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Sony officially cuts ties with Superbot; All-Stars DLC now handled by Santa Monica

Damn shame. I loved PSASBR. It controlled great and the cross play with the Vita was damn fine. If only they could have had more for the roster.
 

Camjo-Z

Member
Well, I don't it's any secret that Abe was going to be in it, we'd sent them a bunch of stuff, including an Abe model from New 'N' Tasty, and a lot of other reference stuff.

I'd heard there were talks, but I didn't know things had actually gotten that far. If SSM has all this stuff from you guys and still decides to snub a classic character like Abe in favor of more advertisement DLC characters like Zeus and Isaac Clarke as TheMink has claimed, I am going to be very disappointed.
 

dsigns1

Member
This game was sent to die, it's creation still baffles me I mean let's analyze this :

They made it to be their equivalent of Super Smash Bros, but here is the thing, SSB's success based entirely on nostalgia, people play as these characters because they appeal to all the masses, it's all about choosing your own lovable character and kickass, everybody knows and loves characters like Mario, Link, Samus, Sonic etc, and they threw some rather less known characters like the Earthbound characters.

I disagree with this. Maybe Mario is the reason people buy the game in the first place, but this whole argument that people only want to play as their favorite character goes out the door. In Smash Samus was my character. I played Metroid as a kid on Nintendo but it wasnt my favorite game. In Melee I switched to Falco. Honestly didnt even know who he was cuz I missed the Star Fox series but I didnt like what they did to Samus moves. In brawl I used Kid Icarus. To this day I've never played a Kid Icarus game. It was all about finding a character who felt right.

In Allstars it's the same.I tried them all until I found the character for me. In my opinion the game is alot of fun, the online is really competitive and other than the menus it looks great. The Vita version is amazing too.
 

saichi

Member
Dead Island was a negatively received game (71 average) that Deep Silver\Koch marketed heavily and got 3 million sales. PSABR and Starhawk both have a better average than Dead Island but probably haven't made a fraction of Dead Island.

make that 5 million now...

EDIT:

The Smash Bros series didn't really explode until Melee (2nd game in the series). The first game received very mediocre review too.

what are you talking about? First smash sold over 5 millions on N64...
 

BHK3

Banned
This game was sent to die, it's creation still baffles me I mean let's analyze this :

They made it to be their equivalent of Super Smash Bros, but here is the thing, SSB's success based entirely on nostalgia, people play as these characters because they appeal to all the masses, it's all about choosing your own lovable character and kickass, everybody knows and loves characters like Mario, Link, Samus, Sonic etc, and they threw some rather less known characters like the Earthbound characters.

However in PASBT, nobody cares about characters like Radec, Sly, Jak, Fat princess, Nariko and Cole. Almost all the roaster is characters that either new and had little impact, or old but failed to resonate to people. Sony overestimated the power of their IPs.

Man I can't believe we are STILL acting like this :/
 

Drencrom

Member
Well, I don't it's any secret that Abe was going to be in it, we'd sent them a bunch of stuff, including an Abe model from New 'N' Tasty, and a lot of other reference stuff.

Wow, going by your post history you really work @ Oddworld

Man, this sucks...

How about sending that stuff to SonySantaMonica? I want Abe damnit!
 

seady

Member
The Smash Bros series didn't really explode until Melee (2nd game in the series). The first game received very mediocre review too.
 
Plenty of people have wanted a Playstation smash, but with Crash, Spyro, Lara Croft, Snake, Cloud, actual (former) icons. Not new Dante, Big Daddy, or two Coles.

People say they want lots of stuff. Doesn't mean they're willing to purchase it.

GAF is a perfect example. Game is announced, poster posts "day one".

Game releases, bombs. Same poster says "Yeah, I was waiting for reviews/price drop/hands-on impressions/DLC/whatever."

Talk is cheap.
 
I know the lack of characters has been talked to death but when I picked this game up I started playing it with my girlfriend who plays a few games (maybe 3 3ds games a year and we play 1 or 2 co op games) and picks up some knowledge from me and her brothers but overall pretty low knowledge of videogames. When I put it in her first comment was "I'm gonna play as Crash Bandicoot!", "nope sorry no crash", "Well Okay I used to play spyro I'll play as him" "no spyro" and then we spent 10 minutes going through characters that she had no idea who they were and had no interest in playing asking me "who's nariko? who's fat princess?, who's Nathan Drake?" Even my brother who played MGS 2 was asking if that was the same Raidan and why did he look like that.

She likes the game but it's not that SSB moment of being able to be excited and just pick mario, peach, kirby, DK, whoever. It's more just settling for what's there which I feel was what Superbot was dealing with the entire time.

Oh and DLC? Kat and Emmett, more characters that are less known then the characters in the game.

TL;DR: Non-gamers have no idea who the characters are and games like this aren't fun without the excitement of playing as your favourite characters.
 
Speak for yourself. If Jak hadn't been in the game, it would have been a crying shame. I agree lack of Snake/Cloud/Lara/Crash is baffling though. Spyro I can understand in a way, it's not like Activision needs the exposure.

Had Jak & Sly not been in the game, I wouldn't have even given the game a second look :/

I disagree with this. Maybe Mario is the reason people buy the game in the first place, but this whole argument that people only want to play as their favorite character goes out the door. In Smash Samus was my character. I played Metroid as a kid on Nintendo but it wasnt my favorite game. In Melee I switched to Falco. Honestly didnt even know who he was cuz I missed the Star Fox series but I didnt like what they did to Samus moves. In brawl I used Kid Icarus. To this day I've never played a Kid Icarus game. It was all about finding a character who felt right.

In Allstars it's the same.I tried them all until I found the character for me. In my opinion the game is alot of fun, the online is really competitive and other than the menus it looks great. The Vita version is amazing too.

You guys don't realize that you're a minority among the masses that doesn't care about them.

Man I can't believe we are STILL acting like this :/

Again, there are people who like them but it's not nearly as many as the people who like the characters in SSB.
 

diffusionx

Gold Member
Dead Island was a negatively received game (71 average) that Deep Silver\Koch marketed heavily and got 3 million sales. PSABR and Starhawk both have a better average than Dead Island but probably haven't made a fraction of Dead Island.

Dead Island is also a zombie game that came out right in the middle of the culture's obsession with zombies.
 

gogojira

Member
The Smash Bros series didn't really explode until Melee (2nd game in the series). The first game received very mediocre review too.

Uh, define mediocre. Reviews were in the 8 area and the game was a big success in sales. Melee just magnified the success in both departments by a large amount.

On topic: Bummer news. Had this game provided a better roster, I would have been in. PSX to PS2 era Sony was amazing and full of characters that could pack a roster (granted it would take a lot of third party dealing).
 

Boss Doggie

all my loli wolf companions are so moe
I honestly stopped playing with the game and just played other fighting games because for me it didn't have enough lasting power.

I actually think that if it totally copied Smash, it would have been in a better standing.
 

Vanish

Member
someone else brought this up but how come Sony drops superbot but is ok with the team ico taking 7+ years working on the last guardian?
 
Well, I don't it's any secret that Abe was going to be in it, we'd sent them a bunch of stuff, including an Abe model from New 'N' Tasty, and a lot of other reference stuff.

It's a shame because Abe makes WAY MORE SENSE than DINO, Big Daddy and Heihachi. People play these cross over mascot brawlers so they can see characters that they don't normally see fighting each other, especially not characters from other fighting games. His game came out on PS1 FIRST, so he should have been considered especially with how you guys were practically offering for them to use him.
 

Into

Member
Perhaps this explains the lack of advertising for this game and Sly:

Sony has had a perceived lack of marketing for many of its recent products. Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time, which debuts at retail today (here’s our review), received almost no advertising support at all. It’s possible that Sony’s interview process for a new ad agency interrupted marketing, but a company spokesperson would not comment on that.

Sony has changed advertising agencies, from Deutsch firm to BBH New York

Link: http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/05/t...s-relationship-with-firm-behind-michael-spot/


Not saying it is a good excuse, but making sure everything is firing on all cylinders for the PS4 is likely a lot more important to them at this point than any PS3 game
 

Akainu

Member
What is considered a lack of adverting? I hardly ever watch tv but the few times I have I've seen commercials for it.
 
People say they want lots of stuff. Doesn't mean they're willing to purchase it.

GAF is a perfect example. Game is announced, poster posts "day one".

Game releases, bombs. Same poster says "Yeah, I was waiting for reviews/price drop/hands-on impressions/DLC/whatever."

Talk is cheap.

And here, we learn that GAF does not make up the general consumer public.
 

Spiegel

Member
Indeed. Once Cloud Strife, Crash, Spyro, and Lara Croft weren't in, they should've realized this wouldn't be going the way they hoped it would.

Agreed, it was a "let's make a Sony Smash without anything that makes actual Smash games desirable!".

Lackluster third party lineup + lack of content + amateurish interface killed this game.
And most of that is Sony's fault and not Superbot's.
 

IntelliHeath

As in "Heathcliff"
It's a shame because Abe makes WAY MORE SENSE than DINO, Big Daddy and Heihachi. People play these cross over mascot brawlers so they can see characters that they don't normally see fighting each other, especially not characters from other fighting games. His game came out on PS1 FIRST, so he should have been considered especially with how you guys were practically offering for them to use him.

I disagreed with you on Heihachi. Tekken used to be exclusive series to Playstation. Tekken 1 to 5 were released on playstation consoles only, other than arcades.
 
I disagreed with you on Heihachi. Tekken used to be exclusive series to Playstation. Tekken 1 to 5 were released on playstation consoles only, other than arcades.

Yeah but I think it's dumb to basically reuse a fighter from another fighting game franchise. It'd be the same thing as adding Ryu or Johnny Cage, all I'm saying is the fun in SSB was seeing how those characters translated into fighters. I already know how Heihachi, Ryu and Johnny Cage fight. I want something new and unique that I can't get in other fighters.
 
To be fair, neither does SCEE. SCEJ is a different story but not as different.

Also Two Coles should've been Zelda/Shiek-like instead of two different characters. Biggest missed opportunity by Superbot there.

SuckerPunch supposedly told Superbot/Sony that if Cole was going to be in PSASBR at all they would have to do both Good and Evil Cole IIRC.
 

Figboy79

Aftershock LA
Apparently, PBR is in the top 10 Vita, and top 20 PSN sales for the month of January.

I think some people forget two key things about game development in this current era:

1) Not every game has a budget of $40 million dollars.
2) Not all consumers are buying solely retail now.

No, All Stars won't sell in the millions. But it probably doesn't have to. Sony not shelling out millions to Square, Eidos, Konami, Capcom, Activision, etc, probably helped keep the budget for All Stars in check, so even if it only sells, say, 1 million life time, it probably made a profit.

It was a safe game, in terms of budget, and it's still being supported through DLC by SSM, while Superbot moves on. It'd be great if there was a sequel, but I'm really glad the game exists at all, and if anything, it'll be one of those games that I have fond memories of, but not many people gave a shot. Like Beyond Good & Evil when it originally released.

Also, Good Cole/Evil Cole are awesome. I'm glad they're two characters, so there! :p
 

Tookay

Member
Man I can't believe we are STILL acting like this :/

Most people don't care for those characters. It might be hyperbolic to say "nobody," but it might as well be.

There isn't a lot of nostalgia attached to Cole, Nariko, Fat Princess, and Radec. Some of them are barely memorable. Hell, I wouldn't even know Radec's name if it wasn't for the horrible boss fight with him at the end of KZ2.

No, All Stars won't sell in the millions. But it probably doesn't have to. Sony not shelling out millions to Square, Eidos, Konami, Capcom, Activision, etc, probably helped keep the budget for All Stars in check, so even if it only sells, say, 1 million life time, it probably made a profit!

Be honest: if this game was a success and met Sony's expectations, you think Sony would be letting go of this relationship?
 

kinoki

Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.
They should have just made a really good brawler with an original concept with a new cast of characters. Then released the PlayStation All-Stars as DLC. Buying Nariko and Kratos as the War-pack. Lara Croft and Dante as another. And so on. That and had a better title.
 
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