Hello PlayStation Nation!

My name is Ian Pickles and I am the Producer from XDev Studio Europe working on PlayStation Vita’s all-new social brain training experience, Smart As. I’m here with some exciting news to share. I am delighted to confirm that John Cleese, the English actor, comedian, writer and film producer is injecting his unique personality and sophisticated sense of humor into the game as the voice of Smart As.

Best known for his hilarious antics as a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe, it’s great to be able to confirm the comedy legend’s participation in the game. His instantly recognizable voice and distinctive style deliver intelligent and witty narration during the game, always encouraging and sometimes teasing you to improve every time you play. Regardless of how smart you are, John’s creative and comedic dialogue will keep you hooked as you play to improve your Brain Power score and pursue your goal to outsmart the world.

The decision to approach John to work on the game came about a couple of months ago. We were incredibly happy with the game – the looks, presentation and gameplay are second to none, but we felt we needed to bring in someone as the voice whose personality would instantly bring the competitive and fun nature of the game to the forefront. John was immediately a popular choice with all of us on the team and we were over the moon when he agreed to join us working on the game.

It was an absolute pleasure working with John who brings a level of humor and encouragement to the game as he becomes your guide, showing you around, prompting you to do your best and share your score to outsmart players around world. It’s been fantastic seeing people playing the game and laughing along to John’s lines and John himself is no under achiever when it comes to playing the game too. Lost Letter proved no match for John’s puzzle solving prowess and we were surprised to see a naturally strong logic game ability on display as John obtained a perfect 3 star rating while playing Chain Reaction for the first time.

Coming this fall for PS Vita, Smart As will put your brain to the test in 20 unique, engaging, tactile puzzle games and location-based challenges. Stay tuned to the PlayStation.Blog for the latest Smart As news!