Today, we are releasing four additional animal characters (Crocodile, Giraffe, Kangaroo, Panda) and giving away more costumes, so please be sure to check out PlayStation Store this afternoon.

In other news, we’ve received many questions about TOKYO JUNGLE’s premise and gameplay, so we asked Game Director Yohei Kataoka from Crispy’s and Producer Masaaki Yamagiwa from Japan Studio to elaborate on the game’s concept and inception.

Dais Kawaguchi, Assistant Producer: Can you please explain how you came up with the idea for TOKYO JUNGLE?

Yohei Kataoka, Game Director: The business philosophy for “Crispy’s Corporation,” the studio I established, is to “develop a new product that nobody has ever seen before.”

However, just because it’s new doesn’t mean it will be well received. When I was struggling to figure out how to create something that’s innovative and compelling, I came across an article of famous singer-songwriters in Japan and how they conceive their inspirations when creating lyrics. The method was to first come up with the “nouns” and “adjectives” separately, and then combining them later to create the song titles and lyrics.

For example, you have an adjective, “long,” and a noun, “cat.” Everybody is familiar with each of these words, but when you combine them, you will get, “Long Cat,” which is strange but catchy. When I read that article, I had a theory. If we combine a “common theme” and another “common theme,” would it become something unique and catchy? That’s how it came about.

Just making something new will not sell. I believed that in order to successfully sell a new title, we need to present something new, and something that everybody likes (something catchy). So, we came up with the following combinations: “Animals,” which are in common existence and something that most people like.
Plus, “a city where humans have disappeared,” a popular science fiction theme.

By combining these two themes, we believed that we could create an innovative and universally appealing new game IP.

DK: TOKYO JUNGLE is so unique. What was the most entertaining part about making the game?
YK: The background images are made by processing photo images, and the photo shooting was quite a handful. If there were people in the photo images, we needed to edit them out, so we chose to shoot at dawn when there aren’t any people.

We took the photos by standing on top of the center divider, in the middle of the street, taking side steps as we took photos, one shot per step… we looked like complete psychopaths out there (lol). We took over 500 shots, per photo session and ended up with tens of thousands of pictures.

DK: Are you nervous about the reaction over in the United States? Do you think the game will translate here?

Masaaki Yamagiwa, Producer: When we saw the smile on everyone’s face when we showcased TOKYO JUNGLE at E3 and Gamescom, we were convinced that it will be accepted overseas as well. Please enjoy TOKYO JUNGLE, a game where we strived to embrace Japanese uniqueness.

How many playable animal characters are there as in the U.S. version? Will you have the same downloadable animal feature?
MY: There will be 52 types of characters available and yes, all the animals available in the Japanese version will be available in the US version.

Are there any animals that you wish you could have included in the game?
YK: I wanted to have a T-Rex because I love monster movies like Godzilla. Our prototype actually had a stage where a T-Rex crashes through the freeway and chases animals.

I know this is a silly question, but if you were an animal in the game which one would you be?
YK: I think it’s important not to get hunted, so a hippopotamus (LOL). In real life and in game, hippos are very strong, so be careful!
MY: Baby chick… because when we announced TOKYO JUNGLE in Japan, the Baby Chick was just as popular as the Pomeranian. (LOL)

Why, hello again The Walking Dead. We seem to see you top these charts every time one of your episodes releases — in this case Episode 3: Long Road Ahead.

Maybe it’s your emphasis on great characters and story telling? Or maybe it’s the crazy outcomes of your in-game choices and how they affect later episodes. Either way, congratulations once again on Episode 3: Long Road Ahead and its dominance of the charts in September! Other respectable debuts include Jet Set Radio, Borderlands 2, and Tokyo Jungle.

PS Vita had a great September as well, with amazing games like LittleBigPlanet PS Vita and Madden 13 hitting hard, and August’s Sound Shapes rounding out the top three.

Check out the full results below and let us know what your predictions for the charts are for October!

Top 20 PSN and PS3 Full Games

1. The Walking Dead – Episode 3: Long Road Ahead
2. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
3. 3 on 3 NHL Arcade
4. Jet Set Radio
5. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD
6. Borderlands 2
7. TOKYO JUNGLE
8. Madden NFL 13
9. Double Dragon Neon
10. FIFA Soccer 13
11. Marvel vs. Capcom: Origins
12. The Walking Dead – Episode 1: A New Day
13. One Piece: Pirate Warriors
14. NHL 13
15. Journey
16. Fight Night Champion – Champion Mode
17. I Am Alive
18. Grand Theft Auto IV
19. Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013
20. Castle Crashers

Top 10 PS Vita Games

1. LittleBigPlanet PS Vita
2. Madden NFL 13
3. Sound Shapes
4. Table Top Tanks
5. Plants vs. Zombies
6. METAL GEAR SOLID: HD COLLECTION
7. FIFA Soccer 13
8. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – HD Edition
9. Pure Chess
10. Escape Plan

Top 5 PS3 Add-Ons

1. NHL 13 – Premium Gold Jumbo
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Collection 3: Chaos Pack
3. Madden NFL 13 – All-Pro Pack
4. Madden NFL 13 – Legendary Pack
5. Madden NFL 13 – Legendary Bundle

Top 5 PS2 Classics

1. Grand Theft Auto 3
2. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES
3. Psychonauts
4. Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life Special Edition
5. La Pucelle: Tactics

Top 5 PS one Classics

1. FINAL FANTASY VII (PS3/PSP/PS Vita)
2. LEGEND OF DRAGOON (PS3/PSP)
3. Metal Gear Solid (PS3/PSP)
4. FINAL FANTASY IX (PS3/PSP)
5. FINAL FANTASY VIII (PS3/PSP)

Top 5 PSP Games

1. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
3. DISSIDIA 012[duodecim] FINAL FANTASY
4. FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS
5. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

This week saw the keenly anticipated digital release of one of the most off-the-wall games you’ll play this year – Sony Japan Studio’s lunatic action title TOKYO JUNGLE.

For the uninitiated, it plays out in a post-apocalyptic vision of Japan’s sprawling metropolis where humans are extinct and the streets are fought over by gangs of animals. At its core, it’s a survival game that lets you answer that rarely posed question: what would happen if a gang of Pomeranians went toe-to-toe with a velociraptor, while a posse of baby chickens waited in the wings ready peck the victor to death? It’s mad as a proverbial badger, but it’s immensely enjoyable to play.

A quick viewing of the game’s eye-popping launch trailer below should raise all manner of queries – principally, ‘Why?. So, PlayStation.Blog caught up with the game’s director Yohei Kataoka in Tokyo last week in the hope of getting a few answers.

PlayStation.Blog: First and foremost, what possessed you to make a game in which you can pit a house cat against a panda bear in a brutal fight to the death?

Yohei Kataoka: In Japan it’s always been a universal concept of having a world without humans. And animals are also kind of a universal concept. So both of these concepts are quite popular, but I felt that if we could combine these two ideas it could result in something very catchy, very new and very exciting.

PSB: What was Sony Japan Studio’s initial response when you pitched the concept?
Yohei Kataoka: It was bad! Initially! It wasn’t received so well at the very beginning. I think there weren’t so many people that thought this game would sell just based on the concept, but as the game started to take form there was good user reaction and feedback.

PSB: Were you surprised at how enthusiastically your TGS 2010 reveal was received in Europe?
Yohei Kataoka: When we started to show the game in Europe, we saw that there was a good response and reaction and that actually in some respects pushed forward the development of the game. Like any other project, it might just have stopped with a Japanese release, or depending on how gamers and media reacted, it may actually have stopped development all together. But we had an opportunity to show the videos to Europe and US audiences and the European audience thought it was hilarious. So maybe there is something more similar in the sensibilities of Europeans and the Japanese. We thought we’d be able to release in Japan and Europe but we weren’t so sure about the US. But we got help and we’re now able to release there as well.

PSB: Were you frustrated that much of the coverage of the game has focussed on how eccentric the concept is, rather than the gameplay itself?
Yohei Kataoka: We wanted that hook, first of all, to get the attention. Then, as people played it and gathered more information they would find out that it’s a real game with substance. So we took time to make sure that was there – the substance – and took time to tune the gameplay.

Initially when [Sony Worldwide Studios president] Yoshida-san said that he didn’t necessarily have a positive view of the project, he explained there was a catchiness to the concept but the gameplay itself wasn’t at the same level. So we had to take some time to bring that up to the same level. That’s why it took some time from Tokyo Game Show 2010 for these adjustments to take place.

PSB: How difficult is it to balance the gameplay when you have chickens fighting polar bears?
Yohei Kataoka: The point of the game is not to fight and win against whatever animal you’re against. The point of the game is to survive as long as you can. So a baby chicken and a polar bear have their own survival methods – there are different skill sets needed for different animals.

PSB: Did you manage to squeeze your own pets into the game?
Yohei Kataoka: I only have a cat – but yes, it’s in the game!

A quick final word for Plus members. You can claim 20% off the standard $14.99 price tag for the first two weeks on release, and get four DLC animals for free for one week.

I’ve got great news for PlayStation Plus members: You’ll be able to get TOKYO JUNGLE at a 20% discount for two weeks (until October 9th)! In addition, we are giving away four DLC animals for free! These animals will only be free for one week (until October 2nd), so don’t miss out!

Don’t have PlayStation Plus? Go to the PlayStation Store on your PS3 or click here to get access.

September 25th PlayStation Plus Update

Starhawk (Single Player Campaign Only) and All Add-Ons
Free for PlayStation Plus Members

Starhawk is arriving for download on PSN with tomorrow’s PlayStation Store Update and it’s coming with options: You can download the Single Player Campaign, or if multiplayer is more your speed, you can elect to download just that mode. And of course, you can also snag the entire game with all modes included. Plus members get the complete single player campaign free with their membership as well as several bits of Add-On content. If you like what you play, don’t forget to pick up the multiplayer mode! It’s also a great time to get in on the MLG Starhawk $20,000 tournament happening soon. Head over to the Starhawk MLG site for all the rules and details!

In addition, we’re throwing in all the Starhawk Add-ons for Plus members! That includes every multiplayer skin, every vehicle paint scheme, the new Grizzly Exo-Rig and the Pod Cannon, even the game’s bombastic soundtrack; it’s all free for Plus members. Watch for tomorrow’s PlayStation Store update to see the complete item breakdown.

Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit
20% discount for PlayStation Plus Members (Regular Price: $14.99, PS Plus Price: $11.99)

If you haven’t had your eye on this new PSN release, you need to check out the above trailer. You’re an angry rabbit with a thirst for vengeance, a super sawing jetpack driller and some seriously badass weapons. Explore, jump, shoot, loot, upgrade, drill and destroy Hell’s monsters. ALL OF THEM. Get it with a first week discount through PlayStation Plus.

Tokyo Jungle
20% discount for PlayStation Plus Members (Regular Price: $14.99, PS Plus Price: $11.99)

It’s the experience gaming site Polygon hailed as the game that has “inspired more breathless updates to friends and coworkers than any game in recent memory…”. It’s that crazy, and it’s that good. With more than 50 playable animals to choose from, unleash your inner beast to hunt your way to the top of Tokyo’s post-apocalyptic food chain. Whether in Story or Survival Mode, you never know where your next meal will come from or the dangers you’ll face, so be prepared for anything and everything.

Get PlayStation Plus

Developed by PlayStation C.A.M.P and Crispy’s, Tokyo Jungle is an action-adventure game set in a post-apocalyptic Japan, where humankind no longer exists and animals must ruthlessly fight for their lives. In this world, there’s just one rule — only the strong survive!

Tokyo Jungle puts you in the shoes (paws?) of over 50 playable animals ranging from Pomeranians to Lions. Playing your animal of choice, unleash your inner beast to hunt your way to the top of Tokyo’s post-apocalyptic food chain.

There are two game modes: in Story Mode, you’ll play as a range of different animals whose lives are intertwined as they struggle to survive in the Tokyo wilderness, while unraveling the mystery of mankind’s disappearance. In Survival Mode, you will hunt, occupy territories, and produce offspring to secure future generations and resist extinction. As you progress, you’ll also obtain survival points to unlock playable animals and purchase costumes to increase your abilities.

Whether in Story or Survival Mode, you never know where your next meal will come from or the dangers you’ll face in this concrete jungle, so be prepared for anything and everything when Tokyo Jungle hits PlayStation Network on September 25th for $14.99.