Tekken 8 Developers Explain Why They Included an In-Game Shop

Tekken 8 Developers Explain Why They Included an In-Game Shop

• Tekken 8’s in-game shop and microtransactions aim to enhance player experience.
• Director Harada addresses rising development costs and the need to adapt to the current gaming landscape.
• The Tekken Shop looks to offer a mix of paid and free items, with profits going towards game development and updates.

The developers of Tekken 8 recently explained the decision to include an in-game shop and microtransactions amid the pushback it received. Tekken 8 launched back in January, getting rave reviews and critical acclaim. Much of the praise was given to its plot, the gameplay, and the realistic and dynamic visuals. This has resulted in Tekken 8 becoming one of the best-selling games in the franchise, and it is poised to get post-launch DLC with brand-new fighters, like the fan favorite Eddy Gordo.

One feature that the game received pushback on after launch was the announcement of Tekken 8 implementing microtransactions. Microtransactions are a controversial trend in the gaming industry that continues to be used in many triple-A releases. Fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1 were criticized for their implementation, which included expensive cosmetics or limited-time unlockables. Based on prior backlash, it’s likely not surprising that fans rejected the idea of Tekken 8 getting its own in-game shop. Tekken 8’s developers, including director Katsuhiro Harada, spoke about the shop’s inclusion.

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In a recent Tekken Talk Live broadcast, the developers addressed some of the concerns about its implementation, with producer Yasuda Esports stating that the store is meant to “maintain a fresh feeling” for Tekken 8 rather than be a source of profit. Yasuda says he understood that some fans will have a knee-jerk reaction when they hear about it, due to its negative connotation. He elaborates further, saying that much like with Tekken 7, the developers are looking to improve Tekken 8 and this is one of the methods of doing that.

Harada’s Statement on Microtransactions in Tekken 8

Tekken 8’s director then acknowledged the price of triple-A games that also implement microtransactions, stating that development costs have increased from what they used to be. “We would like to ask a favor of everyone that they update their thinking to the current environment of game development and how games are consumed, etc,” said Harada through translator Michael Murray. “Games to create now are just so much more expensive than even Tekken 7 was, so it’s several times of that when we’re thinking about the current platform of games.”

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Games to create now are just so much more expensive than even Tekken 7 was, so it’s several times of that when we’re thinking about the current platform of games.

Harada then states that adding new legacy costumes for Tekken 8’s characters isn’t an easy task either, saying it’s not as simple as taking assets from a previous game and inserting them to work with current-gen hardware. He notes that while there are profits being made off of these microtransactions, they will be used to pay for the development of the game and its free content updates rather than sitting in Bandai Namco’s accounts.

The Tekken Shop will have a mix of both paid items and free items, with the former using Tekken 8’s in-game currency. The Tekken Shop itself will be implemented in the second update for Tekken 8, which is scheduled to drop sometime between late February and early March.

Tekken 8

Bandai Namco’s Tekken 8 will be the franchise’s debut entry on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and the fighting game is built in Unreal Engine 5. The story revolves around Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama’s relationship.

FranchiseTekkenPlatform(s)Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS5, PCReleasedJanuary 26, 2024Developer(s)Arika, Bandai Namco EntertainmentPublisher(s)Bandai Namco Entertainment See at AmazonSee at SteamSee at Playstation StoreSee at Xbox