PAIN: The People’s MODE

77 22
Travis Williams Sr. Producer, SCEA
22 Author Replies

Everyone is back from E3 now and it’s time to get back to work. I for one have a love hate relationship with that show. I LOVE E3. However, I HATE how my feet feel afterwards. Aye Carumba! Did anyone see Modnation Racers?

I told the producer of that game he better come correct. I know where he sits. That game looks AWE-SOME! You think he would let me put some PAIN characters in that game? Ed, Cookie, Jarvis and Tati would be sooo awesome as Mods!

Anyways.. where wuz I?

If you have been keeping up with our PlayStation Network game PAIN lately you would realize we just released SORE SPOTS. This particular release has been good for us in that we really got to address some core improvements to PAIN as a whole as well as create a multiplayer mode filled with player suggestions we have had for a while now.

Some of the improvements to PAIN include:

  • Revamped Menus
    We’ve added so much content that the old menus just were not working for us anymore.
  • Trophy lists inside modes
    Players hated leaving modes to figure out how to get all the trophies. So now you can see those requirements inside the mode you are playing.
  • PAINalympics!
    It’s a good exercise to browse our message boards and pick out some of the wackiest ideas we have gotten from the community. I remember one player wanted a mode where you could see how long you can go without touching the ground. Another player wanted to swing and kick people… I could go on for a while here, but the request list usually starts to disturb me.

One user suggested we make an Olympic mode.. (And everyone else agreed) So this was a good excuse to tie a bunch of insane acts together and compel people to become good at them. PAINalympics is now my go to mode to play with my friends. As a thanks to some of our community helpers we gave them some love in our new video. Enjoy it!

Thanks again everyone for making PAIN such a joy to work on!

Now where is that ModNation E3 version….?

painplaystation games

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77 Comments

22 Author Replies

  • datoupee
    June 8, 2009 at 5:16 pm PDT

    I stopped playing the game after finding all of the trophies to be unreachable. I also didn’t like the way that you are not told what to do when you get in a level. You have to exit the level all the time to see what your goal is ? This game was a good idea but tanked when people found out how difficult the objectives were.

  • pick-e
    June 8, 2009 at 6:04 pm PDT

    @emjayx
    PAIN has had Youtube replay uploading since December. :)

  • MadmanEU
    June 8, 2009 at 6:09 pm PDT

    I’m not hating. I’m being realistic.

    PAIN is unanimously considered a bad game. PAIN has reviewed, and continues to review poorly, even with expansions. Not to mention the shoddy and down right deceitful method making people buy extra characters just to get some trophies. Its an all around bad and mismanaged product…and that’s purely objective. Someone can enjoy, but people also enjoy golden showers. Doesn’t make it good…or sanitary for that matter.

    PAIN has elements of a good game, but the randomness of it all removes any skill based gameplay, meaning its simply a mind numbing button masher with random outcomes. Might as well released a random number generator.

    It’s not hate if its pointed and accurate.

    • Travis Williams
      June 9, 2009 at 11:12 am PDT

      Actually you are QUITE wrong about PAIN’s scores and while I am not averse to people having opinions about PAIN when you are trying to state fact it might help to have some proof. If you look at Metacritic the aggregate score for PAIN is a 71. Which while I wish it were higher is actually based on a product we shipped a year ago which doesn’t quite resemble what PAIN is today which is actually a larger more fully featured experience (even if you didn’t buy ONE additional piece of content). Since those scores we have added. (not a full list)

      Online Multiplayer
      UI Updates
      Free Characters (Buzz, Daxter,Ed) More to come soon
      YouTube Uploads
      In Game Music
      Free PAINlab areas (EVERY WEEK)

      So while fun is fun… You are simply not accuate. Look us up on Metacritic if you think I am not correct.

      http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps3/pain?q=PAIN

  • somethingatt
    June 8, 2009 at 6:17 pm PDT

    Sony just drop this game already, IT’S AWFUL!

    It’s embarrassing the whole of PSN for crying out loud!

    I hope at least it’s making you a lot of money but from what I’m gathering around gaming forums and here, not many people like it at all.

  • jasonmc
    June 8, 2009 at 6:35 pm PDT

    @ somethinggatt

    Well I like it!

  • echogridlock
    June 8, 2009 at 6:57 pm PDT

    Awesome video! You should make a pain game where one player runs around the level and the other shoots them with tennis balls or something. Like the event that was on the show American Gladiators.

  • pretend_hero
    June 8, 2009 at 7:06 pm PDT

    Travis, did you know that in the order you put those three characters’ names (Ed, Cookie, Jarvis) is actually the name and nickname of a competitive eater?

    Ed “Cookie” Jarvis has competed in Nathan’s hot dog eating contest.

    Just an interesting tidbit.

  • Chase167
    June 8, 2009 at 7:32 pm PDT

    so whats up with a party system

  • Wip3ou7pure
    June 8, 2009 at 7:59 pm PDT

    I was a day 1 buyer of PAIN, but I haven’t purchased any expansions and I never play the game anymore. To the developers, if you’re interested in what would get a person like me interested in PAIN again, it would be if you followed SONY’s new philosophy of “PLAY-CREATE-SHARE”. If you released an expansion (or perhaps for PAIN 2) in which you could create your own hazard filled environments / layouts and share them online. Thanks for listening.

    • Travis Williams
      June 9, 2009 at 11:14 am PDT

      Hey Wipeout. I remember you from your famous post about Wipeout and how you were gonna like play that FOREVER or something. Howsthatgoing? LOL

      Anyways… Play, Create, Share is something we are taking pretty seriously and you will see some of this in more games to come.

  • BigPoppaB
    June 8, 2009 at 8:02 pm PDT

    I dont appreciate all the H8 on this blog post… but seriously guys… its time to make a new game.

  • Solid-Snake-Eyes
    June 8, 2009 at 8:12 pm PDT

    @59, buy the abusement park, it’s about 20x better than downtown.

  • DaftMav
    June 8, 2009 at 8:30 pm PDT

    Yo TRAVIS! Where are our fainting goats man? It’s been over a year now. To help you remember, here’s a pic of some comments: http://tr.im/nRrg

  • whiteboykyle
    June 8, 2009 at 9:13 pm PDT

    I would love to see a rated “M” patch to the game where you can launch your character into a wood chipper, spikes, and other deadly things and you can add some more dialogue to the characters when they head towards them so they can cuss up a storm approaching their inevitable doom. I’d pay for it. Trust me gore sales =D.

  • DryvBy
    June 8, 2009 at 9:27 pm PDT

    I bought PAIN day one. I loved the concept. Recently got a buddy who just bought a PS3 to pick it up. I told him is was equal to that of Burnout Crash Mode (with humans) and Dave Mirra’s Freestyle BMX 2.. the crash mode, of course.

    You guys really turned the game into what was just sort of fun to goof around with into an actual enjoyable game. I just wish the level packs were a bit cheaper as I can hardly afford anything right now. Next game purchase for me will be Wolfenstein, and that’s ways off.

  • FredNation
    June 8, 2009 at 9:38 pm PDT

    Hey Trav… Will there ever be bundles of PAIN characters?

  • ThaddeusK
    June 8, 2009 at 9:42 pm PDT

    I just want to say that PAIN is a pretty cool game, and Travis, you seem like a pretty awesome guy. If you’re ever in the Seattle area I’ll buy you a beer :). Although I might be going to Colorado in a couple months anyway.

  • srart
    June 8, 2009 at 10:26 pm PDT

    For those of you that think the game is all random, the leader boards were wiped, and amazingly the top players before the wipe are the top players after the wipe also.
    It’s not random, it’s just hard

    Skills and practice, even chimney sweep isn’t that random, it just takes timing and a little bit of luck (I can get it 1 of 10 tries) The hard one is the flagpoles, it’s evil (I’ve got all the trophies, so I do know what I’m talking about)

    The number of people on the leaderboards shows that the game still has plenty of players and buyers, and some of them have never made it to any of the leader boards I’m sure, so they aren’t just beating a dead horse, they have players that are willing to pay, and enough sales to keep a nice handfull of folks working, and pay for some celebrities (Not first teir, but still more expensive than just a no name voice)

  • srart
    June 8, 2009 at 10:27 pm PDT

    If you haven’t played it, get it. If you haven’t played it in a while, get Sore Spots.
    Get half the trophies (half of them aren’t very hard at all), then see if you still think the game isn’t really that good.

    I’m willing to bet you com back for more.

    For those that do like it, visit on the pain board, the mutants like fresh meat. :p
    http://pain.us.playstation.com

  • Barnolde
    June 8, 2009 at 10:36 pm PDT

    The Abusement park level is awesome.

    Also I <3 Kenneth, best character by far.

  • GHenrik
    June 8, 2009 at 11:29 pm PDT

    This game has the biggest hate/love rate I know of.

    Remember showing this to my 12 year old cousin. His eyes got shiny and intense.

    “This is the best game ever” and he dropped dead to the floor.

    Thanks for the answer on post 44 Travis

  • Solid-Snake-Eyes
    June 8, 2009 at 11:48 pm PDT

    I like Tati the best, I want more slutty babe characters. I’ll buy every one.

  • theinfamousjaywe
    June 8, 2009 at 11:51 pm PDT

    You know what? I decided to be silly and look up these “pain olympics.”

    …

    …%@!& you, sirs…lol

  • sibbor
    June 9, 2009 at 12:59 am PDT

    I’ve had PAIN for a long time now, but haven’t played since the trophy patch more or less. I bought the expansion with the carousels and stuff… have yet to collect a single trophy – I need to start playing more again! I promise you, I will, just need to settle down in my new apartment and play trough a couple of others games first ;)

    I stopped playing PAIN mostly because of the lack of proper sound effects – I want to hear screeeams, PAIN!!! and see blood on the ground and on the characters, together with bruises!

    So please, add a family filter option enabled by default. Of course most of us will happily disable it to see some gore.

    Love!

    • Travis Williams
      June 9, 2009 at 11:19 am PDT

      Sibbor: We draw the line at gore in PAIN. Even more graphic depictions of PAIN. We want PAIN to be funny and there should be nothing really funny about real physical injury.

  • GHenrik
    June 9, 2009 at 1:22 am PDT

    Heheheh at #70. I can watch 2girls1cup, but I can’t watch more then the first 3 sec of Pain Olympics.

    @#71 Blood and gore would ruin the ESRB rating. Even if its an option.

  • sibbor
    June 9, 2009 at 1:54 am PDT

    Screw the ESRB rating! Although, didn’t think family filter enabled by default would screw it…

    Damn it, I want gore in PAIN! ;)

  • waypoetic
    June 9, 2009 at 5:31 am PDT

    Don’t get this game. Played it and can’t believe the support it’s getting. Awful

  • Sindred
    June 9, 2009 at 5:59 am PDT

    Can’t wait to see more Pain. Game made me and my friends laugh out loud more times than I can count.

  • nYcFrEeWiLL82
    June 9, 2009 at 6:20 am PDT

    i just wanted to say this game is AWSOME..and the online is GOOD..little laggy at tymes..but still fun. i also agree with comment #34..i would say the BEST canadate for this game froma sony franchise is CRASH BANDICOOT. although he is multiplatform now..i would still love to toss him around into stuff.:p jus becuz he went multiplatform..lol if not him then SACKBOY..im sure u would get a whole new kiddie fanbase from that..;) just make sure MY CHECK IS IN THE MAIL TOO..TW

  • Exodus_Lang
    June 9, 2009 at 6:31 am PDT

    Pain is incredibly stupid, and yet lots of fun, mainly with a group of friends. Bowling in particular is great with everyone trying to stop the current bowler.

    Ignore the jerks out here, and let sales speak for themselves. Nobody is forcing people to buy the game or the DLC, so they should let others go ahead and buy what they want.

  • Haskell420
    June 9, 2009 at 6:31 am PDT

    @Travis,
    I LOVE YOU MAN! Seriously Dood!
    How can I NOT be elated, thrilled etc.. when I am in print, and in a VIDEO!

    Watching the Olynmpics commercial aka video of it, i was loving it, and then I saw the crawl on the bottom… and then…
    SPOLIER ALERT!( I thought, oh cool, they made a crawl tickeretc., but THEN!:

    SPOILER ALERT….”Hello Hello is really Haskell”….
    UM WHAT! Rewind it..there it goes again SPOILER ALERT: and i was beaming..called for friends up, told em, sent them the vide an they said No WAY!.. GTFO…..lol…AWESOME DOOD, AWESOME!
    But then…well
    Now then..this blog topic comes out..and i read it..:

    “One user suggested we make an Olympic mode.. (And everyone else agreed)”

    (you have, had my permission to use my name, it’s cool
    but I also remember your reaction to it, and you LOVED IT!

    An how manhy months later, it is finally here!

    just killer dood, killer
    Haskell..aka
    Hello Hello

  • sNsKid
    June 9, 2009 at 6:41 am PDT

    It’s good to hear someone is getting back to work.

  • ode2code
    June 9, 2009 at 8:13 am PDT

    I think it’s pretty good for a PSN title. It’s the type of game you can pick up for an hour or so every so often. (And the first game that I played that had trophies support – even before the “official” trophies.)

    But Of all the criticism on here the one that I can agree with would be the play Create share made by Wip3ou7pure.

  • Spyroluver88
    June 9, 2009 at 9:40 am PDT

    I have had PAIN since it’s launch on the PSN. The game is amusing but thing that bugs me about this title is that most of the trophies require you to buy add-ons to get them.

  • ironman1018
    June 9, 2009 at 9:58 am PDT

    hey i have an idea maybe if you put like a mode where players can chat with each other and do online challenges with each other that will bring more customers in to your game or make a mode where you make a character on your pain website as a challenge to see what character would be the best to be a character in your game btw i have a friend named travis williams

    • Travis Williams
      June 9, 2009 at 11:17 am PDT

      You can enter the game lobby and chat IronMan and you can also chat with Voice once in a game.

      Your other ideas sound pretty decent too. Maybe I will use em for what\’s next.

  • Wip3ou7pure
    June 9, 2009 at 12:23 pm PDT

    @Travis Williams
    Ahhh yes, that was me alright. So far I have over 13 years of WipEout under my belt, and WipEout HD has done a great job of living up to the franchise’ legacy. I can’t wait for the Fury expansion pack. WipEout is still part of my daily gaming diet, although I’m one of the folks who’ve been affected by the bug which randomly bans people from playing WOHD Online!!! SONY FIX THAT PLEASE! Thanks for the response Travis and I hope to see some real growth out of the PAIN franchise. Check out my anti-360 gaming show for some laughs, youtube.com/wip3ou7

  • jqtaxpayer
    June 9, 2009 at 12:37 pm PDT

    I’m going to have to agree with #4 and say that Pain was a big waste of money — $10 for one level and ZERO gameplay. Then the flood of overpriced DLC pours in… $2 for a character skin? Are you serious?

    I really like to get the most for my dollar, so I played a decent amount of Pain trying to “get into it”, but it just wasn’t happening and has since been deleted from my hard drive. Lucky there was no demo available, because I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one that would’ve passed on this.

  • SolduNuts
    June 9, 2009 at 1:02 pm PDT

    How is Buzz a free character because I sure do not have him on my character list?

  • StalkingSilence
    June 9, 2009 at 1:05 pm PDT

    I heard from PlayStation LifeStyle that next we’ll see PAIN at the Museum!

  • Skoltnik
    June 9, 2009 at 1:09 pm PDT

    wow…i just love how you guys keep updating this game.

    I played it on my brother’s ps3 and had a huuuuge blast of fun playing it, but never even bought it for me to play at home…I think now is better then never to purchase it, thanks guys.

  • KamoKarnage
    June 9, 2009 at 2:24 pm PDT

    Awesome game pain is, haven’t played it in a while though, but my little brother checks it out every week to see what new things the pain labs has to offer.

    Anyways, He asked me a question about pain, which kind of piqued my interest, so I thought I’d ask. has there been any mention or thought given to possibly having some sort of a character creator/editor for pain? If not, it would be a pretty cool idea.

  • Seiven
    June 9, 2009 at 3:11 pm PDT

    Don’t hate…participate…join the PAINalypics NOW!!!!

    PAIN was the first thing I downloaded when I got a PS3 and I was sooo happy I did, I have all the DLC for it…which makes it actually cost more than some retail games, but I have played it more and had more fun!!!!!

  • Haskell420
    June 9, 2009 at 4:09 pm PDT

    DOOD, I AM OMNIPOTENT

    Meanwhile T, I could have a FIELD day in here, if you know what I mean…lol

  • Thrasher20
    June 9, 2009 at 4:20 pm PDT

    I agree with 50

    That would be a great addition :)

  • Hollowcost
    June 9, 2009 at 5:12 pm PDT

    I love pain me and my brother play fortress religously. one question where is pain golf, something about seeing a huge ball going into a giant hole just sounds satisfying

  • Sulack
    June 9, 2009 at 9:34 pm PDT

    Im sorry but PAIN is just a wast of money. Dont get me wrong I loved pain but the fact that every time I go on it you shove it in my face to buy a character model that took you guys 20 mins to make. Im sorry but Im not going to pay for it when 90% of your time is spent finding rude jokes rather than working on the the game. Please dont tell me its really hard to do because yes I do have some experience in 3D modeling and what you guys do is a joke to consumers. Yes there will allways be people who buy it but it shows you have no respect for the gaming community. Im awair you arnt a very big company but it doesent matter. You dont get big bu making ok games then charging the player to pick their nose.

  • Dutch_Rootsman
    June 10, 2009 at 1:31 am PDT

    PAIN! is good old fashioned crude fun. One of the first games I downloaded from PSN. I love it and I try to convert all of my fellow Aussie PS3 owners every chance I get.

    Keep up the good work. Any title supported as strongly as PAIN! deserves all the love it can get.

  • MadmanEU
    June 10, 2009 at 6:35 am PDT

    Travis, while you may have added fluff to the game, the over all gameplay remains unchanged since day one. If PAIN were re-reviewed today it would probably score even less because it has made literally NO advances in cleaning up the gameplay, which was the major problem to begin with.

    A 71 metacritic score is essentially a FAIL in this industry. If you didn’t know that, then it might explain why you continue to support PAIN and think it is “fully featured”.

    I realize fun is fun, but opinions are only opinions if they don’t contradict facts. Fact is, PAIN is very random, and the core gameplay is disliked by the majority of this entire industry. Please make a new, better game.

  • joostin
    June 10, 2009 at 7:02 pm PDT

    @ BIG T (Travis)

    I love the difficult trophies! I only have 1 so far, but love trying to accomplish some of the cracked out objectives!

    Keep it up! This game rocks.

    ps. When are we going to see another title from Idol Minds/SCEA?

  • GooDer_gAMe
    June 13, 2009 at 11:58 am PDT

    keep the updates coming! Buying the movie studio tonight, time to unlock buzz!

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