What originally started as Soul Edge in arcades, Soul Calibur has grown into one of the most popular weapon-based sagas in the fighting game genre. The series includes a diverse cast of fighters who have grown to by synonymous with the franchise. Whether it’s Ivy and her signature “Valentine” chain-sword, or Seong Mi-na and her long-range Guan Dao, the cast of characters within the Soul Calibur series have become some of the most famous among the fighting game genre.
The most recent title, Soul Calibur: Lost Swords was released as a digital PS3-exclusive in February for Japan, and April for North American audiences. Not only is Lost Swords the first digital-exclusive title in the series, but it is also the first free-to-play game for the long-running weapon-based fighter. Rather than feature a competitive multiplayer mode, Soul Calibur: Lost Swords opts for a single-player experience, with a strong emphasis on character customization. While players could unlock various additional weapons for each character in Soul Calibur II, Soul Callibur III was the first game in the franchise to include custom, player-made characters. The idea of aesthetic customization (i.e. costumes, accessories, etc.) would continue through Soul Calibur IV and Soul Calibur V.
In a new interview between Siliconera and Lost Swords Producer Masaaki Hoshino, it was revealed that the free-to-play Soul Calibur would have featured a multiplayer option, but it was dropped due to the implementation of a “pay-to-win” model. What some would consider to be an infectious disease that cripples the free-to-play market, “pay-to-win” refers to in-game microtransactions that lead directly to high-level weaponry and other gear…Essentially, players can purchase the best gear in the game with real currency without having to gain character experience. This often results in an unfavorable rift between new players, and those who bought the most powerful items in the game….It’s ridiculously imbalanced.
Because of a P2W microtransaction system, Hoshino states just that; new players would be “deterred” by fighting against those who already have the best gear in the game:
“…originally, we were thinking about having a multiplayer option, but because we’re going with a pay-to-win model, we were worried that by having online multiplayer, for all the new users that would be coming in experiencing the game for the first time, they might be immediately deterred by fighting against opponents who had superior equipment and gear—and we didn’t want to have that kind of negative impact on new players. In the singleplayer experience, having a pay-to-win structure won’t impede the player’s experience with the game.”
Soul Calibur: Lost Swords features three playable characters upon downloading- Sophitia, Siegfried and Mitsurugi. Other characters will be added to the roster via “limited time events”.