After watching Microsoft’s and Sony’s press conferences there are a few games that stand out because of their business models; According to IGN Microsoft’s Xbox One games Killer Instinct and Project Spark will be F2P and digital-only launch day games.
Killer Instinct, the return of Rare’s 1994 C-C-C-Combo breaker fighting game will be released with only one playable character; if you want to play additional characters you’ll have to purchase the fighters for an undetermined price.
The game is being developed by Double Helix games a company responsible for titles like G.I Joe: The Rise of the Cobra, Green Lantern and Battleship (the game).
Another launch day title that will be embracing the Free-to-Play format is Project Spark, a world building co-op/ multiplayer game that will allow you to create and share your own world through the “power” of Kinect and SmartGlass–a companion application that allows you to use your phone or tablet to enhance your in game experience.
Project Spark is “an open-world digital canvas that enables anyone to build, play and share whatever they can imagine and create in the game.”
Sony is also embracing F2P games–Planetside 2 and Warframe are two confirmed games that will be available to PS4 owners for the low price of free. Warframe will provide additional content in the form of DLC and Planetside 2 will continue its microtransaction model.
Free-to-play games are usually ported to mobile platforms and PC but they are, somehow, finding their way to consoles. Is this a big trend or just a coincidence? Will Free2Play games be an essential part of the upcoming console life cycle?
Just like Epic Games VP Mark Rein revealed back in May, it seems like the next gen consoles are embracing these types of models and that Sony and Microsoft are both going heavily in that area.
