KILLER INSTINCT 2013

Killer Instinct is an upcoming fighting game in the Killer Instinct series, currently being developed by Double Helix Games under supervision of Ken Lobb. The game was announced during Microsoft's E3 2013 press event, and will be exclusive to the Xbox One.

Gameplay

Killer Instinct is a series reboot which will retain its traditional combo-based gameplay. Combatants will have the ability to string unrestricted combos together while combatants caught in combos can break out of them. New to the series will be Special Attacks in the vein of Street Fighter. Ultra Combos, one of Killer Instinct's signatures, return.

Characters

Several characters from prior entries in the series have been confirmed to be appearing in the game, including Jago, Sabrewulf, Glacius, Chief Thunder, Cinder, Fulgore, Orchid, and Spinal. More characters are expected to be revealed in the months leading up to the game's release.

Development

For many years after Killer Instinct 2’s 1996 release, rumors of a possible follow-up continued to swirl around the web. In March 2010, Ken Lobb, Microsoft Studios Creative Director and co-designer of the original Killer Instinct games, announced that they are not working on Killer Instinct 3, but may some day bring the game back. In July 2010, Lobb said Rare wants to make Killer Instinct 3. Rare studio manager Mark Betteridge said that Rare would like to bring Killer Instinct to the Xbox Live Arcade. In an August 2012 interview, Rare veteran Donnchadh Murphy said, “We all wanted to make KI3, but Microsoft [was] more interested in broadening their demographic than making another fighting game. So it never got made, I doubt it ever will.”
On September 17, 2012, Microsoft applied for renewal of the Killer Instinct trademark. In an October 2012 interview, Rare veteran Lee Musgrave, who was the former head of art at Rare, spoke on the issues of making Killer Instinct for XBLA: "We came close to firing off a conversion of Killer Instinct a few times, but there were licensing obstacles to that, and it never really had enough perceived interest to push it forward." On December 4, 2012, Microsoft's renewal for the Killer Instinct trademark was rejected by the United States Patent and Trademark Office due to the possibility of the game being confused with the unrelated TV series of the same name that lasted for one season in 2005. Microsoft had six months to respond to the ruling. The trademark dispute was settled when Microsoft and Fox reached an agreement in April 2013.
At E3 2013, Microsoft and Double Helix Games announced Killer Instinct exclusive for the Xbox One. A trailer showed the series' mainstays Jago, Sabrewulf and Glacius. A later interview confirmed the return of Fulgore, Spinal, Orchid and Cinder to the roster. Ken Lobb told IGN in an interview that more characters would be announced at upcoming events such as Evolution Championship Series 2013, during which Chief Thunder's return was teased.
A live demonstration of the title at E3 2013 between producer Torin Rettig and Xbox community manager Ashton Williams was poorly received by a number of bloggers, journalists and developers, including Jonathan Blow. The demonstration had the two competing against one another and exchanging banter in a manner that viewers interpreted as alluding to rape. Williams later commented that the dialogue was unscripted and no ill intent was meant on the part of either individual. Microsoft's Phill Spencer issued an official apology stating in part that at Microsoft “bullying and harassment of any kind is not condoned and is taken very seriously”.
A poll by Double Helix asked fans what characters they would like to see return. It was announced that Killer Instinct will have a free game demo that includes only one playable character, Jago, with the ability to purchase additional fighters individually. Alternatively, a season pass can be purchased, providing immediate access to the entire cast for a single fee.