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Hitman 6 launching with seven missions as part "Season One"?
- Thread starter Foffy
- Start date
paragonpro
Banned
Is the game coming out fragmented like this, because of absolutions sales? (Don't know if they were good or not) maybe this is a way for them to experiment with people's interest in the franchise without going all in on a huge tripple a title.
BennyBlanco
aka IMurRIVAL69
1.8 million Steam owners according to Steamspy. Not bad at all.
The game isn't getting a physical release until all of the content is out. I think they may keep $60 until then.
There's also the time-exclusive hits, which will only be available as the game is a digital release. You will actually be missing playable content if you wait for the physical release.
IO wants to release games in this kind of format as opposed to the usual ship-it-in-a-box model. Consider this an experiment as games as a platform model.
Hellwarden
Member
If you're only gonna give me a quarter or half a game, then don't expect me to pay 60 up front.
Give me the complete story campaign, and if it's good, then you'll get 60 dollars.
Give me the complete story campaign, and if it's good, then you'll get 60 dollars.
Guerrillas in the Mist
Member
This analogy doesn't make sense. You're not paying double for the game, the content of the game is staggered.
It also sounds like they're going the KI route of doing additional seasons rather than full sequels, which could be awesome. Imagine new Hitman sandboxes every year for the next few years...
You are getting the full game, though. There will be zero microtransactions and purchasable DLC. The $60 as a price for the long haul is probably an appeasement to not going down those roads. If it does bother you, you can indeed wait, but you will in fact be missing content that will not be in the physical release. To get everything on offer, one is expected to jump in. I don't think people realize that waiting does indeed mean you will be missing content and exclusive hits as the game is in a digital format.
They haven't also stated how much they plan on releasing. All they've ever said is the game is concluding in 2016. If there are four seasons each with the same volume of levels, that's 28 levels, the largest in the franchise. That could also greatly justify this release model.
More_Badass
Member
Do people complain when they buy Telltale games on PC?
It's the same set-up. One payment and you get the current episode + future episodes
It's the same set-up. One payment and you get the current episode + future episodes
I agree. I'm not paying $60 for an unfinished game that they might decide not to finish. What if season 2 is 5 missions? 4? How many seasons will there be? It seems crazy to blindly put your faith in Square Enix to do the right thing here.
More_Badass
Member
If season 2 is 4 or 5 missions, that would still be 11 or 12 missions total, on par with Blood Money
Off-Kilter
Banned
Like others have pointed out, Hitman levels are massive affairs, especially in Blood Money.
And this game seems to be marketed as a bigger, better Blood Money.
We'll be fine folks.
And this game seems to be marketed as a bigger, better Blood Money.
We'll be fine folks.
BibiMaghoo
Member
7 is not enough. I support the model only if the base content is worthy of the price, and that doesn't seem likely, though it is possible.
exmachina64
Banned
Hey, we share the same birthday!
Do you have any adjectives to describe this besides shady? I'm sure IO Interactive and Square Enix are putting effort into this initial release so they can slack off and cash in for the rest of the game. That makes perfect sense.
PreFire
Member
My thoughts exactly. If they use the same formula it should be fine. Very replayable because of the different outcomes.
I wish they'd add extracting targets like MGS. And I miss the newspaper article from I think Hitman 2. The article used to talk about the murders you committed, whether they were accidents, mass murders or assassinations. It was really cool
What I mean is 7 missions is not what you'd expect for a full price game. You're paying for the aditiional missions as well, hence they aren't free.
Q
Queen of Hunting
Unconfirmed Member
people moan about season passes and not knowng what ur getting surely this is the same, how do you know they wont screw up the rest of the seasons or whatever they are called and be content sparse and not as long as first ?
D
Deleted member 80556
Unconfirmed Member
7 huge levels with the same replayability from Blood Money? I'm not really mad.
I'm missing the classic Hitman gameplay too much, I have an itch to scratch, dammit.
This kind of line of thought while absolutely rational and totally understandable, is also funny because it's essentially "I won't buy it because they might not finish it because I did not buy it".
I could've sworn the game is 60$ and you don't have to pay for anything else.
I'm missing the classic Hitman gameplay too much, I have an itch to scratch, dammit.
This kind of line of thought while absolutely rational and totally understandable, is also funny because it's essentially "I won't buy it because they might not finish it because I did not buy it".
I could've sworn the game is 60$ and you don't have to pay for anything else.
NotTheGuyYouKill
Member
This sounds interesting enough for me to try.
Episodic narrative fits really well for games (Until Dawn/Alan Wake/Quantum Break/Metal Gear Solid)
Episodic narrative fits really well for games (Until Dawn/Alan Wake/Quantum Break/Metal Gear Solid)
exmachina64
Banned
How can you be sure any game isn't shit? Don't buy it and wait a year or two.
UnluckyKate
Member
I like the idea, the concept. We need more new ways and format of ditribution and content for games...
But I'm very worried for two things :
- Square being behind it, could ruin it all with wrong pricing
- Slim content for a full priced game...
But I'm very worried for two things :
- Square being behind it, could ruin it all with wrong pricing
- Slim content for a full priced game...
There's absolutely no idea. They've yet to publicly even announce how many missions the game launches with. The Amazon listing is the first time we've gotten an account of when the beta starts and what launches with the game.
These are things IO should have explained at Gamescom.
You're thinking of Blood Money, which was the fourth main game in the series. And for many fans, the last Hitman-esque Hitman game.
I don't know if slim is fair to say. There are people on GAF who've played what was in the alpha, and while that was one level, they played it for hours and still didn't do everything that's possible in the stage. That's not even considering you unlock gear and new options when you beat levels, the time-exclusive hits, and then there's Contracts mode, which is essentially the games online mode where you take out player-chosen targets. That mode is going to greatly benefit in a sandbox game like this, because it even had potential in Absolution, which was painfully linear.
If the six additional levels are at least the size of the fashion show level, that will already produce the largest game in the franchise, in terms of scope and interactivity.
Guerrillas in the Mist
Member
Retail release is coming later, once all the content is done, so I'm assuming it'll be full-price then.
If every level is the size and complexity of the alpha, the content will be more than Blood Money had.
D
Deleted member 471617
Unconfirmed Member
Really hoping this game bombs to be perfectly honest. Sure as hell don't want this setup becoming a trend for console games.
Paying $60 at launch for seven missions and then depending on IO / SE to keep releasing quality content at a good length throughout 2016??? Hell no.
No thanks, I'll wait for the full disc based release.
Paying $60 at launch for seven missions and then depending on IO / SE to keep releasing quality content at a good length throughout 2016??? Hell no.
No thanks, I'll wait for the full disc based release.
More_Badass
Member
So you want it to bomb but...also want to wait for the physical release? You do realize that if it bombs digitally, you're going to get a pretty shitty physical release?
Let me ask this: what is the problem with having different structures for console and AAA games? If anything, Hitman is literally the perfect game for this because the missions are self-contained sandboxes
My counter to that would be that most publishers don't require me or anyone else to pay them for the game before they finish it.
Kssio_Aug
Member
Totally agree.
Its not a bad deal since you will get the full game by the time, however its not the ideal either.
hodayathink
Member
I get the impression that most here would rather pay something like $30 for the initial release and then pay for the other missions when they come out (or buy a season pass), even though that would probably cost them more in the long run.
Will buy the complete edition. I just know myself well enough to know that having like one new big mission per month after the launch will not keep me coming back. I'm the kind of gamer who playes something at one go and if I have to wait for content then I'll just be moving to something else and give all my focus to that and not play the new missions one by one. So I'll get the game no doubt but only after I can play it from start to finish in one go.
Cheat Code
Member
Isn't the one mission they've been showing off huge?
I really don't think seven of those is gonna be problematic for the first part of an episodic release.
I really don't think seven of those is gonna be problematic for the first part of an episodic release.
Considering how quick Absolution tanked in price that doesn't mean much.
creamoftheabyss
Member
Do we even have an official uncut demo of the game? (If the missions are really long than seven at the start would not bother me too much).
More_Badass
Member
Nah, this isn't like Early Access. More akin to an episodic release, especially if they're going to be dividing the missions into seasons
Early Access is an unfinished game, usually in alpha or beta. Missing stuff like saving or graphics options or major gameplay elements
While this would be a complete game feature-wise, with more content and missions coming
Kwansu Dudes
Member
Hope they show more levels. Someone pointed out that they showed off the Chinatown level in absolution and mostly everything else was nothing like it.
It's kind of funny with Absolution in that they showed almost all of the sandbox levels people expected in a Hitman game. I say almost as the only sandbox level they didn't show was the second visit to Chinatown. Almost everything else was a stealthy point-A-to-B affair. It was Absolution's linear level design that prevented the approach from previous games, as even the sandbox levels fell into the problem of being painfully linear.
The mechanics in the new game even on paper make it clear it's Blood Money's formula, from using coins to loadouts. If the whole game is about taking out IAGO, they kind of have to have key players of that group in the game for the missions. Every mission in Blood Money had a target, and I believe it's still the only Hitman currently released that does. Hitman: Sniper doesn't count, as it's mostly one level, so it kind of has to have a target.
What they plan on showing this week at PAX Prime is a public version of the Showstopper level, which is the level from the alpha. Hitman games usually never demo many of the levels on offer. I would like to see more, but I imagine showing off more levels gets rid of the surprise, and so much has been spoiled due to the alpha leak, from escape routes to other things you can do in the level, to potential tasks that involve taking out specific people. I can probably play it during the beta or at launch and probably nail a Silent Assassin run first go. That's how much has surfaced on that level.
More_Badass
Member
If the second level rumors are true, I'll be happy.
A film set
D
Deleted member 471617
Unconfirmed Member
I said that I'll wait for the disc based release but I never ever said that I would actually purchase the game. I don't like the way they're releasing the game. Digital only and $60 but I have to depend on IO/SE to give me quality AFTER I give them $60? Hell no. If the entire package is worth buying, then I will do so when they release a disc version but if not, I save that $60 and put it towards another game instead.
First, im a Best Buy GCU member and second, im not a fan of digital games especially at $60 a pop. I prefer discs so when im finished with the game, I can trade it in for credit and use that credit towards the next game that I want to play. Also, with GCU, im more likely to give games a shot on day one where as without GCU, I wouldn't. Half the games im buying this year are basically me taking a chance on them.
I can't use GCU on digital games and even if I could, I still wouldn't do it because im sorry, I wouldn't spend $60 on even my 2015 game of the year, The Witcher 3. Since im the one paying $60 for the game, I want to be the one that decides what I do with the game. Not a publisher who quite simply wants to give you less for more. Simply, this gen, I have copied what the publishers prefer every gamer to do.
If the game when complete ends up being worth a purchase, I'll buy it day one but if not, oh well.
As for the structure that they're using, I don't like it for various reasons. First, it's digital only. No thanks. Second, im supposed to pay $60 for an incomplete game and then depend on IO/SE to release quality content at a solid length throughout 2016 AFTER they've already received my $60? Hell no. Third, if this becomes a trend, it will simply become just another rip off for the gamers while the publishers again give you less for more. Fourth, to me, this shows that the game isn't completed and they're trying to rush it out and make up for the disaster that was Absolution. Fifth, there's a huge difference between buying the game at launch digitally or buying the game whenever on disc. That difference is on disc, I already know all the content that's in the game and can decide if it's worth buying. Sixth, what's next? Pay $60 for a game but sorry, you can't see the true ending because we haven't completed it yet. Please be patient and wait. Fuck that shit.
When the game is 100% complete, gets released on disc and is worth buying and playing, I'll be more than happy to give SE my hard earned money because I know what im paying for and have deemed it worth buying. Until then, no thanks.
Kwansu Dudes
Member
They've been saying everything right but I'm still cautious. I don't want everything revealed, just give us classic Hitman fans reassurance that the new Hitman isn't another bait and switch like Absolution.
More_Badass
Member
Okay, so if you're going to wait for the physical release, why would you want it to bomb digitally?
D
Deleted member 471617
Unconfirmed Member
More_Badass said:
Because I don't want what they're doing to become a trend and then seeing other developers/publishers do the same thing.
More_Badass
Member
More release options for games is a good thing. Episodic games delivered stuff like Life Is Strange and The Walking Dead. Early Access allowed Kerbal Space Program, Prison Architect, Don't Starve, and myriad other critical-acclaimed games to flourish.
For a game like Hitman and other games that really on self-contained system-driven gameplay, this kind of staggered digital release could be more beneficial than the traditional release structure
And in this case, the digital release bombing means the physical version is going to suffer.
More developers and publishers doing this for the right kind of games can be a great thing
NullPointer
Member
Nothing about this scheme seems in any way good. Red flags all over the place.
Will they spell out in detail, before the game ships, all of post-release content to come? Or is it a wait-and-see situation? And what happens in a worst case scenario where they're unable to complete the game?
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