Dead Space Producer on Censorship, EA

Glen Schofield, executive producer of EA Redwood Shores' sci-fi survival horror game Dead Space, added to the speculation circling around the game's possible ban in three countries.

In an interview with IGN Australia, he confirmed that the extra-gory title has been banned in Japan, but for now it's of no concern. "No cuts. We're not softening it for anybody. I think a part of it was, he's not a killer. He's killing aliens and that's why we thought for a while we'd get it through in Germany. And they were like, 'Well, the fact that he can get dismembered pretty grotesquely is bad, so...'"

Schofield also had a lot to say about Electronic Arts, the game's publisher: "At one point, one of EA's marketing guys said, 'Hey - let's get a big actor to play Isaac' because that's what EA would do."

Going against the grain seems to have been his justification for the game's now-famous violence. "Right from the beginning, I wanted to do what EA wouldn't do. So let's push the violence, let's push the gore, let's push the innovation."

The game was known to have contributions from comic book writer Warren Ellis, but it turns out those contributions may have largely fallen through the cracks. "So, ah, with all due respect to Warren..." Schofield began.

"He hit deadlines for us, he did everything right - but he came on two and a half years ago and some of the ideas filter out. He also introduced us to Anthony Johnson, who became our writer for the comic series. Then Anthony eventually wrote most of the dialogue for the game."

In countries where it's available, Dead Space releases on October 14 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and October 20 for PC.