Tecmo Koei has announced that it will release a free Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate base pack for Japanese Playstation 3 owners.
Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi told Famitsu that he hoped the decision would widen the scope of not only Dead or Alive but, the fighting genre in general.
The freemium version of Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate will include four playable characters in Kasumi, Ayane, Hayate and Ryu Hayabusa. Other characters will occasionally work on trial periods and can be purchased separately for ¥400 a piece according to reports.
Those wanting to access the game's single-player mode are going need ¥1500 though there aren't any limitations for matches that can be played. Online multiplayer against players who have the bought version on any stage is possible and players won't know which version their opponents are using. Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate's training mode is also included for the four base characters.
Though the pack is set for an unknown PS3 launch, Tecmo Koei hopes talks with Microsoft can lead to a Xbox360 release. Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate is set to be released for both Xbox360 and PS3 sometime in the fall in North America. Tecmo Koei hasn't announced if the free-to-play edition will make its way over to the states.
Adding to Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate's roster includes Ninja Gaiden character Momiji and Virtua Fighter's own Jacky Bryant along with returning Dead or Alive fighters Leon and Haya. New features consist of many features in Playstation Vita's Dead or Alive 5 Plus such as a new training mode, combo challenge, the ability to chose custom music for fights, and existing character changes.
Tecmo Koei is set to reveal more information on Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate as well as Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z and Dynasty Warriors 8 at this year's E3 in Los Angeles.
