XCOM: EU for iOS won’t go overboard with in-app purchases

‘I’m not sure I would be able to sleep at night’

Considering the game’s unforgiving difficulty and meaningful character losses, it’s all too easy to imagine a mobile version of XCOM: Enemy Unknown that runs wild with microtransactions in a hugely successful way. Thankfully, that is not at all what we’re getting in the upcoming port of the excellent console and PC strategy title.

When asked by IGN about the potential for in-app purchases that would, say, improve squadmate performance, lead designer Jake Solomon had a rather amusing response: “Oh God, please… no. I’m not sure I would be able to sleep at night. My food would taste like ashes in my mouth.” Instead, Enemy Unknown will appear on the App Store with a “premium, up-front, fair price.”

“We’ve proven [big console-quality experiences] can be recreated on mobile,” said Solomon. “Now we just have to see how the market responds… If it works, I’ll love it. As a gamer. I love games like FTL, Mark of the Ninja, SimCity… I would play the shit out of them on mobile. I want to see that happen.”

XCOM on iPhone and iPad Will Have No Paid Power-ups [IGN]