Those of you following the upcoming Dead or Alive 5 Last Round may have noticed that there are some differences between the way Team NINJA is handling the last- and current-generation versions. Aside from the fact that PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners will only be able to purchase the game digitally, both of the older consoles also lack Last Round’s new stages and hair options.
“The reason why we can not make last gen retail version is that retailers in the west can not take them and make them in stock. They are not supporting last gen game any more,” Team NINJA explained on Facebook. “Some of the developers like [Ubisoft], Bethesda, [Warner Bros.] will rapidly shift their production line from last gen to new gen console as you may know.”
Of course, this only applies to newcomers, as those who already have Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate will be able to patch the older title to Last Round for free, though additional downloadable characters will still have to be purchased separately.
As for why the new arenas and hairstyles won’t be available on older hardware, it seems as if their absence is due to the developers focusing mainly on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Devoting resources to previous platforms would cause newer versions to suffer in the process.
While some may still be upset with this news, it does make some sense considering that the current-gen versions will feature the team’s new Soft Engine, which they say will more accurately portray the human form.
Dead or Alive 5 Last Round will be available in North America on February 17 and Japan on February 19. In addition to gameplay balance changes and other additions, two as of yet unrevealed characters are set to join the cast.
Source: Team NINJA via Siliconera