Game Ranter Banter: All-Stars Battle Royale, EA/Gamer Relationship & Valve’s Awesomeness

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Game Ranter Banter: All-Stars Battle Royale, EA/Gamer Relationship, And Valve's Awesomeness

Well, All-Stars Battle Royale - Sony's Super Smash Bros. style fighter - was finally unveiled this week, and we've got to say, it's looking pretty good (albeit extremely familiar). So good in fact, that we're kind of upset we'll have to wait so long to play it. No matter though, we've got the Game Ranter Banter�to tide us over until the game's eventual release.

This week, our writers talk about the aforementioned fighter, Nintendo's online plans for the Wii U and 3DS, as well as the business strategies of EA and Valve.

Let's begin.

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Well, All-Stars Battle Royale - Sony's Super Smash Bros. style fighter - was finally unveiled this week, and we've got to say, it's looking pretty good (albeit extremely familiar). So good in fact, that we're kind of upset we'll have to wait so long to play it. No matter though, we've got the Game Ranter Banter to tide us over until the game's eventual release. This week, our writers talk about the aforementioned fighter, Nintendo's online plans for the Wii U and 3DS, as well as the business strategies of EA and Valve. Let's begin. PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale Banter

PlayStation All Stars Battle Royale Banter

For weeks Game Rant readers have taken offense to our use of the phrase "Super Smash Bros. Clone" when describing Sony's PS3 exclusive fighting title, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. While we'd never meant to use the description in a sarcastic or negative way, after seeing the recently unveiled footage of the title in action, it's hard to deny that the PS3 game borrows heavily from the Super Smash Bros. model. Nearly every aspect of the project, from the cartoony aesthetic to actual gameplay mechanics could easily have been mistaken as the next Nintendo mash-up brawler (scheduled for the Wii U) - if it weren't for a large cast of Sony characters running around. Again, this isn't to take anything away from SuperBot Entertainment's upcoming Sony exclusive - since we are extremely excited for the chance to watch a Kratos vs. Helghast vs. Patapon vs. PaRappa the Rapper battle - but hopefully PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale has more to offer than just traditional Smash Bros. action with an entirely different roster. Valve Business Banter

Take a note, EA. While you're going in and buying successful development studios which flop in the near-future after your control (Maxis, Bullfrog, Pandemic and Westwood Studios to name a few), Valve has been taking an entire new stance on gaming development. There's a way they treat their employees and encourage creative growth. They create quality products through this, and fans love them for it - so why can't you do that without jeopardizing fan loyalty and the health of the studio? The publicly released Valve Employee Handbook shines a light on Valve's in-house development process. They encourage creative development from all areas of employees, and build up a passionate approach to the creation of entertainment. I feel like if EA took could learn a single inkling from this, they might not be named the Worst Company in America. And maybe, just maybe, other studios won't fall on the same path that Maxis, Bullfrog and others have. EA Banter

I know a lot of gamers lately have been jumping on the bandwagon to kick EA in the pants in terms of creativity and respect for consumers, but I'm just gonna throw this out there: as a fan of unique and engrossing gameplay, Mirror's Edge instantly became one of my favorite games since it was released in 2008. It's just a shame that DICE's talent has been put to work regurgitating the same FPS titles every year or so.

I'm definitely a little disappointed that in recent years, so many cookie-cutter, run-and-gun shooters have been taking the forefront of what largely identifies modern video game culture. Fortunately, DICE and EA have not given up on the Mirror's Edge IP, and now that the Battlefield 3: Close Quarters DLC is braced for release in June, we may yet see a sequel to one of the most creative and inventive titles to come from EA in a long time. I think they're up to the challenge of repeating that same success, so I ask that other gamers have as much Faith in EA's future as I do. Nintendo Online Banter

It's now official: Nintendo will begin releasing digital copies of their retail games. This may seem like a minor thing to get excited about (the PS Vita has had downloadable retail games since day one), but it's a very promising step in the right direction for a company that has struggled in keeping up with its competitors on a technological scale. By offering an extensive amount of digital content, Nintendo is showing just a glimpse of what fans can expect from them going forward. We've seen a dramatic increase in Nintendo-made content on the eShop, as well as the addition of DLC for 3DS games. The Big N's interest in providing an online experience similar to that of Xbox Live or PSN is looking promising thus far. The framework for a noticeably enhanced online service is already built, and it'll be great to see how well the final product actually turns out. We're in for a very interesting few months, gamers. Sephiroth Boss Battle Royale

As Ben noted, much of the divisiveness surrounding the PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale reveal was due to its spitting-image resemblance of Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. I’m guessing it won’t be long though until fans settle down and start debating what really matters about the mash-up brawler: the final boss encounter. A murderer’s row of unannounced characters appears primed to compete for the coveted role - but no one has a clear advantage out of the gate: Kaz Hirai? Too swell a guy. Nathan Drake? Give me a break. Kevin Butler? Too partisan to the brand to ever bite its hand. Polygon Man? Square peg, round hole. Sack Boy? Please - Kratos wants his loin cloth back. Metal Gear's Big Boss? Apropos to the title and suited to the role - but would Kojima approve? Sephiroth? Now we're talking. Yet there's something unseemly ubiquitous about the constantly cameoing antagonist. In the end, it's one big toss-up. The choices, the possibilities - they're all so enticing, yet even more perplexing. SuperBot might keep the curtain drawn until we play the game ourselves, and if they do, c’est la vie. A rare fortune it is when a main character's identity feels so anonymous. Wait a second... speaking of Anonymo... No. They don't have the audacity.

That's all for this week's Game Ranter Banter. As always, let us know what you think of this week's news in the comments, or on Twitter @GameRant and Facebook.com/GameRant and if you have specific topics you'd like any of the team to cover, don't hesitate to ask.