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[Pachterballs]

We've heard from one source that as a result of Sony's decision, SuperBot will have to shut down. We've reached out to the studio for comment and will update should we hear back.

I don't see why this would be the case. surely their contract made money and... um, no contingency? Its hella bizarre. they're an independent studio. can't they look for more work? Are they hedging that they'll get work from only SONY?

wow this thread grew fast. when I typed the first time, there was 73 posts.

 

[NateDrake]

superannuation‏@supererogatory

In the past year, Sony has nearly destroyed Eat Sleep Play, Nihilistic, Sanzaru, The Workshop, Lightbox, Idol Minds and now Superbot.

Sanzaru will be gone once Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time fails to sell this month thanks to no marketing by SCEA.

 

[Camjo-Z]

Dang. PSAS was my 2012 GOTY.

Considering Sly 4 has also had no adveristing, I expect Sanzaru to be done for pretty soon as well.

 

[StealthGoblin]

It's absolutely disgusting how one game can bring a studio down. I really hope everyone lands on their feet ok. =(

Sony runs each of their studios like independent businesses. They basically (as a rule of thumb) require them to make a profit or they'll cut them off.

 

[LiK]

They should've had FF characters

 

[ascii42]

That's really unfortunate.

 

[SmithnCo]

That really sucks. I love the game, it's a good fusion of Smash Bros. style and combo-heavy fighters.

 

[Supermanisdead]

I wonder how much Sony expected to sell with this game? Smash numbers maybe?

It'll be hilarious if the game turns out to sell a million on Japan's first week.

It's still not out in Japan? I thought it was supposed to be last month.

 

[Mpl90]

I do.

Senior Sony Exec - "Super Smash Bros was the best-selling fighting game of the generation. We can do that, but with Sony characters. It'll sell 5 million copies. Oh, and another thing! Mario Kart is the best-selling racing game of the generation. We can do that, but with Sony characters. It'll sell 5 million copies."

Just like the old Activision Publishing CEO did with Blur "If we combine Mario Kart and PGR? It'll sell 10 million copies!"

Sometimes, it really is just that simple.

...And so superficial too. =P

 

[darkside31337]

superannuation‏@supererogatory

In the past year, Sony has nearly destroyed Eat Sleep Play, Nihilistic, Sanzaru, The Workshop, Lightbox, Idol Minds and now Superbot.

This is pretty terrible.

Nihilistic destroyed themselves with fucking terrible games. Sanzaru isn't even dead yet. Idol Minds has really never shown a degree of competency. Superbot did a terrible job with PSABR and Lightbox made a game nobody wanted.

 

[AgentChris]

SCEA is the biggest joke. Fire Jack Tretton's dumbass.

 

[KillerTravis]

Do they have FF character(s) now? If so, my bad.

FF started on the NES.

 

[B.O.O.M]

Best of luck to those affected

@the sanzaru games worried crowd: I don't think it's going to be an issue at all. According to linkdin Sanzaru games has around 11-50 employees while Superbot has 51-200.

 

[Aquamarine]

I don't see why this would be the case. surely their contract made money and... um, no contingency? Its hella bizarre. they're an independent studio. can't they look for more work? Are they hedging that they'll get work from only SONY?

I assume the studio doesn't have enough capital to support its overhead. Unless it can find another investor EXTREMELY quickly (very unlikely because their first title bombed), it'll collapse.

 

[KingK]

I played the beta and did not like the Supers system at all. The mechanics were good, but the whole Supers thing never clicked with me at all.

Too bad, because it seemed like the game had potential.

 

[persongr]

Except it wasn't a bad game, at all (apart from those menus).

I feel bad for Superbot, but I really can't say I'm surprised by this.

Rather unbalanced, the online in the launch period was a mess, and nonexistent content besides the problematic online.

It will not call it bad, but it was definitely luckluster.

 

[WinFonda]

have kat and emmett been released yet? werent they supposed to by now? regardless, the game is prob in better hands at santa monica - both in terms of the DLC propositions and in terms of the franchise's future. i had more fun with GOW:A multiplayer than All-stars, and I thought All-stars should have had a similar powerstone esque approach.

 

[JazzmanZ]

not surprising, considering all the negativity the game got.

that and a horrible ad that didn't even show gameplay.

 

[leatherhat]

The fighting was good but the game was terrible if that makes any sense. And for a genre like this a huge content packed game is a basic requirement.

 

[The Lamp]

thats coming out this week?

holy shit lol

It's coming out tomorrow :lol

my copy's already on its way here.

 

[Professor Beef]

They should've had FF characters

They should've had an actual budget, you mean.

 

[cyborg009]

Who's next, Sanzaru?

Pretty much. I wonder when the thread about Jack Tretton will be made.

 

[Pachterballs]

Sly 4 is releasing on the back of sly 1-3. so if that sells and people want more (or because of the HD collection... don't want more), I don't see how anyone can pin it on marketing. Sly 1-3 is the best marketing sly 4 can get.

 

[Kai Dracon]

Problem with All-Stars is it just didn't have enough characters to be worth the $60.

The entire game seemed like a throwaway concept someone at Sony came up with, then Superbot was tossed together to churn it out. And they cared about making a great game, but labored under being hamstrung.

It wasn't just low budget, lack of dev time, high retail price (always a brilliant combination). The game was used as a tactless marketing platform in a way that would make the Pokemon Company blush. Using DmC Dante, or a Big Daddy with a Bioshock Infinity stage - a few too many selections were just marketing for upcoming games with no connection to Playstation history.

 

[Aquamarine]

It's coming out tomorrow :lol

my copy's already on its way here.

WHAT? It's coming out TOMORROW?

Holy shit SCEA, I want to buy the stuff you put out...but you gotta do better than that.

 

[ubersticky]

So... what's next DLC wise?

 

[Drago]

superannuation‏@supererogatory

In the past year, Sony has nearly destroyed Eat Sleep Play, Nihilistic, Sanzaru, The Workshop, Lightbox, Idol Minds and now Superbot.

Their game hasn't even been released yet and it's already declared a bomba.

Fuck you SCEA and your lack of marketing. I'll be buying Sly at least... :/

 

[BearPawB]

Don't blame marketing. They demoed the game all over the place (mlg) had a beta. The problem is people played it, and didnt like it. Game was sterile, everything about it felt basic.

Couple that with a less than exciting combat system...recipe for disaster.

 

[M.D]

superannuation‏@supererogatory

In the past year, Sony has nearly destroyed Eat Sleep Play, Nihilistic, Sanzaru, The Workshop, Lightbox, Idol Minds and now Superbot.

Similar to what I said earlier, but I was talking about ESP and Lightbox, don't know about the others.
This is very un-Sony (from what I remember at least). Who deals with these studios inside of Sony?

I seriously can't imagine why would an independent studio would want to work with them? Also, notice all these studios are from the US... fucking SCEA lol

 

[MagicWithEarvin]

That's unfortunate, but Sony's marketing has been absolute crap for a while now.

 

[TheOddOne]

Worse than I thought, jesus in a 2 year span.

 

[Returners]

That sucks.

 

[Ridley327]

So... what's next DLC wise?

We actually don't know what's next after Kat/Starhawk Dude and the Heavenly Sword/Wipeout level.

 

[Sammy Samusu]

Shocking.

Did it sell over 200k worldwide?

 

[KissVibes]

This.
No one was asking for a brawler fighting game from Sony.
Wanna using your characters? There were so many opportunities.

Except for people that have been asking for it since the PS2 era.

 

[Duxxy3]

superannuation‏@supererogatory

In the past year, Sony has nearly destroyed Eat Sleep Play, Nihilistic, Sanzaru, The Workshop, Lightbox, Idol Minds and now Superbot.

None of the games that any of those companies sold well.

 

[Gospel]

Damn. Shit happens

 

[Supermanisdead]

I do.

Senior Sony Exec - "Super Smash Bros was the best-selling fighting game of the generation. We can do that, but with Sony characters. It'll sell 5 million copies. Oh, and another thing! Mario Kart is the best-selling racing game of the generation. We can do that, but with Sony characters. It'll sell 5 million copies."

Just like the old Activision Publishing CEO did with Blur "If we combine Mario Kart and PGR? It'll sell 10 million copies!"

Sometimes, it really is just that simple.

Lol, Blur. Fuck that game and their dumbass ~race like a big boy~ commercial making fun of Mario Kart. It's poetic justice that MKWii sold literally 1000x Blur's numbers.

 

[diffusionx]

I know people blame marketing on every game failure, but maybe this just wasn't what people wanted.

I dare say that if you want to make a game like this and can't get Crash, Cloud, Lara Croft, etc. - true iconic characters that people know and love - you shouldn't even bother making it. You definitely shouldn't replace them with Cole, Cole, and Sir Dan Fortesque.

 

[zroid]

what a disaster

I'm not a big fan of that game, but those guys deserved better. It could have been something special with a bit more time, budget, and general tlc.

 

[CrazyTank940]

So... what's next DLC wise?

other than Kat, Emmett, and that dlc stage mentioned a while back, I don't think anything else was confirmed yet

 

[AOC83]

None of the games that any of those companies sold well.

None of these games should´ve ever been developed. And that clearly is Sonys fault.

 

[Ridley327]

None of the games that any of those companies sold well.

I'd have to think that Sanzaru made money for them, since the only game they worked on prior to Sly 4 was porting over the first three for the HD collection.

 

[Violater]

We need a list of games that are actually turning a profit for developers.
This is crazy I would be scared to be in the game dev field.

 

[Alienous]

Next time people ask for Crash, you get Crash.

 

[Pachterballs]

Worse than I thought, jesus in a 2 year span.

how did sony destroy them. Their games don't sell.

in fact, I don't know who most of them are and I'm a predom ps3 gamer.

easy to slag shit based on 114 characters.

 

[grimshawish]

Don't blame marketing. They demoed the game all over the place (mlg) had a beta. The problem is people played it, and didnt like it. Game was sterile, everything about it felt basic.

Couple that with a less than exciting combat system...recipe for disaster.

The massive cock up with the character reveals (starting with fucking Fat Princess didn't fucking either; ludicrous decision, I don't understand why Sony outwardly try to make Playstation look weird; they create such false impressions all the time) couldn't have helped either.

Did it sell over 200k worldwide?

I very much doubt it.

 

[Aquamarine]

I'd have to think that Sanzaru made money for them, since the only game they worked on prior to Sly 4 was porting over the first three for the HD collection.

Sony seems to have a "one game failed? Studio closed!" mentality these days. Regardless if the Sly Collection made them money, if Sly 4 flops, they're out.

 

[pelican]

That sucks but after All Star's performances it had to be coming.

I don't really think that was Superbot's fault though. More to do with the appeal of a Sony character based brawler.

As much as I like my PS games their characters aren't strong enough to emulate a Smash Bros title.

 

[Malvingt2]

superannuation‏@supererogatory

Wasn't talking about internal studios, but of course they shuttered Sony Liverpool, BigBig, and Zipper, as many of you pointed out.