Sony ended its work contract with SuperBot Entertainment, the developer of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, weeks after layoffs hit the studio. Kotaku reports SuperBot will go its own way as Sony’s Santa Monica Studio takes over work on PlayStation All-Stars and its DLC.

“Sony Computer Entertainment can confirm that the working agreement with developer SuperBot Entertainment has amicably ended,” Sony said in a press release. “We have had a positive working relationship with this talented studio, and wish them the best of success in their next endeavor.”

SuperBot also confirmed the layoffs, saying this is “the beginning of the next chapter” of their future. That future will likely belong to an even smaller studio, however.

“We don’t have a reduction plan as of yet, however it is unlikely we can continue with our current work force for an extended period of time,” SuperBot director of operations David Yang told Kotaku. “We are still working things out and hope to continue on with as many of us as possible.”

If this story of ended Sony contracts and shrinking studios sounds familiar, it may be because almost the exact same thing happened to former contractor LightBox Interactive a few months after it released Starhawk.

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Matt Senreich, executive producer and co-creator of the Adult Swim stop-motion parody series, revealed the crossover of crossovers on the PlayStation Blog today–tonight’s episode airing at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific will feature the PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale breakroom exploits of Nathan Drake, Sweet Tooth, and a rather threatening Sackboy.

Adult Swim guest appearances are getting to be a popular way to advertise games, though in this case the two series have a decent amount in common. Just trade out video games for ’80s toy lines and multiplayer combat for crude humor and you’re there!

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Now, when I use the term “rip off,” don’t mistake it for games that share a genre. If that were the case, every 2D platformer rips off Super Mario Bros (opens in new tab), every other puzzle game is a counterfeit of Tetris (opens in new tab), and any 3D fighting game ripped off Virtua Fighter (opens in new tab) (which, in turn, stole its fighting style from Street Fighter (opens in new tab)). No, what I mean is games that have such clear, specific inspirations that you can be sure it wouldn’t exist in its current form if it didn’t lift gameplay techniques wholesale from the games that pioneered them. And in many cases that’s completely forgivable.

Just look at last week’s release of Sleeping Dogs (opens in new tab), a game that wears its influences on its sleeve. Beyond the sandbox trappings firmly established by Grand Theft Auto III, the hand-to-hand combat is straight from the Batman: Arkham games (opens in new tab) and fans of Wheelman (opens in new tab) will recognize the source of hijacking cars. But listing influences ultimately doesn’t matter, because Sleeping Dogs executes so well on what it rips off, something many of the reviews (opens in new tab), including GamesRadar’s (opens in new tab), agree on.

You need only look back to 2010 for another perfect example of execution outpacing obvious inspirations. When the original Darksiders (opens in new tab) came out, more than a few knocked it for being a Legend of Zelda clone, something I’ll agree with despite loving the game. The dungeon structure was the same, they share sword-based combat, and exploration incorporates tools identical to boomerangs and hookshots. For extra uninspired credit, Darksiders also contains a weapon that shoots orange and blue portals. Seriously (opens in new tab).

Once I got over my reflexively negative reaction to the seeming lack of any originality in Darksiders, I settled into the game and found myself continually impressed by it. The developers had learned well from Zelda. Over and over again Darksiders proved it didn’t merely copy and paste from Link’s adventures, it had studied them closely. Developer Vigil Games skillfully implemented those lessons to give tribute to the games of their youth. And then Vigil went on to iterate further on these inspirations, delivering the even better (and more original) game in Darksiders II (opens in new tab).

The same pride in unoriginality was on display in Shadow Complex (opens in new tab). Developer Chair was open about its inspirations (opens in new tab), copping to lifting design strategies of Super Metroid (opens in new tab). Like Darksiders, you can tell it comes from a place of love and admiration, out to fill a niche Nintendo created and few outside of Castlevania (opens in new tab) had tried to fill. Chair, like Vigil, then took the gameplay and added aesthetics and story content that the originators didn’t approach, making for a game that people accepted with open arms. Shadow Complex continually shows up on best XBLA games (opens in new tab) lists and many are clamoring for a sequel.

There are so many examples of games I hold dear that may not blaze a new trail, but were outstanding all the same. Would Rhythm Thief exist without Professor Layton? Saints Row without GTA? Dante’s Inferno without God of War? League of Legends without Dota? Or Torchlight without Diablo? All of those are worth your time no matter how you feel about what they took from their sources.

The added irony of Kamiya’s statement is that he doesn’t need to look far to see the power of a brilliant rip off. Platinum’s Bayonetta (opens in new tab) is clearly inspired by Devil May Cry, though most would forgive that since many former DMC devs worked on the title. But few could argue that Okami would exist without Zelda’s 3D titles. Just like Darksiders, Okami closely shadowed the Zelda template, but used it tell a story all its own. It’s an unforgettable game thanks to all the ways it learned from and expanded on another franchise’s strengths. Instead of calling out those games as deceptive, gamers lauded Okami as a work of art and Platinum has quickly become one of the most respected companies in its field.

Believe me, artless re-creations and flagrant stealing can, and definitely should, be called out and given the lack of respect they deserve. Look at the negativity that met Limbo of the Lost (opens in new tab), a game that mirrored Oblivion in all the wrong ways. Then there’s Facebook heavyweight Zynga, which has been rightly accused multiple times for blatant theft of titles like Tiny Tower (opens in new tab) and The Sims Social (opens in new tab). However, give a game a chance to prove itself a sham. Just because Battle Royale’s inspiration is clear from the outset doesn’t mean it’s fate has been decided. Gamers should first take a deep breath and remember all the great times they had with “rip offs.” It worked for me.

You know that kid at parties who talks too much? Drink in hand, way too enthusiastic, ponderously well-educated in topics no one in their right mind should know about? Loud? Well, that kid’s occasionally us. GR Editorials is a semi-regular feature where we share our informed insights on the news at hand. Sharp, funny, and finger-on-the-pulse, it’s the information you need to know even when you don’t know you need it.

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Sony has officiallyannounced (opens in new tab)the date when PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale will be hitting store shelves, along with some new information on what incentives they’re offering to people who pre-order the game.

First off, they announced that those who pre-order will gain access to a completely new set of costumes for each character, separate from those available in the game or downloadable as DLC. They haven’t unveiled those costumes yet, but they say they will soon.

They also announced the far more important bit of information: when we’ll actually be able to play it. They announced today that it will be dropping at retail on PS3 and Vita on October 23, 2012. They haven’t yet announced the official pricing, but they say that bit of info is also coming soon. Normally we’d assume the game would sell at the usual $59.99 on PS3 and $39.99/$49.99 on Vita, but this gives us a bit of hope that the price may come down.

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According to aLinkedIn (opens in new tab)resume of someone who says they’re working on the project, the upcoming Sony brawler PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, will be coming to the PlayStation Vita.

Originally spotted by The Gaming Liberty (opens in new tab), the rumor concerns the resume of Sony sound designer Robert Krekel, which lists “Sound Designer – PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (PS3, Vita) as his current project.

As of now that’s still not a confirmation. This could still be a simple mistake, but these rumors do tend to end up being correct in the end. So while a resume mistake is certainly possible, right now it seems unlikely. Especially given that Sony would obviously want to support their new console with this fan-service superstar-laden romp.

Hankering after more of the stories, news and possible truths that might shape this year’s E3? Then head over to our E3 rumours (opens in new tab) compendium page. It’s being updated constantly between now and the show.

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