• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

PS All-Stars Update: New Stage, New Characters, New Minions (Patch Live)

Z3M0G

Member
I'm confused... I saw no "free DLC" for these characters on the store...

Does this mean that they are included in the patch, and we can use them for 2 weeks and then they will be locked out and we must pay to use them after that?
 
I'm confused... I saw no "free DLC" for these characters on the store...

Does this mean that they are included in the patch, and we can use them for 2 weeks and then they will be locked out and we must pay to use them after that?

Download the patch, then get the character unlocks from the store. You don't need to pay as long as you 'buy' them within these two weeks.
 

Shahed

Member
Kat's pretty good like. Was fun to pick this game up after ages. And as much as the story modes are pretty underwhelming in general, they got her one done right.
 

TheGrue

Member
So, the full minion pack is $6.99, but each individual pack of 6 is $1.99. Why would I buy the full minion pack when it is a dollar more? I was thinking maybe it has the level in it as well, but it doesn't say that. Am I missing something?
 
Played with Kat.<3

Seriously, fuck Sony for not giving this proper marketing. This game is fantastic.

What would have been proper marketing? Game got frequent TV ads for several weeks here in the US before and after release.

I highly doubt the marketing had anything to do with game's performance, and it being more to do with it being a fighter mainly about sony exclusive ip characters which do not have a strong consumer draw.
 
What would have been proper marketing? Game got frequent TV ads for several weeks here in the US before and after release.

I highly doubt the marketing had anything to do with game's performance, and it being more to do with it being a fighter mainly about sony exclusive ip characters which do not have a strong consumer draw.

I think a not-fucking-awful ad may have helped at least a little.
 

edgefusion

Member
Rival Arena: Originally only available as the final arena for the arcade mode in All-Stars, today's patch opens up the Rival Arena for versus and ranked matches. Here's a cap from the Vita version.

8468185987_cac1725744_z.jpg

Is this the XMB? o_O
 
I was going to update this last night but it told me that it would take two hours! Crazy. I'll do it tonight while my wife watches TV or something.
 

SmithnCo

Member
Kat's pretty good like. Was fun to pick this game up after ages. And as much as the story modes are pretty underwhelming in general, they got her one done right.

Yeah, the static images actually fit for Kat.

She's one of the most fun characters for me, worth the wait.
 

KalBalboa

Banned
What would have been proper marketing? Game got frequent TV ads for several weeks here in the US before and after release.

Proper marketing would have done what exactly? This game needed the big names which Sony weren't willing to pay up for. Such a shame too.

The game had a BIG, expensive ad, for sure, and it was even in front of Wreck It Ralph (a huge 2012 movie that brought in children & hardcore game fans alike). The ad was produced very well and got a big reaction, but it acted as more of a brand reminder than a specific game promotion.

I'm willing to bet 95% of people who saw it on TV and in theaters never knew that All-Stars was an actual game. If the ad pushed playing a game more, showed in-game footage, or even the mascots on a couch competing, then it'd have been more effective. I love that commercial, but I'm also a big enough nerd to really dig Cole, Drake, and Sackboy fighting amongst Twisted Metal & Sly Cooper references. Buzz for the game was cut in half when the roster leaked the way it did, which ruined a lot of SuperBot's plans in terms of reveals.

Proper marketing would have gotten more people to buy the game, plain and simple. I agree that one or two more BIG names would have done wonders, too, namely Snake, Cloud, and Crash. Any of those three could've seriously added 50-100% of the sales they currently have. If Abe makes it in the game I'll be tickled pink though, and the current roster really does satisfy me as all my favorite franchises made it in (namely Twisted Metal, inFamous, and Uncharted).
 

Pojo_King

Neo Member
I think the fact that the All-Stars commercial was very similar to the "Michael" ad ended up hurting it. "Michael" was a celebration of the Playstation platform. When people saw the all-stars commerical because it featured NO in-gmae footage, most people probably assumed it was the same kind of thing. For my money the best All-Stars ad was the Robot Chicken one. If that had been the offical ad, it might have done a little better.
 

KalBalboa

Banned
I think the fact that the All-Stars commercial was very similar to the "Michael" ad ended up hurting it. "Michael" was a celebration of the Playstation platform. When people saw the all-stars commerical because it featured NO in-gmae footage, most people probably assumed it was the same kind of thing. For my money the best All-Stars ad was the Robot Chicken one. If that had been the offical ad, it might have done a little better.

Holy shit, we both have amazing avatars.
 

Figboy79

Aftershock LA
I think I may be one of the only people that really, really likes Emmett. I find him interesting and fascinating to use. His 3 unique Level 1 Supers add some nice "randomness" to fighting him, especially if you can't tell which weapon he current has in his hand, you aren't sure which Lvl 1 he's going to use, so your chances of evading it are a bit more difficult. His Level 2 and 3 Supers are also really great as well.

Kat is excellent as well. They totally nailed her persona and moveset from Gravity Rush. I love her, but I've been putting more time into Emmett over the evening and this morning.

The Fearless stage is pretty good. I haven't bought it yet, but while I was playing through Kat's Arcade Mode, it popped up. Cool stage, and I'm glad to see Nariko finally get a stage, and wipEout get some love.

What I really like about the characters like Drake, Radec, and Emmett, is how, yes, they are ranged characters, but they are very, very different from one another. I don't think this game gets enough credit for having 22 characters that are very, very unique in how they feel.

If we're all honest with each other, even Good Cole and Evil Cole require different strategies to effectively use them. They share a few base moves, as they do in inFAMOUS 2, but the majority of their moveset is unique to them, and you have to switch your style of play when using one or the other.

I haven't stopped playing the game since it released (I play it on the bus ride to and from work practically daily), but if they continue to add more characters, stages, and minions via DLC, I'll be content. I also really like the new minions. They're worthless, but I like seeing some other favorite PlayStation characters get some nods and references.

I think All Stars will find its audience, and grow it over the next few months. Like many of Sony's 1st party offerings, most people just don't know they exist. Word of mouth will do this game some good in the long run.
 

SykoTech

Member
Holy shit, we both have amazing avatars.

Hah, I love the first Goofy Movie.

Personally, I'd say this game's biggest hurdles were the poor presentation and "knockoff" stigma.

Most (if not all) of the PS3's best selling games have great presentation, especially visually (GT, Uncharted, GoW, etc.). If not technically, than artistically like Journey. This game's visuals look pretty poor however, and its other presentation traits like UI design are even worse. Almost amateur-ish. Then there's the knockoff thing, that created a negative association right from the start that never went away. Can't expect too many people to line up for what is at a glance seen as the poor man's Smash Bros.

Then there's the super only thing...

Of course, better marketing would have helped too no doubt. But I don't think that was the biggest problem. Certainly not the only problem anyway.

Character lineup...eh. I doubt that too much of an effect. People complain about character lineup's not matching their dream roster all the time. Especially in Marvel 3, whoo boy. But that alone isn't going to determine a game's success.
 

KalBalboa

Banned
I think I may be one of the only people that really, really likes Emmett. I find him interesting and fascinating to use. His 3 unique Level 1 Supers add some nice "randomness" to fighting him, especially if you can't tell which weapon he current has in his hand, you aren't sure which Lvl 1 he's going to use, so your chances of evading it are a bit more difficult. His Level 2 and 3 Supers are also really great as well.

I like Emmett too. Very interesting moveset, and that turret...great defense against getting stuck in combos.

Yeah, I'm really liking Emmett. The fact you can modify his level one super, depending on what weapon you've dropped and acquired, is really something. He's definitely an "advanced character" in that respect. Drop a rocket launcher and suddenly your level one become a bit more lethal.

I think Fearless has some of the best fighting music I've heard in the game. It's definitely worth dropping $1.99 on for the trophy, music, and sheer variety it adds to the game. Plus: Wipeout! It deserves to be represented in this game.
 

Zen

Banned
Fearless does have some of the best music, and it's probably also one of their best stages. The tactical considerations between each side (after you drop down) is great, especially since it starts out as a Dojo type arena.
 

BTHR Zero X

Member
I am really enjoying Kat's playstyle, she has some interesting combo's and set ups.

now while this may be a little off-topic I have not played Gravity Rush at all would it be worth me checking it out?
 

KalBalboa

Banned
I am really enjoying Kat's playstyle, she has some interesting combo's and set ups.

now while this may be a little off-topic I have not played Gravity Rush at all would it be worth me checking it out?

Absolutely. If you have a Vita it's a must-play, especially if you have PS+.
 

Figboy79

Aftershock LA
The funny thing about Gravity Rush, is that people were complaining about the combat, and Kat's moveset being limited, but I always thought it was a fun, solid moveset, with a bit of randomness thrown in. It took a bit more skill to kill enemies than in many other action games, where it's just "Mash X to win." You really had to take into account Kat's location in relation to the enemy, how fast her attacks go, and how far away they'll take you if you whiff.

Her moveset in All Stars is pretty much lifted exactly from the game, with, I think, one or two original moves (I don't remember the "Gravity Pull, and Gravity Repel" in Gravity Rush).

I love the Gravity Pull. It's incredibly useful for bringing someone back to you for more combos when they start to get knocked back some.

Kat's the easier to pick up and play out of the two new additions, but Emmett has some really useful moves, and all 5 of his Supers are really good. I find myself using the Rocket Super, and his Super 2 the most, but his standard loadout Lvl 1, and his Shotgun loadout Lvl 1 are still pretty solid in certain situations (he can be interrupted rather easily by any mid range character when trying to do his Shotgun loadout Lvl 1, and Standard loadout Lvl 1).

I also love his sticky grenade. I've set up some excellent combos, building AP really fast, using a mix of his sticky, and shotgun attached.
 

Pojo_King

Neo Member
I like both of these characters. As someone stated above, I think one of the things that SUperbot did very well with this game was making each character's playstyle radically different from one another while remaining faithful to the franchise they represent.

On the other hand, there are certainly some things about this game that disappoint me. The shoddy presentation( I can not believe you can not switch the main menu screen to any character!) The online belt system is a good idea, but the execution is lacking for sure. Most people find a character to spam with and make it up to black belt. Possibly my biggest gripe though is kind of more personal, but anytime I join a versus match wih my friends (Not ranked) I can only stay connected to that session for about 7 minutes. Without fail every single damn time I get disconnected with error code 0009-0009. It is incredibly frustrating, especially because I can't play anything but 3 minute timed matches and I can not go into overtime at all during the second match because I am garunteed to disconnect.

So much potential, and so many incredibly obvious glaring mistakes. The main game is there, I hope someone could take the gameplay and create an excellent product around it in the future. But I am certainly not holding my breath.

And Yes, A Goofy Movie is amazing. Possibly my greatest guilty pleasure movie in life.
 

abrack08

Member
Could not find these anywhere on the store (using the PS3) last night. Did everything but search for the character's names. Went onto the browser store5 minutes later, found them in 5 seconds. I was looking at ALL the PS Allstars Add-On content on the PS3 and I swear to jeebus they weren't there.
 

Georgious

Banned
What would have been proper marketing? Game got frequent TV ads for several weeks here in the US before and after release.

I highly doubt the marketing had anything to do with game's performance, and it being more to do with it being a fighter mainly about sony exclusive ip characters which do not have a strong consumer draw.

This game got nearly no marketing. Sony has an unfortunate habit of spending tons of money on first party productions, and then sitting on their hands in the marketing department. It's INCREDIBLY frustrating for their studios, and there have been complaints left and right.

The ad was not targeted to everyone - it was targeted to gamers that recognize the IPs and their respective characters. This simply does not resonate with the masses. "Oh so that war god is fighting that little brown sack? Somebody needs to explain this to me..." AAA games like Uncharted should sell many times more than they currently do, but Sony just doesn't offer the appropriate marketing push necessary.

I love All-Stars, but hardly anybody who wasn't actively looking for it knows about it, unfortunately.
 

Skyzard

Banned
Yeah I find it hard to believe people think this couldn't have used extra promotion. You really think people still remember cloud? It's just us, guys :p

Can't wait to see what other characters SuperBot have lined up for March. I hope SM don't just drop it afterwards =/

Also that rival stage is pretty awesome to fight in with the XMB background, glad they unlocked it....but it's before the new Fearless stage which is near the training stages in the Vita's selection... hope they puff it out a bit more soon. Happy to buy the stage though, minions...not all of them probably.
 

5amshift

Banned
New All-Stars to be announced in March?
superbot_new_allstarshzjuv.jpg

Lag time, get it?
Are they going to even bother addressing already implemented issues with the game? We'll find out details in March about characters/more, but won't see anything in the game in my guess, 5 months.
 
Top Bottom