Firaxis, 2K Games reveal XCOM: Enemy Unknown port for iOS
Strategy-loving iDevice owners got an unexpected bit of news this weekend, as Firaxis and 2K Games revealed that the hit turn-based sci-fi game XCOM: Enemy Unknown will be coming to Apple's iOS over the summer.
XCOM's developers spoke with Joystiq on Saturday after revealing the iOS port of the award-winning strategy game during a PAX East panel. The iOS version of XCOM, they said, will arrive fully intact, with all the features available on its PC and console counterparts.
"It is a straight port," XCOM lead designer Jake Solomon said. "We have not made any gameplay exceptions. You play the exact same game... it's just now fully playable on an iPhone or an iPad."
XCOM: Enemy Unknown ? an updated version of a series that began with 1994's UFO: Enemy Unknown ? puts the player in control of an elite division formed to counter an invading alien force. In addition to equipping and controlling XCOM soldiers in the field, players handle the financial, political, and research aspects of the division, with permanent results stemming from their decisions.
The turn-based strategy game debuted to rave reviews for its PC and console versions. 2K Games' PAX East iOS announcement also came with a release date for the Mac version of the game. Mac gamers will get their port on April 24. The iOS version is expected to arrive some time over the summer.
The game's developers stressed that XCOM on iOS will be a premium product and priced accordingly.
"It's going to be priced appropriately for what it is," Solomon said. "It's going to be a premium price point. It is the game. It is the full game."
XCOM's developers spoke with Joystiq on Saturday after revealing the iOS port of the award-winning strategy game during a PAX East panel. The iOS version of XCOM, they said, will arrive fully intact, with all the features available on its PC and console counterparts.
"It is a straight port," XCOM lead designer Jake Solomon said. "We have not made any gameplay exceptions. You play the exact same game... it's just now fully playable on an iPhone or an iPad."
XCOM: Enemy Unknown ? an updated version of a series that began with 1994's UFO: Enemy Unknown ? puts the player in control of an elite division formed to counter an invading alien force. In addition to equipping and controlling XCOM soldiers in the field, players handle the financial, political, and research aspects of the division, with permanent results stemming from their decisions.
The turn-based strategy game debuted to rave reviews for its PC and console versions. 2K Games' PAX East iOS announcement also came with a release date for the Mac version of the game. Mac gamers will get their port on April 24. The iOS version is expected to arrive some time over the summer.
The game's developers stressed that XCOM on iOS will be a premium product and priced accordingly.
"It's going to be priced appropriately for what it is," Solomon said. "It's going to be a premium price point. It is the game. It is the full game."
Comments
I recall Apple CEO stating iOS (iPod Touch and iPhone and eventually iPad) is the largest gaming platform in the World. This will help keep this claim afloat.
I would love to see some other games such as the Battlefield franchise brought back to the Mac and maybe even iOS.
Very excited by this news. I've been debating picking this up for my PS3. I'll definitely get this for my iPad.
(edit)
I'll be curious to see if they attempt to sell this at $60. I'm unaware of any other game software selling at that price point for iOS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tylerk36
I recall Apple CEO stating iOS (iPod Touch and iPhone and eventually iPad) is the largest gaming platform in the World. This will help keep this claim afloat.
True that, they're not making an Andriod version. What apple needs is ultrafast future iPad and iPad mini that can handle a next wave of high-end console quality games made for it. That would encourage the purchase the new iPads and further cement iPad's lead. I think Apple's intense focus and cutting-edge performance with A series chips is one the best things they got going. Now only if they can get Intel's manufacturing onboard, then game over!
Also new/better iOS game controllers and industry accepted controller APIs might go a long way to furthering iPad's lead. However, there definitely is competition brewing on the Andriod game controller front.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave MacLachlan
(edit)
I'll be curious to see if they attempt to sell this at $60. I'm unaware of any other game software selling at that price point for iOS.
The Walking Dead sells for $15. I think that's really the ceiling on iOS even for such an amazing game as XCOM.
The PC version is about a 13GB install. How are Firaxis going to deliver the full game and get it under the 2GB iOS app limit?
Originally Posted by RichL
The PC version is about a 13GB install. How are Firaxis going to deliver the full game and get it under the 2GB iOS app limit?
Worse textures, smaller (fewer?) levels, and no spoken dialogue (if there is any). Sounds simple.
Is the 2GB app limitation on the download from the store or is it a limit for apps installed?
They may be able to use level packs that get downloaded as the game progresses.
I hope they get away with charging full price. The iOS App Store needs to establish that you can make money publishing AAA games on it.
As iPad hardware gets better and better, in theory it should be able to match the current gen consoles, but it won't happen if there is a psychological limit in the App Store to charging more than $20.
Originally Posted by ascii
As iPad hardware gets better and better, in theory it should be able to match the current gen consoles, but it won't happen if there is a psychological limit in the App Store to charging more than $20.
What's wrong with wanting to protest those ludicrous prices?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
What's wrong with wanting to protest those ludicrous prices?
You can protest but you have to be realistic in your protest. Think about how much AAA productions cost to make, games, movies... tens of millions.
Yes there are MANY high quality games for free to less than $5, but there are many more that won't come without a higher price.
Originally Posted by ascii
You can protest but you have to be realistic in your protest. Think about how much AAA productions cost to make, games, movies... tens of millions.
When half the budget is advertising, the quality of some games these days is utterly unacceptable. Either spend it all on development or cut it in half and don't advertise. Its quality will find success in its own right by word of mouth.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
When half the budget is advertising, the quality of some games these days is utterly unacceptable. Either spend it all on development or cut it in half and don't advertise. Its quality will find success in its own right by word of mouth.
Do you believe that Apple should stop advertising then?
Sadly, products live and die on more than just how good they are.
Originally Posted by RichL
Do you believe that Apple should stop advertising then?
When $100,000,000 goes to development and $100,000,000 goes to advertising, there's something wrong.
You're right, of course, but the proportion should be much higher than 1:1.
The PC download is $50 on Amazon and the DVD is $38. They are actually giving away a free copy with the Bioshock pre-order on Steam until Tuesday. It didn't look like a good game to me.
There are no reports of it going to the Vita and the DS won't be powerful enough. If that's the case, it's more evidence of people abandoning the mobile consoles in favour of iOS.
Square Enix typically put their games out at a higher price on iOS, even as much as $29:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/square-enix-explains-why-final-fantasy-games-cost-so-much-on-ios/
It's better to have a low price so you get the volume and then make it up with in-app purchases. I don't think it would be a good idea to ever go above $29 because the audience is large on the iPad and iPhone. The problem that's going to happen is that AAA publishers are going to try and raise the prices and people who make junk apps will try the same thing and people will get burned by it. Unless you know that published games are made by a AAA development studio, you can't trust that the game is worth a high price. Hopefully the Big Name Games section will help with this. There doesn't need to be a separation between AAA and Indie, just good quality and poor quality. If Gameloft makes a crappy game like Splinter Cell, they don't deserve to go in a category reserved for quality titles.
The iPhone wasn't just another Popeil's Pocket Fisherman or Magic Bullet food chopper. Edit: Forgot to quote RichL above.
Originally Posted by webwielder
AppleInsider needs to prohibit the use of "iDevice" in its editorial guidelines.
Why is that a problem?