It’s going to be a while before Dead Space 2 comes out, but like the Cylons, EA has a plan. The solution is Dead Space Ignition, a downloadable XBLA/PSN title coming in the fall that acts as a prequel to the sequel, but yet isn’t the first game. Confusing? Let Harold Goldberg help us both out:

"The story in Ignition commences prior to Clarke’s discovery of a Necromorph outbreak in Dead Space 2 while on the massive space station, The Sprawl. But how did the outbreak originally occur? By following the exploits of the characters Franco and Sarah in Ignition, you’ll begin to understand it all in the game that’s somewhat like a backstory to Dead Space 2."

Ahhh, for even more, including a peek at one of the mini-games inside, be sure to check out our Dead Space Ignition first look preview.