EA sent out a press release to announce a new franchise, Dead Space. Set to ship in late 2008 for the Xbox 360 and PS3, Dead Space is a third person sci-fi survival horror game that will scare the Be-Jesus out of you.

Set in the cold blackness of deep space, the atmosphere is soaked with a feeling of tension, dread and sheer terror. In Dead Space, players step into the role of engineer Isaac Clarke – an ordinary man on a seemingly routine mission to fix the communications systems aboard a deep space mining ship. It is not long before Isaac awakes to a living nightmare when he learns that the ship’s crew has been ravaged by a vicious alien infestation. He must fight through the dead silence and darkness of deep space to stay alive.

Sounds like a winner to me. Expect more details in the coming months as EA lets us know.

Here’s the full press release:

EA launches players into a chilling universe of sci-fi horror with Dead Space

New Original Intellectual Property from EA Will Send Shivers up Gamers’ Spines

Redwood City, CA. – September 24, 2007 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that the award-winning EA Redwood Shores Studio has been developing an original intellectual property that will introduce a new experience to the sci-fi horror genre. In the brilliant, bold and often-bloody Dead Space™ gamers will step into a third-person sci-fi survival horror experience that promises to deliver the ultimate in psychological thrills and gruesome action.

Set in the cold blackness of deep space, the atmosphere is soaked with a feeling of tension, dread and sheer terror. In Dead Space, players step into the role of engineer Isaac Clarke – an ordinary man on a seemingly routine mission to fix the communications systems aboard a deep space mining ship. It is not long before Isaac awakes to a living nightmare when he learns that the ship’s crew has been ravaged by a vicious alien infestation. He must fight through the dead silence and darkness of deep space to stay alive.

Executive Producer Glen Schofield commented, “This team has worked on some tremendous properties but we have always wanted to work on something that was darker and creepier. We are all such huge fans of the horror and sci-fi genres; we wanted to create the most terrifying game we could, and keep the player on the edge of his seat the entire time.”

Under development at EA Redwood Shores, Dead Space is expected to ship in late 2008 for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system. This product is not yet rated by PEGI or ESRB. More information about Dead Space is available at www.deadspacegame.com.