PlayStation All-Stars Shows that Sony's Greatest Strength is their Greatest Weakness

GotGame: Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale was Sony’s answer to Nintendo’s Smash Brothers series. This is not to necessarily say the game is a rip off, but clearly Sony was looking at the success of Nintendo’s prized fighting franchise with green eyes when they decided to pursue their own fighting game franchise.

[Belking]

Nope it shows that Sony doesn't know their audience well enough. Basically the same problems they are having with vita. They focused too much on the hardware with vita and should have locked in some hardware moving titles.

[_FantasmA_]

I don't get the hate for this game. It is not trying to be SB. The only thing similar is that they take characters from many of their franchises and let them fight it out. Thats it. The similarities end there. And 16 of the characters in the game are from Sony. Only 4 of them (Raiden, Heihachi, Dante, and Big Daddy) are from third party. Not only that but Sony didn't even use alot of their characters. Gabe Logan? Nathan Hale or a Chimera? You can't put all the characters in one game. They will probably put more in each game that comes out after, but with all this negativity they might not make a sequel. Best game of 2012 for me for sure.

[maniacmayhem]

"The only thing similar is that they take characters from many of their franchises and let them fight it out. Thats it."

That's pretty much the foundation and point of Smash Bros. That is a huge glaring similarity. There are more similarities then just that too. Level design, some fighting mechanic even though PSAS is much more different, the rivals. But basically the whole presentation is lifted right from Smash.

[Highlife]

The game that will never be would be so much fun is to take characters from each console (xbox, PS, nintendo) and just have one huge game. Have the game work on all platforms. Let the fanboys duke it out with there console exclusive charactors. Or have Kratos and Master chief beat the crap out of Mario and Luigi. Would be great.

[cervantes99]

"That's pretty much the foundation and point of Smash Bros. That is a huge glaring similarity. There are more similarities then just that too. Level design, some fighting mechanic even though PSAS is much more different, the rivals. But basically the whole presentation is lifted right from Smash."

Well you can say that about pretty much every game on the market today. Everybody copies from everybody - get over it.

[MaxXAttaxX]

You're delusional if you think that character mash-ups and rivalries are original concepts of Smash Bros.

The level design is nothing like Smash Bros. One of the biggest differences is that the game doesn't even focus on ring-outs.
It has combos and super move set ups that just don't happen in Smash Bros. And these are definitely not the only two games in the brawler GENRE.

[maniacmayhem]

@Nathan

Then tell me Nathan, what other fighting game that took different mascots or characters from different genres from its own company and put them in a 2-D 4 player fighting arena?

The level design are similar, both Smash and PSAS you can interact with the levels and even change them in certain instances that can change the way players fight.

And don't forget i said:
"some fighting mechanic even though PSAS is much more different"

You must be delusional if you don't even consider PSAS Sony's answer (and it's own) to Smash Bros. as the article stated because that is exactly what it is.

[MaxXAttaxX]

Sega and Capcom are examples of companies that did character mash-ups before Nintendo.

I like how you got VERY specific in that first paragraph because you want the answer you only want to hear.

* Are PlayStation All-Stars, Jump Super Stars, Digimon Rumble Arena, Battle Stadium, Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble, DreamMix TV, Rag Doll Kung Fu, that River City Ransom 4-player fighting game, etc clones or rip offs?

* Are Tekken and Dead Or Alive Virtua Fighter clones because they're 1-on-1 3D fighting games?

* Are Fatal Fury, Guilty Gear, Skull Girls, KoF, JoJo's Bizzare Adventure and BlazBlue all Street Fighter II clones?

* Is Forza a Gran Turismo clone?

* Is Super Mario a Pac-land clone?

It's called a GENRE. Get over yourself.

And they're not on even on the same platforms, release dates(like COD and BF) nor share the same characters to be able to compete. That is what an "answer" would imply.
One appeals to Nintendo fans, the other to PlayStation fans which have been asking for a game like this for years.

[maniacmayhem]

@ Nathan

Sega did the Virtua Fighter + Fighting Vipers together but it was a one on one battle. Capcom did their X-men vs. Capcom which was a tag team battle.

I got very specific in my paragraph because I knew you pull out unrelated games that did not have the same play style or theme of Smash. Which is exactly what you did.

You are trying so, so hard to not see the GLARING similarities that you start to bring up other games in it's own specific genre and try and act like those are supposed copies too.

And because they weren't released in the same time means they're different or because they're not on the same platform makes them different also? You are seriously trying way too hard to defend the obvious.

"One appeals to Nintendo fans, the other to PlayStation fans which have been asking for a game like this for years."

Really? Sony fans been asking for a game like this? Then why wasn't it a success?

[MaxXAttaxX]

I never said there weren't any similarities. There obviously are similarities, much like the examples I gave above, which share similar "themes" and "presentation" with each other the same way SSB and All-Stars share a theme. So I stick to my point.

I actually play both games and that's how I know the differences between them. The same way I know the differences between Tekken, DOA and Virtua Fighter even though they share the same 3D 1-on-1 play style, theme and presentation. The same way I know the difference between Forza and Gran Turismo. Or any 2D fighting game with the same exact premise and mechanics.

I brought those up as examples to show how ridiculous your comment was. "Level design, some fighting mechanics, rivals"? Give me a break.

They're similar because they're in the same genre. You need to get over your bias and understand that.

[Dread]

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLO LOLOLLOL

and move was not trying to be the wii mote

and trophies are not trying to be achivements

etc etc etc

listen blind dude

Sony is just copying and perhaps improving on good ideas. JUST LIKE ALL COMPANIES WHO WANT TO MAKE MONEY, including MS.

[zebramocha]

@dread if the move was a copy,why didn't nintendo release that instead of the wiimote?only thing they have in common is,that they use gyros and achievements are just the evolution of high scores in the arcade days.

[itBourne]

It goes full circle. Sony was doing all the kinect stuff with the eye toy on ps2. The "new" xbox experience they jst showed at ces. Sony showed that years ago.

[Nerdmaster]

What? How can anyone say that it's not nearly identical to Smash Bros? Did you even see both of the games?

[MaxXAttaxX]

Did you even play both games thoroughly? Or are we just judging by its looks.

[majiebeast]

Problem is they shouldve had multiple chars from soemf ranchises like Ratchet and Clank having Nefarious and Quark as playable beside Ratchet. God of war having Kratos,Zeus and Hades.

[soljah]

i also thought ps all stars was a great 1st effort and the cross play between vita and ps3 was seamless. superbot was on to something and proved they understood how to make a fighting game. was looking forward to future dlc and a sequel on the ps4 but i guess thats not happening now.

[riverstars86]

PSBAS2 has as much as a chance at coming out as Shenmue 3.

[maniacmayhem]

It was a great attempt but the first entry from what I have read from others was lacking. And like I have said many times in the past it came out right next to CoD.

If anything it should have been a DL title only for maybe $20-25 dollars.

I would have liked them to go a different direction instead of the copied Smash Bros route. Maybe do an a game like Capcom X Namco. That game was Japanese only but it was fantastic and it was a fighter but a strategy game.

[JustinWeinblatt]

Just so people know... this article really was more about the overall direction of Nintendo and Sony in terms of software development rather than anything about PSASBR in particular. I just thought PSASBR and Smash based on their rosters are good representations of these differing philosophies.

[RuperttheBear]

It just wasn't good enough, which ever way you slice it. It didn't have the same selling power as SSB. You can say it wasn't the same as SSB until you are blue in the face, and maybe you're right, but it was Sony's take on the genre and it didn't work. Point blank.

Oh well, some things Nintendo have the magic for that Sony doesn't. And vice versa.

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

This was quite a good article.
Nice to see a neutral point of view for once.

[JustinWeinblatt]

Thanks for actually reading the article past the title :) Lol. I appreciate it.

[HeavenlySnipes]

The game should have been a downloadable $20 game.Compared to other games that cost the same price, its not even close to worth the investment

[smashcrashbash]

You know what the funniest thing about gamers are? When Sony does anything of their own and has their own ideas people ignore it and avert their eyes away from it. But as soon as they make anything that even resembles something else people come running and talk about it for days and months and years and never stop.In fact I am certain we will be hearing about this for the whole year and again if they decide to do it again. That is all people are interested in. If someone is 'copying' someone else.You don't care when Sony and friends try to innovate.When they do it is nothing but scorn and naysaying.

People ignored any game that was even close to being like SSB and let it pass without a single whisper. But the moment Sony decides to make a game in the genre it is the biggest deal in the universe.It was never an original idea from Nintendo but somehow Sony joining a franchise with something is seen a 'copying'. People are so dumb they thought that UC2 was a Gears clone because it used cover shooting.Sony made their own FPS MMO. Who cares? Sony is making something like SSB. A hundred thousand articles on how it can, will and why it will fail.And if it did well then their would be a hundred thousand more articles about how Sony only succeed by copying Nintendo and why it really is not as good as people said it was just like UC2 where people still, try to minimize it's success.People would haunt PASBR's existence whether it did well or not, no matter how the same or how different it was from SSB no matter how many characters they put in.And don't lie and tell me you wouldn't. We all know that isn't true.

And please spare me the trying to put a positive spin on Nintendo milking their franchises.You may think it is a good idea to make Mario and Pokemon everything but all that makes you is a milker.They are no longer characters and are just on faced symbols now with no personality or soul to them.That is why Sony's characters have more personality and depth to them then any character Nintendo has.Mario might as well be a red dot with eyes that they stick on everything.It cheapness the character not enriches it. If Sony took GOW and made GOW Racing, fighting, Tennis, Football and Paint Kratos would lose all value as a character and just be another thing for a company to whore out when they need to make more money instead.Pokemon is as dull as dirt now and only the people who cling to it remain.Everyone else have realized how dull it is and have moved on.Nintendo's so called innovative ideas for their franchises get lamer each time.It's just that the clingy people don't notice.

[black911]

I only saw 2 commericals for allstars on tv. And one was dyring the VGA's a event with hardcore gamers who already know about every game. And the ad/ commercial had NO gameplay. WTF.