With a new episodic model, 'Hitman' game aims for everyone

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The creators of "Hitman" are pulling the trigger on an unorthodox way of releasing their espionage saga that could reshape how the interactive industry approaches video game launches.

"Hitman" publisher Square Enix and developer IO Interactive are unloading the latest installment of their assassination simulator episodically instead of all at once.

"When we're making games, why should we force the people who want to be with us on this journey to wait until the end?" said IO Interactive studio head Hans Seifert in true Agent 47 fashion: sitting in a dark corner at a hotel bar during the recent D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas.

For the past 15 years, the "Hitman" series has depicted the clandestine, globe-trotting missions of assassin-for-hire Agent 47 in 7 games, a pair of films and a mobile title.

While it's a novel way to release a game, it's a business model that's not dissimilar to the way some mobile games operate or the season-pass structure of franchises like "Call of Duty" and "Fallout."