Farewell Signal from the Father of Dead Space
Glen Schofield, creator of the Dead Space series, one of the modern classics of the horror genre, may be preparing to bid farewell to his 34-year career in the gaming world. This long journey, which began with Barbie: Game Girl and concluded with The Callisto Protocol, has been notable for both its creativity and its ups and downs. In recent comments, Schofield has shared the challenges he faced in the industry and the financial hurdles his latest project faced, saying he now wants to draw, write, and take a breather. However, he hasn’t completely closed the door.
Dead Space Creator Hints at Retirement
Glen Schofield recently shared a post on LinkedIn stating that his game development career may be over. After leaving Striking Distance after The Callisto Protocol failed to meet both critical and commercial expectations, Schofield and his daughter Nicole had been developing the idea of creating a new horror subgenre for the past eight months. However, financial difficulties have put this dream on hold for now.
While the new game idea was initially well-received by investors, the rapid reduction of the $17 million budget put the game in a difficult position. Schofield, believing the proposed $2-5 million budget wouldn’t be enough to do justice to the game, decided to cancel the project. Both the small team in the US and the developers in the UK began looking for work after this cancellation.
Schofield’s farewell message resonated throughout the gaming industry. Many developers, designers, and publishers sent messages of support. Some studios even contacted him directly with offers of collaboration. Medium-sized studios like CerebralFix invited Schofield to participate in their projects. Glen stated that he was open to these offers, at least for a Zoom call.
Schofield, who said in his final words, “Maybe it was my last game. But who knows?”, remains to be seen if he will ever step behind the camera again. However, one thing is certain: the creativity that drives his games has left one of the most profound impacts on the horror genre. His journey, which began with Dead Space, may continue with a completely different story in the future.
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