Dead Space Ignition goes free

Developer Visceral Games has announced that North American customers who pre-order Dead Space 2 will be entitled to download digital-only prequel Dead Space Ignition for free.

Announced in July and set for release on October 13th, Ignition will otherwise cost $5 on PSN or 400 MSP on Xbox Live. EA will no doubt be hoping for a similar level of success to that enjoyed by rival Capcom with its download-only prequel Dead Rising 2: Case Zero.

EA’s deal applies only to a select number of participating retailers.

Dead Space fans are hungry for more Necromorph action and we’re thrilled that they don’t have to wait until January to get their fix,” the franchise’s executive producer Steve Papoutsis stated.

Dead Space Ignition is a great way to jump back into the Dead Space universe while the Visceral development team completes the final stages of Dead Space 2. Dead Space Ignition will show fans what happens in the hours leading up to the beginning of Dead Space 2 with gameplay that is fast-paced and accessible. It’s a fun way to dig deeper into the fiction, while allowing core fans to give Isaac Clarke an edge in Dead Space 2.”

Dead Space 2 is due to be released on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in January 2011.