Dead or Alive 6's 'Strongest Package' includes highly sexualized mouse pads and posters, points to 25 characters at launch
Team Ninja announced Dead or Alive 6 earlier this year as a more serious entry in the fanservice heavy franchise with overall toned down sexuality, but their special editions of the game appear to be keeping with their old ways body pillows and all.
The Collector's Edition and 'Strongest Package' edition were recently unveiled for Japan and include many of the goodies you'd expect with a special edition like artbooks and soundtracks... and mouse pads accentuated with characters' breasts and rears.
Dead or Alive 6's Collector's Edition is actually fairly tame, as it comes with the game, soundtrack, artbook, tin badges with character artwork, and a code for the content of the Digital Deluxe Edition which will retail for 12,800 yen or $115 USD.
The 'Strongest Package' bundle on the other hand includes special set of five posters that are treated to hang in the bathroom, a dakimakura / body pillowcase, three busty mouse pads — one featuring Honoka's chest, one for Marie Rose's booty and another yet to be announced — plus everything included in the Collector's Edition for 25,800 yen or $232.
There are 25 character pins included with the special editions which are leading many to believe that is the number of characters we'll see as a part of the game's roster at launch, and the mystery sexy poster and mousepad are also said to include one more brand new female character joining the crew.
Dead or Alive 6's director, Yohei Shimbura, originally stated that the team was making a "conscious decision to make the characters less sexualized" in the new game when it was first unveiled in June. While these bonuses are not part of the actual game's content, it does still muddy their overall message of wanting to create a more serious fighter this time around.
Click images for larger versions
Many female characters' mainstay costumes were altered to be less revealing like Kasumi's, and Team Ninja also previously stated that they toned down breast 'jiggle physics' to be more realistic in attempts to bring in a wider audience and also have a cleaner image for the eSports community.
There have been doubts on both sides of the fence as to Team Ninja's commitment to prior statements, as Dead or Alive 5 went down a very similar path of aiming at a more hardcore audience while toning down the sexuality before seemingly changing their tune and including hundreds of DLC costumes to dress up the ladies in skimpy outfits. It's also quite apparent that 'jiggle physics' are still definitely a part of Dead or Alive 6.
Team Ninja appears to currently be toe-ing the line between two groups of wanting to keep fans of the older titles that like the fanservice while bringing in a wider audience with wider appeal though it would likely be a tough road to stick with in the long run. Dead or Alive 6 is set to release in February 2019, so we'll need to wait and see how the game evolves until launch and even later with future content to find out Team Ninja's ultimate direction for the series.
via Dual Shockers
