Electronic Arts made big news by unloading their latest fiscal results, wherein they details publishing plans for the next two years. Dead Space 2, Visceral Games' anticipated action-horror sequel, won't be making it in time for Halloween this year, it seems. EA has pegged the shooter for release in Q4, meaning it will be out sometime prior to March 31st, 2011.
Also due in this time frame will be a new Need for Speed (probably from EA Black Box), as well as BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins sequel, which the studio has already begun hyping up. Not surprising an early-in-the-year window was selected, given the tremendous success Mass Effect 2 has enjoyed right out of the gate in the new year. Speaking of Mass Effect, "something far-reaching coming from Mass Effect" is on tap in early 2011, according to EA COO John Schappert. Hmm. Are we looking at ME2's first major expansion here? A spin-off?
Perhaps most intriguing is the news that Epic Games' new IP, which they're currently working on with Painkiller devs People Can Fly, will also be rearing its Unreal Engine-powered head before April of next year, though no details on what the game is were doled out. The deal between EA and Epic was announced back in 2008, where studio VP Mark Rein said, "Epic is excited to work with EA Partners to launch our next big IP on the global stage." People Can Fly recently trademarked the name Bulletstorm.
An unnamed "Action Title" also happens to be listed for launch between January and March 31st of 2011.
For the remainder of 2010: Skate 3 is on track for May; All Points Bulletin (Realtime Worlds' new GTA-esque MMO) and Medal of Honor in late summer/early fall; Madden NFL 11 is summer (August, as usual); and Crysis 2, Criterion's innovative Need for Speed, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1, and EA Sports: MMA are all penciled in sometime between September and the end of December. Kotaku noted that oddly, NCAA Basketball 11 is absent on the roster of sports titles for this coming year, too. That doesn't bode for college ball fans.
EA's Schappert stated that "In fiscal 11, we will continue to introduce new service and product features that benefit the unique registered purchasers on PC and console games. Our most recent example is the Cerberus content network introduced with Mass Effect 2. ... [All titles in fiscal 2011] have an online component, both downloadable content and online play."
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