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David Jaffe, co-founder of developer Eat Sleep Play and mind behind the likes of God of War, has announced today that the new Twisted Metal is being delayed. Originally slated for an October 4, 2011 release, it is now being held until early 2012. Jaffe says he wants the extra development time "to ship the best Twisted Metal ever made." Expect new impressions from IGN in the coming weeks as we play new builds at Gamescom and this year's PAX Prime...

#twistedmetal Video game creator David Jaffe says that his baby, the new Twisted Metal for PlayStation 3, is slipping to early 2012, missing its planned October release date. More »

Hey all! David Jaffe here with some good news and bad news on behalf of myself, my Eat Sleep Play partner and Twisted Metal co-director Scott Campbell, the entire Eat Sleep Play team, and Sony Santa Monica.

First the good news: Eat Sleep Play and Sony Santa Monica are cranking like mad to get a fantastic Twisted Metal build ready for both Gamescom and PAX Prime! For those not in the know: Gamescom is August 17th-21st in Cologne, Germany and PAX Prime will take place here in America August 26th-28th in Seattle, Washington. Both shows are open to the public but PAX – I believe- is already sold out. If you’ve got PAX Prime tickets, I can’t wait to see you there! I hope you’ll swing by the Twisted Metal booth and give our game a try!

At Gamescom and PAX we’ll be showing off a brand new level called Thrills & Spills Amusement Park! It’s one of our favorite all time Twisted Metal levels and it’s filled with the over the top destruction, strategic level choices, and twisted humor that fans of the series have come to love and expect. Players at both shows will also get hands on with TEAM HUNTED, a brand new mode that we’ll be unveiling – for the first time ever – at Gamescom. We’ll also be premiering the new Dollface story trailer which delves into just what makes that nutty-but-sexy pink-haired freak tick.

And at both shows we’ll be handing out some super cool, super creepy Sweet Tooth masks! Halloween will be here before you know it and we want Twisted Fans to be able to represent their favorite slasher in style!

Ok, so now…the bad news. Or at least the ‘news that seems bad at first but after you read the rest of my post I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s actually fantastic news’ news. So here it is:

We’re not shipping Twisted Metal October 4th, 2011. We’re going to miss our date. We’re going to be late.

Ugh! I know, I know. A lot of dedicated, supportive, passionate Twisted Metal fans have been waiting for the return of Calypso’s demented contest for a long time but the truth is: we’re just not ready yet.

Sony has been – and remains – a super supportive champion and collaborator on this title and all of us at Eat Sleep Play are so grateful that their patience and generosity will allow us the extra time needed to polish our demented baby until it shines. NOTE: I don’t actually think that qualifies as a mixed metaphor… just a bad one. But the ‘demented baby’ part was really cool to me, and it felt very Twisted Metal-y, so I’m keeping it in this post.

Anyway – it sucks bad when games miss their announced launch dates. We’re gamers too and we know how annoying it is. It’s disappointing and frustrating and it really takes the wind out of your sails if you’re a fan that has been looking forward to playing a title for a long time. Thing is, you gotta trust me when I tell you that – with this extra time for tuning and polish – the game is going to be so much better than it already is. And if you played Twisted Metal and liked it at E3 or Comic-Con, or if you get to play it (and you enjoy it) at one of the August shows, just imagine how much more fun the final game will be with some extra time, polish, and love.

There’s a great, classic industry saying by legendary Nintendo designer – and personal hero – Shigeru Miyamoto that goes a little something like this:

‘A late game is only late until it ships. A bad game is bad until the end of time.’

Now, if we shipped Twisted Metal tomorrow – going off the response from folks who have played it – I assure you, it would never be a bad game. Not even close. But we’re aiming for a heck of a lot more than that! With Twisted Metal we plan to ship a multiplayer classic. We plan to ship the best Twisted Metal ever made. We plan to convert a lot of folks who think vehicle combat is a relic best left to 90′s nostalgia. And we plan to explode the belief that the only relevant kind of shooter is a first person one (or a 3rd person one, where you play a human… with a tee shirt not all the way tucked in :)…).

Most importantly, we plan on treating you – the kind folks who play our game (and pay our bills) – like the VIPs that you are. You only deserve our best and we appreciate your understanding as we take a little more time to guarantee that our best is what we deliver.

Twisted Metal for PS3 will ship early 2012. Stay tuned for more details.

#twistedmetal Most Twisted Metal games, despite their carnage, have been rated T for Teen. The lone exceptions are Twisted Metal: Black, the 10-year-old PlayStation 2 game with a darker bent, and this fall's equally grisly PlayStation 3 reboot. More »

Put on a t-shirt, Sweet Tooth.

The Twisted Metal reboot will be released on October 4 with an M rating, according to designer David Jaffe. He broke the news at Twisted Metal's Comic-Con panel, according to GameSpot.

Eat Sleep Play is reportedly retooling other aspects of the game to embrace the newfound freedom of the M-rating, which was apparently prompted by the live-action sequences telling the game's story.

Twisted Metal: Black was violent, weird and disturbingly dark, taking the B-movie cheesiness from the original games and twisting the knife. As a horror buff, I loved it. It was also the first M-rated game in the series and the worst selling game in the franchise, despite the warm embrace.

The disappointing sales prompted Jaffe to aim for T, hoping to ensnare more players.

"The stories [in the game] are twisted for sure," said Jaffe on Twitter last year. "But if BLACK= M rated, I really want a T. T=more peeps online and casting our net wider. TMBLACK was the best reviewed but WORST selling TM game ever. We think the M was a major reason for that."

One year and an ESRB rating later, Jaffe will have to face that obstacle all over again.

Check out the challenge mode, a customizable offline practice mode!

Check out Sweet Tooth in this gameplay from the show floor at San Diego Comic-Con 2011!

Check out Talon in this gameplay from the show floor at San Diego Comic-Con 2011!

#watchthis Twisted Metal 2's Statue of Liberty Easter Egg returns in the Twisted Metal due out later this year. More »

Tactics and expertise come into play more than ever before as Jaffe takes us through the finer details of Twisted Metal's new game mode in the final part of the Relaunch Presentation!

The missiles begin to fly in the continuation of the Nuke walkthrough with David Jaffe!

David Jaffe introduces the new mode to Twisted Metal: Nuke!

Level support and new arenas highlight this segment of David Jaffe's relaunch presentation!

Twisted Metal 2 and a new Black Rock Arena highlight this segment of David Jaffe's relaunch presentation!

#watchthis Twisted Metal developer David Jaffe took a bit of time during last week's E3 to talk about the finer points of his car wars reboot. More »

Hey ya’ll! In case you missed it last week, here’s a broadcast segment we did with the PlayStation.Blog live from the SCEA booth on the E3 show floor. I get into a little about the character stories as well as talk about gameplay balance and the pros and cons between the game’s 15+ vehicles. I also gab a bit about the reveal of Iron Maiden, the biggest and most complicated boss we’ve ever had in a Twisted Metal game!

E3 was a blast this year! It was really cool to connect with fans at the booth while they went tried out Twisted Metal’s signature Nuke mode. It was also fun showing off our newest level: New York City during the holiday season. The very first Twisted Metal game – released back in 1995! – takes place at Christmas time as well and I guess we wanted to pay a little homage. Also, I just love the idea of chaos and destruction centered around what is usually one of the happiest, warmest, most fun times of the year! Does that make me bad?!? So check out the video- hope you dig it!

And next up is Comic-Con in San Diego July 21-24 so hope to see ya’ll there. Thank you again for the support, thanks so much for stopping by to play our game and say ‘hey’ at the show, and please stay tuned for more announcements about the game over the next few months!

P.S. In the video, I also explain why – for the campaign mode only – we’ve limited the selection to three playable human drivers (versus the usual 10-12). Campaign still lets you drive and battle in 15+ vehicles but we have limited the driver roles. I know focusing on just three character stories for the campaign has been a bit controversial for some of our Twisted fans and I’m curious to see – in the comment section below – if you agree or disagree with our decision after you hear me state our reasoning in the video.

Sweet Tooth gets a major upgrade in Sweet Bot form! Check out the new moves of the legendary ice cream truck of destruction!

Car combat has changed.

#handson It's not unfair to say that vehicle combat games have gone out of fashion. There are very few, if any AAA franchises anymore, which is definitely a big part of why Twisted Metal's multiplayer is so refreshing. The combat in the game is just as fast-paced and competitive as a FPS or fighting game, but without the reflex-based twitchy feeling that deters players who don't have that competitive streak. This version of the game sets itself apart within its own genre as well with improved controls. More »

David Jaffe takes us through the final phase of the epic boss battle of Twisted Metal's E3 2011 demo!

Take the wheel and try to destroy the statue in this gameplay!

Reaper highlights this gameplay from E3 2011!

Sweet Tooth heats up the snowy city streets then squares off against one giant angry robot.

During the original PlayStation era, I turned into a bit of a niche gamer. Having grown up with the NES, and later with the SNES, I played a smattering of different kinds of titles that essentially touched on every conceivable genre. But when the PlayStation rolled around, I was all about JRPGs. The...

David Jaffe stops by with some extensive footage of a multi-stage boss fight in this Walkthrough from the GT.TV All Access Live coverage of E3 2011!

#watchthis You like clowns? Metal? Twisted Metal? And...Transformers? Then you'll probably want to watch this. More »

Hey ya’ll- David Jaffe here, co-director/co-lead designer of the PS3 exclusive, Twisted Metal! Totally jazzed about the new gameplay we’ll be showing at this week’s E3! We’re giving the press their first ever detailed look at Iron Maiden, the biggest and most complicated boss we’ve ever had in a Twisted Metal game! She’s from the game’s campaign mode (single player and local/online co-op supported) and she’s a total blast to battle!

We’re also giving show goers some hands on with Twisted Metal‘s signature Nuke mode, our Twisted take on Capture The Flag. E3′s Nuke demo takes place in a brand new level: NEW YORK CITY DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON! The level is classic Twisted Metal, allowing players to bring destruction and chaos to a relatable location! This isn’t a fight on a space station or in some foreign war. This is hell in your own backyard! Destroy skyscrapers! Bring down The Statue of Liberty, then play soccer with her head! Battle inside toy stores! Race under the streets of the city, fighting and chasing on underground subway tracks as you try to avoid being smashed by the deadly trains! Plow into the history museum and smash giant dinosaur bones, dropping the massive statues down onto your enemies! Hell, you can even run smack dab into a dude dressed as Santa Clause and send him ho-ho-hoing over the hood of your car!

So…if that sounds like your cup o’ tea… please check it all out in the video below!

This second video is our new Twisted Metal trailer, REVENGE. REVENGE goes into a bit of Sweet Tooth’s back story and gives some details about Sweet’s Ice Cream Truck attacks! If you’ve not seen it yet, please give it a watch and let us know what you think in the comments!

Ok, that’s it for now. By the time you read this Scott Campbell (co-director/co-lead designer) and I will be knee deep in E3 press mode, talking up our baby to every and anyone who will stop to listen! We’re super proud of the team and the game and we’re doing all we can to get the word out!

Oh, and if you see myself or Scot at E3, stop by and say hey! We’re looking forward to seeing you at the show!

David

ps. Before you ask- and a lot of folks already have! :) – Twisted Metal has not become a mech game. It’s still 95% a vehicle/car combat game. Remember, you don’t have to fight IRON MAIDEN using Sweet Tooth. That’s just what we’re showing in the video. There are lots of other vehicles you can bring into battle. But just like past Twisted Metal games, every vehicle has pros and cons and the vehicle you take onto the battlefield will require unique strategies to emerge victorious!)

Introducing team play tactics, level destruction and more in Twisted Metal.

Introducing a number of the vehicles and weapons in Twisted Metal.

Covering Twisted Metal past, present and future!