It’s no secret that Dead Space 3 wasn’t quite as successful, both critically and commercially, as EA would’ve liked it to be. It was an ambitious game, though its clever use of optional co-op didn’t seem to win over many new fans. EA hasn’t been too vocal about the future of the series, outside of their decision following Dead Space 3’s reception to put the franchise on the back burner for the time being.

To me, that sounds like they’re giving Visceral Games, which spent a majority of 08-13 developing four Dead Space games — okay, five, if you count the abysmal Ignition, which I’ve tried my best to forget — a chance to do something different, starting with Battlefield: Hardline.

In a recent interview, EA Studios executive vice president Patrick Söderlund confirmed they’re still considering pursuing another Dead Space game, even though one is not currently in development.

“Do I think that we will create a Dead Space game again? Yes, I think so,” Söderlund told Polygon. “But when we do so, we have to think about what made the previous ones successful and how we go about envisioning Dead Space for a new generation.

“Now, I’m not announcing a Dead Space game. We’re not building one just to be very clear, but I’m saying is there an opportunity or possibility to do one in the future? Absolutely.”

I hope they’ve learned after Dead Space 3 that fans of the series don’t want another action game. To put it bluntly, we don’t want another Resident Evil. How about you? What would you like to see from a potential Dead Space 4?

Oh, and because I keep hearing that honesty and openness is the best policy, you should know that I worked under contract at Electronic Arts on Dead Space 3. I don’t feel that my time at Visceral Games (a scant six months) altered my opinion on the game in any significant way, but whenever I report on it here, I want to make sure all of you are fully aware of this.