Dead Space Creator Wants to Make an Alien Game, But the Industry Might Be Done With Him
It's a match made in sci-fi horror heaven. Unfortunately, it's a match that will probably never happen thanks to the industry's ongoing, soul-crushing implosion.
Glen Schofield, the creative mind behind the claustrophobic nightmare that is Dead Space, recently said he "would love to make an Alien game". Given that Dead Space is basically the best Alien game that isn't officially an Alien game, this is the kind of news that should have everyone celebrating.
But this isn't a story about an exciting new project. It's a story about how the modern games industry is eating its own.
A Dream Job with One Hell of a Catch
Schofield isn't just casually interested. He told PC Gamer that he's a huge fan of the franchise, to the point that he's already spent the last two years creating hundreds of different xenomorph designs in Midjourney just for fun. The man has ideas.
There's a catch, though. He would only take on the project under one condition: complete, non-negotiable creative control. "I have to own the creative," he said. "That's not even negotiable. Because I won't make a great game unless it's mine".
In a world where Disney owns the license, that's a demand that's likely dead on arrival.
The Bleak Reality of Making Games
Even if he got his wish, this dream project is just that: a dream. The real story here is the grim state of the industry. Schofield revealed that he recently had to walk away from a new game he was developing with his daughter.
They had a prototype and a lean budget of $17 million, but publishers kept telling them to go cheaper. First, the demand was to get it down to $10 million. Lately, that number has dropped to an insulting $2-5 million. As Schofield put it, "Some ideas are better left untouched than done cheap".
A Master without a Studio
This isn't happening in a vacuum. After The Callisto Protocol failed to meet Krafton's lofty sales targets, Schofield stepped down as CEO of Striking Distance Studios. Since then, the studio he built has been gutted by layoffs.
This is the reality for veteran creators right now. Publishers have become so risk-averse that they're strangling creativity in its crib, forcing proven talent to either make micro-budget indie games or get out entirely.
It's a bleak situation that led Schofield to post a heartbreaking message online. "I miss it all," he said. "The team, the chaos, the joy of building something for fans... But maybe I've directed my last game. Who knows?".
So, while we can dream about the terrifying masterpiece Glen Schofield could make with the Alien license, the sad truth is that the industry might not have a place for creators like him anymore. And that's a loss for all of us.