Even as hardcore fandom reignites debate over the legitimacy of guest characters in Mortal Kombat X; Creative Director Ed Boon has been discussing some of the franchise crossovers that never quite came to pass.
Speaking with IGN, Boon revealed characters from Terminator and Halloween were among the choices discussed at NetherRealm Studios: "We've tossed around a whole bunch of names, like The Terminator, or something like that. And for various reasons – whether it wasn't a match, or we just couldn't come to terms with it – they didn't happen."
Lone Star State: Leatherface and the Alien Xenomorph in 2016's Kombat Pack 2.
Horror movie slashers have obviously been an accessible favourite for the studio, who introduces their third in Kombat Pack 2 with Texas Chainsaw Massacre's Leatherface.
The chainsaw killer follows Freddy Kreuger (A Nightmare on Elm Street) in Mortal Kombat (2011) and Jason Voorhees (Friday The 13th) in the first Kombat Pack.
Boon told IGN, "We're always exploring a lot more than we actually end up doing. For instance: Michael Meyers from the Halloween franchise. We talked about that at one point but it just never kind of panned out."
Unlucky For Some: Jason Voorhees and The Predator in the original 2015 Kombat Pack.
These aren't the first franchise near misses revealed for the series. In 2014, Boon revealed Marcus Fenix (Gears of War) was in consideration for a Microsoft exclusive in 2011 [full story], while early PlayStation mascot Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal) almost balanced the other side [full story]. Sony received the only console exclusive of the generation: God of War's Kratos. No exclusives were made for MKX.
While die hard Mortal Kombat fans inevitably lament the klassic characters left untouched, a majority of customers continue to show support for licensed novelties. Guest fighters in Injustice: Gods Among Us (2013) and Mortal Kombat (2011) were both cited as the top selling additions. The appeal of 2015's Alien versus Predator potential is sure to spur on new success.
The Wall Street Journal has reported sales in excess of five million for Mortal Kombat X [full story]. The monetary success positioned Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment as the leading games publisher for 2015, and expanded the MK player base to its highest potential total, to date.
As expansive micro-transaction content becomes a fighting game standard, and Mortal Kombat continues to break new mass market ground, it's easy to see how video game cross-promotion could not only be here to stay - but become a business platform unto itself. Comments from one producer have already suggested Warner Brothers' hand in Kombat Pack 2 character selection. Lionsgate release their Texas Chainsaw prequel Leatherface next year. With a captive audience in the millions playing Mortal Kombat X, it's a logical investment for advertisers, and a potentially lucrative platform for Warner Bros.
[Related Article: Mad Jax: NetherRealm Pay Homage to Avalanche Studios]
Kombat Pack 2 begins its arrival in 2016, with bonus skins and an arena [full story]. What will you be buying? Register to share your thoughts on the Mortal Kombat X forum. Support the community by liking & sharing stories via @MK_Online and Facebook.
