It's been over six years since the release of Dead Space 3, and sadly, the franchise has been completely absent for an entire console generation. With Visceral Games shutdown and EA focused on just a handful of its biggest franchises, the chances of seeing a new Dead Space game are slim to none. However, if Glen Schofield, executive producer of the original Dead Space, had his way, then he would be working on a sequel to the sci-fi horror classic.

Schofield revealed as much during a recent episode of The Game Informer Show podcast. Schofield said that if he did make a Dead Space sequel that it wouldn't necessarily follow the lore of Dead Space 2 and 3, as the plot became too complex. Schofield was also asked what it would take, from an economic standpoint, to make Dead Space 4 a reality. Schofield acknowledged that the game would have to engage the audience for the long term for EA to give it the green light, which would likely be accomplished through multiplayer of some kind.

Schofield said if he developed a Dead Space 4, he would "start" with co-op and explore other multiplayer options. Schofield stopped short of going into specifics of what that multiplayer would look like, though perhaps it would be similar to Dead Space 2's versus multiplayer mode that allowed one team to control the franchise's vicious Necromorph creatures.

Some Dead Space fans may be disappointed by Schofield's vision of Dead Space 4, but it makes sense considering the current state of the video game industry. We're seeing less single player story games as publishers are all chasing the "live service" model instead. Furthermore, Dead Space 3 failing to meet sales expectations would also make it harder for a single player Dead Space 4 to get approved by EA.

Schofield's version of Dead Space 4 is unlikely to ever be developed, and in fact, any version of Dead Space 4 is unlikely at this point. However, the game was once at least in the conceptualization stages at the former Visceral Games, as Dead Space 3 creative director Ben Wanat revealed what the game would be like. According to Wanat, Dead Space 4 would have had more survival elements and increased exploration, plus new types of Necromorphs that would be adapted to zero-G environments.

If Dead Space 4 is ever developed, it will be interesting to see if it retains any of the ideas laid out by Schofield and Wanat, or if it goes in another direction entirely.