Xbox One's Powerstar Golf is now a free-to-play game

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Grand Master

compl3x

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Posted
Xbox One's Powerstar Golf is now a free-to-play game

Courses lumped into packs for you to purchase.

 

By Tom Phillips Published Thursday, 22 May 2014

 

Xbox One's stylised sports sim Powerstar Golf has become a free-to-play title.

 

Eagle-eyed users spotted the transformation today when the game became free to download from the Xbox Games Store. But this version of the game is little more than a demo - you must now separately buy packs of courses to properly play on.

 

The original game's content has been split into four packs, each of which cost ?4.79/$5.99: City Park, Emperor's Garden, Burning Sands and Rocky Ridge.

 

Powerstar Golf previously cost ?15.99/$19.99 to download, which means that unlocking all the packs separately will now cost more - a total of ?19.16/$23.96.

 

But an option does still exist to buy all the packs at the game's original price.

 

A fifth pack, Coyote Canyon, was also released for free today.

 

Powerstar Golf was an Xbox One launch title, available back in November last year. "[it] adds some nice touches to a genre presided over by Everybody's Golf," Stace Harman wrote in Eurogamer's review, "but its limited scope and some baffling omissions ultimately scupper its chances of outscoring its rival."

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-22-xbox-ones-powerstar-golf-is-now-a-free-to-play-game

Grand Master

MightyJordan

Posted
Posted

Nice find; thanks for posting. :)

 

The link posted goes to the Australian site, so make sure you change location before you click the purchase button; it wanted me to add a credit card on the Aussie site, but thankfully it'd just "use" my Microsoft credit on the UK site.

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Grand Master

compl3x

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  • Author
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Is the game any good? Or should I just keep quiet and get it because it's free?

 

I can't comment on the quality of the game, but even if it is mediocre, it's still free! :)

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Grand Master

MightyJordan

Posted
Posted

Is the game any good? Or should I just keep quiet and get it because it's free?

Well, its Metascore is 65, but it's developed by Zo? Mode who made the delightful

, so I'm optimistic. :)
  • neoadorable
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Grand Master

DrunknMunky Veteran

Posted
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It is free, but here's the catch, you have to purchase the courses for 5.99$ each.

 

Yup, from the looks of it the game has gone "F2P" akin to Killer Instinct's model. 1 free training hole, then a 5-hole round and then a 5-hole vs AI event.

 

?15.99 for the full game or ?4.79 for individual courses. Total cost of the game has gone up if you buy everything compared to the old "full package" price.

 

Title changed.

  • dipsylalapo
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Grand Master

SMELTN

Posted
Posted

I am a golfer and really wanted to buy this game but didn't know if it sucked or not.  At least now I can try it and see if its any good first.

 

My question though, if I do like it and go to the store and buy the game, do I get all the courses and such? Would it be cheaper to buy it digitally with its new pricing model?

Grand Master

DrunknMunky Veteran

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  • Veteran
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I am a golfer and really wanted to buy this game but didn't know if it sucked or not.  At least now I can try it and see if its any good first.

 

My question though, if I do like it and go to the store and buy the game, do I get all the courses and such? Would it be cheaper to buy it digitally with its new pricing model?

 

Anyone who owns the game before the "F2P" switch still has all the content and apparently the new course is also unlocked for free too.

 

However, if you buy it on XBL it's cheaper to buy the full package instead of each individual DLC. (?15.99 vs ?19.16).

 

Apparently the "free" content isn't available to owners of the full game for some reason.

Grand Master

trooper11

Posted
Posted

?15.99 for the full game or ?4.79 for individual courses. Total cost of the game has gone up if you buy everything compared to the old "full package" price.

That a good way of doing F2P imo.

As long as they are still offering the full game for the same original price, which they are, then let people just buy one course if that is all they want.

Choice is good.

Grand Master

neoadorable

Posted
Posted

Downloaded it, liked it, and bought the city pack for $6. It's a fun and surprisingly deep golf game, and i don't mind the cartoony look. Nice complement to lighter fare like Dark Souls 2, Wolfenstein, and Nazi Zombie Army 2 :|

 

EDIT: and if anyone's interested, it's not like Killer Instinct, the free version has achievements, purchase is not a requirement for that

Grand Master

SMELTN

Posted
Posted

well I tried it and out and liked it so much I purchased the full pack for $19.99.. My kids who usually do not like any kind of golf game or anything like that, are really enjoying playing it too. The RPG element is fun, and last night when I asked my son if he wanted to play a match with me he said, "I want to play campaign after this so I can unlock more stuff and level up"

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Grand Master

neoadorable

Posted
Posted

well I tried it and out and liked it so much I purchased the full pack for $19.99.. My kids who usually do not like any kind of golf game or anything like that, are really enjoying playing it too. The RPG element is fun, and last night when I asked my son if he wanted to play a match with me he said, "I want to play campaign after this so I can unlock more stuff and level up"

 

It's indeed an underrated gem. The gameplay is quite demanding, so i imagine even for golfers like you there's interest here, and the XP system is addictive as heck. It's also definitely a good family game that kids and adults can enjoy together. For $20 i still think Zoe Mode and MS are being a tad greedy, there seems to be a lot of content yes, but $10-$15 would have been fairer, these are not easy times for any of us.

Grand Master

SMELTN

Posted
Posted

It's indeed an underrated gem. The gameplay is quite demanding, so i imagine even for golfers like you there's interest here, and the XP system is addictive as heck. It's also definitely a good family game that kids and adults can enjoy together. For $20 i still think Zoe Mode and MS are being a tad greedy, there seems to be a lot of content yes, but $10-$15 would have been fairer, these are not easy times for any of us.

 

I added you on xbox one so I can play against ya

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