What do you think about Killer Instinct's seasonal distribution? Would you like sequel to have seasons?

  • It was good decision
  • I’d prefer buying base game + optional DLC characters
  • I’d prefer other unorthodox form of distribution

0 voters

What do you think about how KI2013 was distributed? Would you like for sequel to have seasonal or standard structure?

In my opinion, F2P model with seasonal approach was good decision and groundbreaking one, as many popular games take advantage of it with success (Rainbow 6 Siege, Street Fighter 5).

Besides, IMO if KI2013 launched classic style, base roster + few DLC chars and some polishing updates, it would last year, two tops, and drown among newer titles.

This form of distribution has some pros:

  • it is easier to learn matchups of smaller, gradually expanding roster

  • developers are more flexible with shaping up metagame, balance and generally polishing up gameplay with every char update, than with one big overhaul every season/year that could turn out a flop with conflicted fanbase

  • constant updates and content additions help to keep game fresh and in center of media’s attention, also provide reason for players to come back to it

The main con I see would be more expenses to keep up with all the content and potential lack of fan favourites from the start.

For sequel, I would like for publishers to take inspiration from Street Fighter 5, but execute it more smart. Kick off with initial roster of around 16 characters for 30 or 40 dollars, with F2P model of 1 rotating character as KI2013 does, and add content in seasonal bundles that would be purchasable or unlockable with in game collectible points like in SF5.

3 Likes

If they are going to do it that way, please don’t make each season cost 60 bucks. SFV seasons only cost like 30. I love KI, but I feel like I was scammed by it.

For the record, I don’t think either works well. SFV is 6 characters for 30 bucks and that’s it. KI is 60 bucks a season and you get 8 characters, 8 costumes and MAYBE 8 stages. Meanwhile MKXL costs 60 bucks and you get 33 characters and 14 stages. Things do not seam to scale. A KI season should cost like 30/40 bucks, and a SFV stage should cost like 15.

Overall, it was a good idea IMHO. Doling out new characters little by little kept the game fresh for a lot longer than games typically tend to. However it wasn’t without its faults. I think changing directions several times ultimately left the game as a whole felling incomplete, such as leaving several characters without stages, leaving season 3 characters completely out of Story/Arcade mode, as well as never having a boss fight in Story/Arcade.
And let’s not forget the lack of accessory sets/costumes that they could have easily made bank on due to their high demand…

But overall I can’t say I’m unsatisfied with the end result.

2 Likes

I honestly liked how this system turned out, I was initially worried that the MOBA-style method of introducing a new character every few months was going to backfire on them but it actually worked to it’s advantage IMO. The main thing being that, like you said, the game doesn’t just dump a bunch of characters and forces players to understand a ton of new matchups all at once, which really helped the metagame and kept players from being overloaded with too much information or too many choices.

However I do agree that they should allow characters to be purchasable with in-game currency as well as real money options, it worked for MOBAs so I could see it working here without too many problems. Also having a larger initial roster to stave off any potential stagnation that occurs from having to few characters to play around with (you said 16 which feels like a reasonable number for this distribution method).

1 Like

It was also TOO GADDAMN EXPENSIVE!

Damn, accidentally pressed the second. Oh well.

The Seasonal approach was a good idea in terms of planning upcoming DLC characters/stages.
However, it did come with a draw back that consisted of constant game changes that overhauled what the original formula of the game was. Some of it good, some bad but that’s all opinion from person to person.
If the game did get a full sequel, I’d like the devs to build the fighting game style and mechanics before the production of the seasonal dlc items to prevent constant relearning and swapping of people mains at the time.

Sorry if I worded it strange. I can’t seem to find the right way to say it.

1 Like

I thoroughly enjoyed the trickled release of 1 character per month there for almost 2 years. I kept us all engaged, the forums flourished, and it allowed you time to try out each new character upon release.
Id never do that with a huge roster…still havent played some characters in Injustice 2.

I prefer the S1 and S2 model please.

2 Likes

I like it, but I would prefer more character at the start and less with each season

I’d prefer a base game first, then dlc.

I think less time restraints and not having to monitor the download size, would be better for development.

A good 10 -16 character game with DLC depending on the depth initial release.
Injustice2 has succeeded in this, monthly characters renew the roster and gameplay.

STORY MODE day one
Arcade ladders day one

Costumes later
Exclusive Stages later

You do realize no KI season was $60, right? :thinking:

$40 was the most you should have ever had to pay for a season, and that’s with you buying the Ultra edition each time. If money was a concern, you could have quite happily just paid $20/season to have every character in the game.

1 Like

Where are you getting this pricing from? The Combo Breaker edition for each season was $20.

As far as the OP, these things aren’t mutually exclusive - you can think the season model was the right choice but still want a more traditional release +DLC for a new game. I’m pretty ambivalent. There’s no question that the periodic releases extend interest in the game. I think maybe KI went a little overboard. I would probably support a “two season” model with a few more characters and content in each of the two seasons. I’d also like to see the game have a bit more coherence between seasons in terms of modes etc (ie story mode should be the same for all characters not a completely different thing for each season if characters). But I think a seasonal model is perfectly fine.

I could have sworn…

Sorry about that. I guess I just was delusional for a minute there. :grimacing:

Honestly though, I want whatever game they make to go on much longer than this one did. I like fighting games with huge rosters (ala tekken Tag tournament 2). So if they keep a seasonal model, I want like 8 seasons.

That would be a good idea KI Season 4K Sequel #KillerInstinctSequel4K