This weekend at a PAX East panel, Firaxis announced that it is in the process of porting its critically acclaimed strategy game XCOM: Enemy Unknown to iOS and that it will be available sometime this summer.

xcomios
While speaking with Joystiq, XCOM: Enemy Unknown Lead Designer Jake Solomon said that gamers can expect a similar experience to the console and PC versions of the game.

"It is a straight port. We have not made any gameplay exceptions," XCOM: Enemy UnknownLead Designer Jake Solomon told us. "You play the exact same game [as on PC or consoles], it's just now fully playable on an iPhone or an iPad."

Solomon also said that the game would include the Elite Soldier DLC and that the "full game" is being ported over to iOS devices. This would be a relatively major milestone for iOS gaming, as it represent a full port of a high-profile console and PC game that was released just six months ago.


The move comes a month after the game was announced for Mac with a launch date of April 25. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a re-imagining of the classic 1994 strategy game "X-COM: Enemy Defense" and was developed by Firaxis and published by 2K Games for consoles and PC.

In the game, players are tasked with leading secret government organization XCOM to defend the world against aliens. They oversee base management in addition to combat strategies while maintaining relationships with countries to fund their organization and save the world.

Although no price has been announced, Soloman said that it will be at a "premium price point," which would likely put it in the $15 range.

Top Rated Comments

Earendil Avatar
143 months ago
$15 is a bit much though, for a game that's just a straight port of something that's already a year old isn't it?
if they'd brought it out on iOS alongside the PC and console versions, then sure, $15 would be reasonable.
But i think i shall wait for another month or two for the price to inevitably fall to $5. i've waited this long, i can wait a little longer.

How look how far we've come, that this can even be an expectations. Why, when I was a kid playing games on my Mac, the "port" came out 3 years later, buggy, and still cost full price and your first born. AND in order to even acquire the game one had to walk to a physical store, uphill both ways. Sometimes it snowed.

$15 is more than fair.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
canman4PM Avatar
143 months ago
$15 is a bit much though, for a game that's just a straight port of something that's already a year old isn't it?
if they'd brought it out on iOS alongside the PC and console versions, then sure, $15 would be reasonable.
But i think i shall wait for another month or two for the price to inevitably fall to $5. i've waited this long, i can wait a little longer.

And games over 1 year old are typically $20+ for the PS3, so...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blueroom Avatar
143 months ago
Hurry up and take my money.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Renzatic Avatar
143 months ago
No doubt. And here I was all excited to get it on Mac. Now I'm not sure which way I would go....
My suggestion? The iPad. I already own the game, played through a good chunk of it, and I'm getting it again just because...

A. PORTABLE XCOM! YEEAAAAHHH!

B. The gameplay style is practically made for touchscreen controls.

C. I want to support developers who release full on proper games for the iPad, so we'll get more of them in the future.

D. PORTABLE XCOM! YEEAAAAHHH!

The downside is you'll have to wait another couple of months for the game, and the graphics probably won't be quite as good on the iPad as they are on the PC and Mac, but...hell...

PORTABLE XCOM! YEEAAAAHHHH!

----------

AND in order to even acquire the game one had to walk to a physical store, uphill both ways. Sometimes it snowed.
Sometimes it snowed? What are you? Some kinda wuss who grew up in wussyland? We had to fight polar bears every time we stepped outdoors in my neck of the woods. I lost both my brothers and my sister walking to the video store to rent Mario 3 back in the Blizzard of '89. 'Ole Leroy ate well that night, let me tell you...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dr McKay Avatar
143 months ago
Sometimes it snowed? What are you? Some kinda wuss who grew up in wussyland? We had to fight polar bears every time we stepped outdoors in my neck of the woods. I lost both my brothers and my sister walking to the video store to rent Mario 3 back in the Blizzard of '89. 'Ole Leroy ate well that night, let me tell you...
How look how far we've come, that this can even be an expectations. Why, when I was a kid playing games on my Mac, the "port" came out 3 years later, buggy, and still cost full price and your first born. AND in order to even acquire the game one had to walk to a physical store, uphill both ways. Sometimes it snowed.

$15 is more than fair.


Have at you!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaveMcM76 Avatar
143 months ago
only iOS port? no OSX? and not on steam? sad

Mac version is out in about 4 weeks as it says under the video.....


The move comes a month after the game was announced for Mac with a launch date of April 25.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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