Capcom’s Deep Down is like an enigma that just keeps getting enigma-ier. OK, that’s not a word. But the game’s development has taken a ton of twists and turns since it was revealed earlier this year.
First, we thought it would turn out to be multiplatform. Nope. Deep Down is a PS4 exclusive. Then, we thought it was a medieval dragon-fighting epic. Nope. Turns out the whole thing takes place in New York City about 80 years into the future. Now, Shuhei Yoshida, the President of Sony’s Worldwide Studios division, has tweeted that Deep Down will be released as a free-to-play title:
Capcom just announced that "deep down" will be a f2p game on PS4, planning open Beta near the launch of PS4 in Japan. @Yoshi_OnoChin
— Shuhei Yoshida (@yosp) September 21, 2013
When you stop and think about it, it actually makes a weird kind of sense. From what we’ve seen of the game so far, players in Deep Down start in some futuristic hub level and then descend into the demon-infested dungeons below. Selling some of the dungeons to players piecemeal while keeping a small selection of them free could work. If nothing else, it’s very similar to how Microsoft is handling Killer Instinct.
The PS4 is scheduled to launch in Japan on February 22, 2014. Hopefully the open beta will be available internationally so we can all find out how it works together.
