Just like that, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale has jumped back onto our radar, hitting brawler fans with a brand new, massive patch that tweaks the ever-loving hell out of the game’s combat system one final time.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is, in this writer’s humble opinion, one of the most criminally overlooked games of the previous generation. A four-player melee game in the vein of the Super Smash Bros. and Powerstone series, gamers could pick an iconic PlayStaiton hero and have them duke it out in ever-shifting arenas where it wasn’t odd to see Nathan Drake going toe-to-toe with a demonic ice cream truck driver and a wise-cracking raccoon. The levels were great, the roster was well-balanced and varied and, most importantly, the gameplay was a lot of fun.

It felt to me like Battle Royale was unfairly knocked for two very specific factors, causing many to overlook it completely. The first is the fact that, due to licensing issues, PlayStation “All-Stars” like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, maybe a Final Fantasy character, etc. were not in the game. In short, some felt that the roster lacked enough icons to warrant a look-see. Secondly, because of the style of gameplay, many simply shrugged it off as a Smash Bros. clone or, even more frustrating, were angered that the combat system was completely different than the game they thought it was supposed to be cloning.

All of those gripes aside, Santa Monica Studio Community Strategist Aaron Kaufman recently unveiled details about a big PSASBR balance patch made to adjust the vast majority of lingering issues involving the game. From special move tweaks to stopping unfair juggles or adjusting certain moves, this is supposed to be the granddaddy patch for the game that, quite honestly, feels like a swan song before sending it off into the wild to finally die.

I still hold out hope that a downloadable sequel may one day pop up but, given the fact that the original sold so poorly, I’m not sure that’ll ever actually happen. It’s a shame, too, as I love these types of smash-up games and would have really liked to see even more downloadable characters and levels.

Speaking of DLC, the final bundle for the game, including Zeus and Isaac Clarke as playable characters and a level that mixed The Unfinished Swan with Medieval, has been discounted this week from 10 bucks down to $1.99. If you never grabbed this last bit of content, now is a good time to add it to your collection on the cheap.

If you're into shambling masses of the undead and discounts, then this week's PlayStation Plus update is just for you. Headlining this week's offering as a free game for both PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Vita is Zombie Tycoon II: Brainhov's Revenge, alongside a bunch of sales covering series from Bioshock and Metal Gear to Gof of War and Devil May Cry.

First up, the free goods. Continuing Sony's Spring Fever promotion focused on indie games, this week's gratis offering is Frima's Zombie Tycoon II: Brainhov's Revenge. A mixture of strategy and MOBA, Tycoon is the follow-up to a years-old PlayStation Mini that manages to build on the original game's foundation in new and interesting ways.

Players control their lead character, who parades around the map in a heavily-equipped mobile spawn vehicle, two hordes of zombies that can be specialized depending on which types of facilities you take over (Dojo, Construction site, Nursery) and a new class of super-powered Monster characters, each with their own abilities. The object of the game is to wipe out the final remnants of humanity, all while tackling levels that are built like clever living puzzles.

For the asking price of $0, it's certainly worth a try.

Earlier this month, Sony revealed the types of sales it would be offering through the Spring Fever campaign. This week's sale, it turns out, boasted a pretty deceptive title. While the PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Heritage Sale certainly boasts a hefty discount on the promotion's namesake (PS3 version for $19.59, PSV version for $17.49), the sale also includes multiple series that feature characters within the game.

Series include Bioshock, Metal Gear, Sly Cooper, LittleBigPlanet, Devil May Cry, God of War, inFamous, Twisted Metal and Ratchet and Clank. Dozens of titles within these series are on sale for all shoppers on the PlayStation Network starting today, with bonus discounts provided for all PlayStation Plus members.

There are way too many games to list here so, if you're interested in seeing what's up for sale (Hint: If it's a game from any of the above series, it's almost certainly discounted), then head on over to the PlayStation Blog. Otherwise, get those credit cards ready for the regular PSN update, scheduled for later this afternoon.

From the heights of Mt. Olympus to the farthest reaches of space, today’s PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale DLC update features two familiar faces for PS fans, including God of War’s Zeus and Dead Space’s Issac Clarke. There’s also a new level out today, just in case you were on the lookout for some new stomping grounds.

We announced a couple of weeks ago that Clarke and Zeus would be entering the Battle Royale fray as the latest DLC character’s to follow Kat from Gravity Rush and Emmett from Starhawk. Lead Game Designer Seth Killian dropped by the PlayStation Blog this morning to give a final word on the new content, saying that the new characters and level would be available following today’s regularly scheduled PlayStation Network update.

With Isaac hailing from the Dead Space universe and Zeus visiting from the God of War series, it’s only appropriate that today’s new level also be a mash-up of two distinctly different games. The “Graveyard” arena (seen above) blends elements from the PSone classic series, Medieval and the recent PSN indie darling The Unfinished Swan.

According to Killian, continued DLC support for Battle Royale goes hand-in-hand with continued support for the game proper, too.

“In addition to today’s launch of Zeus and Isaac, we’ve also done a new balance patch, which modifies every existing character in some way (and fixes some pesky glitches), as well as adding some new bells and whistles to familiar items,” Killian said.

If you happened to pick up God of War Ascension, then you’ll find a voucher for a free download of Isaac and Zeus packed in with the game. Otherwise, these bad boys will set you back $4.99 a pop. The Graveyard level will be free to all in ranked online matches, but you’ll need to fork over $1.99 if you want to be able to visit it offline.

The PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale roster has gained two new members, including Gravity Rush’s Kat and Starhawk’s Emmett Graves. There’s also a new level to check out, “Fearless,” that mashes up Heavenly Sword and Wipeout, as well as a wide array of new Minions to help cheer on your favorite characters.

This likely comes as bitter-sweet news to fans of Sony’s mascot brawler, as it was recently announced that they and the developers at SuperBot had recently parted ways. This is only speculation, but it’s likely that PSASBR’s less-than-stellar sales likely had something to do with the split. While SuperBot’s work on All-Stars is all but wrapped up, Sony has confirmed that their team at Santa Monica Studios will continue to support the game through DLC updates and patches.

Still, while All-Stars wasn’t quite a smash hit, it looks like the teams behind the game are making good on their word to keep some post-launch material coming out. Both Kat and Emmett were made available through the PlayStation Network yesterday afternoon and, as promised, both are 100 percent free for the first two weeks. After that, each character will cost $4.99 a pop. Both Kat and Emmett come with all of the expected trimmings, including their own campaigns, challenges, rewards and alternative outfits.

The Fearless level was also made available for $1.99 yesterday, starting players off on a high platform taken from Heavenly Sword before plunging the battle into a cavern that just so happens to be a high traffic area for a race from Wipeout.

I spent some time with both characters yesterday afternoon, as well as the new level, and it’s all quality stuff. Kat is a fast and fun close-to-mid-range brawler while Emmett’s ever-changing arsenal of equipment makes him a versatile character at range. The Fearless map offers some nice variety, too, as combat starts off on a single, medium-sized platform before shifting to a multi-tiered arena with an entire wall (or sideways road, rather) serving as an environmental hazard.

SuperBot Entertainment, the newly-formed developer behind Sony's recent four-player arena brawler, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale was recently hit by a round of layoffs, though Sony holds that the team will continue to support their mascot fighter's post launch plans.

IGN broke the news earlier this weekend, saying they were originally tipped off by the Twitter account of Insomniac's Mike Birkhead, who said simply: “Layoffs at Superbot. When it rains, it pours.”

It's not uncommon for a developer to cut back on staff following the launch of a game. Some positions are simply no longer required and those jobs must be cut until the developer gets ready to ramp up production on their next title. However, it's no secret that PlayStation All-Stars didn't sell like gangbusters (Which is a real shame considering how solid a fighting game it actually is). Also, the tone of Birkhead's comment makes it sound less like “business as usual” for a developer and more like doom and gloom. Birkhead goes on to state that “around 20” jobs were axed, but no solid numbers have yet been given.

Sony Computer Entertainment America did at least respond to IGN regarding the matter, saying that they could confirm that “SuperBot Entertainment did make a reduction in their workforce” and that “SCEA remain committed to supporting PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale post launch, including developing the title's forthcoming DLC releases in the coming months.”

We already know that Gravity Rush's Kat and Starhawks Emmett are due out on Feb. 12 and that they will be free for the first two weeks. A new stage, Fearless, is also due out around the same time. SuperBot have stated in the past that more DLC is coming, but the quantity and timing have never been discussed. Judging by this news of layoffs, I can't imagine the content will be rolling out too far into the future.

SuperBot Entertainment announced in late 2012 that Kat (Gravity Rush) and Emmett Graves (Starhawk) would be joining the roster for Sony’s four-player mascot brawler, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, in early 2012. We now know exactly when these two new combatants will be stepping into the arena on February 12th and can even see them in action thanks to two new character introduction trailers.

When PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale hit the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita late last year, fighting fans were treated to a well-balanced, fully fleshed-out fighting game featuring 20 characters from Sony’s past, such as Sackboy from LittleBigPlanet, Nathan Drake from Uncharted and Sweet Tooth from Twisted Metal. At the time, SuperBot representatives said that the developer had plans for post-launch DLC in the form of new characters and new levels. SuperBot went on to announce that Graves and Kat would be the first two characters to be added to the roster, alongside the first new level, Fearless, which mixes Heavenly Sword with Wipeout.

SuperBot’s Community Manager Daniel Maniago dropped by the PlayStation Blog to reveal a few more details about this first DLC today, including a Feb. 12 release date for the characters and a pair of reveal videos.

First up is Kat, who utilizes her impressive kicks, high-flying acrobatics and control of gravity in order to dish out damage from close to mid-ranges.

The second DLC character, Emmett Graves, is a man of many weapons, preferring to rely on his formidable firepower to keep his enemies at a distance rather than charging into battle.

Both Emmett and Kat will be available free for the first two weeks following their Feb. 12 release. No word yet on what the pricing for each character will be after that time, but Maniago did announce that both characters will come with alternate costumes, their own story modes, challenges, unlocks, etc. The Fearless map will also release sometime in February, though a specific date and price point remains a mystery. While those who don’t purchase the level will not have access to it offline or in player-created online modes, everyone will be able to battle on Fearless when it pops up in the online ranked match rotation.

If there are three things PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is missing out on, it's clearly space cowboys and a character/level that defies the laws of physics. Thankfully, the team over at SuperBot Entertainment have us covered, recently revealing the first new screens to show off upcoming DLC playable characters Emmett Graves of Starhawk, Kat of Gravity Rush and a new stage that mixes Heavenly Sword with Wipeout.

Battle Royale Director Omar Kendall dropped by the PlayStation Blog to talk about all three new pieces of content, as well as show off the very first screenshots of the new characters and level in action. Kat and Emmett were first announced a couple of weeks ago, but this is the first anyone has heard about the new level, called “Fearless,” which features the high-flying hovercraft of the Wipeout racing series careening through some beautiful Chinese landscapes.

SuperBot actually hosted an event at Sony's Santa Monica Studios last night, inviting members of the gaming press to come out and test drive the new characters for themselves. We can probably expect those hands-on impressions to start popping up all over the internet in the coming week.

Kat is one of those characters that feels perfectly suited to Sony's four-player brawler, featuring a wide variety of combat moves that include up close and personal kicks, as well as some gravity-bending mid-to-long range attacks. Emmett, on the other hand, plays pretty light in the melee department. His firearms and an ability to call down assistance from the sky, however, should make him a nice strategic addition to the mix.

As for the level, the above screenshot should pretty much speak for itself. You've got a beautiful setting and some seriously loco flying craft shooting past, most likely creating an environmental threat for the players.

Look for both new characters and the new Fearless map to hit PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale early next year.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale has only been out a couple of weeks and already the team at SuperBot Entertainment are ready to roll out the game's first set of tweaks. Next week, players of Sony's mascot-infused four-player brawler can expect a few behind the scenes tweaks, a brand new item, and a nerf for the most abused character on the roster: Sackboy.

I know what you're thinking: Sackboy is a cute, playful, adorable little ball of fluffyness. If you've ever fought someone in Battle Royale who knows how to exploit his over-the-top moves properly, however, then you know that he can also be a real pain in the butt to go toe-to-toe with. I'm all for a fair fight, but some of Sackboy's moves simply generated far too much AP, which meant he was able to easily activate his killer finishing moves way too quickly. Oh, and then there's the fact that those finishing moves cost so little AP to activate in the first place. If all of that was alien to you, don't worry about it. The short of it is this: Sackboy was a bit too beastly and now SuperBot is addressing it.

Revealed by Community Manager Daniel Maniago on the developer's blog, a patch will be launching for All-Stars Battle Royale “early” next week.

For starters, the cost to activate Sackboy's supers have been increased and his two most uneven AP-gainers, Jam Session and Cakeinator, will no longer build up AP quite so quickly.

Other tweaks include network performance improvements such as better player skill-based matchmaking, better enemy AI, the ability to view invited from the Party Bar Menu and, perhaps most interesting to those who could care less about Sackboy, a brand new item. The new item is called “Medusa's Gaze,” and I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that it has something to do with temporarily turning your enemies into stone.

Look for all of that PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale goodness to automatically plug itself into your new favorite fighting franchise sometime next week.

It's a big day for mascot-infused fighting game fanatics as PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale releases exclusively to the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.

It's been a long road leading up to the big day as the team at SuperBot Entertainment built anticipation for their four-player brawler with regular reveals, new trailers and devious hints popping up at multiple conventions and all over the internet. Sure, quite a few of those big surprises were spoiled by beta hackers and an overzealous website or two, but you can't blame the team for trying to get everyone pumped for one of the biggest fighting game releases of the current generation.

In PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, players take control of various first and third party gaming icons (Kratos, Big Daddy, Raiden, Sweet Tooth, etc.) and duke it out on levels that mash up two games from PlayStation's 15-year history. Put simply: It's a Sony flavored Smash Bros. style game that wears its influences on its sleeve.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale releases today for the PlayStation 3 and Vita consoles both at retail and through the PlayStation Network. As a reminder, All-Stars is part of Sony's new cross-buy promotion. If you purchase the game (either physical or digital) for the PS3, you'll net yourself a download of the Vita version at no additional cost. The versions are also cross-play, meaning that Vita and PS3 brawlers will be able to compete in the exact same matches.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale may not be releasing until next Tuesday, Nov. 20, but already developer SuperBot Entertainment is talking about the first batch of DLC characters for Sony’s upcoming four-player melee fighter. Introducing Gravity Rush’s Kat and Starhawk’s Emmett Graves.

Before you get too carried away with negativity about DLC characters being talked about for a fighting game that hasn’t even come out yet, just know that SuperBot has already addressed that kneejerk reaction. According to a post on the PlayStation Blog, Lead Game Designer Seth Killian has confirmed that this DLC “still has a long way to go,” and won’t be releasing until sometime in early 2013. In other words, they just wanted to let everyone know nice and early what they were working on now that Battle Royale has gone gold. Secondly, these first two characters will be available free of charge following the first two weeks of their release. Not bad, aye?

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is a mash-up fighting title featuring characters and arenas pulled from Sony’s 15-plus years of gaming history. Everything from the PS1 to the PS3 is represented and, now that Kat has entered the fray, even Sony’s latest handheld device has a representative.

In Gravity Rush Kat’s melee fighting style consists entirely of kicks, so expect to see her roundhousing quite a few faces when she makes her way into the game. Her unique gravity abilities will also serve her well, allowing Kat to fly about the screen and dish out damage while simultaneously spitting in the face of physics.

Graves, on the other hand, comes from a third person shooter. Expect a few melee moves mixed in with a nice selection of firearms and, according to Killian, Starhawk’s innovative build and battle system will be represented in Grave’s ability to call down assistance from the sky.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale has finally gone gold on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita and, to celebrate, the gang over at SuperBot Entertainment, Bluepoint Games and Sony Santa Monica Studio have released the game's opening cinematic, complete with a brief glimpse of Battle Royale's final boss.

After months of teasers, big reveals, spoiled reveals, a few betas and more, Lead Game Designer Seth Killian visited the PlayStation Blog this morning to announce that PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is ready to be stamped onto discs and Vita cards alike, just in time for the game's impending Nov. 20 launch.

“In celebration of this milestone, we wanted to share something special as a small 'thank you!' to all the amazing PlayStation fans who have helped us come so far,” Killian said. “We've been pretty tight-lipped about our final boss, but if you hang in until the end you'll get a glimpse of the villainous mastermind that's returned from the depths of PlayStation history to pull the strings in All-Stars.”

That's right, folks, it's the return of Polygon Man. Sort of PlayStation's original mascot, Polygon Man was meant to show off the power of PlayStation back when the first console was being released. The dude already looked kind of evil with his angular features and glowing eyes, so it makes perfect sense that he would be traveling through time to make his mark on the PlayStation universe once again as an ultimate bad guy.

Get in on the action with a 20-strong roster come Nov. 20 when PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale hit the physical and virtual market. Don't forget that the game features cross-play between the home and portable versions and, if you buy it for the PS3, you'll get a code for the Vita version free of charge.

Finally, keeping in sync with the studio's teasing nature throughout the game's development, here's one more little tidbit for those who feel like the roster might somehow be lacking in PlayStation icons. On the same blog post, one commenter says they were hoping for more characters. Seth Killian's response was as follows: “Stay tuned :) I think we may have some happy news in the near future...”

It looks like Sony’s European marketing folks have a pretty good sense of humor, as the latest television spot for upcoming four-player brawler, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is a wholly tongue-in-cheek take on the live action trailer seen Stateside early last month.

If you showed me the two following trailers and asked me which region each video came from, I would have guessed that the first was definitely the European TV spot for All-Stars Battle Royale. It has a much more serious edge and, well, they tend to be a bit more serious than us immature Yanks.

But that’s definitely not the case this time around. First, we’ll take a look at the U.S. live action advertisement just in case you have forgotten it already.

Even with Sackboy zipping around on his jetpack, what we have here is a mostly serious, dramatic affair. Now let’s take a look at the European trailer, which takes a decidedly different approach.

Pretty great, right? How can you not love a commercial about a bunch of overly dedicated nerds dressing the part to play their new favorite fighting game? Now that you’ve taken in all of that inspiration, it’s about time you got started on your own costume if you want it to be ready for the big launch. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale hits store shelves on Nov. 20.

Sony's latest ad campaign featuring three extremely short teaser trailers leading up to an Oct. 23 “reveal” has finally come full circle. Unsurprisingly, the full trailer featured a live action scene from PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, wherein a handful of video game greats duke it out in a back alley.

With three previous teaser trailers building up to this final reveal, many in the gaming community were speculating that developer SuperBot Entertainment might have one final roster reveal tucked away for their upcoming four-player melee brawler. Sadly, no such luck. The three smaller trailers were simply building up to a new commercial for PlayStation All-Stars, punctuated by a release date of Nov. 20 (which everyone who has been following the game already knew at this point so, again, no big reveals).

In case you missed out on the earlier teasers, there's no need to look them up now as the second two are actually part of this final ad. In it, Nathan Drake of Uncharted and Cole MacGrath of inFamous start bare-knuckle boxing in an alley before being interrupted by a bizarrely animated Sackboy from LittleBitPlanet. I'll just let you see the end for yourself.

I know what you're thinking: Why in the hell is Kratos like 10 feet tall? And why the hell does he keep doing duck lips? Yeah, I thought that was a bit odd, too.

What we have here is a pretty nifty trailer, even if the God of War has somehow transformed into a veritable giant. The message is clear: Play as your favorite PlayStation characters and beat the crap out of your opponents. I hope this becomes a new TV spot for Battle Royale, as the game could certainly use some promotion that doesn't occur exclusively on the internet.

Sony has released a third mysterious trailer hyping an Oct. 23 final reveal for “something,” this time giving more reasons than ever to believe the announcement will be related to upcoming four-player brawler PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.

I have to admit that, at this point, I’m getting pretty excited for whatever Sony has in store. The developers at SuperBot have stated numerous times that the full roster for their game has already been revealed, but I can’t help but wonder if the team has a few surprises left in the tank.

Over the weekend we showed off the first two trailers in this promotional series. The first clip, “Reload,” featured the sound of oncoming footsteps mixed with an electric crackle that hints at inFamous’s Cole MacGrath. The second clip, “The Arrival,” gives a brief, shadowy glimpse of Uncharted hero Nathan Drake. Both trailers also featured several nods to other titles like Devil May Cry and Ratchet and Clank.

Now a third video has been released, giving gamers a brief glimpse at “The Aftermath.”

Once again, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale references abound. Eagle-eyed viewers have spotted Sly Cooper’s cane hanging on a wall, a tattoo sporting an image that relates to Metal Gear Rising’s Raiden, cake that points to Fat Princess, Sweet Tooth’s notorious weapon of choice and more.

But what really catches my attention is the fact that our mysterious lady is walking down the hall with a set of keys in hand. Perhaps she’s about to let someone out of a cell? Or maybe I’m still just reading way too much into this.

Whatever the big announcement is, we only have one more day before we find out what, exactly, it has all been leading up to.

PlayStarion All-Stars Battle Royal is only a little over a month away from its Nov. 20 launch date and, starting tomorrow, many-a gamer will have the opportunity to take part in the closed beta.

Once the PlayStation Store updates tomorrow afternoon, Plus subscribers will be able to download the beta and get in on all of the action. A cross-platform beta, Battle Royale will also be available for those gaming on the PlayStation Vita, regardless of whether or not they are a Plus Subscriber.

In case you are somehow only just now hearing about PlayStation All-Stars and the above video didn’t drive this point home, what we’re basically dealing with here is a four-person combat brawler along the lines of Nintendo’s legendary Super Smash Bros. series. Players pick a PlayStation gaming icon and unleash their varied set of abilities on their opponents, trying to score the most knockouts in order to win the round. The levels players battle on are also mash-ups of two games, and items from various PlayStation staples occasionally drop in to spice up the combat.

According to the PlayStation Blog, the six combatants on offer tomorrow will be the same six that were available in the previous closed beta. These include Kratos, Colonel Radec, Sly Cooper, Parappa the Rapper, Sweet Tooth and Fat Princess. The Metropolis and Hades levels will be in rotation for online play in four-player free-for-alls or two-player battles.

If you’re a Plus Subscriber or gaming on the Vita, you can jump into the closed beta starting tomorrow afternoon. The beta will then open up to everyone on Oct. 23, with servers shutting down on Halloween night, Oct. 31.

For those of you who have been holding out hope that more characters were going to be announced for Sony's upcoming four-player brawler, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, you should probably stop holding your breath before something tragic happens. Sony's senior social media specialist Sid Shuman recently took to Twitter, announcing that the game's launch line-up has been fully revealed.

At present, the Battle Royale roster is set at 20 characters featuring the likes of Sony staples like Cole MacGrath, Jak and Daxter, Kratos and Nathan Drake. A handful of third party characters are also in the game, including Big Daddy and Dante. However, with a few giant holes missing from the lineup, such as Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Lara Croft or a Final Fantasy representative, it seemed like the roster had a few more big reveals on the way before its Nov. 20 launch date.

Shuman, however, put the kibosh on those hopes and dreams when Twitter user David Ferrer asked, “Please tell us there will be more characters than 20. Shuman's response was “We have revealed the full launch lineup of characters.”

Despite the fact that a 20-person roster is pretty dang large for a fighting game and that the developers at SuperBot Entertainment have stated that they plan to continue support for the game following launch via DLC, this declaration has left hopeful fans, shall we say, more than a little disappointed.

Still, there's always the chance Shuman was just trying to throw everyone off of the scent. After all, many (or just about every, really) of SuperBot's big character reveals was either spoiled by an early roster leak or videos/posts going live on various websites days before they were supposed to. Maybe Sony is hoping to have at least something resembling a surprise before the game finally launches in a couple of months?

Then again, maybe everything I just said are the hopeful ranting of a starry-eyed dreamer. I'm not going to join the outcry against “only” having 20 characters in the game, even if I feel some major Sony staples are missing from said roster. What I've played of the beta has me convinced this game is going to be fantastic, and there are still 16 characters I haven't even tried out yet. I'm disappointed, sure, but I say we give SuperBot a chance to make their argument on Nov. 20 before writing them off due to an entitled sense of greed.

Another week, another possible leaked character for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. A screen-cap of the official Battle Royale website suggests that Kat from Gravity Rush will be in the cross-over beat'em up game.

Gravity Rush was a PlayStation Vita exclusive released earlier this summer. The action RPG starred Kat, am amnesia with the power to control gravity. In the game, she uses this ability to walk on walls, soar through the air, and land some pretty devastating dropkicks.

Many of the cast members for Battle Royale have been around since the days of the PSOne or PS2. It's cool that SuperBot is mixing in some newer faces from less established franchises. Hopefully players' experiences with Kat will inspire them to check out Rush.

Pretty much every rumor related to Battle Royale characters thus far has turned out to be true. I'm willing to believe this one's legit as well. We'll see what SuperBot says, though.

(Picture via AGB)

This weekend Superbot Entertainment announced two new characters for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale: Nariko from Heavenly Sword and Sir Daniel Fortesque from MediEvil. The two are already mixing it up with the rest of the crew in a set of fresh screenshots.

Sir Daniel seems like the perfect character for someone who lacks subtlety. He likes to get close and personal with enemies, mostly relying on his sword to dish out damage. He's wearing thick armor, too, so he's probably a bit more durable than average.

Nariko also uses a sword but has a very different fighting style. She relies on her agility and acrobatic skills in battle. She tries to get a few quick shots in and then retreat before the enemy can land a counter-attack.

All-Stars Battle Royale, featuring a variety of characters from PlayStation's past and present, is due to arrive on November 20th on the PS3 and Vita.

What would it be like if all of our favorite video game characters, as well as some we may have forgotten about, met up one day and decided to just start kicking the crap out of one another? That's the question posed by PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale and, for the past few weeks, I've been getting the answer in a beta pitting six of the game's initial cast members against one another in a no holds barred brawl.

Let's just get this out of the way: Yes, Battle Royale is very similar to Nintendo's Smash Bros. series. While there are a number of unique tweaks that help establish All-Stars as its own game, the side view, four-player combat on dynamic, multi-tiered maps has pretty much been on lockdown by the Big N for over a decade. But who cares, really? Do you know how many 2D fighters other than Street Fighter are on the market? Or how about military first-person shooters? The development team at SuperBot Entertainment have worn their influences proudly on their sleeves from the get-go and, let's face it: If you're going to borrow, why not borrow from the best?

At its core All-Stars is similar to all arena style fighters. Players try to pulverize one another while avoiding being hit. Items occasionally drop that will help you in battle, and the map you're playing on occasionally does something unexpected (like send a paralyzing shock wave across the ground) to keep you on your toes. The games title, PlayStation All-Stars says it all. Despite the limited sampling of content afforded by the beta, it becomes quickly apparent that this is a celebration of all things PlayStation has accomplished over the past 15 years, as well as a quick nod to some titles that haven't even come out yet.

For the beta, my options for combatants included God of War's Kratos, Fat Princess', um, Fat Princess, Killzone's Colonel Radec, Twisted Metal's Sweet Tooth, the Sly series' Sly Cooper and Parappa the Rapper. Kratos is a walking armory, utilizing many of his series' trademark weapons to pummel his opponents from close to mid-range. Fat Princess is surprisingly agile, frequently summoning her knights and wizards to do the dirty work on her behalf. Radec is a master of firearms, meaning he's most comfortable from mid to long-range, controlling his enemies with explosive firepower. Sweet Tooth is a slower bruiser, made for getting up close and personal. Sly is a decent utility character, using trickery and misdirection to outsmart his foes. Finally, there's Parappa. I'm terrible with Parappa, and that really bums me out.

If you've seen videos of the game in motion, you know what the combat has to offer: fast-paced, sometimes too hectic to keep up with, action that should put a grin on any fighting fan's face. The initial characters offer a nice variety, giving a nice sampling of the types of combatants, moves and finishers we can expect from the final produce.

And what about those finishers? Unlike most fighting games, players don't have a health bar in Battle Royale. Instead, dishing out damage fills a meter for your own character called AP. The AP meter can fill up three times, with each tier offering your character more and more powerful finishing moves. Defeating other characters with these finishers will net you two points while getting nixed yourself will deduct one point. Whoever has the most points at the end of the round wins. Simple, right?

I've heard a lot of complaints that the system sounds flawed on paper, but I can assure you that this is not the case. Hitting opponents may not move them closer to a death in the traditional sense, but it does fill up your AP meter, moving you closer and closer to dishing out those finishing moves. That means the object of the game is just like any other fighter: Hit your opponents as much as possible while avoiding being hit yourself.

The inclusion of finishers adds a level of strategy not seen in other fighting games. Knowing how each character's finishers works and utilizing them properly is half of the fun. While it's true that absolutely botching a level two finisher and getting zero kills can be heartbreaking, it's equally invigorating to draw in your opponents and score a big three kills with a level one. You have to earn those kills, and I absolutely love it as a mechanic.

This being an extremely early beta, I'm not going to harp on the technicalities. I've seen videos that prove some of my concerns have already been addressed. The HUD in the current beta, for instance, does not show a character's score. The videos coming out of PAX, though, have them displayed prominently.

The camera sometimes has trouble figuring out where it should be focused and, while I like the effect of the shake when someone pulls off a big move, that sudden jolt can make it hard to relocate your own character when the angle is too wide. Some minor glitches, teleportations and the like tend to pop up but, for the most part, I've been pretty impressed with how solid the gameplay has been. The beta also lacks a bit in the presentation department, but since this is basically a frill-free portal into online free-for-all fights, I assume the final product will take care of those issues.

I take part in a lot of betas, which often leads to me being burnt out on a game well before it ever hits store shelves. Playing as the same characters on the same maps can only hold my attention for so long. That hasn't been the case for Battle Royale. Despite only having six characters to choose from and four maps to fight on, every showdown plays out differently. I've absolutely dominated the competition in one round while going on to be utterly trounced the next. I've also been in a fair amount of overtime battles in which AP gain and loss is incrementally increased. It's ridiculously exciting to hit the 3X overtime, where every half-decent combo fills your AP meter a full level and players start playing a hectic game of cat and mouse to try and earn the most kills in just 60 seconds.

At this point, I'm impressed with what SuperBot has to offer in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. It's familiar enough to pick up and play with ease, yet offers a level of depth other arena brawlers have never come close to.

A public beta should be launching sometime in the coming weeks, so get ready to try it out for yourself. After that, look for the game to hit store shelves on Nov. 20.

Now that PAX is actually underway, SuperBot Entertainment has finally had the chance to officially reveal their two newest additions to the PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale roster, giving Heavenly Sword's Nariko and MediEvil's Sir Daniel Fortesque their own reveal trailers.

We announced yesterday that Gamespot had spilled the beans early on SuperBot's PAX announcements, coming just one day after prematurely revealing Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance's Raiden, as well. Now that the ball is rolling at PAX, however, the folks behind PlayStation All-Stars have taken the opportunity to reveal Nariko and Sir Dan for themselves.

Both new combatants for Sony's upcoming four-player brawler (Due out on Nov. 20), were highlighted in a recent post on the PlayStation Blog with Community Manager Daniel Moniago providing all of the details. First up is the transforming-blade-wielding Nariko.

As you can see, Nariko is a high flying character that offers a bit of risk for a lot of reward. She utilizes the multipurpose Heavenly Sword with deadly precision, stringing together combos that work as well on the ground as in the air.

Sir Dan, on the other hand, belongs in the heavy class of characters occupied by the likes of Big Daddy and Sweet Tooth. He's a slower character, but that's compensated by some massive gains on your AP. You can't really go wrong with a classic.

And with that, the leaked roster from July has officially run dry. SuperBot has promised to attend several more conventions leading up to PlayStation All-Star's late November release, but they haven't said anything about whether or not they'll be adding additional unknown characters to the roster. I suppose we'll find out once Tokyo Gameshow rolls around in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed for Dart, Crash, Spyro and/or Pyramid Head.

Either SuperBot Entertainment and Gamespot are in cahoots and toying with the gaming masses, or the big GS has managed to really, really mess up a couple of big character reveals for upcoming brawler, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. After unveiling Raiden a bit earlier than expected with a new gameplay video yesterday morning, Gamespot posted yet another video today, this time pulling back the curtain on Nariko and Sir Daniel.

Heavenly Sword's Nariko and Medieval's Sir Daniel were the final two characters remaining on the infamous leaked list of All-Stars combatants from about a months ago so, again, their inclusion in the roster should come as no real shock to those who have been following the game's development. Still, SuperBot was slated to reveal some new characters at this weekend's PAX convention and, at this point, it doesn't look like they'll have any surprises left up their sleeves.

SuperBot responded to the early reveal of Raiden by posting their own “official reveal” on the PlayStation blog yesterday afternoon, stating that it was coming earlier than originally planned. This time, though, there has been no response from SuperBot. Instead, the original Gamespot video showing off Dan and Nariko has been set to “Private” and, we're assuming, will remain that way until SuperBot finally gets to do their presentation sometime this weekend.

But of course this is the internet we're talking about, so you can still find the new video with a simple Youtube search.

Honestly, I was willing to let the Raiden slip-up slide. Mistakes happen all of the time so, even though this particular incident took some wind out of a developer's sails, I figured there was no real harm done. The fact that it happened a second time in as many days, however, is inexcusable. I'm not sure how game director Omar Kendall and his staff at SuperBot plan to proceed with this weekend's “big reveals,” but I'm half expecting someone from the Gamespot crew to just run up on stage and punch them all in the junk.

Well, that certainly didn't take too long. Now that Raiden has been prematurely outed (twice) as a playable character in Sony's upcoming PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, SuperBot Entertainment has made the announcement official, complete with the sword-wielding ninja's own gameplay trailer.

We reported just a bit ago that Gamespot had run a tutorial video for Raiden early this morning, giving fighting game fans a chance to see the Metal Gear Solid character slicing and dicing before the game's developers had actually announced him as being in the game. Now the PlayStation Blog has been updated with a post from SuperBot's Community Manager Daniel Maniago, making the whole thing official.

Rather than address the Gamespot video, Maniago simply states that “to give you a sneak peek at some of the content you'll be able to play on the show floor, we're actually unveiling onf of our new characters a little early.”

It should come as no surprise that Raiden's combat style focuses heavily on swordplay. He's a bit slower than I expected, but that's balanced by a set of moves that allow him to deal out oodles of damage with hard-to-counter, heavy-hitting combos.

The PS Blog post also reveals Ape Escape's Time Station as a new battlefield, complete with a visit from a massive familiar face from the Resistance series.

In case you've lost count, that means SuperBot still has one more character to reveal during this weekend's PAX event in Seattle. Here's hoping they actually get to reveal it themselves this time.

Whoopsie! Someone at Gamespot appears to have jumped the gun this morning with one of their latest videos, revealing a character breakdown for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale combatant, Raiden.

“Wait a minute,” I hear you saying. “Raiden from the Metal Gear Solid series? But he hasn’t been officially announced yet!”

Well, technically, you are correct. Developer SuperBot Entertainment stated yesterday during the Evil Cole McGrath reveal that they would be unveiling two more characters for their four-player brawler at this weekend’s PAX event. No word yet on when that reveal is supposed to happen this weekend, but it certainly didn’t occur before Gamespot’s Raiden video hit the net. To be fair, this could have been the official reveal. Though if it was, it was executed pretty poorly and in a completely different manner than the rest of their big unveilings.

In the video, Game Director Omar Kendall spends nearly 10 minutes going over Raiden’s strategies with Seth Killian. Kendall refers to Raiden as one of SuperBot’s PAX reveals in the past tense, making it pretty obvious that this particular clip wasn’t supposed to be shown until after SuperBot, you know, actually revealed Raiden for the game.

For their part, SuperBot remained quiet on the Gamespot posting until mid-day, simply updating their Facebook with a link to the video and the statement “Raiden is revealed.” Given the fact that Raiden was one of the three remaining characters from a leaked list of combatants back in July, his official reveal should come as no big surprise. Still, even after having his presence in the game leaked, the poor folks at SuperBot can’t catch a break when it comes to trying to show off their newest fighters properly.

At this point, I half expect the SuperBot staff to simply wheel out crates full of the final product and just say “Fine! Here!” before walking away, shoulders slumped.

Grab a bowl of popcorn, kick off your shoes and try to find a comfortable place to sit, because Sony has dropped about half a dozen videos for us to peruse, all showing off the latest batch of characters to be introduced for the PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale roster. Ratchet and Clank, Spike, Dante and Sackboy are all ready for a tussle.

Sony had quite a bit to say about Battle Royale during their Gamescom press conference this morning. For starters, purchasing the game for your PlayStation 3 will net you a code to download the Vita version at no additional cost. For you fighting fanatics out there, that should be more than enough to get the ole' blood pumping.

If not, then here's a look at the newly announced combatants, starting with two of the PlayStation's most recognizable mascots, Ratchet and Clank. And, yes, the game series' bizarre weapons are present and accounted for.

Next up is Spike, from Ape Escape. Ape Escape for the original PlayStation game console was the first title to take advantage of dual analog sticks. Spike had a variety of swingable weaons in the game, and so it's only fitting that he fall back on that arsenal in Battle Royale.

Third, we have Dante. Keep in mind that this is Dante from the upcoming DMC and not quite the same white-haired rock star we've become familiar with over the years. Either way, the guy looks like he sure knows how to handle himself.

Finally, we have everyone's favorite ball of adorableness, Sackboy. LittleBigPlanet is all about being crafty, which means Sackboy will have access to all sorts of creative tools to make his opponents suffer.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale has been delayed to November 20th, meaning fighting fans with a love for iconic mascots will need to wait just shy of an additional 30 days than expected before they’ll be able to get their hands on SuperBot Entertainment’s upcoming four-player brawler.

Battle-Royale is currently in the midst of an early closed beta with a public beta set for later this fall. According to a post from SuperBot President Chan Park on the PlayStation Blog, addressing feedback from the current community will be one of the primary focuses of the extra month of polish time.

“Our goal is to deliver a fun, well-balanced, and compelling gameplay experience that pays homage to all of these incredible characters,” Park said. “We also know our fans have high expectations for this title, and to that end, we have decided to move the release date to November 20 for North America (including Canada) and Latin America territories.”

Park goes on to say that this time will allow for additional tuning to be made to the game, getting PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale into tip-top fighting shape before its new release date.

With the original release date set for Oct. 23, I’m thinking an extra month is easily forgivable if the time is being used to create a better product. I’m a firm believer that a game should not be released until it is ready and, if SuperBot needs an extra month to work out the kinks, I’m happy to give it to them.

Park ended his post with a reminder that GamesCom is currently going on and, at some point this week, additional big announcements for PlayStation All-Stars will be made.

It’s Thursday, so that means school is still in session. Fight school, that is. As developer SuperBot Entertainment continues to roll out tutorial videos for its upcoming brawler, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, it looks like fan favorite Sweet Tooth will be your next instructor for a lesson in dishing out the pain.

Coming from car combat game Twisted Metal, it’s no surprise that the psychotic clown with a flaming hairdo has a moveset with a strong focus on weaponry. Sweet Tooth can drop landmines, breath fire, chuck machetes and turn himself into a whirlwind of death with chainsaw in hand.

Sweet Tooth is also pretty decent in closer encounters, equipped with a few punches and kicks, as well as a powerful shotgun blast. And let’s not forget about that third-tier finisher that puts the player in control of a killer ice cream truck mech.

According to a post from SuperBot Combat Designer Paul Edwards on the PlayStation Blog, Sweet Tooth’s character went through something of an evolution throughout development.

“Sweet Tooth is a huge bruiser--he’s all about big, powerful attacks that often make his opponents go flying,” Edwards said. “He initially had a large degree of combo ability using his melee attacks, but we decided that didn’t really fit with his physique or playstyle. Instead, he likes to pick his battles, come through with a quick burst of power, then move on to the next opportunity (which isn’t very different from his style in Twisted Metal).”

So there you have it, a crash course in the killer clown. Class dismissed.

You can file this one under “Rumor” for the time being, but yet another alleged PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale screenshot is making its way around the internet, this time revealing Crash Bandicoot as a possible playable character for Sony's upcoming mash-up brawler.

Rumors and speculation are the lifeblood of the video games industry. Everyone loves to speculate on what Call of Duty's next DLC will offer, how many hours the next Assassin's Creed's campaign will last, or what additional changes are being made to this year's Madden. Somewhere along the line, a screencap or a supposed quote from a “studio insider” pops up, fueling that fire until it's burning as hot as the Earth's core.

Gaming Blend recently reported on the release of several supposedly leaked screenshots highlighting additional playable characters and levels from Battle Royale. Developer Superbot Entertainment eventually acknowledged the leaks, saying they were “unexpected and unintended.”

Well, yet another screenshot appears to be originating from the Battle Royale internal beta, this time showing a glimpse of one of Sony's oldest mascots, Crash Bandicoot.

While Superbot has made no comment on this new rumor, my thoughts are that the picture is legitimate. I'm no photoshop whiz, but that would be some might fine work if it is a forgery. Not to mention that the character mug is featured at the bottom of the screen, which would have been extra unnecessary work is someone was just out to fake the whole thing. In short, it looks a little to perfect to be anything but legitimate.

But that's just my opinion. What do you readers think? Is this an unofficial reveal or does someone simply have far too much free time on their hands?

For those PlayStation gamers eager to throw down with the likes of Sweet Tooth, PaRappa the Rapper and Sly Cooper, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale’s Oct. 23 release date can’t come soon enough. It turns out you’ll be getting an appetizer before the main course, however, as developer SuperBot Entertainment has officially announced an impending public beta.

SuperBot President Chan Park recently made a trip to the PlayStation Blog, filling everyone in on a few Battle Royale beta details. According to Park, a full public beta will be made available later this fall, beginning with early access for PlayStation Plus subscribers.

The game is already in the midst of a closed beta to test servers and connectivity issues and, according to Park, things are going pretty well.

“The feedback we’re receiving from beta testers has been highly encouraging and valuable, helping us craft the best online multiplayer fighting experience possible,” he said. Anytime a tester says they're taking feedback into account and actually using it to craft better aspects of the game, it's nearly safe to say that gamers should respond with a smile and a twinkle in their eye.

Gaming Blend reported last week that a possible leak from the closed beta had given an early peek into unannounced content for the game, such as additional maps and playable characters. According to Park’s blog post, the leak was unexpected and unintended, but legitimate. He also points out that the leaked content “does not fully represent the final product,” and that fans should look forward to more official reveals starting with the upcoming Gamescom event.

In PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, a cast of random video game characters will come together to beat the crap out of each other. A new set of leaked images show the venues for these brawls.

Some of the stages are instantly recognizable, such as the invasion of San Francisco in Resistance or the flying city Columbia from BioShock Infinite. Others are less obvious; that container yard is actually Alden's lair from inFamous. Maybe it'll be easier to match the place with the game when you see the stage in gameplay with all of its dynamic bits.

The game's maps aren't based solely on one game, though. As we've seen from the gameplay footage, the arenas generally mix two titles at once. For example, one level features Hades from God of War 3 as well as a tribe of Patapon warriors. These images don't really do justice to the mash-up quality that the final game will have.

All-Stars Battle Royale is due on the PS Vita and PS3 simultaneously in October. The Super Smash Bros. clone premise makes it an easy target for skepticism but maybe it'll surprise us.

Last year, rumors started circulating about a game called Title Fight, supposedly a PlayStation-branded brawler in the line of Nintendo’s popular Super Smash Bros. franchise. We’ve all seen how that title has evolved into PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale at this point, but thanks to an amateur cameraman with a Youtube account, we can finally see the video that started those Title Fight rumors.

What follows is fan-captured footage from Comic-Con 2012. SuperBot Entertainment decided to show off the video used to pitch Title Fight to Sony execs more than a year ago, which was later green-lit and eventually became Battle Royale.

What you are about to see features some of the now-familiar playable characters like Kratos and Fat Princess, as well as a look at an early take on the Hades level and one that appears to be the speeding train from Uncharted 2 being attacked by flying Warhawks.

If I had to guess, I’d say that the third level we’re seeing (ancient temple with a giant statue) is from Uncharted as well. Either way, I’m hoping to see more levels like the ones shown off here in Battle Royale’s final product. The official levels we’ve seen so far are a bit too caged for my liking and don’t feature enough platforms to jump around on. The early take on Hades looks to offer exactly that and, while I don’t think the train level would work too well as it is shown here, the thought of a moving platform in a more dynamic environment is certainly appealing.

So there you have it; a brief glimpse at the origins of Sony’s upcoming beat-em-up in all its fuzzy, shaky glory. The wait to finally play the game is almost over, as PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is set to launch on Oct. 23.

SuperBot Entertainment has had a busy weekend at San Diego Comic-Con, showing off upcoming brawler PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale and revealing Cole McGrath and Jak and Daxter as new playable characters. At the recently held EVO event, however, the developers were introducing the world's most rabid fighting fans to the combo-heavy gameplay that will be present in their game.

There's no denying that Sony's new four-player fighting game borrows heavily from Nintendo's Smash Bros. series. If you showed someone unfamiliar with video games a side-by-side video comparison, they probably wouldn't be able to guess that they were actually seeing two completely different games.

But SuperBot has maintained from the beginning that, while Battle Royale wears its influences on its sleeve, players can expect a very different gameplay experience. This is immediately apparent in the way players win a round. Rather than racking up damage like in Smash Bros. or trying to push your opponents out of the ring, Battle Royale players will instead build up energy for a “finisher” meter, unleashing unblockable maneuvers to defeat their opponents and score some points.

And at EVO, SuperBot showed off a new video that demonstrates how the combat itself will differ. On top of Battle Royale characters having a much wider array of attacks to choose from, the combat in the game will also have a heavy focus on combos. Rather than smacking an opponent a few times or looking for an opening to throw a boomerang, Battle Royale characters will be able to chain together massive combos, making Sony's new title more akin to a standard fighting game than Smash Bros.

So, there you have it. Lots and lots and lots of combos. Figure out how to sting them together yourself when PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale hits store shelves on Oct. 23.

A pair (or trio, sort of) of new combatants has entered the ring as developer SuperBot has announced the inclusion of inFamous' Cole McGrath and Jak and Daxter's titular characters as the latest additions to upcoming four-player brawler, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.

The official announcement was made during San Diego Comic-Con this morning, quickly followed by a posting on the PlayStation Blog. Fans have been clamoring for more staple Sony characters to be included in the game and, with this pair of console mascots, it looks like they'll be getting exactly that.

First up is Jak and Daxter. While Jak looks to be handling most of the heavy lifting, Daxter gets pulled in for some mischievous assists during several combos. And check out that finisher starring a guest appearance from Dark Jak.

And then there's the supercharged hero (or villain), Cole McGrath. He'll be relying heavily on his amp for melee combat while loads of elemental weapons will allow him to get close quickly or attack from afar. As for the finisher SuperBot showed off, Cole actually drops back from the screen and gets to guide a lightening-wrapped tornado around the stage. Here's hoping evil Cole can be selected as an alternate outfit.

This game is looking better and better. The roster is shaping up nicely, the combat looks varied and yeah, let's just admit it, the Smash Bros. influences are apparent. But I mean that as a good thing. If you're going to borrow from a party game, why not borrow from one of the best there is?

Expect more character reveals in the coming months, leading right up to the PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale launch on Oct. 23.

Tonight at the Evolution Championship Series, SuperBot Entertainment announced two more characters for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale's roster. The new additions should please fans of Tekken and corporate logos.

The first character revealed tonight was Heihachi Mishima. Heihachi is one of the few characters to appear in every Tekken. The ruthless martial arts master is dangerous at close range. He has the potential to overwhelm opponents with quick combo moves.

Toro Inoue, meanwhile, probably won't be familiar if you're not from Japan. This animated cat acts as Sony's mascot in that country. Even though he looks ridiculous, he sounds like he could be a formidable character when played right. Toro is able to switch fighting styles on the fly, allowing him to launch melee, ranged, and area-of-effect attacks.

SuperBot also revealed a new stage for the game tonight. The Dojo is based on a Parappa the Rapper level. You may recall learning some moves from Chop Chop Master Onion back in the day. Like all Battle Royale maps, though, the Dojo features elements from more than one game. A mobile fortress, presumably from Killzone 3, looms in the background.

The developer announced earlier today that Battle Royale will launch on October 23rd.

Two more combatants for Sony’s upcoming brawler, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, are set to be announced this evening. However Sony's getting the party started a little early with the announcement of an October 23 release date, as well as pre-order bonus costumes for every character in the game.

Developer SuperBot kept the hype train running at E3 earlier this summer, announcing that wise-cracking adventurer Nathan Drake and over-protective father figure Big Daddy would be joining the Battle Royale roster. While the next expected character announcements were scheduled for the upcoming San Diego Comic Con, Sony's Cristian Cardona has announced that the newest fighters will actually be announced during their Exhibition Presentation at EVO in Las Vegas this evening at 6 p.m. PST.

Cardona said he dropped by the PS Blog to answer the questions "Why pre-order?" and "When is the game coming out?"

The second question is the easiest to answer: October 23. That’s right; everyone will be jumping around Sony-themed levels, beating the virtual poop out of one another just in time for Halloween. And what better way to celebrate Halloween than by getting into costume?

Cardona also announced that a PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale pre-order will come with an exclusive costume for each character in the game. While players will be able to unlock multiple costumes for the game’s various combatants in regular play, the only way to get these special costumes (some pictured above) is to pre-order the game.

So, there you have it. Pre-order now to net your exclusive costumes to enjoy when the game launches on October 23rd. Stay tuned to the site and we’ll have those new character announcements for you as soon as they become available.

Sony provided more information on their crossover brawler PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale during their E3 press conference tonight. For starters, they revealed that it'll be coming to the PS Vita as well as the PS3.

The PS3 and Vita versions will be integrated for multiplayer. Vita players can face off against PS3 gamers. Up to four players can face off in multiplayer battles, and they can be any mix of PS Vita and PS3 systems.

Your save files will also carry over from one version to another. This allows you to start playing on Vita and then pop over to PS3.

Sony also announced two new characters for Battle Royale during the presentation. Uncharted's Nathan Drake and BioShock's Big Daddy will both be joining the fray. Drake was a no-brainer considering his iconic status on the PS3. Big Daddy's a bit of surprise, though, considering he's from a multiplatform franchise. He's more recognizable than some of the characters announced so far, though.

Battle Royale will arrive later this year. Plenty more time for Sony to slowly announce the rest of the roster.

Three more characters were confirmed for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale today. Eric Ladin, an actor who supplied the voice of Cole McGrath in inFamous 2, revealed that the lightning-wielding super hero will be making an appearance in the cross-over brawling along with two other popular PlayStation heroes.

"This is a great cast, Glad to be a part of it along with @DavidBHayter & @nolan_north #all-stars #playstation #BattleRoyale," tweeted Ladin earlier today (via IGN).

Both of the names Ladin mentions should sound familiar to long-time PlayStation gamers. David Hayter voiced Solid Snake and Big Boss (Naked Snake) in the Metal Gear Solid series. Nolan North, meanwhile, is the voice of Uncharted's Nathan Drake. Drake and Snake both seem like obvious choices for Battle Royale, considering they're lead characters of two of the most recognizable PlayStation exclusive series.

I suppose Nolan North's a bit of a wild card, though. He's done a lot of other video game voiceover work. The only other character he played that's as well-known as Nathan Drake, though, is Desmond Miles from Assassin's Creed. If they're going to include Creed in Battle Royale, I'd think they would pick someone cooler like Ezio or Altair. Even if Desmond is in the game, I'd assume that North is voicing him and Drake.

All-Stars Battle Royale is essentially Sony's answer to the Super Smash Bros. series. Players take part in four-way brawls between iconic PlayStation characters in levels inspired by the game. Confirmed cast members include God of War's Kratos, Twisted Metal's Sweet Tooth, and Killzone's Radec.

SuperBot Entertainment is handling development of the PS3 exclusive. It's expected to hit stores in late 2012.

Following the unveiling of SuperBot Entertainment's PS3 exclusive, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, Sony has released the first batch of screens for the brawler.

The screenshots depicts some of the confirmed characters for the game including Colonel Radec from Killzone, Kratos Fat Princess, Sweet Tooth from Twisted Metal, Sly Cooper and Parappa the Rapper. More of the cast, as well as 3rd party characters will be unveiled during E3.

Support for up to four players locally is included in the crossover fighter, accompanied by a variety of of single and multiplayer modes, one of which includes an online tournament component.

"First and foremost, PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale is a celebration of a storied history of great characters and rich worlds brought together in one game. And for us, there's no better way to celebrate than by creating an experience that players can sit around one screen and enjoy together," said SuperBot Entertainment's game director Omar Kendall.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is due for a release this holiday season.

It's official, Sony finally announced one of the worst kept secrets this generation: PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. The game is the PlayStation's answer to Nintendo's Super Smash Bros series and many of your first and third-party Sony characters will make an appearance. In a different kind of take on the news, MMO publisher Nexon is eyeing a buyout of software publishing giant Electronic Arts. Nexon has the resources, the capital and the know-how but will they really do it? Also, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 could be getting canned for good since GSC has lost the rights to the series. These stories and more in this April 28th, 2012 edition of the Gaming Blend Weekly Recap.

Sunday

Game Spotlight: Mount & Gladius Mod Mount & Blade Fight for the Roman empire in this absolutely stunning mod for the combat-based indie game.

Explore Solar System With Unreal Engine App An awesome new app lets mobile users explore the stars thanks to the Unreal Engine.

Trials Evolution Sets Sales Record The game sells like digital freaking hot cakes and then some. 100,000 and counting.

How Borderlands 2 Plans To Better Its Predecessor Gearbox isn't sitting by the sidelines when it comes to one of the most highly anticipated sequels of the year.

Assassin's Creed 3 Going All Out With New Look Connor isn't just getting some nifty new weapons, he's also got all sorts of snazzy visual effects on his side, too.

Sony Santa Monica Working On New Shooter

Hardcore Fan Makes All Uncharted Games Into Movies They're literally complete movies compiled with snazzy editing effects thanks to a dedicated fan.

Capcom Disappointed Hackers Accessed Street Fighter X Tekken DLC The response from most gamers? "Capcom, we're disappointed in you."

Police Warfare Kickstarter Cancelled Find out what happened and why regarding this potential Call of Duty spinoff.

Monday

Valve Updates Steam Account Policy, You Can Now Access Your Games While Banned Valve updates their policy, but a lot sooner than people originally thought.

World of Warcraft Mists of Pandaria Beta Preview, Pandas Don't Have More Fun Pete Haas gives a rundown of the latest expansion for World of Warcraft and the Mists of Pandaria.

KickStarter En Route To $300 Million For 2012 That's a heck of a lot of money for a crowd-sourced based mediator. But money speaks volumes for what people want and people want what creators are offering via KickStarter.

Halo 4 To Stay True To Its Roots 343 may be in charge of Halo but they're making sure to pay huge respects to Bungie's universe and lore.

Counter Strike Global Offensive SDK Gets Launch Schedule Setup before the game even goes live, Counter Strike Global Offensive's SDK will be available for those who want to mod the game ahead of its launch.

Killer Wireless N-1202 Wi-Fi Module, E2200 Ethernet Controller Announced Killer Gaming announces their brand new line-up of new gear for gamers who need some intense, lag-free gaming on their side.

Heavenly Sword 2 Was In Development, Getaway 3 Footage Showcased Check out a few games Sony canned for one reason or another.

Guild Wars 2 Developer Has Years of Plans For The MMO Well of course they do. At least unlike retail games you don't have to worry about disc-locked content.

Max Payne 3 System Requirements Announced, PC Screenshots Arrive Grab a first look at Max Payne 3 for PC and find out that the game requires 35GB of disk space.

Batman Arkham City GOTY Edition and Harley Quinn DLC Announced This is how you do DLC...well after everyone's forgotten about the game.

Half-Life 3 Discussed by Gabe Newell Find out from the man himself what's up with Half-Life 3.

Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 Gets Release Date, New Screens Want to land some fancy headshots as a sniper? Well, you'll soon be able to camp all you want now that an official release date is set in stone.

Tuesday

Final Fantasy Versus XIII Director Leaves Square Enix Ahaha, that spells out fail-doomed all over it. Check out the full story to get the complete lowdown on what went down with one of the most highly anticipated games this gen.

EA Caught Red Handed In Damage Control Attempt A sad attempt at fixing comments that didn't need fixing.

Robert Bowling Explains Activision Departure It wasn't just about making money...it's now about exploring creative ventures.

G.I. Joe Special Ops Coming In June To Multiple Platforms A browser-based MMO is coming for everyone's favorite military-based action brand.

Crytek Says Crysis 3 For Xbox 360, PS3 To Have DX11 Graphics It's a marketing ploy but worth exploring nonetheless.

PS Vita Gets Skype It's now like a cell-phone except it's free.

Darksiders 2 Release Date Narrowed Down The official release date has been set for DarkSiders 2.

Unchartd Franchise Sells 17 Million Units, Game of the Year Edition Announced Sony has officially set the GOTY edition of Uncharted in stone.

Rober Bowling Opens Game Studio The guy who used to be the face of the biggest selling game in history has departed to form his own studio.

Wednesday

Report: Was The EA Viral Marketer Telling The Truth? Based on the information and facts...does it seem true to you?

Walking Dead Episode 1 Review: Game Worthy Of The Name Pete gives a fleshed out review of the game based on the comic-book and TV show.

EA Montreal Receives Layoffs After EA Denied Layoff Rumors Yeah, so...do we still trust any and everything EA says?

Diablo 3 Midnight Launch Events Detailed

Mercenary Ops Zombie Mode Confirmed, Co-op Features Detailed Check out the latest details for the third-person shooter, Mercenary Ops, from YingPei Games.

Red Solstice Embraces KickStarter Alternative, IndieGoGo They need help reaching the finish line. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is help IronWard get to the finish line.

Gotham City Impostors Update Adds Free Content Awesome new content added, for free!

STALKER 2 Gets Cancelled, Developers Open Studio At least the game isn't being killed entirely, just moderately.

Resident Evil Creator Game Revealed With First Artwork An awesome new game could be in the works from the guy who made Resident Evil.

Crytek: Next Gen Consoles Blocks Used Games Would Be Awesome Really? Wow.

Crysis 3 Unlikely To Release Wii U If you were hoping to play the latest Crysis on Nintendo's latest console, keep dreaming.

Thursday

DICE Working On New IP What could it possibly be?

Game of Thrones Screenshots Get Violent Check out the gruesome new screenshots for the upcoming RPG.

TimeSplitters 4 Already Playable? According to new data it appears the long rumored TimeSplitters 4 may be closer to playability than we thought.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Will Not Have Disc Locked Content Tekken producer clears the air; no disc-locked content.

Uncharted Infographic Details Drake's Journey and Player Statistics Check out the sales, player stats and everything else in between with a nifty new infographic for the Uncharted franchise.

Hold Your Wallet, Mass Effect Protest Groups Planning Something Big If you want to retake gaming this might be a good place to start.

Ninja Gaiden 3 To Get More Difficult With DLC New content expands the game's difficulty so that it feels more like Ninja Gaiden Black.

Dinobots In Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Were Originally Denied Find out what happened between Hasbro and High Moon Studios which almost had the Dinobots sitting on the sideline in Transformers: Fall of Cybertron.

Nexon May Be Interested In EA Buyout Now this would be hilarious. Can you imagine EA getting bought out by a company who only makes free-to-play games?

Grimlands First Closed Beta Begins The Mad Max-esque MMOFPS enters the first set of closed beta testing.

Rayman Legends Domain Hints At Sequel A new Rayman could be on the way thanks to a leak from a new domain address.

Friday

Crysis 3 New York Setting Is Not Recycling Assets Crytek assures us that this will not be a copy-and-paste job like a certain other company with its annual shooter series.

Nostalgia Revisited: Embarrassing Video Game Rap Commercials A look at some of the most ridiculous video game commercials from the yesteryears of gaming.

5th Cell Lays Out Extra Details For Hybrid Get a brief idea of what's contained in the upcoming shooter.

Cryptic Account Database Hacked, Warnings Issued Take care to change your password because your account could be jeopardized.

Leaked Wii U Video Shows NFC Action, Rayman Legends Confirmed After a brief bit of teasing Rayman Legends gets confirmed.

StarCraft 2 Heart of Swarm Demo Playable This June at MLG Event The highly anticipated new expansion for StarCraft 2 is due out to make an appearance at Major League Gaming.

Wii U Price Won't Be Announced During E3 Nintendo plans to reserve the price announcement for a latter date.

Warren Spector Says Next Gen Games Might Cost $200 Million To Make Oh boy, I hope gaming doesn't get to that point.

GTA V Release Date Set For October 23rd Suggests Analyst It's looking like October could be the actual date for GTA V?

Guild Wars 2 Digital Editions Sold out If that sounds like an oxymoron statement, click the link to find out the details.

Saturday

Microsoft Defends Games On Demand Business Model Digital is the wave of the future. But do you agree?

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Revealed With Gameplay Footage Check out the first look at the PS3's answer to Super Smash Bros.

The House of the Dead 4, Co-op Review and Giveaway Win a free copy of the game and find out if a copy is worth winning in the new review.

Last Half Of Darkness Release Date Announced The upcoming point-and-click game from Iceberg gets an official release date.

That wraps up this week's edition of the Gaming Blend Weekly Recap. You can scope out the new trailer for Grimlock and the Dinobots in the upcoming High Moon Studios third-person action title, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron.

As expected, developer SuperBot Entertainment has officially revealed their highly-rumored PlayStation 3 exclusive brawler, PlayStation All Stars: Battle Royale.

The game has long been rumored to be in development exclusively for the PlayStation 3 since earlier this year. However, after lots of hints, speculation and guesstimations, Sony has finally come clean and officially announced that the game is in the works and coming soon rather than later.

The full unveil for the fighter was made on GameTrailers TV, which revealed a launch period of this upcoming holiday season in 2012. No exact release date was set, so it could be anywhere between October and December. As showcased in the footage below, gameplay strikes several similarities to Nintendo's Super Smash Bros series. Additionally, the PS3 exclusive's framerate runs at 60 FPS.

While the characters haven't been officially announced yet, these are the fighters spotted in the debut gameplay footage:

• Kratos
• Parappa the Rapper
• Colonel Radec (Killzone)
• Fat Princess
• Sweet Tooth
• Sly Racoon

Third-party characters will be included PlayStation All Stars: Battle Royale, but none were revealed during unveil of the game. They'll be detailed during E3 which takes place in June.

Get More: GameTrailers.com, GTTV - PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

The rumored brawler PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is looking more and more like a real game. Sony recently registered the domain PlaystationAllStarsBattleRoyale.com. Could an announcement be imminent?

PlayStation Lifestyle spotted the domain registration this weekend. They also confirmed that the registrant is Sony Computer Entertainment America. The domain was actually created back in January, so Sony's been thinking about the project for at least a few months now.

All-Stars Battle Royale, revealed through leaked screenshots in November, seems to be Sony's answer to Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series. It will presumably let players take on the role of iconic PlayStation characters, like Sweet Tooth and Nathan Drake, and engage in free-for-all brawls. The title itself first appeared in a survey from earlier in the month.

Sony has yet to confirm the game's existence. Thus, we don't know anything about it. Will it support Move? Is it a small, downloadable title or is it a full-fledged, $60 game? There are a lot of different directions that they could take the idea.

We may not have to wait long for Sony to announce this game, though. If you recall, the next episode of GameTrailers TV is promising to reveal a "huge new" exclusive for the PS3 along with the first in-game footage. This exclusive could turn out to be Battle Royale. Seems like as good of a guess as any.