Hawken gets a release date, goes free-to-play
Hawken, an Unreal Engine 3-powered, multiplayer-focused mech shooter title from indie developer Adhesive Games, is expected to release on December 12, the developer announced recently.
In an exclusive with GamesBeat, Adhesive Games co-founder Khang Le revealed the date, along with news that Hawken will be made available as a microtransaction-fueled free-to-play title, with the company’s Meteor Games division handling the publishing duties.
“This game has been a labor of love that we’ve worked on for 18 months,” Le said. “There hasn’t been a good robot game in a while and nothing that looks like what we’re trying to do, which is more like Call of Duty multiplayer.”
The inspiration for the decision to go the free-to-play route, Le explains, comes from League of Legends. Riot Games’ free-to-play MOBA title is wildly successful, boasting roughly 15 million total registered accounts, 4 million of which log in every month.
Le didn’t provide specifics on how the microtransaction model will be handled in Hawken, but he did suggest that players will be able to purchase more powerful armor, weapons, and various defensive items. Microtransaction items that provide a significant edge in competitive play are generally frowned upon, so it will be interesting to see exactly how that will work.
Regardless, Hawken is looking to be a lot of fun. To see for yourself, you can check out a gameplay video shown off during PAX 2011 below. Also, be sure to sign up for the beta if you’re interested in trying Hawken out early. You can do so at this link.
Source: GamesBeat
