? But before passing judgment, have a look at the trailer IGN published this morning.

The latest "Dead Space" game is coming to Wii this fall. Do you like it?

At the NECA's Toy Fair booth, the company had new, unreleased figures for games on display, such as the lead characters for "Dead Space," "Prototype" and even "Dante's Inferno," a game that we know little about.

"Dante's Inferno," Late 2009

"Prototype," 2009

"Dead Space," Summer 2009

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"Resident Evil 5" needs to be more like "Dead Space," I've argued.

I still stand by that. Since Capcom released a demo, the conversation over the game's control choices has only become more heated.

Joystiq published a story recently by Ludwig Kietzmann that suggested complaints like mine that suggested "Resident Evil 5" should have gone all the way with a "Gears of War"-like control scheme isn't "unwarranted so much as it is misplaced." Kietzmann argues "Resident Evil 5" works because the series has always been about survival and resource management, something that would apparently be diminished if you could fire and shoot at the same time.

He's right, if we were talking "Resident Evil 1." Can you remember many points in "Resident Evil 4" where you were seriously about having an empty clip? That's an old school trick. Here's where Kietzmann and I start to disagree:

"Aside from featuring fairly similar controls and identical camera placement (one of the few times where tank controls actually make sense!), Gears of War expresses the "shoot or move" limitation in its raison d'être: take cover or you'll die. Is shooting from behind stationary (stationery, if it's another one of those drab office buildings) cover all that different from the combat in Resident Evil 5?"

Every set piece in "Gears of War" was designed around the cover system. That's why there's cover littered everywhere, even if it doesn't make any sense. You just accept it because that's how the gameplay works in "Gears of War." "Resident Evil 5" has all sorts of cover, but most of it's useless. Maybe it's less the game doesn't allow you to move and shoot so much as there's no cover system, and the lack of moving and shooting exaggerates the issues it creates.

"Resident Evil 5" treats the player like a mobile turret that parks in a single spot, waits for enemies to get close, then moves to the next spot. Yes, "Gears of War" employs the same style, but gives the player more freedom of movement and uses cover to focus their attention on what they should be shooting at. There's less focus in "Resident Evil 5;" enemies are constantly stumbling in from all around you. It's frustrating to see game over because you couldn't rotate your "turret" in time for that zombie at the door behind you.

Kietzmann eventually moves onto my "Dead Space" comparison.

"Dead Space, too, offers its own interpretation of this common constriction. You're free to walk and shoot in EA's atmospheric adventure, but more often than not, your freedom is impacted by the cramped corridors that space ship designers are so fond of. Dead Space in particular is every bit as focused on precision shooting, with faster and deadlier enemies requiring concentration, not circle-strafing. There's an ability to move and shoot, but not much opportunity."

"Dead Space" uses restricted corridors in the same way that "Gears of War" uses cover to focus the player's attention. "Dead Space" also plays with this convention when monsters appear behind you, but grants the ability to quickly move in any direction to give ample opportunity to fire away and avoid death. Unexpected enemies happen all the time in just the "Resident Evil 5" demo alone, but getting away from them isn't very easy once there's a crowd.

Games moved on since "Resident Evil 4," due to games like "Gears of War" and "Dead Space." This new control scheme appearing near the end of the game's development suggests it was added to appease a crowd expecting the option, but there wasn't enough time to take it all the way or that concept didn't jive with the team. If they had kept it completely like "Resident Evil 4," Capcom could have argued sticking with tradition. They didn't. They went halfway.

The "Resident Evil" series has moved away from quiet tension to bombastic action sequences ever since "Resident Evil 2," and while it's likely most gamers (myself included) will simply adapt to the constraints "Resident Evil 5" puts in front of them, it's hard to not wonder what could have been.

Got a comment you can’t bring yourself to share below this post? Drop me an e-mail.

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A Wii port of last year's critically acclaimed horror shooter "Dead Space" was announced by Electronic Arts yesterday, but a version "Dead Space" for Wii already exists, if you count a clever Wiimote hack one gamer's been playing with.

YouTube user acsn95 programmed some computer scripts that allows the PC version of "Dead Space" to recognize his Wiimote as a compatible controller, and recorded his gameplay experience for the rest of us to check out.

EA will obviously put more work into finessing the Wiimote's nuances for the official "Dead Space" port, but acsn95's video proves there's little reason the game won't work from a control perspective.

Got a comment you can’t bring yourself to share below this post? Drop me an e-mail.

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And the EA earnings call keeps delivering. Company CEO John Riccitiello just revealed that the company's well-received XBox 360 / PS3 horror game "Dead Space" will be coming to the Wii. The implied timeframe was some time in the next year or so. Riccitiello immediately signaled that the game wouldn't be a weak port: "It is absolutely going to be the quality of fear factor of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions."

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"Resident Evil 4" was a big step forward for the "Resident Evil" series in a lot of ways, perhaps most notably for ditching the tank controls that had plagued the series. But the world has moved on to cover systems and freedom of movement since "RE4," something Capcom may not have anticipated while planning "Resident Evil 5."

This week's "RE5" demo introduces gamers to another substantial revamp of the series' controls, albeit an optional one. You can still play with the "RE4" controls, which just might be the way to play, if the clunky "Resident Evil" take on "Gears of War"-style controls aren't addressed before the game's March 13 release date.

"Dead Space" got it right. It took the fast action we're accustomed to and married it with action horror. The "Resident Evil" series is no longer meant to be scary, but it is designed to be tense -- same as "Dead Space." You never thought about the controls in "Dead Space," but in "RE5," they're at the forefront. Movement in "Dead Space," feels smooth and natural. You can focus on what's really important: killing things.

Capcom only went halfway with "RE5"'s new controls. You can run and "look" simultaneously, but not run and shoot ("Dead Space" did not make this mistake." In "RE5," you still need to stop, line up a shot, holster the gun and run away. Even though the enemies in the "RE5" demo are slow moving, they come in great numbers and often sneak up behind you. The inability to run 'n gun combined with a too-close camera that obscures enemies not right in front of you makes "RE5" unnecessarily frustrating at times.

The lack of run 'n gun is the big problem. Even though camera in "Dead Space" is just as tightly packed behind the main character, "Dead Space"'s slick feel leaves players blaming themselves for dying, not the game.

Perhaps it would have made more sense to have only kept the "RE4" controls; from enemy design to level layout, "RE5" designed for them. This half-hearted attempt may only confuse gamers who start moving around and expecting "Gears of War" or "Dead Space" fidelity and instead die over and over again.

Are you guys having trouble with the "RE5" controls, too?

Got a comment you can’t bring yourself to share below this post? Drop me an e-mail.

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Here's EA CEO John Riccitiello speaking on an investors conference call today to report lower-than-expected revenue for the company's financial year. A financial analyst asked Riccitiello what he thought of EA's 2008 original games:

"We're very pleased with a lot of our new franchises this year. We think 'Spore' has established a strong base for being an ongoing franchise. We think the same of 'MySims.' 'Dead Space' looks like a long-term big winner for us. We expect 'Warhammer' will continue to perform very, very well, it's life measured in multiples of years, not multiples of months. 'Mirror's Edge' is one that was very strongly reviewed. That one's going to go forward, we'll probably look at some issues around the design to make sure a strong [intellectual property] is married with strong business. …

"We did manage to put quality and innovation on the board in 2008 and we're very proud of that. Many times what happens with a new intellectual property is the first edition doesn't generate the units that subsequent editions can generate. And I would argue that in this particular year the consumer might have been more reticent to take risks than they otherwise might be. It was a very crowded holiday.

"I think we've established value for EA and value in our franchises and things we can build on for the future."

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(Elite Suit, Obsidian Suit, Scorpion Suit)

Electronic Arts is ramping up reasons you should be on board the "Dead Space" hype train soon.

If you pre-order, you gain access to a downloadable "Scorpion Suit." If you own an Xbox 360, it's a platform-exclusive "Elite Suit." On the PlayStation 3, it's an equally exclusive "Obsidian Suit."

All three suits are virtually identical, an EA spokesperson told me today. Each provides you with a "new look, increased toughness and increased inventory slots." You'll access them through stores found within "Dead Space."

Here's what caught my eye, though: there doesn't appear to be any reason players shouldn't use the suit. EA couldn't tell me of any weaknesses to balance out its strengths. "You don't have to use it if you want to play the game as is the first time around," said a spokesperson. "The suit will be there in the Stores on the ship, so it's up the player on when they want to put it on."

So, if you want to make the game a bit harder, play "Dead Space" with the original suit. But make sure to grab the platform downloads as soon as possible -- in the US, the free download expires on October 28. EA couldn't tell me if they would be made available as paid downloadable content later.

Potential "Dead Space" players, will you be donning the upgraded suit?

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