Hardcore gaming fans listen up. Firaxis and 2K Games have announced that its hit game XCOM: Enemy Unknown is due for release next month! The turn-based RPG will drop on April 24, announced at a PAX East panel over the weekend.
The ported Mac version is due fore release next month, however, more interestingly, 2K and Firaxis have also announced an iOS port of the game due for release later this year.
The biggest challenge Firaxis faces is tailoring strategy gameplay for a smaller, touchscreen display…
Lead Designer Jake Solomon has revealed that the game will not come to iOS as a freemium app, instead, publisher 2K has decided to charge full price for the game upfront.
It’s going to be priced appropriately for what it is. It’s going to be a premium price point. It is the game. It is the full game.
It looks like the iOS version is going to be a straight port, with developers claiming that the iOS experience will be the “exact same game” as it is on PC and console currently. Speculators have suggested that the game could cost as much as 15$ on the App Store, a move which may or may not put off potential buyers.
The move away from a freemium configuration seems odd in light of the recent success of Real Racing 3 and Temple Run 2, both of which have seen huge revenue boosts because of their move to freemium.
Enemy Unknown is loosely based on UFO: Enemy Unknown, a strategy game from 1994 in which you command a paramilitary organization defending the earth from invading aliens, you know, the usual.
Strategy games are always risky on iOS, but Firaxis’ stellar development record and XCOM’s massive following should make sure of success when the game finally drops for iOS later this summer!
