A few sites are reporting that Dead Space 3 includes microtransactions, which provide additional resources for the game's crafting system. Though it may sound alarming at first, this isn't exactly a new strategy for EA.

Eurogamer spotted a pop-up message while playing the game, which alerted the player that they couldn't afford a specific upgrade. At that point, they were prompted to either continue or head to the in-game marketplace, where they could purchase additional resources for actual cash.

The site points to an EA microtransaction precedent in Mass Effect 3, which gave players the opportunity to purchase reinforcement packs for the game's multiplayer. EA's been offering these kinds of in-game boosts for years now, stretching at least as far back as 2006's The Godfather: The Video Game. In that title, impatient players could fill their wallets with additional cash. It was purely optional, as players who forged ahead normally could earn money as well.

Tim is reviewing Dead Space 3, and he says that resources have never been an issue for him in the game. If anything, he says he's had a surplus of crafting materials. Think of these as shortcuts. If you don't want to do a bunch of side missions and you just want to start off with an advantage, you're welcome to do that. Eurogamer spoke with the game's associate producer, who said that even players who fork over the cash won't be able to access the game's higher-level weapons. If you want those, you'll have to actually play the game.