I am Guido Eickmeyer, Creative Director at Deep Silver. AMAA!

Can we count on native Linux versions for your current/next games? It would be super awesome. :)

i would say there is a good chance ;)

How would you react to the criticism regarding your first Dead Island trailer and what turned out to be the actual game itself? Do you feel that there was a real reason for customers to be upset whom may have pre-ordered the game on the basis that they thought they were going to get a more emotional storyline with more depth to characters back-stories?

hey there. well, i think - based on constant success over time - a lot of gamers liked dead island for the game and experience it was, but yes, i heard some complaints about the game not being very close to what the trailer would probably suggest. that said, it was a cgi trailer and we were not trying to show ingame content. in addition, i felt that our game was tense, challenging and therefore emotional - in other ways obviously.

At home do your knives only last 15 cuts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AYFYjF94b8

First of all, thanks for the bundle. Was the dead island riptide zombie bait meant to be controversial? Where did the idea to make the dead island trailer in reverse? Why all the delays with dead island?

hey there. well, i would say the zombie bait was just a fun idea. this is something that comes up if fans work on what they love to do. it was blown out of proportion in the end and we learned our lesson, but it was not meant to be controversial. it was just us nerds doing something we always wanted to do. dead island is not a super-serious world, it is about fun. so yeah, we would not do it again probably :)

the delays - well, it comes with the type of game. open world titles are a nightmare to develop when it comes to planning and balancing. so whilst we were not super happy with the status of the game at release, it already had cost us some extra months. it is just big.

aaaaand the trailer - well, credits to two former colleagues here. they come up with it in the first place, this became immediately controversial - but everyone loved the creativity behind it. so from that point on, it took us by storm. even during the production process.

Who do you Voodoo, bitch?

hide your kids, grab your wife, better get outta sight!

how much do you bench?

about twenty cheeseburgers.

So, what went wrong with Ride to hell: Retribution?

well. to save time, what about talking around what went right?

What are the chances for Linux support on Deep Silver titles ?

actually pretty good!

• In Dead Island, why did you guys add that bloody re spawn in Bunker 6 or whatever it's called, where you can't get out unless you've done a mission? Playing co op with one person trapped in the bunker isn't great because they have to leave and rejoin!
• But in all seriousness, I love the game. Was there anything you wanted to add to the game but didn't in the end? If so, what was the coolest thing that was cut from the end game?

but if i would tell you - you would hate me forever, because you would always remember this super cool thing that didnt make it in the final game! :D

do you like cheese?

i prefer bacon.

I absolutely love the Dead island series. Any word on some DLC's for riptide?

right now it would be more a wait and see. still some things in the thought process, but we are not there yet.

First of all, LOVE your Dead Island games. Question: Will there be any more sequels in the Dead Island games? (Will it be Dead World as once rumored?)

thank you! well, i would expect so. i would not expect it to be named dead world, because dead island will remain dead island :) but there is actually a lot (!) in the coming...

:O More Dead Island? gets wallet ready

a lot more! still trying to be wallet-friendly here ;)

Thank you very much for your reply. I have spent over 200 hours playing the DI series. I'm happy with the many and various improvements in DI Riptide, and I'll be playing HELLRAID in the meantime until your next DI sequel comes.

watch out, there is a loooooot more coming in the next months!

How is Deep Silver able to balance providing a polished product and having a good price point for its game products. Also How does Humble Bundle allow you to make a profit on games - Does a 1 Dollar for a bunch of games help or hinder your bottom line?

well, humble bundle is a different story from my perspective. it is basically a good thing to do. this is - i think you got it right - not about earning money, but more like a contribution.

To how much of a degree do you feel Saints Row IV will vary from Saints Row the Third? There's been a lot of talk about it and personally wanted to know as well. :P

i think it will be hands down qualify as a total fresh, unique experience ;) i had a chance to play it - and fell in love. so if you ask me, this is just plain awesome.

Do you think Dead Island's melee focus was the right way to go with the game?

totally! i do believe this is one of the core values for dead island. there are sooo many shooters out there, but what is more intense, more immersive than close combat?

Will there be a Dead Island Part 3?

i would not expect the series to stop at this point :)

Great series. Thanks for doing an AMA.

Any plans to give future installments of Dead Island a different locale? Dead City perhaps?

i would think so :) but dead island will remain dead island, no changes in the name there. that said, there will be always a strong link to 'islands', because this is just part of its DNA

Hello! And I wanted to say that I'm a fan of the Dead Island series.

I was wondering what your favorite thing about working on Dead Island and Sacred 2 is. Also, do you feel like the Dead Island series could become as big as other video game series in terms of creating more than two to three entries?

thank you!

the best thing about working on these games is the people you meet and work with. there is such a creative spirit around and so many ideas - we could probably work on 4-5 Dead Island's and Sacred's right now ;)

I do believe we will see more entries of both series - whilst pointing out that we really do not want to jump into copying and just updating graphics. we need (!) to come up with new ideas, we need to convince players each time that its worth their time.

What can you tell us about Hellraid?

what do you want to know about hellraid?

Why are the games you take part in the creation of so great?

thank you. maybe because i got this rare opportunity of working together with such talented people throughout my career.

X Rebirth. When is it coming and why has it taken so long? I NEED IT NOW. Have you played it? Have you played other X games?

probably soon in terms of soon in the x-series ;) it took such a long time because of all the new features, new content and the perfectionism of the development team. for a fan of this series, i can guarantee you that you totally NEED this one!

I'm studying game development. Would you care to give me some advice ? How is to start doing your own thing, if you have any tips. Thank you for the AMA!

my advice: forget about everything else at the beginning, just try to work with and learn from the best. you want to have passionate seniors around you, that is priceless. do not try to work on a specific game or franchise, because if you are in a creative environment, you learn that whatever you work on can be fantastic and exciting.

What are your views on Deep Silver publishing one of the worst PC titles released?

well, some things work out well and some others do not ;) why focus on something that did not came out the way we hoped it would? i am rather trying to learn from such experiences. this does not bother me that much as i am not getting cocky from deep silver publishing some of the best titles the last years either.

Why did you use the exact same engine for the second game. Then only change the map, story and quests? Its basicly a dlc.

hey there. using an upgraded but similar engine is allowing developers to focus on content and gameplay. normal practice and happens around all big ips. that said, this alone should not qualify for being labeled as dlc. that said, we insisted on always being transparent about DI:R not being a sequel. for a dlc, its far too big though and therefore i do see your point - but would still feel dlc is not the right definition for this game.

[deleted]

its not that we have not worked on these so far. honestly, if this would be an easy fix, it would have been done for a long time :/

Hey! I was just curious. If there were to be another Dead Island, how big would the map be? Would there be the individual little areas to explore then when you want to go to the next there would be a loading screen (like going from the resort to the city in dead island 1) or would it be one huge map with no loading screens when traveling? Love you guys!

hey there. well... IF there were to be another dead island... ;) i would say that exploration in an open-world game is key to being fun. size is not the only answer here as not every gamer would like to have a dayz-kind of experience, but you want to feel being part of a world, not a linear corridor of events.

Hello!

As I am blind, i am playing video / audio games from many many years. I have a lot of experiences and want to ask You about accessibilities for the blind in Your productions. I played and finished sacred citadel without any sighted assistance and I think it is my next success!

Many games have mono audio output, lack of many sounds depends on situation. What if we can have many more sounds to help blind players guide through the game? I am really interested what you think about this in general or more advanced.

hi there. to be honest, i think this is something we have not as much in focus as we should have. for citadel, we tried to be more accessible and for other future titles, we have brought in some user feedback experts to support us, but any suggestions or help are always more than welcome! sound is - generally speaking - often still undervalued as a core user guidance mechanic. we are investigating alot these days about how we can effectively use these to support players.

Hi and thanks for the AMA! I personally really enjoyed Dead Island and I think it's often overlooked as a pretty competent co-op game that was overshadowed by it's trailer.

Games with zombies and/or general mass murder tend to not include any children at all (for obvious reasons), yet the trailer for Dead Island very much focused on the tragedy of a family (namely the girl that was thrown out the window). While we don't really see any children in the actual game, was there ever a point in development where kids might have been in the game?

no. absolutely not. and yes, the trailer might suggest otherwise. but i do think we should not cross some lines. i do not think this is really important in a game, other than for the final 3% of immersion maybe. then we are still a young industry and even being dedicated fans, we do have some responsibilities beyond the process of developing games.

Obviously, DayZ was a massive hit in the zombie genre, with a lot of people loving the survival element and gruelling gameplay. What sort of impact has that had on the Dead Island team's vision of the game, and will there ever be a sandbox survival mode implemented into possible future games? (I once tried to mod that into the first Dead Island, sadly it never worked)

well, dayz is inspirational and just a great game. that said, i do not see dead island moving into such a super-harcore direction. for future titles, you will find many elements being inspired from this title. not confirming anything ;) but i would say the survival motive is something in the focus for our upcoming di games.

Thanks for doing this AMA. I was wondering what were the hardest parts of making Dead Island and Dead Island Riptide? How did they compare in difficulty? Thanks for some amazing games!

depending on who you ask, you will get different answers ;) i would say most of us had to deal with a challenge of getting everything together in the given time. a lot of people worked day and night and whilst it payed off eventually, they had to give everything they could. and more.

Hi Guido! Love Dead Island (and Riptide)! Thanks for doing the AMA. My question is, what's coming up for Dead Island and Riptide, any new DLC's on the horizon, possibly a third installment? How about hitting Hawaii? :)

hawaii would be awesome, right? :D for now, i can only ask you to wait a bit further, then some really nice things will be revealed about the future of dead island :)

Will Dead Island: Epidemic be a browser game or a client game?

client game. not close to browser gaming in regards of depth, content, basically everything.

Hello, I don't know if you are still here answering these but there is one question I have been wanting to ask for a while. Dead Island is one of my favorite games because of the awesome co-op, my cousin and I played through both games together, and the really fun combat. However, one thing that left me unsatisfied in Dead Island: Riptide was that we don't know what happened to Charon and Yerema. They were there at the beginning, but then it seemed like they were never mentioned again. Did I miss something or is this something that we can expect to have explained in the next Dead Island game?

hey. i think you can expect some answers soon :)

Hey Guido thanks for doing this,

1.) What was the drive for you guys to push for a Dead Island Moba? It is a surprising turn for you guys.

2.) How much would you recommend the humble bundle to other game developers?

hey stewie! 1. dead island is such a multiplayer-driven experience - considering that and having met some outstandingly talented developers that come up with an idea very close to what we ended up doing now, i would say for us it is just a natural, logical move. we love the idea of having elements of a moba (not copying that, not even close) combined with the dead island DNA. it is going to be a very unique experience... 2. alot. because it is just such a great, great idea.

Any chance on porting the games for mac?

yup. actually a good one :)

Hey can I get access into Sacred 3 beta? :D

sending me sweets? burgers? with bacon??? :D otherwise, i think dropping an email should work out fine as well :(

Hi, I haven't heard too much about Dead Island Epidemic. Is this going to be a game for the regular gaming systems or just for the PC because I've heard rumors of both. Also, if it's on the PS will it be on the PS4 coming out soon, or will it be on the PS3

hey there. its pc only as its planned right now. maybe we will have a closer look at other platforms once its out for some time.

While I understand the reason for doing a MOBA.. don't you fear that there will be an oversaturation of the market?

With the success of LOL and Dota2 there will be dozens of MOBAs released in the near future. It is likely that the two mentioned will hold on to the crown for a while and others have their niches which of course is fine but at the same time there will be only a finite amount of dedicated MOBA players who will probably focus on one or two games each with all the character skill and stat learning associated with MOBAs.. even if it is quite a lot of people it seems a bit risky at this time.

i really like your question, good one! you are absolutely right and this is the reason why i would never try to develop another dota or lol. epidemic will be different in many ways, focusing on a crafting system with alot of depth and gamers who like to have a hardcore experience that does not require half of your life to master it and some environment that appreciated fun over bullying. well, come back to me in some weeks and i can give you a much clearer picture :)

Could you explain to me what you, as a creative director at deep silver, have contributed to dead island and sacred 2?

Which game elements would you define as "your idea"?

i would rather say that everything is a team effort. i dont like individual achievements that much as it takes a whole team - and beyond, including testers, fans, communities - to create such great experiences. and before i credit myself, i would credit all the coders, artists, qa and other hard working people.

While at E3 this year I saw some gameplay of Techland's next Zombie based game, which I thought looked strikingly similar to the gameplay of Dead Island.

Is there any big reason why you guys aren't publishing Dying Light for Techland as well? And if it's because they didn't come to you, are you offended?

Dying Light will be a great game and we really like techland. no hard feelings, no one is offended :) i am looking forward to playing it - and it will be a unique experience, not a dead island and not close to what is coming up within this franchise.

Hey Guido! I love Deep Silver, and I was wondering if we can expect any return of the main characters in DI:E?

Also I'd love a brief tease at what weapons (if any) we'll be able to customize--I'm looking forward to the possibility of using John Morgan's awesome electrified claws to slice and dice hordes of zombies! :D

Thanks, and you rock!

hey :) you can expect dead island games being bound together in many ways ;) that said - i rather talk about crafting than customization. we started this development with the idea of macguyverish options there - and i think its becoming exactly that :) and you might want to think beyond electrified claws. far beyond :D

So what is this new Dead Island game coming out? Is it going to like the other Dead Islands? and will it still be within the same story line?

the world of dead island is evolving and all (!) of our dead island games will be part of this world. expect new takes on the story, new ways to tell the story - but everything will be linked together.

Your Facebook page recently teased a Moba style game set in the Dead Island universe. I am just wondering how that is going to come about? It seems awefully odd to go from a First Person game into a Moba.

awefully odd? now i am truly sad :( :D seriously, i do see why this sould weird in the first place. give us a little bit of time, follow what will be posted and you will get the idea. honestly, this is absolutey Dead Island and its a unique take on moba style games.

I don't have a question that hasn't been asked already. I really just want to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed the Dead Island series, and really hope it'll continue. As a fan of zombies and open world games - Dead Island was/is perfect in my eyes. Thank you.

thank you! i think there is a lot of open world and zombie stuff still waiting for you ;)

So first of all , thanks for that great bundle . As for the question , what is your favorite /most memorable game you played which you/your company had nothing to do with ?

this is probably a boring answer, but my all time favorite remains civilization... i have a lot of we-could-not-work-because-everyone-had-to-play-this-all-the-time memories around battlefield 42 though ;)

Coming from someone who LOVES Dead Island, what would be your best advice to someone wanting to get into the video game industry, possibly even Deep Silver?

applying via deepsilver.com? ;) then, depending on your background, there are many, many ways to enter the games industry. just dont give up your dream would be my advice. sometimes its easier, sometimes not. trying hard again and again is what helps best.

Will we find out what happened to the characters of Dead Island Riptide in the next one, or can we just assume they are dead?

the world is evolving. but i do not see us cutting of storylines. would that qualify as an answer? :)

Do you hate your parents for naming you Guido?

not before jersey shore ruined my life.

Is the process too expensive to make Dead Island and Dead Island Riptide playable on the XBOX ONE?

its not just porting it to a different platform. both sony and microsoft would like to see a bit more - and this is something we feel as being important as well. that said, supporting ONE features and improving the title versus dedicating to a completely new title might not be the right thing to do.

Now that Volition has joined DS, will there be any crossover content, like news reports about the zombie outbreak in Steelport?

haha ;) at least nothing planned yet ;)

Coming from a USA student in central Missouri, what are your thoughts on a person like me getting into the gaming industry? There isn't a whole lot of choice out here as far as gaming studios go. I love games, and am going for a Bachelors in Computer Science, but it seems most companies tend to be on the coast. Your thoughts? Also, how would you suggest I get to know people in the industry as well? Thanks a bunch for the AMA, and thank you for the awesome games!

i think there is always an option for you. our guys from volition are based in illinois, so there is truly life between the coasts :) then, depending on your chances of moving around, there are still options to get into gaming in different ways. drop me a mail if you like and we can look how we can help you.

Do you have any idea how much I LOVED knife throwing in Dead Island until I realized how much of a huge sad pain it was to have an AWESOME weapon that you lost because you threw it at a zombie and it got stuck in a wall or some bs like that and was lost? :c For future games, would you agree that a function that let you say, hit a button and all the knives just reappear in your hand would be better? I realize there's a balance to having to recollect your stuff, but when there's so many bugs that can cause your weapons to vanish... well over time it just becomes painful to work a unique weapon up to the best upgrades and then lose it because that corner had a hitch and wouldn't rebound it into the scenery properly. I would think an out-of-combat thing you could hold down for a moment and it brings all your knives to your hands would have solved this.. Or something. :c It's most of why I stopped enjoying Dead Island about halfway through.

Do you think there are any ways this could have been avoided/fixed?

okay, now i feel really bad :( ;) i am grateful for not being anywhere near you during that moment :)

then, yes - we are aware that this is a painful issue and by some changes we already made, we think this should be a problem of the past...

Is there any chance of seeing Sacred get the next-gen treatment? (:

depending on if everyone involved in this process feels this would be more than just a good idea. we are investigation every option, for sure. but we wont do it for the sake of sales numbers, it needs to be a great next gen game.

Whats your advice for getting into the game industry as a non-programmer such as yourself?

how do you know that i am a non-programmer? :o

Hey Guido, thanks for doing this AMA.

I was a third-party localization tester for the EN version of Risen. While taking this opportunity to acknowledge that it was great to work on one of your projects, I'm just wondering what was the team's reaction to Australia's banning of the game? Was there ever any internal speculation during development that certain content in the game would ever merit such a ruling?

hey and thanks for being part of this! well, the unfortunate thing about australia is that you never know why something is banned or not. i found it pretty disturbing and unreasonable, but that is just my opinion. we were not expecting this, but there is a reason why so many games are re-imported in australia.

Hi! I just wanted to say that I'm usually not a huge fan of zombie games, but Dead Island is one of the few zombie apocalypse themed games that I actually really enjoyed!

I'm sorry if this is a question that gets asked constantly, but I was wondering if there were any plans for future Dead Island games to have local Co Op? I really enjoyed this game, but I think the one thing that would have added to how awesome the game is if it had split screen co op.

Also. how do you feel about trucks?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtTh1SeHz90

that is so great!!

local coop? this is always such a nice one, being able to play with a friend at home is such fun. that said, we could not do that within the restrictions we had in the past - and for a potential future title, it comes down to if this is fun, considering the limited viewing range in split screen. still - we would love to have this one in.

Are there any plans to bring Dead Island to PS4 or Xbox One? Or maybe even the PlayStation Vita?

Thanks for doing this AMA!

thank you! well, i think its time to move on now for Dead Island. A new generation of consoles should be a good point to consider some new, fresh gameplay. considering what we have in mind right now, i think porting the current titles to PS4 or XboxOne would not suit that well.