Dead Space Creator Glen Schofield Says He Might Have Directed His Last Game In The Industry

Dead Space creator Glen Schofield has spoken about the state of the video game industry, revealing how “tough” times had led to him shelving an idea for a new breed of horror game that he had been working on with his daughter, Nicole. The veteran developer added that he might have directed his last game–The Callisto Protocol–as he had been unsuccessful in securing financial support for his new project after shopping the prototype to investors.

In a LinkedIn post, Schofield explained that he attempted to secure $17 million to finance the game’s development, which would be used to recruit a small team of developers. While there was interest in the game, investors wanted to negotiate for a smaller budget, with some companies offering as little as $2 million. “So last month, we decided to walk away,” Schofield wrote. “Some ideas are better left untouched than done cheap. We had a team of six here in the States and a full crew in the UK. Now, everyone’s looking for work. They’re all talented folks–if you’re hiring, let me know.”

Schofield added that after many years in the industry, he was focusing on his art and writing, but that he missed working with “great teams” in the AAA space. “[I] spent the last 15-20 years making big AAA titles with great teams. That’s what I do. That’s what I love. But with the industry on pause, AAA feels like it’s a long ways away. So I’m back to my art. I miss it all–the team, the chaos, the joy of building something for fans. I’m still around, making art, writing stories and ideas, and still cheering the industry on. But maybe I’ve directed my last game,” Schofield said.

The last game directed by Schofield was the Dead Space spiritual successor The Callisto Protocol, at the studio he co-founded at Krafton, Striking Distance. Sadly, The Callisto Protocol received mixed reviews upon release, with many outlets criticizing bugs and performance issues in the game. Last year, Schofield said in an interview that Krafton insisted on shipping the game early, after the studio had been promised more time to work on it. Schofield said that he wanted a few more months to work on the game, but the new timeline resulted in several enemy types and features being cut.

With the game underperforming–according to Krafton–Schofield would leave Striking Distance in 2023, and the studio would undergo multiple rounds of layoffs.