Sony has announced the latest installment in the Playstation All-Stars series, and it's not what you expected. Playstation All-Stars Island is a free mobile game coming to iOS and Android this summer, developed by Zoink Games and in promotion with Coke Zero. Coke Zero is actually integrated seamlessly into the game elements.
The idea is that all the different signature Playstation franchises are stationed in an island, and you can freely explore the island to play mini-game versions of each franchise. The games coming on the island are Gravity Rush, inFAMOUS, LittleBigPlanet Karting and Uncharted.
The actual minigames are basic endless runners, similar to other mobile games. You are tasked with earning Coke Zero orbs to earn Coke Zero Moves. each character has an experience bar which you will have to fill up to get all the available moves.
By earning Coke Zero Moves, you will be able to make the impossible possible, so to speak. What we know so far is that it will allow lead characters to enter each other's worlds, for example, Kat racing in LittleBigPlanet. Aside from Sackboy, Nathan Drake, Cole McGrath and Kat, tag teams Ratchet & Clank and Jak & Daxter will also be playable via Coke Zero Moves.
Now, Coke Zero bottles will be coming this summer that will also have QR codes. Possible downloadable content from the QR codes include new Coke Zero booster moves.
Yes, this does all sound familiar. If you didn't remember it yet, this promotion is very much similar to Microsoft's Halo: King of The Hill app promotion around the same time last year. From my research, I already see that people are already making similar complaints, if they had not yet seen the connection. Some fans are also clamoring for a new installment of the fighting game instead.
It may not be your thing, but as I see it, Sony made the call to stop work on the fighting game, found a new way to use the All-Stars brand, and went for it. If you want to keep playing the fighting game, no one is going to stop you, and likewise, Sony can do what they want with this license.
It does also seem strange that they're bringing the game over to non-Sony platforms, but Sony does business with Microsoft (Vaio) and Android (Experia), so the assumed conflict of interest was already there. Maybe they hope it will raise interest in their core franchises with casual fans. In any case, like King of the Hill, expect this to just pass us by after this season.
Source: NeoGAF
