Dead Space 2 ships nearly 2 million units

Last week, Electronic Arts shipped Dead Space 2, the sequel to its acclaimed 2008 horror survival game. Like its predecessor, the game received stellar reviews from critics. However, unlike its forebearer, which debuted to middling sales, there is little question about it being a runaway hit.

In a conference call with analysts following EA's holiday-quarter earnings report, executives discussed some aspects of current-quarter performance. Chief operating officer John Schappert said that in just one week, Dead Space 2 has shipped nearly 2 million units to stores--and is outselling the original on a 2-to-1 basis. For reference, the original Dead Space took eight months to sell through 1.4 million units.

Developed by internal studio Visceral Games, Dead Space 2 follows the further adventures of Isaac Clarke, the engineer hero of the first game. After battling the mutating zombielike necromorphs on a deep space mining vessel, Clarke finds himself inside The Sprawl, a huge metropolis anchored to one of Saturn's moons. Things quickly go south, however, once the necromorphs ravage the city, forcing Isaac through an outer space maze filled with the menacing creatures.

For more on Dead Space 2, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.