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Killer Instinct balance updates won't require patching
Double Helix Games has no plans to force periodic downloads on players to keep the Killer Instinct roster balanced. Instead, these changes will be delivered automatically through the cloud. "All of our variables that go into how a character behaves are going to exist basically in the cloud," said producer Torin Rettig in an interview with Game Informer. "Without having to content update or patch the game at all, we can just go in on the cloud and tweak these variables without the player having to know." "Our vision is for it all to be behind the scenes, so it won't require any official title update download," added Rettig. "Basically the game checks for the latest version of the gameplay's parameters and automatically updates if it's a new version. No download or confirmation dialogue necessary and the files themselves are so small you'd never notice the difference." Despite this, Rettig notes that there will be larger patches for Killer Instinct. New characters, for instance, will require that players manually download a chunk of data too large to be pushed through the cloud.
Characters cost $5 in F2P version of Killer Instinct
Microsoft announced its pricing structure for the upcoming Xbox One fighting game Killer Instinct, revealing that additional characters will be priced at $4.99 apiece. Killer Instinct will be available as a free download for the Xbox One at the console's launch, and will include a single playable character. A $19.99 "Combo Breaker Pack" unlocks the game's full roster of eight characters, including two exclusive fighters that are not initially available for individual purchase. Players can also opt for the $39.99 Ultra Edition, which bundles all playable characters, a collection of accessory and costume packs, and the original 1994 arcade version of Killer Instinct.
Killer Instinct to launch alongside Xbox One
Microsoft's revival of Rare's fighting series, Killer Instinct, will be a launch game for the Xbox One. Microsoft Studios head Phil Spencer told me Killer Instinct is "being overseen by people who are really core to that franchise," and suggested the developer, Double Helix Games, was getting a "bad rap" for its recent history of movie-licensed games. "I think the developer is getting a little bad rap around this game," Spencer said. "We found a developer who really cares about the game. They're building a great game at 60 frames per second." Though it seems to have coalesced into a real product made purely from recurring internet wishes, Killer Instinct is practically seen as an ambassador for Xbox One's improvements to online matchmaking. "Obviously, multiplayer is pretty core to what the game is right now, but when you think about asynchronous matchmaking, and I don't know if it really came across [during Microsoft's media briefing], but while you're playing your match, your next fight is being set up. So, you're literally just carousel-ing from fight to fight. A fighting game, given its round-based nature and how long the rounds are, is a great opportunity to showcase the asynchronous matchmaking." Of course, that isn't to say Twitter had no participation in the matter. "And then, yes, my Twitter feed is always lit up with, you know, there are a few games - Crackdown being one, Killer Instinct being another. When are you going to do this game? Everyone thought there was going to be a Kameo 2, or ... I don't get a lot of Brute Force 2."%Gallery-191172%
Killer Instinct revealed for Xbox One [Update: trailer!]
Killer Instinct is on the way from Microsoft's Rare studio. The update to the classic arcade/SNES/N64 fighter will be released exclusively on Xbox One. A brief video revealed returning fighters and teased a 2013 release. Coinciding with the new fighter, a new Xbox One Mad Catz Tournament Edition Fightstick will be available. Your Xbox 360 sticks won't work, remember. Update: Double Helix is developing the new Killer Instinct. Weird!%Gallery-191147%
