LittleBigPlanet Dated

[pirateTITAN]

Yes, it's not long enough to even be considered a article, but IGN has casually thrown (http://ps3.ign.com/articles/872/872017p1.html) out the fact that LittleBigPlanet has been dated. This October.

A healthy amount of news came out of Sony's European press event today, but one of the more intriguing tidbits was the date that was given to the greatly anticipated LittleBigPlanet from Media Molecule: this October. While this is a UK event and thus only confirms a European release specifically, we imagine that October will bring about a world-wide launch for the title.

For those of you unfamiliar with LittleBigPlanet, it gives you a startling amount of freedom to design your own platforming levels through a fun, physics-based interface. Players can cooperatively create and decorate a play space and then upload it for other PlayStation 3 enthusiasts.


:D

[Delenda]

It was actually confirmed for September a while ago (http://kotaku.com/343058/september-launch-confirmed-for-littlebigplanet). Which would make this a delay, although not a long one. I guess it's just for manufacturing or what have you.

[ElfShotTheFood]

I still can't figure out why this is "greatly anticipated."

[mister_slim]

I want a date for the beta. Also, LittleBigPlanet should (but probably won't) be released on my birthday.

[violentp]

I still can't figure out why this is "greatly anticipated."

Potentially fun would be my guess. I guess I understand where you're coming from as my excitement for Spore is virtually nil.

[Talanvor]

Yeah I'm not quite sure what all the hype is about over LittleBigPlanet. Personally I'm looking forward to MGS and White Knight a whole lot more, but... oh well. If there's a demo I'm always willing to give it a shot!

[Variable Gear]

LittleBigPlanet will have a big following. Why? Because I think so. :p

Honestly, I can see why people aren't interested, but as a fan of classic 2D platformers it's hard for me to be uninterested in LittleBigPlanet, because it's the platformer construction kit. The play mechanics look to be simple enough to hold the interest of most non-gamers, but there look to be enough options to make levels that would even challenge fans of classic platformers. Thanks to the built-in rating system, the cream will rise to the top, meaning that you non-creative types, or those who can't spend time play-testing and balancing a level, can get some run 'n jump action in as well.

...And there's also a single-player campaign. :)

I still wish they would have distributed a LittleBigPlanet Beta via PSN and used some of the most impressive levels in the retail release, while giving credit to the original creators of each level, but that didn't happen. :(

That shouldn't surprise me, but it does...

[TheFlyingOrc]

I feel this is going to be like Eye of Judgement - excitement generated within the faithful, not with the public. (and ultimately disappointing)

edit: I do think that it will sell better than EoJ, though.

[DiBiddilyBop]

I feel this is going to be like Eye of Judgement - excitement generated within the faithful, not with the public. (and ultimately disappointing)

edit: I do think that it will sell better than EoJ, though.

I think you're selling it short. EoJ was very gimmicky and really only appealed to a dedicated albeit small following of CCG players. To the general public, EoJ just didn't have the appeal.

LittleBigPlanet on the other hand appeals to a much larger crowd, although different groups for different reasons. The kids will have fun playing through the levels and playing with the characters (well... everyone will), but some of the older players will have fun making elaborate levels. There's nothing extra that you have to buy and will have a constant stream of user-created content. I would be surprised if it isn't a run away success. It has all the makings of one. Mass appeal and a free, constant flow of new content.

[Your Good Twin]

Sandbox games are always going to split the community. Either you enjoy making your own fun or you want the game to make it for you. Me personally, I know the community will put together some stellar-ass levels for me to download so I can't wait.

[TheFlyingOrc]

I think you're selling it short. EoJ was very gimmicky and really only appealed to a dedicated albeit small following of CCG players. To the general public, EoJ just didn't have the appeal.

LittleBigPlanet on the other hand appeals to a much larger crowd, although different groups for different reasons. The kids will have fun playing through the levels and playing with the characters (well... everyone will), but some of the older players will have fun making elaborate levels. There's nothing extra that you have to buy and will have a constant stream of user-created content. I would be surprised if it isn't a run away success. It has all the makings of one. Mass appeal and a free, constant flow of new content.
I understand what you're saying, and it's certainly the popular opinion - I do have a sneaking suspicion that it DOESN'T have the large scale appeal that most people think it does.

I used the wrong game in my comparison, now that I think about it. I'll expand, and say that the games that are indicative of how LBP will perform are Viva Pinata and Ratchet and Clank. Both games that are attempting to be mass market friendly but couldn't find a significant foothold with the overall market. I do expect it to do better than Viva Pinata, but not better than R&C.

[Zurik]

I wish this came out in the summer like they originally had it dated. Too many better games are hitting in October onward.

[Apex]

LittleBigEgo. Nice idea, but no game.

[Morratut]

I think this is going to be pants.

Not looking forward to it.

[SonofSeth]

Why so much fear from sandboxes?

[Khash]

Where's all this LBP hate coming from all of a sudden?

[Variable Gear]

LittleBigEgo. Nice idea, but no game.
What the fuck? No game? So that platforming is just for show, huh?

Building levels in LBP is optional, Playing user-generated levels is optional (there's also a single-player mode), and, obviously, having a respectful discourse about the elements that make up the game is optional.

[KidCactus]

It was actually confirmed for September a while ago (http://kotaku.com/343058/september-launch-confirmed-for-littlebigplanet). Which would make this a delay, although not a long one. I guess it's just for manufacturing or what have you.

A source nestled within Sony has whispered to Eurogamer that LittleBigPlanet will be on our shelves in September, echoing the same suggestions made elsewhere.

Unfortunately a spokesperson refused to comment and officially unearth the date, leaving it buried suspiciously under the patio instead. With realistic physics, probably.
I wouldn't call that confirmed.

[Delenda]

I wouldn't call that confirmed.

Sony has confirmed to Eurogamer that LittleBigPlanet will be released in September.

It follows word from a source on Monday who claimed this would be the case, despite Sony's reluctance to stamp its name on it.

What you posted was the aforementioned Monday rumour, which Sony later confirmed.

[Gorvi]

I think not being excited for LBP means you have no soul. The game looks like fun in it's purest form.

[Kelegacy]

Why so much fear from sandboxes?

I don't know. The games I have the most fun with, and are the most memorable, are the ones where I can play in the digital sandbox, not have the game force me down a required path.

Those games also eat my soul...and free time. Civilization style.

[Apex]

What the fuck? No game? So that platforming is just for show, huh?

Building levels in LBP is optional, Playing user-generated levels is optional (there's also a single-player mode), and, obviously, having a respectful discourse about the elements that make up the game is optional.

A member of staff currently working at the studio I work used to be a senior member of staff on LBP. I've heard some interesting things.

Also ask yourself, why has it taken so long to develop and why they've been showing the same stuff year in year out since it was announced.

[51|RandoM]

Find an article from any of the shows where journalists have actually played the game where they don't like it. I don't think you can.

If you can't imagine the game being fun then you should probably skip it, as you probably lack the imagination to enjoy it. :)

I'm interested in the community aspects of the game. The publishing and ranking of user-created levels looks really sweet. What I've seen of the editor makes me comfortable that there will be a constant stream of user-created levels, levels that are worth checking out.

It could end up being a game you re-visit once a week, download the top-ranked levels that have appeared since the last time you played and just have fun.

[Apex]

Find an article from any of the shows where journalists have actually played the game where they don't like it. I don't think you can.

If you can't imagine the game being fun then you should probably skip it, as you probably lack the imagination to enjoy it. :)
.

:rolleyes:

[51|RandoM]

:rolleyes:

If you can't refute it, emoticon it? :D

[Gorvi]

A member of staff currently working at the studio I work used to be a senior member of staff on LBP. I've heard some interesting things.

Also ask yourself, why has it taken so long to develop and why they've been showing the same stuff year in year out since it was announced.
I'd guess they've been having trouble with the implementation of enemies in the levels, which is why we still haven't seen them yet even though they've confirmed that they will be there. Just a guess, though.

[Apex]

If you can't refute it, emoticon it? :D

Or maybe just make insinuations about the person that doesnt like the game I like and throw my rattle out my pram :D

Ok, show me a review/article or what not, where a journalist has played most of the game or a decent portion of the game? You can't ... because MM show the same stuff all the time.

Show me where I knocked the game saying it wouldnt be fun ... or that I have no imagination for that matter :rolleyes:

Infact ... show me how there is a game at all?

:D

[Gorvi]

Infact ... show me how there is a game at all?

:D
How is there no game exactly? It's a 2D platformer that will have both developer made levels and player made levels. What more are you actually looking for in order to call some thing a "game"?

[Johan]

How is there no game exactly? It's a 2D platformer that will have both developer made levels and player made levels. What more are you actually looking for in order to call some thing a "game"?

Fun ?

[Gorvi]

Fun ?
Well, that looks like it's there too, so what else? ;)

[Johan]

Well, that looks like it's there too, so what else? ;)

Mario? Luigi? ;)

[Gorvi]

Mario? Luigi? ;)
I think you can actually make them in the game. :p

[Gott]

I was excited about this game...about 8 months ago.

[Johan]

I think you can actually make them in the game. :p

Are you serious?

Shit...I've been parried by a master. :(

[TheFlyingOrc]

I think not being excited for LBP means you have no soul. The game looks like fun in it's purest form.

It's pretty much N - the good graphics version.

[Gorvi]

It's pretty much N - the good graphics version.
There's a more to it than that, but that's a very, very basic way of looking at it.

[TheFlyingOrc]

There's a more to it than that, but that's a very, very basic way of looking at it.

I went and watched some of the gameplay, and it's almost identical to playing a round of N, in terms of how the game moves. I expect it to be almost exactly as fun (N is pretty fun)

[Gorvi]

I went and watched some of the gameplay, and it's almost identical to playing a round of N, in terms of how the game moves. I expect it to be almost exactly as fun (N is pretty fun)
I think the larger scale and addition of enemies and more complexity to the building will make a deeper game. The demo for N+ was a lot of fun, I'm just waiting on the DS/PSP version of the game to buy it.

[Variable Gear]

I think the larger scale and addition of enemies and more complexity to the building will make a deeper game. The demo for N+ was a lot of fun, I'm just waiting on the DS/PSP version of the game to buy it.
Doesn't N have enemies?

[TheFlyingOrc]

I think the larger scale and addition of enemies and more complexity to the building will make a deeper game. The demo for N+ was a lot of fun, I'm just waiting on the DS/PSP version of the game to buy it.
Deepening = more fun, eh?

I'm not saying that's a bad thing - it's going to be fun. I just think the sales are going to be in the crapper, and I don't think I've made that prediction and been wrong before. Kid-friendly games don't sell on the PS3.

From here on, for trolling purposes (you know how I love console war bickering!), I'm referring to this game as N++.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Doesn't N have enemies?

Yes. And I HATE them.

(doesn't have bosses, though - and LBP is supposed to have them)

An enemy is just an object you interact with differently. The bosses imply something resembling new gameplay, enemies just mean you have to dodge as you jump around.

[Gorvi]

Doesn't N have enemies?
Does it? I don't recall that in the demo, but I could be wrong.
Deepening = more fun, eh?

I'm not saying that's a bad thing - it's going to be fun. I just think the sales are going to be in the crapper, and I don't think I've made that prediction and been wrong before. Kid-friendly games don't sell on the PS3.

From here on, for trolling purposes (you know how I love console war bickering!), I'm referring to this game as N++.
To a certain extent, yeah. At least in the way that there's more to do in it.

We'll see how the sales go, I don't think there's been a retail console game like LBP before, so saying it won't sell is a very "safe" thing to say. Personally, I hope you're wrong, because I really like the idea behind it and I'd love to see more games come out with creation as a main focus of the game (like Blast Works (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA65s4qzhl8) on the Wii, which looks pretty damn good).

An RPG Maker game with an interface that isn't total ass would be great too.

[Variable Gear]

I'm not saying that's a bad thing - it's going to be fun. I just think the sales are going to be in the crapper, and I don't think I've made that prediction and been wrong before.
I think you'll be right, at least at launch. The twist is that properties with an emphasis on user-generated content have a tendency of drawing in more and more people as word-of-mouth praise increases. Think about the first few months Youtube was around. There wasn't much to see or do at that time that didn't induce a groan for me. Now, of course, Youtube is very popular, and it has a bunch of people creating content exclusively for the site in order to entertain their subscribers and all the other viewers.

I'm not saying that LBP will have the same progression as Youtube, because I can't see Media Molecule being bought out by Google :p, but I am saying that LBP is unique game in that it won't have a linear progression of steadily increasing sales followed by a long cold period and then a minor uptake when the price starts entering "value" territory. Unlike your average game, I think that LBP will have multiple sales peaks over its life, thanks to the fact that the quality of user-generated levels will be inconsistent, even though there's more to the game than that. Since most people are focused on the user-generated content instead of the single-player stuff, I could see a cold first week for LBP. But, after that things could heat up as more and more levels are made. Sony needs to make sure a community site is in place for LBP at launch, in order to promote those levels and the game itself among those who lack PS3s.

Plus, think about how simplified the game mechanics are in LBP. Sure, this was likely done to keep the casual gamer interested in the game, but it has one potential side benefit: Remote play on the PSP. All you can do in LBP is jump, hold on to something, and bring up two windows to edit a level, which I think would work fine on the PSP. It's the little things.

[TheFlyingOrc]

I think you'll be right, at least at launch. The twist is that properties with an emphasis on user-generated content have a tendency of drawing in more and more people as word-of-mouth praise increases. Think about the first few months Youtube was around. There wasn't much to see or do at that time that didn't induce a groan for me. Now, of course, Youtube is very popular, and it has a bunch of people creating content exclusively for the site in order to entertain their subscribers and all the other viewers.

I'm not saying that LBP will have the same progression as Youtube, because I can't see Media Molecule being bought out by Google :p, but I am saying that LBP is unique game in that it won't have a linear progression of steadily increasing sales followed by a long cold period and then a minor uptake when the price starts entering "value" territory. Unlike your average game, I think that LBP will have multiple sales peaks over its life, thanks to the fact that the quality of user-generated levels will be inconsistent, even though there's more to the game than that. Since most people are focused on the user-generated content instead of the single-player stuff, I could see a cold first week for LBP. But, after that things could heat up as more and more levels are made. Sony needs to make sure a community site is in place for LBP at launch, in order to promote those levels and the game itself among those who lack PS3s.

Plus, think about how simplified the game mechanics are in LBP. Sure, this was likely done to keep the casual gamer interested in the game, but it has one potential side benefit: Remote play on the PSP. All you can do in LBP is jump, hold on to something, and bring up two windows to edit a level, which I think would work fine on the PSP. It's the little things.
I think user-generated content is one of the greatest oversold features of the decade. Sure, there's good stuff, but you have to sift through page after page of crap to find anything of value.

Secondly, people won't buy the game based on what user generated content just came out, the same way that they don't buy Rock Band because song X just came out for download - the general public doesn't KNOW. How do you expect someone who doesn't own the game to find out that an amazing new level just came out? "At a friend's house" marketing is pretty weak.

No, I think LBP will have a normal sales curve, with a longer tail if it's good. I think you're making up market forces that don't exist.

[Gorvi]

I think user-generated content is one of the greatest oversold features of the decade. Sure, there's good stuff, but you have to sift through page after page of crap to find anything of value.
The game will have a built in rating system to promote the levels that people have enjoyed, thus eliminating the need to sift through the crap if you so choose.
Secondly, people won't buy the game based on what user generated content just came out, the same way that they don't buy Rock Band because song X just came out for download - the general public doesn't KNOW. How do you expect someone who doesn't own the game to find out that an amazing new level just came out? "At a friend's house" marketing is pretty weak.

No, I think LBP will have a normal sales curve, with a longer tail if it's good. I think you're making up market forces that don't exist.
Word of mouth that there are good user created levels coming should give the game a bump, not specific user created levels.

[Variable Gear]

No, I think LBP will have a normal sales curve, with a longer tail if it's good. I think you're making up market forces that don't exist.
Well, that could be true. We'll see how everything turns out.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Word of mouth that there are good user created levels coming should give the game a bump, not specific user created levels.
That makes sense, but that's not what VG said.

[Variable Gear]

That makes sense, but that's not what VG said.
El VG no tiene ningún sentido.

[Pal]

Not really dated. More like monthed.

[Johan]

...properties with an emphasis on user-generated content have a tendency of drawing in more and more people as word-of-mouth praise increases.

I don't think we'll see that happen on consoles; PC, yes...console, no. Console games have a very, very short shelf life...at most, for the truly rare titles, a few years. At most. Rarely.

[MosBen]

Platform games just don't do it for me very much, so I'm pretty meh about this one. And while I understand that some people like it, the last thing I want to do with my sparse game time is build levels that will, in all likelihood, suck.

[51|RandoM]

I think user-generated content is one of the greatest oversold features of the decade. Sure, there's good stuff, but you have to sift through page after page of crap to find anything of value.

You wont have to sift through anything, the game is suppose to have a built-in ranking system. This has been known... for ages.

Constantly putting down the PS3 and its games is one thing, doing it when you don't know what the fuck you are talking about is another. What is your PSN ID? :)