Ace Combat: Infinity Bringing Free-to-Play Fighter Combat to PSN

StewShearerOld

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Jan 5, 2013
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Ace Combat: Infinity Bringing Free-to-Play Fighter Combat to PSN


Namco Bandai has released a teaser trailer for a newly revealed entry in the Ace Combat franchise.

Fast planes are cool. Explosions are cool. Logically, putting those two things together should give you a decent recipe for a fun videogame. That's what we're assuming to be the driving philosophy behind the Ace Combat series, any ways. Originating in 1992, the Ace Combat games have been a source of high flying action for more than two decades.

That being the case, Namco Bandai has announced that the long running series will be adding yet another iteration to its ranks in the near future. Ace Combat: Infinity is set to come exclusively to the PS3 within the next few months. Though, a North American release date has yet to be revealed a Namco Bandai spokesperson confirmed that the new game will be <a href=http://www.videogamer.com/ps3/ace_combat_infinity/news/ace_combat_infinity_is_download-only_launches_exclusively_on_ps3_september_25.html>landing on the PSN on September 25th.

While the released teaser trailer contains few actual details as to what the Infinity will bring to the table, Namco Bandai has confirmed that the it will be download only and free-to-play. That announcement on its own could outline some features likely to be included in the game. We would bet, for instance, that the it will have multiplayer. And jets. We're going to go out on a limb and say Ace Combat: Infinity will probably involve fighter jets. The obvious stuff aside, we're curious as to what you think the game will or should include? If you're a fan what features from previous iterations should Infinity adopt and, if you're new to the franchise, what can it do to draw you in?

Source: <a href=http://www.videogamer.com/ps3/ace_combat_infinity/news/ace_combat_infinity_is_download-only_launches_exclusively_on_ps3_september_25.html>VideoGamer

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Ishigami

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You know I really like the older Ace Combats. Mainly Unsung War and Zero.
Fires of Liberations wasn't so bad but their ?fly with an angel? thing got just really annoying really fast and it lacked a little focus.
The lack in focus continued with Assault Horizon and being forced into QTEs was just appalling. Not to mention that this instalment lacked any sort of originality in their story/world and tried way too hard to appeal to an US audience for my taste.

So you can imagine that I'm not thrilled to see the next instalment in the series taking place in a bastardized version of our world again and that the first teaser of course features an asteroid smashing into the USA (Washington?) and an Russian T-50 flying over it...

That was even before I read here that it is apparently F2P. F2P hints that it is probably focused around a MP with micro transaction. How otherwise would this pay off?

To me this looks like the slow downfall of the AC series...
 

GloatingSwine

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Not sure if want.


Free to play, to me, generally implies either a heavy RPG element, which I can't see in an Ace Combat game, or a competitive element, which I can't see working because the core Ace Combat gameplay doesn't suit it (and, in fact, I don't think modern air combat does at all, because it's actually amazingly dull radar simulation, hence War Thunder and World of Warplanes both being firmly in the machinegun era).
 

fix-the-spade

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Oh God I'm getting sick of F2P.

'Free to Play' translation: Keep paying forever or we'll take it away.
Infinity is such an apt name.

That trailer is terrible, not even five seconds of planes, rubbish!

I can really see F2P being the cause of a huge crash and/or the death of several publishers as they pour money into a system that requires infinite income to remain at all viable. It's increasingly being used as a back door for always on DRM, we all know how that story ends.
 

EnglishBlues

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The last real Ace Combat games were released for PlayStation 2. There's no heart to this series anymore, just pandering. Namco can keep this one.
 

A Satanic Panda

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Ishigami said:
To me this looks like the slow downfall of the AC series...
With the whole Facebook meteor shower redesign I hoped we finally went back to Strangreal...

Hold me...
 

Ishal

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Ishigami said:
You know I really like the older Ace Combats. Mainly Unsung War and Zero.
Fires of Liberations wasn't so bad but their ?fly with an angel? thing got just really annoying really fast and it lacked a little focus.
The lack in focus continued with Assault Horizon and being forced into QTEs was just appalling. Not to mention that this instalment lacked any sort of originality in their story/world and tried way too hard to appeal to an US audience for my taste.

So you can imagine that I'm not thrilled to see the next instalment in the series taking place in a bastardized version of our world again and that the first teaser of course features an asteroid smashing into the USA (Washington?) and an Russian T-50 flying over it...

That was even before I read here that it is apparently F2P. F2P hints that it is probably focused around a MP with micro transaction. How otherwise would this pay off?

To me this looks like the slow downfall of the AC series...
I'm not disagreeing here, but this kinda makes me think of AC4. I mean, meteors and the Mobius ribbon logo... could be good. Or it could be them just trying to bait us in with stuff they know we like.

As long as their is a fun single player campaign and awesome music by Keiki Kobayashi I'll play it, but the last great AC game was Zero.

edit: after watching it again, i think that is just the mathematical symbol for infinity, not the mobius logo. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
 

Ishal

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A Satanic Panda said:
Ishigami said:
To me this looks like the slow downfall of the AC series...
With the whole Facebook meteor shower redesign I hoped we finally went back to Strangreal...

Hold me...
0.28 of the trailer, almost positive that is Stonehenge. Looks like it doesn't it? Do you think they'll revisit old missions from previous games?
 

unstabLized

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Sigh... It's just not the same. The Ace Combat that I fell in love with is just isn't there anymore.. *sheds a tear*
 

Leg End

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Raiyan 1.0 said:
Coming soon! $4.99 for jailbait loli paintjob!
IDOLM@STER FUCKING WHERE?!? :D

OT: If it plays like 6 online, I'm pretty skeptical because you would have a missile fly up your ass when it showed up as a ways behind you because of horrid netcoding.
And if it's anything like Assault Horizon...
I give up on Bamco.
 

A Satanic Panda

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Ishal said:
A Satanic Panda said:
Ishigami said:
To me this looks like the slow downfall of the AC series...
With the whole Facebook meteor shower redesign I hoped we finally went back to Strangreal...

Hold me...
0.28 of the trailer, almost positive that is Stonehenge. Looks like it doesn't it? Do you think they'll revisit old missions from previous games?
This made me think, what if the story is around an interdimensional gateway that opened up, making a bridge between Strangereal and Earth? Somehow caused or linked to Ulysseys? There are clearly things from both universes and the phrase:

the heavens split to create new skies.
Or it's just Namco recycling names and not being creative.
 

Platypus540

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I'm just... confused by this more than anything. If it's F2P (which is total bull) there probably won't be much if any single player story content. Which is the *entire* draw of the Ace Combat series. And if it's multiplayer-focused/only, then why the hell were they teasing it with quotes and references to the good, Strangereal games? And if it's in our world, then what's going on with the asteroids? And I swear that's Stonehenge firing in the beginning of the video. Or is this going to end up being another case of Namco's tremendously unclear marketing?

Basically, I'm kind of pissed, but I honestly don't feel like we know enough to be properly angry yet.
 

Ishal

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Platypus540 said:
I'm just... confused by this more than anything. If it's F2P (which is total bull) there probably won't be much if any single player story content. Which is the *entire* draw of the Ace Combat series. And if it's multiplayer-focused/only, then why the hell were they teasing it with quotes and references to the good, Strangereal games? And if it's in our world, then what's going on with the asteroids? And I swear that's Stonehenge firing in the beginning of the video. Or is this going to end up being another case of Namco's tremendously unclear marketing?

Basically, I'm kind of pissed, but I honestly don't feel like we know enough to be properly angry yet.
It seems I'm not the only one getting an AC4 vibe here. Like I said, 0.28 that is stonehenge or something very similar. I agree we don't know enough. But it looks like there will be some sort of single player. I don't see why they'd put all this up there just for multiplayer.
 

Solo-Wing

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Ishigami said:
You know I really like the older Ace Combats. Mainly Unsung War and Zero.
Fires of Liberations wasn't so bad but their ?fly with an angel? thing got just really annoying really fast and it lacked a little focus.
The lack in focus continued with Assault Horizon and being forced into QTEs was just appalling. Not to mention that this instalment lacked any sort of originality in their story/world and tried way too hard to appeal to an US audience for my taste.

So you can imagine that I'm not thrilled to see the next instalment in the series taking place in a bastardized version of our world again and that the first teaser of course features an asteroid smashing into the USA (Washington?) and an Russian T-50 flying over it...

That was even before I read here that it is apparently F2P. F2P hints that it is probably focused around a MP with micro transaction. How otherwise would this pay off?

To me this looks like the slow downfall of the AC series...
Oh god I want it to return to how Zero was... T.T Even 6 would do!

Namco! Stop killing my love! I have been with it since Ace Combat 4! Don't do this to me! I just gave you money for Project X Zone! Take my offer and return to me the Ace Combat of old!
 

TheEvilGenius

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Judging from what I saw, it looks like DFM won't be showing up. Good riddance. Though, from what I can find, it sounds like there will be a single-player mode with a little bit of online play. Personally, I don't give a damn about online play. Let me take my Rafale M/F-35/F-15SMTD into the sky and shoot down impossibly huge flying fortresses while listening to epic music and performing tight turns to dodge missiles and I'm good. Honestly, if they do the AC6, thing where they drop a few missions and some color schemes for money, I won't complain. I liked some of those paints.

EDIT: Found a better trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAwMSEG4OB4