While it's obvious Dead Space takes a few cues from Doom III (already a classic horror shooter in my opinion), it's also obvious it's taken bits and pieces from other games in the horror and sci-fi genres as well, and it's the combination of those types that I find interesting.

So here are some of the games I think helped inspire Dead Space, and why. I may post a follow-up after I actually get to play the game, however.

Doom III: with graphics still good enough to impress someone today, over 4 years later, it's probably the sci-fi horror shooter of the new millennium. It did catch some flak for over-using complete darkness as a scare tactic. I find a similar type of tight-space twitchy monster killing goodness apparent in Dead Space. Luckily, it doesn't seem quite so dark.

System Shock 2: arguably the best sci-fi horror shooter of all time. When I see the atmosphere of Dead Space, I think of SS2. When I hear the top-notch audio, I think of SS2. This is a huge plus for Dead Space in my opinion.

Half-Life 2: HL2's story is an unflinching (first-person) narrative from start to finish. You don't stop for cutscenes or to progress the story. You experience everything from Gordon's perspective. Dead Space seems to have mostly adopted this narrative style, albeit in third-person. I can't wait to see how this works out.

Mass Effect: A great, modern Sci-Fi RPG. It definitely wasn't the first to use an over-the-shoulder perspective, but the style and perspective, and to some extent the atmosphere of the ship corridors, seem to be present in Dead Space. I'm sure Dead Space will be more twitchy, and this comparison is a little iffy since other games have taken this approach too, but it's just a feeling I have.

So there are four excellent games which seem to have had a hand in inspiring the developers of Dead Space. Not to mention I'm sure Dead Space will carve its own place in the sci-fi/horror genre, and maybe even bring some of its own innovations to the table that future titles can learn from.

My favorite interface and most time so far has been spent on the site Novlet.com. The idea of the site is simple: Find a story you like, or start a new one. Continue writing the story at the end, or branch off from anywhere in-between. Tag your story or section with the available genres. That's it. Other users can read and rate your work, and continue or branch off of your stories.

I've started a couple of sci-fi stories on Novlet:

• Far Removed - The saga of the human race after the invasion of Earth from an unknown type of alien radiation causes the remainder of civilization to take to space and colonize other planets in the ultimate hope of returning to Earth or finding another such star to continually sustain human life. I'd like other users to help me figure out the overall direction of this story.
• Consumed - Book 1: A Darkness Rises - I am trying to further flesh out the Consumed universe and expand the backdrop for both the novel and the game and any future works. This is the first open collaborative story based on the Consumed storyline. It takes place before the events of Consumed, when the UA is still trying to unite the Earth under their control, and they have set their sites on Russia, the largest remaining opposition and a country in a state of anarchy. I'm hoping other users will help me expand this story.

I have also added sections to the following stories lately:

• The Night Watchman - A couple in a new town have disturbing experiences with a dark figure that seems fixated on Ashley Bowman.
• Horizon - A young girl named Marone joins the king's army for aspirations of freedom and her long-time desire to visit the land of the elves.

A few other collaborative writing sites you might like:

StoryMash.com - This one looks interesting, and actually has some sort of revenue-sharing that it does with its authors, but I haven't looked much into it yet.

Glypho - Seems like a nice idea, but I feel the interface could use some work. Definitely sign up either way and check it out!

I may post others as I check them out further, or post a full review of any of the sites if I find there is any desire for it.