Grave Gamer News & Views — PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
Sony America Dumps PlayStation All-Stars Dev; Break Up Apparently...
Sony America Dumps PlayStation All-Stars Dev; Break Up Apparently Amicable
With neither party offering up much insight into the decision, both SCEA and SuperBot Entertainment have formally announced the end of their working relationship; a partnering that resulted in last Fall’s over-named, license bloated online fighter, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.
With PS3 version currently sitting on a critical reception of 74 on Metacritic (its Vita counterpart not far off with a 75), PS All-Stars actually fared pretty well for a game most wrote off as a Smash Bros. clone. But, considering most major publishers’ open disappointment with scores below the coveted 80 paired with the game’s middling sales performance (not to mention a below-room-temp public reception), Sony’s abandonment of SuperBot starts to make sense from a dry, business perspective.
Instead of venomous accusations and endless finger pointing, it’s the high road for SuperBot. “We are extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Sony on Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, and are extremely proud of the work we have done.”
Though they may have gained the most exposure with Sony, the studio began independently in 2009 and intends to keep trucking onto “the next chapter” of their journey. “SuperBot Entertainment will continue working on projects that reflect our passion for games and our commitment to creating award winning titles,” said the developer.
Recently having to suffer through layoffs, SuperBot says there is no further reduction plan in place but admits it is unlikely the studio can persist with its current workforce for very long.
Meanwhile, PlayStation All-Stars will see continued support from Sony’s Santa Monica Studios, including the upcoming release of character DLC meant to bolster the game’s roster.
The Red Herb Roundup: Season of the Roundup
10/28/12
As the only installed feature The Red Herb claims stake to, I’m obligated each and every week to feel really guilty for skipping out on writing one. But since it’s almost Halloween, and given the inappropriateness of the above picture as a warm Christmas greeting, I have set loose another Roundup unto the world. God help us all.
This Day in Delay: Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon and PlayStation...
This Day in Delay: Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon and PlayStation All-Stars
Both Sony and Nintendo had nuggets of disappointment today as they announced delays to two respective first-party titles: PlayStation All-Stars Dark Moon and Luigi’s Mansion: Battle Royale (that…sounds about right).
Despite a tentative Holiday 2012 release date announced at this year’s E3, Nintendo’s 3DS sequel to the Gamecube’s seminal Luigi’s Mansion – a gripping tale centered on an out-of-work plumber battling vicious hallucinations and his own personal demons with a vacuum cleaner – Dark Moon has slipped into the vast void of 2013’s first half. Nintendo has yet to comment on the push, but I suspect it’s because they’re shaping Dark Moon into a hundred hour odyssey that traverses the scarred recesses of Luigi’s psyche in a kid friendly spin on Dante’s Inferno. Just an educated guess.
On Sony’s front, their multi-licensed brawler PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale has been shoved out of late October, now dated for November 20th in the U.S. (and Canada; I’d never forget you, Canada) with international dates being met in the days following. SuperBot’s own president, Chan Park, reasons the delay as a means to both meet high fan expectation while ensuring “well-balanced and compelling gameplay." A public beta is being readied for the Fall but certain hand-picked outlets have already gotten a hold of a closed beta, letting loose some first impressions.
At this stage, early word makes PlayStation All-Stars out to be a bit of a mess. Given that Sony is betting on All-Stars this Holiday so hard that it hurts, for their sake, hopefully the extra month of development really counts lest this experiment in cloning the Smash Bros. formula is deemed a failure, forcing us to destroy the abomination before God finds out how we insulted Him (I’m trying to say it might not do well).
The Red Herb Roundup - 8/5/2012
Most days I like to start the Roundup by explaining what it is and why I’m listing off video game happenings the week over.
But that’s most days. It’s more important that you know I originally had something really funny and clever cooking for this intro but I’m astoundingly lazy, often covering up my failings one way or another. Speaking of: You look great today. I don’t know if you did something to your hair or if you’re slimming down (seriously, I don’t know, I can’t feasibly see you) but whatever it is…It’s definitely working for you. You’re going places, you.
Welcome back to the Roundup, beautiful.
“If it’s 3am and you have to work the next day, but you’ve still...
“If it’s 3am and you have to work the next day, but you’ve still got the urge to play again, you know you’re doing something right. You only have to walk through SuperBot’s studio and see all the staff being scolded to stop playing their own game and get back to work to know that they’ve really got something special cooking.”
Seth Killian writing on the PlayStation Blog about his new gig with Sony Santa Monica and PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.
A gamer turned designer, Killian spent years mastering Street Fighter’s inputs only to end up being paid by Capcom for his input on the series. Now, Seth has been courted by Sony and put to work on their crossover fighting extravaganza as the title’s lead game designer, and his influence just may push All-Stars into the realm of fighting game legitimacy…well, as close to legitimacy as a game where Fat Princess slaps around Parappa can get. Suddenly, I’ve got a keenly interested eye planted on Sony’s surefire cash cow.