A Glimpse into the Abandoned 2014 Version of Dead Island 2: How a Misstep Could Have Killed the Franchise

During a Develop:Brighton talk on product-market fit, Martin Wein recounted a cautionary tale about the scrapped 2014 version of Dead Island 2. As the head of communications for Deep Silver at the time, Wein was involved in the development process, which ultimately led to a major setback. The game's initial trailer, released at E3 2014, generated significant buzz, but the actual gameplay failed to deliver, with Wein describing it as 'not fun' and 'not engaging.' Despite horrific feedback from play testers, the development team was reluctant to change course, leading Deep Silver to reevaluate the project and eventually take it away from the external developer. The game underwent significant changes, with development duties being transferred to Sumo Digital and later to Dambuster Studios. The final product, released in 2023, was a commercial success, selling over 3 million copies. Wein attributed this success to the difficult decision to restart the project and prioritize player feedback, emphasizing the importance of product-market fit and collaboration between development and marketing teams. He also highlighted the need for ongoing market research and analysis throughout the development process to ensure the game meets the evolving needs of the target audience.