From a marketing standpoint, I get why IOI spent time to develop PC VR and improve the PC port of Hitman III for the Epic Games Store release. Outside of this, I don’t know why IOI would invest in the Hitman Trilogy now that the developer has moved on from the Hitman Trilogy to other projects, like Project 007.
I could see IOI bringing out a full campaign like “Patient Zero”, selling it as bonus DLC content. But I don’t get why IOI investing time and resources in this one new map for free?
Maybe they are introducing new mechanics in this pilot map to implement in a future Project 007 or other project, and possibly giving their newer employees practice in creating a limited map for a legacy project.
Most players of Hitman III moved on after its release in January - February of 2021. I don’t see how this new map or Freelancer will do much to reinvigorate Hitman for the average player, who dropped off of Hitman more than a year ago.
They appear to have made plenty of money with H3 which is good news considering how slowly H1 got going in 2016. Maybe this was in the pipeline for a while they would rather the player base be happy at the end of the H3 lifecycle than be upset with them for charging for another map. They will need us to buy 007 and whatever else they have coming down the road. Who knows? Maybe there will be another level as paid dlc or maybe freelancer will be paid? Always fun to speculate, but you never really know what a guy (or a company) is gonna do until they actually do it.
Maybe there’s reason to believe that more people will buy H3 with the announcement of the new map/freelancer?
It would definitely reignite activity for the game on youtube/twitch, which probably indirectly boosts sales.
If it’s enough to profit, I don’t know…
Looking back upon it, the paid DLC, Seven Deadly Sins was a creative, but low effort endeavor by IOI using a very small team. It made IOI some money, and gave fans something to do post-Hitman Trilogy release.
A free new map is a lot more work than the paid Seven Deadly Sins DLC, and it comes long after the tail of major sales of Hitman III two years ago.
I am still confused as to why the new map is free.
I ain’t complaining. I certainly would have paid for a new map, and still would if they are considering keeping one team working on hitman (hint hint IO).
If I was a betting man though, IOI will offer a yearly subscription pass in the future for Hitman. This is where the game development industry is going anyways.
IOI was way ahead of the game in 2016 in bringing out an episodic release model where you would pay a fee for a new map. They started the concept of “Netflix of Assassination”, a concept of a subscription service or pay as you go model for new content.
IOI have the online platform and millions who have access to this Hitman platform through XBOX Game Pass or who have paid for Hitman 3 or the full Hitman trilogy.
IOI could just use sales of a future subscription service to pay for new content creators, extending the life of Hitman beyond 2022.
I could see Ambrose being free because the community complained about the costs of the Escalation content they put out within the first year, and are probably making amends on that.
I absolutely see Freelancer being like, a $15-$20 mode. If they’re gearing it up to be this big mode and “the future of Hitman” that’s not a freebie.
Guys. Ambrose is not free to “increase good will” or to “make good on promises” or “as a thank you” or “because they realized they skimped on a level.”
Ambrose is free to draw more players into the game and to sell more product.
Which is cool. That’s the arrangement. But don’t fool yourselves.
Yes IO want to sell more HIII, that is why this level (that might not even be a part of III’s story) has released a whole two years after that game and well after its peak sales. IO have really struck while the iron is hot haven’t they?
@Axwage has a point; they’ve waited until the hype died down and it’s released on every platform possible before bringing it up now to lure more people back, or newcomers who just hadn’t got to it yet.
Plus, since the original plan was to release it later this year and to put Freelancer out first, maybe Ambrose was originally going to cost money and Freelancer was going to be free, since it’s a mode and not a new map, and they switched it since Freelancer isn’t ready.
Or perhaps Freelancer was always going to cost a fee and Ambrose was always going to be free, and it would bring back those who didn’t feel like paying for Freelancer just yet, or to satisfy those who dislike Freelancer. It could be.
It seems to me that IO wants Freelancer to be something large(ish) (and potentially trilogy spanning) so if anything is going to cost anything it would be that. I could be reading too much into things however.
With the convoluted pricing model of the Hitman trilogy, I can’t see where another paid dlc would fit, feel free to correct me though.
I get the impression consumers are confused as it is.
Microtransactions (heaven forbid) could more easily fill this space.
Not trying to be pedantic, but I am bracing for this
Guess that’s a little too cynical to me. I do think they care about their overall reputation, also because that affects sales - the VR/Steam launch earlier this year did some damage. If I was to be pessimistic, I’d say it’s free because maybe Ambrose is just not as ambitious or substantial as the other maps. It’s better to avoid an incoming backlash by then making it free and perhaps charging for parts of Freelancer.
I can’t really see how a map that is free for people who already own Hitman 3 (a 1,5+ year old game) would draw any remarkable amount of new players to the game at this point.
With this point, I don’t see why Freelancer would be paid since you’d probably need ownership of S1 and S2 alongside it. It’d be like DLC for DLC and that just doesn’t sound like a good idea, consumer-wise and product-wise.
Can’t wait to play!!