Dead or Alive publisher experiments with free-to-play on console

Japanese publisher Tecmo Koei is set to experiment with free-to-play elements on console, as its upcoming Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate fighter will be available both as a full retail game, and a free download. According to details at Famitsu, and as translated by a NeoGAF user, Japanese PlayStation 3 users will be able to download Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate free-of-charge, and play through the game's online mode with four playable characters. Accessing the single-player story mode and additional characters costs money -- 1500 yen ($15) for the story mode, and 400 yen ($4) for each character -- and Tecmo Koei will occasionally make certain characters available for a short time to entice players to try out new characters and consider buying them. However, there will be no limitations on how many matches you can play with the base free version of the game, and free players will be able to play against paying players on any stage. The Famitsu report does not state whether this free-to-play version will be made available in the U.S. as well.