One thing we can all agree on is the need for more mobile Xbox Live games that let us shoot things. Thankfully Glu Mobile is on the case. The noted freemium publisher will follow up Gun Bros on Windows Phone with a more realistic shooting game: Contract Killer. We had the pleasure of demoing it at E3 2012 today and came away impressed.
Contract Killer places players in control of a mafia sniper. From the map screen hub you’ll choose from a variety of missions or visit the shop. The actual missions come to life via detailed 3D graphics. Aiming at your unknowing targets is as simple as swiping the screen in the desired direction. Once you have them lined up, fire and ruin your enemies’ day!
Each mission costs a certain amount of energy to take on. Energy restores over time, but you can also purchase snacks with Microsoft Points and get right back in the action. As with Glu Mobile’s other freemium titles, the PDLC is completely optional and simply a way to get through the game quicker while showing your support for the developers. Programmers gotta eat!
Contract Killer has no official release date yet, but we expect it arrive later this summer. Windows Phone Central will have first word of the launch date, so make sure you check back frequently! If you’d like to try Contract Killer out now on PC, jot on over here with the Google Chrome browser.
Reader comments
Contract Killer for Xbox Live on Windows Phone exclusive E3 2012 demonstration
Looks good!
"Energy restores over time, but you can also purchase snacks with Microsoft Points and get right back in the action."
That is what is bullshit about the mobile gaming market. You can "cheat" in games by paying real money. They are trying to get more of your money this way. F*cking stupid. Stuff like this ruins games.
Yes. I'm mad.
I'm not. I like the model as an alternative to pay or ad-supported.
There is no pay-wall with the game meaning you never have to pay to beat it. The game is free to use and you're free to buy things if you want.
There's no cheating like level-skips, so I'm not sure what you mean there. Everything you buy is optional and it's a good way to support a game if you like it.
Glu Mobile is one of the largest mobile publishers around and this game, Contract Killer, is one of the most downloaded on iOS/Android using the same model. Meaning? The market has spoken and freemium titles, when done right, are what people want.
As long as you get something for your money. Like new game content or anyting like that it's fine. I'm all for it.
But when they try to get our money this way, by not really giving us Anything for the money. It's just stupid. Not what games are about.
Well, then don't play the game? I mean, if people don't like this type of model then no one will pay and the game will bomb. Glu will then change their model of how it works--seems straightforward.
But I don't begrudge a company for trying something new.
All I know is this: people here complain when a game is more than $0.99 and that games aren't free. Well, here is something different then.
Fact of the matter is Conract Killer has done very well using this model on iOS and Android.
Yeah but I'm talking about that "energy/take on mission thing".
They could easily have sloped that thing and just let us take on mission at any time.
Instead someone though they could maybe earn extra money by making us wait to accept a mission or pay to play them earlier. We should just be able to play whenever we want. This won't be that game. Unless you are willing to pay.
That's my point.
"if people don't like this type of model and how it works in this game, then no one will pay and the game will bomb"
I'm guessing many people won't even know it works this way until after purchase.
THE GAME IS FREE. Not sure how to make that more clear. They're called FREEMIUM for a reason.
Thank you. It so hard for people to understand that
Even though there are games which you can "cheat" in by paying, I wouldn't consider paying to play "cheating". You do that at the arcades, which if anything is worse as there's no free option, unless you get lucky and someone walks away with credit still left. The only thing you're paying for in this case is your own impatience, or if you want to look at it in a more negative way, you're being punished by your wallet if you enjoy the game and want to play a lot of it in one go.
The games don't make themselves. What's wrong with developers getting paid for their work? I'm not the biggest fan of this particular model as I would prefer to buy the game up front, but it's nothing to get worked up over.
Looks good, but another two things we need are more free Xbox live games, and more games that utilize Xbox features like being able to play on our phones then hope onto our xboxes and continue from there.
This game is free.
Oh nooooo, its GLU, then we can expect problems :'(
Expect problems, and expect them to never be fixed.
I don't like freemium model (and the word is ugly), but I don't complain when a game is more than .99.
I honestly don't understand what people expect from very cheap or free games (apps, lunches, whatever...).
I'm mad because this game is free!!! Boo!!! Nobody likes free games, what were they thinking?!?
/s
And yes, mobile game market is different, because many (most?) people aren't usual gamers and they have this idea that games aren't proper software and mistaken its ludic purpose with the actual work people who do them have. In a nutshell mobile IPs get highly devalued, people demand "free" not quality.
A better "model" for this particular game could be the option to buy the game upfront, should one wish, with no restrictions whatsoever. But that not going to happen, since the "idea" of it being free would be destroyed.
:-)