A few days ago, we reported of a certain Dead Space 3 exploit that could be used to acquire near-unlimited resources in the game, provided you had the time and inclination to do so.
The exploit was first reported on GameFront and quickly spread its way across the web due in part to a report by the BBC, which questioned the ethics of exploiting a game that clearly offered microtransactions as a method of acquiring resources. The BBC article, titled "Dead Space cheat undermines in-game microtransactions" by Leo Kelion argued that it was unethical for gamers to essentially swindle the game's developers–EA Games and Visceral Games–of their profits by acquiring the in-game resuorces for free through the supposed exploit.
Today, EA Games reached out to us directly to state that the alleged "exploit" isn't for a fact, an exploit. "The resource-earning mechanic in Dead Space 3 is not a glitch," we are told. "We have no plans to issue a patch to change this aspect of the game. We encourage players to explore the game and discover the areas where resources respawn for free."
The publisher says that the game intentionally designed for players to "farm" certain locations, which are discovered through the course its single-player campaign.
"We’ve deliberately designed Dead Space 3 to allow players to harvest resources by playing through the game. For those that wish to accumulate upgrades instantly, we have enabled an optional system for them to buy the resources at a minimal cost ($1-$3)."
It's as simple as that, and EA Games further informs us that they have absolutely no plans to change how it works.
