For Gameplay Programmer Mike McManus, the secret to co-op success is CAKE. “It took a long, painful prototyping process to find things that worked, so we came up with a catchy acronym: CAKE.”

Co-op
Active for all players
Kinetic
Easy to understand

“We found that if we can design something that satisfies CAKE, it has a really good chance of being fun before we put any work into it,” McManus told us in a recent demonstration of Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. “CAKE is key.” All 4 One sees the titular pair and fan-favorite nincompoop Captain Qwark teaming with series baddy Dr. Nefarious in a quest to escape the Creature Collector — an interstellar zoo packed with the galaxy’s most dangerous beasts.

Bros Before Foes

Story-driven four-player co-op campaigns have a decidedly mixed track record. But armed with philosophies such as CAKE and cooperative-friendly weapons, Insomniac Games is taking great pains to ensure that All 4 One is much more than a single-player game with extra players haphazardly tossed into the mix. For starters, All 4 One supports every possible combination of offline and online players. “If you want to play with two people on the couch in Los Angeles, one person in London, and one person in Tokyo, you can,” McManus elaborated. “If you want to play by yourself, we’ll have A.I. characters to play with you.”

What’s more, All 4 One’s arsenal encourages all four players to coordinate their firepower to produce ever-more spectacular effects. Take the Darkstar Fission Rifle, which emits an energy beam that attaches to other Darkstar-wielding players. If all four players use the Darkstar, you’ll carve through enemy legions like a neon shuriken just by moving. “They’re almost like electrical clotheslines,” McManus said with no small amount of satisfaction. The Thundersmack, meanwhile, summons a lightning-spewing storm cloud that grows in power as your teammates contribute with more Thundersmacks. Power it up enough and the storm cloud will vomit tornadoes and torrents of lightning.

Four’s Company

That’s not to say that All 4 One will stifle players who’d rather stick to their favorite weapon: The Arc Lasher is one example, as it stuns its victim and multiplies the damage of your teammates’ attacks. “It’s all about figuring out the best weapon to use,” McManus stressed. “You’ll need to approach every battle in a unique way.” McManus is excited to see how players react to the game’s epic action set pieces, such as a series of battles set atop a monstrous mechanized Guardian. “In almost every level we have really big, cinematic co-op experiences…it’s about sitting on the couch or playing online with your friends and experiencing these humongous battles together.“

All 4 One encourages players to work together with an array of co-op-friendly gadgets. The Vac-U tool can suck in a teammate and propel him over a chasm or behind enemy lines; The tether enables the team to link up in a daisy-chain to swing over perilous jumps. Though you’ll need to stick together to succeed, players will compete for kills in order to score more Bolts — the lifeblood of weapon upgrades.

Read on for more highlights of our chat with McManus, and watch the video above to see Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One in action. Leave your questions in the comments!

On character-specific special abilities
“Each character has a distinctive skill that helps out the whole team, and it gets more useful as you level it up. Ratchet’s Doppelbanger creates a lookalike that distracts nearby enemies and frees you up to revive a team mate; when you level it up it also fires at enemies. Clank has a bomb that slows down enemies, and Qwark has a reflective shield that protects the team from projectiles.”

On catching up to Pixar’s visuals
“We’re getting close, but I don’t think we’re quite there. It would presume that the CG in the Pixar films stops getting better. And if you’ve seen their recent movies, they’re looking better than ever. We’re closing the gap a little bit. We’re so happy with how All 4 One looks — it looks even better in 3D.”

On failed co-op experiments
“We had gameplay mechanics where one player would do something and the other three were waiting for them to do it. It was just intensely boring. Waiting around is not a lot of fun.”

On Dr. Nefarious joining the forces of good
“Dr. Nefarious is deliciously evil in this game, he’s as selfish as ever. But he realizes that the only way for him to get out of this situation is to help out Ratchet, Clank and Qwark — as much as he can’t stand them.”

The newest additions to the “Greatest Hits” library include:

• MAG (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• MotorStorm: Pacific Rift (Sony Computer Entertainment)
• Demon’s Souls (Atlus)
• Call of Duty: World at War (Activision)
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision)
• TEKKEN 6 (NAMCO BANDAI Games)

With this month’s launch of PlayStation Move and the recent addition of 3D Blu-ray movie support, the PS3 is the only system continues to do everything – and with more and more titles available at the low “Greatest Hits” price, there’s something for everyone looking to expand their PS3 library. In fact, the MAG PlayStation Move software update, which enables PlayStation Move compatibility, is coming soon. Enjoy!

“What?! Where?! How? Who?!” — We gotcha covered ;)

First, here are some exclusive preview images of the comic. Just so you know, the stunning covers are being done by CreatureBox (Insomniac artists David Guertin and Greg Baldwin) and the interior art is from Adam Archer.

Releasing: September 8th, 2010

Where: North America, including all states, territories and possessions of the United States, and South America. The United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, France, Spain, Italy and Germany. Whew!

We can also confirm that it’ll become available through PlayStation Digital Comics this Fall!

Read on for a message from the man behind the legends, TJ Fixman.

After working on two full adventures and one downloadable mini-adventure, I’m extremely excited to help bring Ratchet & Clank to the comic book world. Over the years, we at Insomniac have watched like doting parents as the Ratchet & Clank mythology grew from a few small planets in the Solana Galaxy to a living, breathing universe full of fun characters and exotic alien worlds. It’s a universe that thrives on impossible weaponry and massive amounts of destruction while somehow managing to keep its sense of humor. How we came across that formula, I couldn’t tell you (though I suspect Chief Creative Officer Brian Hastings has it under lock and key in his desk), but the result is a heart-felt mythology that somehow manages to bring out the kid in all of us — even when it’s our pen on the paper.

With that in mind, I’d like to thank you, the readers, for allowing me to bring Ratchet & Clank out for another adventure. Thank you for allowing me to give Captain Qwark the worst job a failed superhero and actor could ever have. And above all, thank you for letting me be a kid again. Hope you enjoy the comic!

Make sure you contact your local comic book shop to let them know you’re interested in picking up your copy when it releases! Keep an out here on the PlayStation.Blog for more info on the Digital Comic.

It’s well known that Insomniac Games is one of the most creative and successful developers in PlayStation history. It’s hard to argue with franchises like Ratchet & Clank, Resistance and let’s not forget Spyro the Dragon all coming from the same house.

We wanted to see what would happen if Ted Price, the founder and CEO of Insomniac Games, got his hands on ModNation Racers.

The result? Ratchet and Clank get girlfriends!

This is just the first of many Artist Spotlights to come. We visited some of the most talented and influential folks from different walks of life and let them take a spin on ModNation Racers just to see how they Play, Create and Share.

So who’s next on the Spotlight?

Stay tuned to the PS.Blog to find out…but guesses are welcome! :)

Want more? Check out IGN’s Podcast Beyond this afternoon for a chance to win your very own set of Ratchet & Clank action figures!

A very Happy Holidays to you all from all of us here at Insomniac Games. This is a great time of year for all of us, as we take time off to be with our family, friends, and to play all of the videogames from this year that we missed out on while making Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. Some of us will be busy exploring with Nathan Drake in UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves, others will be unlocking the powers of Cole MacGrath in inFAMOUS. We might find ourselves buried in BioWare’s latest epic Dragon Age: Origins, or maybe just jamming out to Lego Rock Band with the family. Regardless, it’s an exciting holiday season with a ton of good games. Hopefully you’ve had the chance to check out Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time, but if not, it’s the perfect game to cash in those gift cards for (in our humble opinion).

Every year, we send out Christmas cards to close friends and partners of the studio, and we always love to share those cards with our fans over the internet. This year’s card portraying Ratchet, Clank, Qwark and Nefarious was created by Dave Guertin, our principle artist in North Carolina. He and Greg Baldwin were also responsible for the sculptures of the employee only Ratchet & Clank vinyl collectibles. There are still a few sets of these vinyls left that are being auctioned for charity to benefit Starlight Foundation. You can see their currently listed items and bid on them here.

Thanks again for all of your support for us, and for our games. We are so grateful for our fans -– and we can’t wait to get back next year and show you what we’re working on next!

Happy Holidays!

For those of you who read my last post and were lucky enough to attend our Full Moon Festival this past Friday, I hope it’s now safe to say that the Smurfs are no longer the only good thing to come out of October 23 milestones.

About 150 Ratchet & Clank and Insomniac fans joined us from as far away as Michigan (thanks Adam!), Texas (thanks Mitch!) and all over California – some waiting in line starting at 5am — to celebrate today’s North American launch of Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. Even Clank himself managed to make an appearance, albeit in the form of talented voice actor David Kaye (who also voices Nathan Hale in the Resistance games). General Alister Azimuth, aka Joey D’Auria, paid a visit along with G4TV’s very own Adam Sessler as part of a “making of A Crack in Time” panel moderated by yours truly. Insomniac founder and CEO Ted Price, gameplay lead Andrew Yount and lead designer Mike Ellis shared their production memories as part of the standing-room only discussion.

During the panel, we showed off some exclusive videos, including the official debut of our Kevin Butler TV spot and a nifty piece highlighting a somewhat overlooked aspect of RCF: A Crack in Time: “My Blaster Runs Hot.” If you like 8-bit games, this mini-game is a must-play. And if you like Captain Qwark, I guarantee you’ll love “MBRH”, as we call it internally.

We also unveiled the official RCF: A Crack in Time launch trailer, which features the whole cast of characters and really captures the heroic, epic tone we were shooting for in the game. (Watch for yourself and let us know what ya think!)

After the panel, we stuffed everyone’s faces with pizza before whisking them upstairs for an autographs session with the entire Insomniac crew. To ward off the threatening post-lunch food comas, we reinvigorated every fan in attendance by giving away a free copy of RCF: A Crack in Time, their choice of exclusive Insomniac-created posters, a Captain Qwark logo T-shirt and…wait for it…an inflatable wrench!

But that wasn’t all! Full Moon Fest concluded with complimentary cocktails and a raffle for PS3 Slims, PSPgos, DualShock controllers, rare Insomniac memorabilia and much, much more. We even auctioned off one set of our exceedingly rare Ratchet, Clank and Qwark vinyls, which generated $400 for the Starlight Foundation.

In the end, our amazing fans were treated to a day they deserve. And everyone at Insomniac was treated to meeting some of the people who inspire us all to make games for a living. A memorable day indeed.

And don’t forget, the second RCF: A Crack in Time demo — the Ratchet demo — hits PSN this Thursday…make sure to check it out!

Since its introduction in 2002, the Ratchet & Clank franchise has become wildly popular, selling more than 16 million units worldwide and finding a permanent home on the “top ten favorites” lists of gamers everywhere. The latest and much anticipated installment, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, promises to deliver more of the signature humor and mind blowing weapons fans have come to expect while exploring the story behind Ratchet and Clank’s past and the key to their future.

While the game won’t be in stores until next Tuesday, critics are already starting to pour on the praise, touting that the latest Ratchet & Clank adventure looks like the “the best yet.” And just in time for its release, Kevin Butler is back to spotlight this incredible new addition to the Ratchet & Clank series.

In this commercial, Kevin serves as “Chief Weaponologist,” fielding a “Dear PlayStation” request from a mystery man working with an unidentified organization hoping to acquire the Ratchet & Clank weapons arsenal. The exchange leaves even the typically sharp-witted Kevin at a loss for words:

No question, we’ve got an unparalleled gaming line-up this year that includes “Only on PlayStation” experiences from our first party studios and blockbuster releases from our publishing partners. Never has there been a more rewarding time to be a PS3 owner!

And just to prove our point, here’s another “Dear PlayStation” commercial that will debut later this month that showcases a ton of great PS3 content with a crescendo that only Kevin Butler would dream up.

And for those of you who missed the commercial where Kevin commiserates with a consumer about getting her boyfriend to tap into all the great benefits of connecting to the PlayStation Network, make sure to catch it on TV again starting next week.

Enjoy!

Peter

Yesterday I had the privilege of talking with Insomniac‘s Brian Allgeier, Creative Director on the Ratchet and Clank series. Brian took the time to answer all manner of your questions, ranging from difficulty to side missions to the art in the instruction booklet, along with video to back it up.

If you’re planning on attending this morning’s Insomniac Community Day #2 in Burbank, CA – here’s the info.

PROTIP: get there early.

Throughout history, October 23 has been a pretty dreary day. Aside from the creation of the Smurfs (yes, it’s true) and for some, the Universe itself, October 23 has generally been a good day to crawl under a rock and hide. Seriously, look for yourself.

But all that is about to change on October 23, 2009…because Insomniac’s 2nd Community Day Full Moon Festival (I just made this name up) is going to rock. We will celebrate the North American launch of Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time with YOU, our faithful and fearless fans. And we can’t wait, because we’ve got a solid helping of awesome in store for you. Best of all, it’s free!

Exclusive video reveals? CHECK. Exclusive merchandise? CHECK. Special (non-Insomniac) guest appearances? CHECK, CHECK, and CHECK. Awesome raffle prizes? You know it! Pizza? Tons!

Speaking of raffle prizes, by now you’re probably wondering A) “OMG! Are those Ratchet & Clank vinyls I see?!” and B) “OMG, I can has?!” Yes, and Yes (sort of). If you are fortunate enough to participate in the Full Moon Festival, you can bid to win ONE extremely limited edition set of Ratchet & Clank (and Captain Qwark) vinyls, with all proceeds going to the Starlight Foundation. The vinyls were designed and created by Insomniacs for Insomniacs, so only employees and a very select few others will ever own these beautiful babies. Maybe you’ll be among the lucky ones.

If you already RSVP’d on the Facebook events page and you live 50 or more miles from our Burbank studio, you are guaranteed entry. We’ve got folks flying and driving from all over the country and we definitely don’t want to leave them hanging. If you live within 50 miles of Insomniac, please arrive early to ensure you get in.

Registration will take place beginning at 10 a.m. in the lobby of the Burbank Marriott hotel, which is just a few steps from Insomniac HQ. Don’t worry, we’ll be heading there for lunch and an autographs session after a “Making of A Crack in Time” panel discussion with some familiar faces (and voices). (Speaking of, if you’d like us to ask one of YOUR questions in the panel, ping me @insomniacgames on Twitter. I’ll be moderating the panel.) Then, we’ll be heading back to the hotel for gameplay and a very cool raffle contest with some great prizes. We’ll wrap up the best October 23 ever with cocktails around 3 p.m.

I hope to meet many of you on Community Day. Come by and say hi, and bring your Ratchet & Clank, Resistance and Insomniac merchandise to get signed by the dev team!

See you on October 23!