Sony Cuts Ties With PlayStation All-Stars Creators, Studio’s Fate In Question

Sony has cut ties with PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale creator SuperBot Entertainment, just days after the development studio laid off a number of its staff.

All of the game's future content will be handled by Sony's internal studios.

[Nitrowolf2]

well this freak'n sucks.

[sinncross]

Sure does... I hope the SB employees can find new jobs soon if the studio really does close down.
PSBR could have been better but I thought for a first time effort it was good and a lot of fun.

I wonder what this means for DLC... and the signs of a sequels...

[Phil32]

You didn't even have to click on the article to see what it means for DLC. It clearly says on this page in the summary, "All of the game's future content will be handled by Sony's internal studios."

[Skate-AK]

Santa Monica are handling future DLC.

[sinncross]

my point was that SB were a group who at the moment were dedicated to making the DLC.

It is sort of like LBP DLC: it is not even made by MediaMolecule but another group who have the current job of making said DLC.

Santa Monica have tons of projects going on, DLC for the game (if it did not sell well) is probably not high up on their priority list.

[UnSelf]

nobodys mad but can u name these thousands of games?

or hundreds?

ok dozens?

[pixelsword]

So, what then:

-Did is sell well or not?

-Did it play well or not?

Or is it just:

-Sony were through with them for the game (job well done, now parts ways)?

-Sony didn't want to pay them for DLC (too much money with a jillion developers on retainer)?

-Sony doesn't want to work with them anymore?

[DasBunker]

It sure sucks.

IMO the biggest problems with the game is the lack of a normal health bar mode, being able to fall from stage and neeeds more characters.

Hopefully DLC or PSABR 2 has these.

[Reverent]

@Crusader, looking at your profile... You've been banned a lot, haven't you? Well, enjoy being banned again considering the massive amount blatant anti-sony trolling you're pathetic self has pumped out in just today's time.

[Larry L]

I agree that there no being at least a mode with regular health bars was a major thing that put off potential customers. I know that's one of the major reasons I was put off.

But I think the major reason the game failed was that it was being looked at by Sony as a Blockbuster they could sell as a full $60 retail game, but all SuperBot created was a $20-$30 brawler. For All-Stars to be worth $60 it needed a roster of like 50 characters, and that's not exaggerating or wishing for too much. With the 20 playable characters it had in reality, for it to be a big seller it should have launched as a $30 title......$20 by now, and they would have had successfull sales.

I really don't know what they were thinking with that TINY roster. DId they really expect people to pay even $40 for a simple brawler with only 20 playables, where it's likely each gamer is only going to really like 1 or 2 characters? I wouldn't pay more than $10 for the game as it sits. I was excited at the thought of this game when announced......but it really needed at LEAST double the playables to be good. Content is KING in games like this.

[Mr_Writer85]

20 isn't small at all consider the fact that 19 of them are unique and don't all come from one game. And if you play the game you would find that the none health bar works.

The game is fun it's a shame people automaticity dismiss it.

[Nexgensensation]

believing this would eventually happen. I guess this is what you call a confirmation.

[Ritsujun]

not surprised, the game sucked

[darthv72]

hasnt sony done this with other studio games before? Meaning that while they start off being developed by one company, at some point sony takes control of the IP and gets sequels or new content developed in house by their own teams.

business is business and maybe sony felt they were better suited at continuing development than SB.

It sucks for SB but if it means the game will get continued support or possibly a better followup then it is just the way things are done.

Look at god of war. It was started by one development house and then it was later taken over by Sony and has been a staple for Sony ever since.

That doesnt mean the company that started it was bad but it could mean it was more lucrative for sony to shift development to another house and free up the originator to do other projects.

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

Well it sounds like they will be okay since Superbot released a statement saying they are looking forward to the next chapter. I personally liked PS All Stars and can't wait to see what superbot do next.
Good luck to them.

[BitbyDeath]

Playstation All Stars - Goes Multiplatform.

Snicker.gif

[Skips]

I personally hope Sony Santa Monica does the sequel. Since they were the ones who helped create it in the first place.

It would be pretty damn awesome if the next installment (If one is made) has the gameplay mechanics similar to that of the God Of War MP.

3D environments and all.

[zebramocha]

Can some one tell me if they were contracted to make this game? or are they a formation of people from some of Sony's first party studios?

[BitbyDeath]

Contracted studio.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

After reading this article I'm confused...

SuperBot is an independent studio? Didn't Sony hand pick the developers that were of fighting game background to form SuperBot? Or did SuperBot just now became an independent studio because Sony cut ties with them? I am very confused right now.

Battle Royale isn't even a bad game though. So I guess the sales are poor? I don't what it's official sales are, but I heard it was around half a million which is not poor at all when you consider that the game released only 3 months ago and is exclusive and is a new IP. Not sure why Sony would cut ties with them unless if SuperBot were independent from start and only had a contract with one game and if that it is the case then now it makes sense.

[mcstorm]

There were 2 problems with Ps allstars. The 1st one was it was not pushed enough by Sony and the 2nd one was this is not the type of game Sony fans want. Look at lbpk and this is another game ps3 owners don't want. If they wanted games like this they would buy a Nintendo console.

I don't think this game was as good as any if the super smash bros games but it was not a bad game at all. I really enjoy playing the game on my psv and on ps3 with mates but I do think this game would not be misses if it was dropped in development.

[maniacmayhem]

Superbot was formed by an ex Sony employee that I guess still had a great relationship with Sony. They were then contracted by Sony to make PSAS, but they were still very much an independent studio.

The sales must of been pretty bad if Sony is ending their contract (after one game) and moving all DLC/updates to their Santa Monica studio, not to mention the studio laying off it's staff (which most studios do anyways after a project). The game was released at a very bad time and honestly there wasn't that much mass anticipation for this type of game to begin with.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

Thanks for clearing that up.

Battle Royale was a good first effort imo. I was interested in seeing how SuperBot would improve on the game in the sequel. Maybe Allstars can be a 3-d fighter now that it's in the hands of a different studio as I was hoping for that the first time the game was revealed, but the super only system of this current game is fun and refreshing to me.

[yeahokchief]

yeah wtf

i thought they did a fantastic job on PSASBR.

who is going to do the next game on the PS4 now and what about future dlc?

this is one of the few games i will definitely buy dlc for.

this sucks.

[xXBlondieVanHarlowXx]

NOOOOOOOOOOO!! I loved PASBR! T-T
Granted it wasn't perfect but my friends & i continue to have lots of fun with it. I hope this does not rule out the possibility of a PASBR2.

[DeadlyFire]

Sony likely wanted a 10 star glorious game out the gate, but it didn't come across as that. Still decent and I enjoy it. So they will likely try again I say 2014 we will see a sequel.

[TheTwelve]

It does suck, I wish Superbot the best.

I've been playing the game since day one. It's not the perfect game, but a really good game. There are some very obvious imbalances...certain characters are just too easily abused and therefore overused (Kratos, Drake, Raiden) and there are simply too many ways to be cheap with the characters that use guns in this game. Like P4A, it becomes in most cases not a matter of skill, but a matter of who is best at being cheapest.

As the guy above me said, having a health bar option/inclusion would have gone a LONG way in balancing the game out.

...but you know it's really hard to make a solid fighting game. Very hard. So many nuances and things to check and test. Street Fighter 2 Championship Edition is a classic for a reason.

I'll keep playing PSABR but I do hope the game's many errors are hammered out.

Again though, all the best to Superbot --- they took on a herculean task.

12

[user3915800]

No, the game suck, tried to make it like mario party and failed. Well done sony, now get rid of the rest and save some money.

[Hicken]

... like Mario Party?

-Bubble, Trolling.

[zerocrossing]

Agreed.

It was supposed to be Sonys own Smash bro's, but it just didn't quite make it...

Im sure more DLC would have helped with adding extra modes, characters and fixed some balancing issues, Im genuinely saddened by this news as I thought that even though PSBR wasn't quite as good as Smash bros yet it definitely had great potential.

I hope this dose'nt mark the end for the franchise.

[miDnIghtEr20C_SfF]

Game was a let down, rated and sold lower than they wanted. Too bad for them. Maybe they'll make an original game next time.

ps, great reading all the comments on how the game isn't that great now. Before it came out, SDF was cramming down peoples throats how good this game was going to be. I played the beta, didn't seem that great. Now people are saying how it isn't that great. People who said that before had disagrees up the yin yang, and marked for trolling.

LOL... love when time goes on and you get to see the results of something like this. Vindication for those who said the game wasn't that great. (not that studios were shut down, that fanboys are now saying the game wasn't that good... that part. :D )

[Tzuno]

well the game freaking sucks :) what do you expect?

[OhMyGandhi]

It does suck.
But I believe at the back of everyone's mind, and the elephant in the room, is this: Why didn't they completely copy Super Smash?

I was incredibly excited for a Sony rendition of the Nintendo brawler, and was disheartened by it's change in creative direction.

[Cocozero]

Sony obviously has high standards, if you don't meet the standard you are gone.

[-Mika-]

Pretty much this. The game felt really amateurish. Everything about it was lacking quality. Hopefully if sony creates a sequel. I think they should give it to Sony Japan and have Capcom assist with the development. It would create a great partnership with Capcom and we could actually get a quality fighting/party game.

[Oh_Yeah]

Yeah, whatever team of theirs that made power stone, I'd be happy if they picked up ps all stars.

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

Capcom kills everything they touch. Why the hell would you want it being handled by Capcom?

[lizard81288]

Crapcom would DLC it up the ass and then maybe cancel it, due to not enough people joining the dev room....and then blame the fans for not wanting it.

TBH, Sony does a great job with 1st party games. Tekken was a sony exclusive, so maybe have Namco take a crack at it?...Then again, times have changed and Namco leaves everything in Japan these days.

[-Alpha]

I have to agree: production values were nowhere near what they should have been. Undoubtedly, the game was very rough around the edges and was not fleshed out with more options and modes. Post-release suffered from bugs and annoying glitches. And the roster lacked a number of heavy hitters, that will be glaringly obvious.

But throughout all that, I love this game. The core mechanics with the supers, IMO, are fun, and I enjoy the intensity that comes out of playing this game's meta-game. I wish there was more options, more modes, and a lot more in terms of single player, but I was hoping all that was for a sequel. I was really hoping Sony would nurture the studio and that they would pull a bigger budget next time around to maybe get bigger names. But it's just bad luck, and I can't fault Sony for walking away when they've been suffering a string of letdowns as seen by Starhawk, LBPK, Twisted Metal, etc. In the end, it really is about what's best for business.

[SuperLupe]

When its MS its because they're evil ...

[omi25p]

Double Standards at its best.

oops i mean, YEAH GO SONY WOOHOO

[PunkXIV]

this has nothing to do with ms or nintendo, stfu

[pepsilover_2007]

^ Well i see that we found one person who was just found guilty of doing it. Not gonna name any names, but the arrow should point it out

[kenshiro100]

Give me a break...

[insomnium2]

Every single thing MS does is centered around the principle of making as much profit as possible. They already abandoned the core gamer by closing down studios and putting hc-studios on projects for Kinect.

From a hc-gamers perspective MS IS pure evil due to the actions they've taken and words they have spoken. It's been one flip flopping EXPENSIVE ride.

But hey atleast they have teh margetsharez!!! Next up Kinectimals 2.

[vega275]

Every company principles are centered around making maximum profits not just microsoft. Thats what all businesses care about which includes market shares.

Sony has also closed down studios. More so recently within the last 2 years and unlike microsoft who would ratther put these studios to work on projects that cater to other gamers to expand to more people than just the core gamer. Sony put studios on project thats in their eyes are suppose to sell on hype and word of mouth. But no marketing unless its ND or a god of war.

But hey I love those commercials for sly4......oh thats right they haven't put one out just like they have with many other games they sent out to die with no promotion

[DOMination-]

You're right this has nothing yo do with MS. But that means to guys shouldn't cone into ab article about 360 games and post your ps3 lists.

MS did shut a few studios down years ago but they've since opened a lot and own nearly 2x what Sony owns.

As for ps3 owners not wanting this game.. Ludicrous excuse. The reason the game was made was because people demanded it. When it was announced there were hundreds of articles here about it.

Anyway this game wasn't eventat bad. Just seemed a bit rushed because Sony didn't have any other games for xmas 2012.

[LAZL0-Panaflex]

Except for hatchett and frank, or jak and lester.

[Reverent]

Beautiful attempt at trying to be funny there^

[Yodagamer]

Yes because that stopped them from giving resistance to nihilistic after the gem of a game Playstation move heroes. Or the time they closed zipper (they weren't as good as they once were,but they were still doing good) and liver pool.

[Good_Guy_Jamal]

Ah yes, it's Insomniac all over again. Before they went on their merry way, you couldn't say a single bad thing about them without being lynched and having your entire lineage insulted. And then after they went multi and it was open season!
Same thing with SuperBot, people were patting them on the back for a job well done for their first time round and expressing how they couldn't wait for more PASBR from SB. Anyone who said otherwise was labelled an x##t. But now here we are, SONY have cut ties with them and we have to make SONY look like the hero by villainizing SuperBot and making it seem like SONY did the right thing as always.
Tired of this hypocrisy from the SONY fans.
I dare you to find one Xbox fan who carries any bad will towards Bungie for going multiplatform.

[PandemicPrawn0]

You make some good points about the double standards around here.

And I have to agree with your veiw on Bungie. They gave us all so much with their work on Halo, in my opinion they earned the right to go independent.

Bubbles.

[maniacmayhem]

I remember saying something about PSAS being heavy inspired by Smash. I also said that the game just didn't have a lot of appeal to it. I was slammed, called a troll, I was PM'd and was told to provide proof that the game was everything I mentioned as if anything I would say would convince them otherwise.

Now that the game has been out for a while it is funny to see the backsliding and even the absence of some of the folks who defended it so carelessly.

Anyways you are absolutely correct. People need to stop being so involved emotionally with their consoles and look at things with non-objective open eyes.

[pain777pas]

This debacle is not Sony's fault in the least. Superbot were made aware of problems and suggested by fans to make numerous changes to the look of the game, to the UI, to a depleted heath bar, to using too many characters for other characters supers. I mean Clank and Daxter have their own games for crying out loud and Daxter actually sold more than the best selling of the Sly series. Look, we have to be honest they could have made the game look like anything they wanted. Modnation racers has Kratos, Ratchet, Jak, Drake, Sly and company IN AN ORIGINAL art style. Everyone could tell what the Kratos avatar was. They did not even have to try and rip the characters straight out of their games. No imagination. Single player save for the actual fighting mechanics, stages and intro was amateurish at best. The fighting system without depleted health was a miss in addition to supers for more quick kills which would have saved the game. Superbot was bashed over the head and they did nothing but went head long with THEIR GAME. Well this was an easy assignment really. GIVE THE FANS WHAT THEY WANT. We want an encyclopedia on PS IPs in videogame form not some amateurish half hearted stuff. They did not need Crash and Spyro to make a GOOD game. All they needed was tender love and care with what they did have. I want all the cover arts for the game, individual fonts for naming the stages, being able to rotate the camera when you customize your character!!!!!!!!!! The game lacked soooo much and look at Sanzaru 9/10 from Game Informer for Sly 4. They just thought like a gamer and honored the developer and they should be the ones screwing that IP up because that has history. You have so many fans that give instructions and they are ignored because it is SUPERBOTS game. NO Superbot this is Sony playstations fans game. Don't ignore us or this is the end result. Trust me I hope Sanzaru or Ready at Dawn get the job to make the next game because they may not have as intricate a fighting system but they will make a quality and polished game. Also online was broken from the beta and I still play AS CHARACTERS I DID NOT CHOOSE. That is not SONY that IS SUPERBOT not doing their jobs. /rant

PS. I will be positive in most posts this just rubbed me the wrong way and I bought the game to support the devs and advised them to patch the game before the launch in Japan with new UI, story mode etc.... because I said this game is not going to fly as is for Japan it is so amateurish in so many ways. Even they should look to Japan studios to make the next game. We can hope...

[Root]

See Sony you should of waited untill you could get the big names like Cloud, Crash, Spyro, Gabe Logan, Solid Snake etc but you didn't you added third party characters that were obviously done to promote their games instead of waiting to get what we wanted.

I know I know...it wasn't up to them but if they couldn't get the characters then they should of just waited to do this another time. They were in no rush

Lets not forget they have a TON of first party characters themselfs still and nothing, still poor third party characters.

This game could of been so much more and even if you loved it like me you know deep down it could of been.

[pr0t0typeknuckles]

sadly, i agree with every word you said, and it sucks because i was hoping that if there was a sequel we could have seen those characters and could have gotten much more, looks like that wont be happening now, or maybe santa monica will make all stars 2, i think that that would be the best move at the moment, all stars is one of those games with a lot of potential but just needs to build on it to make it a home run game.

[smashcrashbash]

What are you talking about? Just because Superbot is disbanded doesn't mean there is no plans for DLC later. We can still get those characters later.They clearly said 'PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale and the title's forthcoming DLC releases will continue to be fully supported by Santa Monica Studio." Sheeh, read the article before jumping to conclusions.Oh right I forgot.N4G people don't read articles.

[Root]

Having them later when they game is long out is not the same as having them on the release...especialy if you are marketing the game

Crash, Spyro, Cloud, Snake they would of been great to get peoples interests

[Veneno]

And why was there ABSOLUTELY NOTHING from Team Ico.? Not even a crummy STAGE for crying out loud. Thats first fucking party for gods sake.

[fantasygamer]

WTH! I like Playstation All Stars..

[LAZL0-Panaflex]

Game blows. Not one of their better games. Infamous rules, then god of war, then killzones, then uncharted.

[WeAreLegion]

Game blows? Did you play it?!? It's the best brawler since Power Stone 2, dude.

[Lord_Sloth]

I thought it was very fun and showed promise for future evolution of the title. Hope it doesn't die off like this.

[Son_Lee]

Not surprising when you make a terrible game. Pretty bad when you can't even copy Smash Bros. right.

[phantomexe]

I didn't care to much for it ether but it's still worth another game. It could of built success in the long run. Looks like sony is given up on it alittle to fast.

[Veneno]

Yeah they gave up too soon. But I'm certain that we'll see another attempt at this game some time down the road in PS4, when there will be a newer batch of IPs to pull from

[Tonester925]

Because they weren't copying smash bros......

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

Smash Brothers is essentially the standard for the party fighter genre. They took the basic gameplay of smash and then ruined the synergy by giving it that silly 'use ultimate attacks to kill people" only thing.

Would have been fine if it was a game mode by itself, but other than that, nah.

[MaxXAttaxX]

General consensus says otherwise. It is not a "terrible" game nor was it meant to "copy" Smash Bros.

[WeAreLegion]

It totally destroys Smash Bros. You didn't play it, obviously. All-Stars is in MLG. Brawl is NOT. All-Stars is a real fighting game with perfect balancing.

[Ducky]

Err, Brawl was part of MLG too.

Not sure how that even counts as an argument anyways since CoD is in MLG.

[DwightOwen]

MLG was started by losers who suck at LEGITIMATE competitive sports.

[Father Time]

If you honestly think they were trying to copy Smash Brothers you either haven't played this game, haven't played smash or are just dim.

Quick recap. To win in smash you knock your opponent off the screen which becomes easier to do when they take damage.

To win in PSABR you hit your opponent enough to gain AP and use super moves. Hitting them off the screen doesn't kill them.

[FantasticBoss]

Not that I don't really enjoy both games but this argument is like saying two nearly identical sandwiches are nothing alike because one has turkey and the other has ham. There are a lot of shared ingredients going on here.

[smashcrashbash]

@ Root.When did gamers get so lame. I can't tell exactly when it happened. But it happened. @ phantomexe. Yes that is why Sony gave Sony Santa Monica to keep making DLC for the game because they gave up on it. Look if you have nothing sensible or anything constructive to say, don't speak.

[phantomexe]

@ smash Take a med... i'll say what i want when i want. I hope they gave it to Santa Monica to make another game but you don't know for certain that we are getting another game just dlc. Do you need your tears wiped away. Relax

[Root]

Don't tell people what they can and can't say it's rude, as I was saying earlier today to someone who said the same thing to me, it's a free country or in this case website

As long as it sticks between the guidelines then most comments are fine.

[tehpees3]

Its always sad to see companies lose their ties. I wonder what will happen to their new game now :(

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Thanks for the game...now take a hike. lol... man the game business is pretty brutal at times.

[Studio-YaMi]

That's pretty much the reality of it,I don't know why people are thinking they parted ways because the game was bad !? the game was actually pretty decent,not great sure but wasn't bad at all,the only way I can explain this situation is basically your comment !

They did the job they were hired to do,now they are not needed,it's a business after all and this is all for the money in the end even if they do make good quality games (which they should anyways!).

Good luck to SuperBot and I hope the laid off employees find jobs in other Sony studios.

[Prodigy-X]

Still liked the game. I hope another studio does a sequel.

[NYC_Gamer]

It's sad but publishers won't keep a studio around that's not selling units

[-MD-]

I can't tell if you're serious. They're in business to make money, if they aren't making money then they will drop you.

[maniacmayhem]

Sucks, the industry is too much like a crap roll and that's why it so hard to try and bring anything to the market that hasn't already been established.

One title that goes south and the whole studio has to shut down or seriously cut back. There has to be a better way of doing business or else we will be slammed with nothing but CoD clones.

Edit:
Next time nerf Kratos! ;-)

[Dark11]

Playstation All Stars was shit

i hope to see SuperBot Entertainment improve in the future.

[WeAreLegion]

Compared to other brawlers, including SSB, PSASBR is the best in the genre. I don't believe you've played it.

[Convas]

Surely you jest

[Killzoner99]

Sony needed to do what they needed to do. That's business. Don't cry over this , Superbot was created for this game and they served their purpose. It's probably the best game of 2012 so you know Sony won't discontinue support for it any time soon. In fact two new characters are about to be added as DLC. MOVE ON PEOPLE.

[Studio-YaMi]

Exactly ! why the disagrees !? :|

I mean sure it's bad & sad when things like this happens but it's a business,if you don't move on you'll just lose assets til you fall down,is it better to just break ties with a studio that served it's purpose or just keep losing money !? think about it for a little bit people ..!

[-Gespenst-]

God that's just so ruthless. Capitalism has engulfed the games industry.

[specialguest]

Capitalism is why we have a game industry, but I think I know what you mean though.

[BanBrother]

Oh no people there's a commy in here!!

[PirateThom]

I don't think it's even about the units sold.

I think the core game of PSASBR is really good, but the whole production aspect is so poor that it feels like a pre-release beta, not the final release version. Everything from the menu to stills for character stories (the bit of talking before they fight their rival/Polygon Man is how all the story aspects should have been) to the lack of modes.

However, the poor reception from the majority means the whole thing would need to start from scratch. I feel like Seth Killian was brought in as an advisor to try and fix the issues with the game, but it was just too late to make any major changes.

If a PS brawler ever happens again I have no doubt it will be done like the "Title Fight" concept, entirely handled by Santa Monica and with Seth Killian as a lead on it.

[Nawert]

Explain how it would be done please, I'm intrigued.

[PirateThom]

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Check this out.

I'm not sure what they could change, but I think it was a bit silly to hand such a big project to a new studio.

[Nawert]

That looked really cool and more interactive and everything.

[Root]

More modes is a must for me, seriously using the supers all the time especialy when you have a fav character you keep using gets boring

I want to knock them off the stage like Smash Bros or give them a health bar

More modes wouldn't hurt, it would allow more people to play

[NonApplicable]

Totally agree. I loved the base fighting system, but everything around it felt amateur.

This really is a shame. The potential for an amazing sequel was obvious. The foundation is already built!

[BigBoss1964]

Damn that sucks its a good game, then again the game got a lot of hate since it was announced

[izumo_lee]

It is just too bad that this has happened. Was hoping that Superbot was able to improve on the game with a possible sequel & maybe better 3rd party co-operation cause i believe that what screwed the game over.

Wish these guys/gals all the best cause they seem like very good people & hopefully they can still be a 3rd party or 2nd party developer in the future.

BTW if they are no longer affiliated with Sony what happens to future DLC?

[PirateThom]

Sony Santa Monica are dealing with it.

[Oh_Yeah]

Nooooo, the only fighting game I've liked since I played smash bros on game cube. WTF SONY.

[Toon_Link]

Well that's a shame. . . I hope these guys the best and will be excited to see what this studio has to offer down the road.

[majiebeast]

I loved the gameplay but the menu's,extra's and story mode were just amateur at best. They had 3 years to deliver this and with that much time it shouldve been alot more polished and had more content then was in the game. Next 1 should just be made in house by Santa monica themselves with Seth Killian as project lead.

Everyone that says the game wasnt marketed here in the Netherlands the Psasbr commercial was being broadcasted every commercial block on several channels. Superbot just wasnt ready for a big title apperently.

[Moncole]

The menu makes it look like its in alpha.

[Nawert]

Am I the only one who thinks the god of war Ascention multiplayer type gameplay would be awesome for a playstation fighting game?

[Tontus]

That's exactly what I want.

Now that SuperBot definitely won't be making the sequel I hope Sony Santa Monica uses their experience with the fantastic multiplayer component of God of War: Ascension to reboot the PS mascot brawler idea and make the battle arenas 3D environments with a lot of interactivity.

Also they would actually put effort into a story mode this time, something fun and with multiple characters crossing paths with each other instead of that rival thing in PASBR.

[Williamson]

Its a really fun game but could of been better with more modes and characters. They have other great characters that they could of put in this game which would of made it a lot better.

[dgonza40]

First outing as a developer, a lot of ip's, and a deep combat system. I think they did well for a first go.

[Shadow Man]

i didnt enjoy the game at all, played a round and stop switch over to mortal kombat complete edition.

[Soldierone]

Haters will hate, fact is 90 percent of them haven't even touched the game. "watching someone play" doesn't count.

Add in full cutscenes, a better story to Polygon man, and more game modes and the game is perfect. They spent so much time perfecting the fighting that they forgot the rest of it. Hopefully Sony sticks behind it because I'm waiting for DLC, let a lone a second in the series.

[miyamoto]

As a PS3 gamer, I really questioned this games motives and goals.

The whole first party PlayStation character fighting game is nice but in 2.5D?.....NO.

It should have been in full 3D like God of War: Ascension, or Power Stone, which is fun and festive- something PSASBR severely lacks.

I mean almost all characters were born in 3D and Superbot squeezed them to tiny 2.5D barely recognizable characters.

Also, what age of gamers are they targeting? because it does not appeal to the kid nor the adult in me.

The UI is too sterile and doesn't scream fun. The characters lack expression and life.

Seems like the contract is done with Sony and Superbot.
Good thing Sony Santa Monica will be handling the franchise maybe they will make it like GOW: Ascension multi-player.

So there is still hope.

[arbitor365]

maybe they will give it to a different developer. I think they should have had a more experienced developer make the game from the start.

its like "hey, we are going to make a big fighting game with all the sony characters... and to make this monumental title lets get somebody that no one has ever head of!"

[BigStef71]

This is sad news:(. I really haven't gotten to play it that much but with the amount of time I put in I did enjoy it so this is pretty depressing. Oh well now for the sequel Sony can let Naughty Dog and SCE Santa Monica make it for next gen systems which will pretty much guarantee the game being a critical hit

[Drainage]

In the past year, Sony has nearly destroyed Eat Sleep Play, Nihilistic, Sanzaru, The Workshop, Lightbox, Idol Minds and now Superbot. Guess what, Sly Cooper releases next week. Prepare for that to have shit sells as well.

[PirateThom]

Why do you assume this was because of sales?

[Cyrax4]

You forgot Zipper Interactive!!! Their games did so bad, Sony had to shut them down too.

Sly Cooper 4 sales will be awful.

[TemplarDante]

The entirety of Zippers staff was absorbed into other internal studios. Ive heard many of them went to work for SOE to help develop the Forgelight game engine for Planetside 2.

[wishingW3L]

I was going to buy the game until they included the new Dante in it. Freaking hate DmC reboot and Ninja Theory... Stupid douchebags.

[TheOneEyedHound]

The marketing for this game was terrible.

To me the thing that failed was the Roster, they should had listen to the fans. If this game would had no DLC and had every character fans wanted since the beginning, i'll put anything that this game would of secceed. I don't know if Sony planned this, or Super Bot did but it failed expectations, and Sony did what they had to do.

[Pandamobile]

That sucks... My roommates and I play this game almost daily.

[FrigidDARKNESS]

I saw this coming because the game was no different than Mario Allstars.

[Jek_Porkins]

That is a shame, I rented the game via Gamefly and I thought it was fun at times. The story modes would have benefited from real cutscenes and it seemed like the online always ended with time running out or the other player/s disconnecting.

Hopefully the franchise can be salvaged and made better, often times the sequel is the game that puts a franchise on the map. Bet of luck to SB though, with layoffs and Sony cutting ties, it's going to be tough to forge ahead.

[RTheRebel]

hope they find a job soon =(
always wanted to be a video game developer but, the way this crap industry is going f%$%$ that

[Cyrax4]

Another Sony stuido bites the dust.

The sales for this game were abysmal, which was devastating for Sony considering that was their only big exclusive for 2012 Holiday season.

Amazing that Halo 4 outsold every PS3 exclusive released in 2011 & 2012 COMBINED! Xbox jump in!

[Cyrax4]

Did anyone see the sales for Little Big Planet Karting?

Holy LOL.

[jakmckratos]

Sony had a huge amount of input into this game and honestly I feel like their REALLy out of touch with what people want in games. They do have a dedicated fanbase..smaller than Nintendos yes but we're here. Why in the hell would they release a game with 20 fighters (a third of which shouldnt have even been included)and a LAZY story mode..c'mon sony..take a couple cues from nintendo! And put Crash in the friggin game!

[TemplarDante]

Perhaps, Sony wasnt happy with the final product..
Perhaps, it didnt reflect their financial investment they put into it.
Also, I do believe, the name of the game could have better.. I knows a non-issue, but it goes into the fact the marketing and name go hand in hand.
It shouldve been called "Playstation All Stars" ... it didnt have to say the rest..

[danny818]

Liked the game but pretty bland at times. The name was ridiculous tho. Playstation all stars battle royal! Really?! Something smaller are to the point would of been better. Playstation fighters? Idk...

[MegaLagann]

Well that's a bit harsh, your one game didn't sell quite as we hoped so now we'll just leave on the side of the road to die? Maybe give them a second chance on a smaller project? I don't know, even though I wasn't a fan of the game it's sad to see developers close and people lost their jobs, but Sony's been doing this a lot lately. Trim the fat I guess.

[medziarz]

they also have standards they want to maintain - i think the game was greatly below Sony's standard and seemed like a dissapointment - crappy graphics and overall presentation stood out the most - definitely not something you honor PS fans with.
A link somewhere above shows the Santa Monica Title Fight demo - that's how it should have looked.
Edit: here it is http://www.youtube.com/watc... I got disappointed a lot after seeing this

[Veneno]

My little theory:

I noticed this break up happened right after the confirmation that Allstars BR would not make it into EVO, the worlds biggest fighting game tournament. Eventhough Sales might not have been huge, I think Sonynwould have kept Superbot around had the game made It into the tournament. Cause it would have shown that thengame has a true hardcore following which would have kept the game active and alive while they work on making the sequel better. But looks like that didn't happen.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

Now people see why MS said they would never make a game like this? As far as I'm concern Nintendo and Nintendo ONLY can pull off the 4 player party Brawler.

[EffectO]

BigBig Studios: Made little deviants for the Vita ---->shut down
Zipper Interactive: Unit 13 for Vita------>shut down
Sony Liverpool: Wipeout for Vita------>shut down
Super Bot Entertainment:PSASBR for Ps3 and Vita------>rumored to be closing

[sashimi]

lol the trolls have come to feast on this article.
SB was a 3rd party contracted studio in the first place so this isn't really a big deal. Sony got SB to make the game, now that the game is out SB has nothing left to do but to make dlc, but why keep an entire studio when there's already internal studios that can make dlc and continue support. This is only a logical move until further plans for a sequel is in place if Sony plans to make one.

[BLKxSEPTEMBER]

The Smash bros series may be better but the combo system in all stars shits on SB weak "combos"

[black911]

Advertise!!!!!

[Sizzon]

I bought the game and the game is fun, but it could have been so much more. Modes, and a bit more in depth single-player story.

[StreetsofRage]

Smart move by Sony. It was just another failed exclusive.

[evilhasitsway]

im downloading it right now but got it free a freind is letting me game share off his account. so for a free game it is awesome.

[xBASED_CONDUITx]

This made me kind of sad just cause everybody in superbot was cool as fuck and how they put all there hard work to make this game. Even though the game wasnt perfect it was still shitloads of fun and i appreciate what they had to give goodluck to them and ill be waiting to see what they have in store for the future. But on the other hand this gives PSA to go that extra mile, sony and santa monica are much bigger names and im hoping that this will help with future of PSA (DLC,SEQUEL).

[Adolph Fitler]

Another great little Sony ex-exclusive developer Goooone. What is wrong with people, this is a great little alternative to SSB's, that is unfairly critiqued as a rip off of Nintendo's cashcow. This game, Sony & the developers deserved success for having the guts to make this game, for the reasons that it would be unfairly compared to SSB's as soon as announced (as it was), & also for the reason that it is a powerstone/SSB type multiplayer game that was always a huge risk to bring out on a console that is more associated with more violent, adult based affairs & fact is, that both MS & Sony's fanbase are more inclined to buy FPS's over any other genre...oh, + soccer games in Europe & NFL games in U.S.A.
Sadly, Sony's awesome exclusives, such as inFamous 1&2 (which is one of the best exclusives & new IP's this gen) are of a genre that people no longer care about, as shown by the fact it sold pathetically compared to what it should have, then there are awesome titles like Twisted Metal, Starhawk, Wipeout, Socom, Motorstorm, Resistance & many more that are some of the best games in there genre, & nobody is buying them, as they seem more & more to becoming the exact same fanbase that Xbox has always, & continues to attract. Now, that is no payout, or flamebait, or fanboy payout to Xbox owners (as I am one), it just means, I am happy for Xbox to be the console of choice for FPS's, pretty standard roadracers like PGR & Forza, & games like Gears.......but, I want that to be MS's consoles thing, & PS consoles to be the place for top games in every genre, as PS1, PS2 & PS3 (to a lesser degree) have always been.

I don't want Sony to keep losing developers like Insomniac, Zipper, Liverpool Studios, etc, etc, until all we have left is Guerilla & some of there other studios that don't end up getting shut down, because they start following in Activisions footsteps with COD-esque FPS's.

[kingPoS]

I wish them well.
Here's to hoping for more gameplay modes and characters through future DLC.

[BlackWolf]

Man, this sucks. They made the best job they could, even tough the game didn't sell well. I wish them the best in the future.

[susanto1228]

I got this game free with my PSvita and never had desire to play it and I have lots of ps3 and ps2 games...what I am saying is didn't really interest me at all

[Captain Tuttle]

And yet Team Ico still exists

[vega275]

I think only until the last gaurdain gets finished and released. Then sony will close that one too. Kenji kaido has left and fumito ueda either left or will be leaving when the game is done

[SnakeCQC]

:( i liked this game

[medziarz]

they are still supporting the game, more characters and a new stage incoming this month

[freezola75]

Yes so now I wonder who is gonna pick up the pieces and deliver a 2nd PASBR... wait is that even possible?

Really tough to hear about these guys losing their jobs tho... hope that they rebound real soon..

PASBR is a fun game... I have platted the game and I still enjoy playing in many ranked 2v2 and FFA matches..

I can't wait for that new DLC coming tho.. plus 18 new minions! Very cool, peace.

[medziarz]

Someone already looked way more competent years ago...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[Orionsangel]

All the hype for this game and now this?

[TuxedoMoon]

I hate when big companies shut down smaller ones. On one side it's all about business. Did the game flop? Maybe? I don't really know the exact sales numbers, but I'm not sure this game sold enough to make Sony want to try this venture again.

In my opinion, this game did fail to celebrate Sony and ended up feeling mediocre after a while. I'm not a Sony fan nor did this game make me want to play the games of the characters featured on the roster. It had the same effect on some of my friends too. I'm sure we're not the only ones who didn't think this game was amazing...or at least a better play than Tekken Tag 2 or DOA5 (tag mode).

Let's hope they find jobs and do get to make a better party/fighting game in the future.