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Dynasty Warriors 9 Got Monetized to Death
I was one of approximately three critics who loved Dynasty Warriors 9 when it first released in 2018. Yes, the game had numerous technical issues and was more a reboot than a true sequel, but it brought a vast scope and scale to its historical battles not seen in any other game.
The game’s publisher, Koei Tecmo, doesn’t shy away from aggressively using different monetization models, and I’ve foolishly defended them over this in the past as a die-hard fan of their games. Sometimes this turns out fine. They’ll release new bonus costumes, music tracks, new stages, and other extra add-ons for their titles months and months past the original release window.
But other times it’s far more sinister. You can buy some of their games piecemeal, paying much more in total for each little chunk of content than you would have buying the $60-dollar standard version in the first place. It adds up quickly to scary amounts of money.
At launch, Dynasty Warriors 9 avoided all of that. It had a standard price of $60 dollars in the US, alongside a pre-order bonus of a few extra in-game materials and mounts. Certain physical stores had an exclusive steelbook. It also had a digital deluxe edition for $90 dollars that came with a season pass, promising new…
