Killer Instinct Characters Cost $5 Each

[Earnest Cavalli]

Killer Instinct Characters Cost $5 Each

Pricing information for the upcoming free-to-play Killer Instinct has emerged, and it looks like those of you who want to enjoy the game's full roster will need to earmark a sizable chunk of change.

Killer Instinct has lain dormant since the mid-90s, but the upcoming Xbox One console sees the fighting series' return. Unlike past Killer Instinct titles however, this latest entry follows a free-to-play business model. Players will be able to download the game totally gratis with a single playable character, and if you'd like more, you're going to have to pay for it.

According to a new post on the official Xbox Wire blog, each additional character you purchase will set you back $5. Of course, if you're willing to spend a bit more money, there are bundle packages that offer slight savings over picking up the game's roster piecemeal. The Combo Breaker Pack, which features a $20 price tag, offers players eight characters. That's a 50 percent discount, for those of you too lazy to do the math. Alternately, if you spend $40, you'll receive those eight characters, additional costumes for your fighters, character accessory packs and a copy of the original arcade release of Killer Instinct.

It should be noted that this free-to-play model allows Microsoft and developer Double Helix to slowly roll out updates for the title. As such, if you pick up one of the bundles that offers eight characters, you'll find six of them available at launch, with an additional two arriving at some point in the future. The good news is that bundle owners will receive early access to these two additional fighters, though there is no word on when they might appear or who those characters might be.

Thus, despite Killer Instinct being a free-to-play game, those of you who are hoping for it to be as full-featured as other modern fighting games will need to spend roughly as much cash as you'd expect to shell out for a standard retail release - and that's assuming Double Helix doesn't end up offering even more premium content after the title has hit virtual shelves.

Source: Xbox Wire [http://news.xbox.com/2013/08/gamescom-ki]

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[Zhukov]

While I have no interest in this title, I often find myself wishing that FTP games would just offer an "unlock everything, present and future" bundle for whatever they think it's worth.

It'd just make things simpler, y'know?

 

[Easton Dark]

Sounds more like a demo than a free-to-play title to me. At least to get everyone it costs less than any new game on consoles.

 

[Quiet Stranger]

I'm reminded of those enemies in Borderlands 2 who get super angry when you shoot off their helmets (I play the game now and I can't even remember their names) "I'M SO GOD DAMN ANGRY!" Seriously!! What the FUCK! What the hell is wrong with this company? One single playable character? I have to buy the whole roster? Fuck that!


What the fuck is going on with some video game companies today?

 

[Aggieknight]

So...how do you know that you'll like the new character that they want you to spend $5 on?

Do you have to pay for the unlock to play against a toon?

Sounds like a dumb idea...especially when we know that people will pay cold hard cash to unlock costumes on characters that they own.

 

[Rad Party God]

$20 doesn't sound bad at all.

Sure, $5 for each fighter is outrageous to say the least, but $20 for all of them (or at least the initial 8) sounds about right.

 

[josemlopes]

I dont get why some people are angry, its all a matter of perspective, the full game is 40$, a lot cheaper then most fighting games and if you dont care for that bonus stuff its only 20$. If you dont care for some characters you get to choose what are the ones you actually want meaning that you only spend money according to what you actually care about.

Thats actually a good deal but since its called a Free to Play game everyone is expecting to not pay a cent while still complaining that it shouldnt be F2P and instead a full 60$ release.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

While I have no interest in this title, I often find myself wishing that FTP games would just offer an "unlock everything, present and future" bundle for whatever they think it's worth.

It'd just make things simpler, y'know?

Pretty much. I hate when they add a bunch of dlc but with no quick means to get it all. I don't even care about price to an extent. Borderlands 2 (haven't played the first) does this and it pisses me off when I have to go back and forth and compare dlc packs until eventually I said fuck it and didn't buy anything

On topic, I wouldn't have a huge problem with a system like this so long as the game is cheap/free. If buying all the dlc is the same as the retail purchase price then there really isn't a difference in the long run. Hell, it would probably save some of us money

 

[Weaver]

Not really looking forward to this. Double Helix has never made a good game IMO, and this payment model for a fighting game seems very silly.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

How is this free to play? How? How? How the fuck can they call it that? It's a fighting game, and you pay for the fuckin' fighters. How many fighters do you actually get for free? If it's less than 10 then this is messed up. I don't suppose they'll let you try out the characters before you buy them? No, that would make too much sense.

 

[Ipsen]

So...how do you know that you'll like the new character that they want you to spend $5 on?

Do you have to pay for the unlock to play against a toon?

Sounds like a dumb idea...especially when we know that people will pay cold hard cash to unlock costumes on characters that they own.

I guess you'd rather pay 60$ for potentially 8-10 characters you DON'T like at all.

And you'll still be able to play Jago vs Jago, whose matchup is kind of the first litmus test that a fighting game works anyway.

How is this free to play? How? How? How the fuck can they call it that? It's a fighting game, and you pay for the fuckin' fighters. How many fighters do you actually get for free? If it's less than 10 then this is messed up. I don't suppose they'll let you try out the characters before you buy them? No, that would make too much sense.

Get where you're coming from, but fighting games are NOT about the extra characters, let alone 'marvel vs capcom 2'-level amount of characters. My next statement downplays their need (and you do need extra characters), but characters designed beyond the first are veneers; they all follow the same base mechanics as the first character designed, they're just of a different flavor (basic examples being rush-down, keep-away, aerial, or some mix of, or whatnot). You could very well have the best matches with just the one character provided; you kind of need another human brain behind that second person, but it's possible.

If anything, do this; download the game (if you've summoned the courage to get an XBONE), see if you like the mechanics. If you do, look up forums on the characters, and see who's good. THEN you know WHO to buy (which most fighting games won't let you do).

 

[Erttheking]

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This is an XB1 exclusive right? Sorry guys, not really selling me on that overpriced VCR.

 

[Yuuki]

It's hilarious reading some of the knee-jerk responses in this thread, I guess a lot of people simply read the title and proceeded to lose their minds.

$20 for 8 characters of your choice is a very good deal considering that arcade fighters are all about picking a character (or a few) and mastering them through endless practice.

This is FAR better than the game costing the standard $60 AAA price.

 

[CriticalMiss]

How is this free to play? How? How? How the fuck can they call it that? It's a fighting game, and you pay for the fuckin' fighters. How many fighters do you actually get for free? If it's less than 10 then this is messed up. I don't suppose they'll let you try out the characters before you buy them? No, that would make too much sense.

You get one fighter for free. No idea if you get to choose or it is just Mr Generic Fighty Guy who is available for everyone, I doubt they'd give you a choice too as then they can have a shit unpopular character available for free and charge for everyone else.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I have no interest in the game, but the pricing model isn't all that bad. All told, even if you buy the full pack for $40, it's going to be cheaper than most fighting games. I'm really not sure how well the game is going to do on a competitive level (I;m guessing not well.. at all) but it's success or failure won't likely come based on the pricetag at least.

How is this free to play? How? How? How the fuck can they call it that? It's a fighting game, and you pay for the fuckin' fighters. How many fighters do you actually get for free? If it's less than 10 then this is messed up. I don't suppose they'll let you try out the characters before you buy them? No, that would make too much sense.

You get one character for free. That character being Jago, the game's Ryu clone. Yes, if you don't pay more you only have one character to play as.

I don't believe they've said anything at all about a sort of trial system. I would imagine that each character will get a preview video like has been happening for Injustice, and it's possible that while you can't play as a character you haven't purchased you may be able to play against them to at least see what they play like.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

I dont get why some people are angry, its all a matter of perspective, the full game is 40$, a lot cheaper then most fighting games and if you dont care for that bonus stuff its only 20$. If you dont care for some characters you get to choose what are the ones you actually want meaning that you only spend money according to what you actually care about.

Thats actually a good deal but since its called a Free to Play game everyone is expecting to not pay a cent while still complaining that it shouldnt be F2P and instead a full 60$ release.

THIS. I don't know what everyone is whining about. You just want to play with 3 characters or less? You get a discount from the already cheap price of $20. You want to play with the full package? Well, $40 is less than $60 for a normal game. The only problem I see with this whole thing is that 8 characters isn't really that much. At least compared to the massive roster in the Mortal Kombat reboot which has 27 characters just in its base game. But who knows, maybe Killer Instict will offer a lot more than just roster counts.

 

[sid]

I will point out one thing they came really close to doing right. Adding a bundle with every known character solves the f2p dilemma quite well. The users who do not want to be taunted with purchases get their way, purchasing the full title in one go, and the publishers get their way by still having a f2p title which, or so we're told, is where the money is at. Actually, that's a pretty smooth way to solve any and all issues. And it also stomps out the DLC issues while we're at it

 

[Vivi22]

So the League of Legends system of "Free-To-Pay", but without the ability to unlock characters by playing, and in a fighting game...

I already hate League of Legends system. Can't believe someone decided to make a system that's worse. Also not surprised that it was Microsoft if it was going to happen though.