First of all, the LittleBigPlanet News Site is showing off the official boxart for the USA [thanks Brian!].  I can’t decide whether I like the UK packaging better or not.  I like the USA crowd better than just showing two Sackboys, but the use [...]]]> Lots to report, before anything starts coming in from PAX:

First of all, the LittleBigPlanet News Site is showing off the official boxart for the USA [thanks Brian!].  I can’t decide whether I like the UK packaging better or not.  I like the USA crowd better than just showing two Sackboys, but the use of the sticker art on the UK box is very appealing (and I love Sackboy holding the craft Earth).  One thing about the USA box, though:  It looks like it’d be easy to convert to a three-layer cardboard stand-up store display:  Just make the craft Earth with patches the back layer, the Sackboy crowd the middle layer, and naked peace Sackboy the front layer.  Frankly I’d be surprised not to see just that in my local GameStop in a few weeks.

System Seller and Emblematic Character

Mark Valledor, a “marketeer for LBP”, has told Advertising Age magazine that he wants Sackboy to become “the next emblematic character for the PS3″.  I’m sure this’ll depend on whether LBP is seen to really be a system seller or not.  (Link is to Eurogamer article in case you don’t have a subscription to Advertising Age)

Associate producer Eric Fong thinks LBP will sell PS3s as well, or at least that’s what he told Gamesindustry.biz.

Qore

Episode 4 should be dropping sometime at the beginning of September, and we’re eager to see if Veronica Belmont has retained her right big toe.

Japan

GameXtract has posted some scans of the latest LittleBigPlanet coverage in Japan’s Famitsu magazine.  Worth a look, even if you don’t 日本語を話す.  I notice they continue to call Sackboy “リビッツ”, is that the official name?

Australia

GameSpot Australia posted a new hands-on early this month.  There’s a pretty good description of the controls, as well as their impressions of the first couple of levels and some Create time.

GameSpot Australia’s Crosshairs episode 21 focuses on LittleBigPlanet heavily as well.  Starting about half-way through, they go into a lot of detail about their time with the game (and more than a few good words from Nick Robinson).  Not just a “look, it’s cool” preview, this is actually worth watching for any LBP fan.

Australian games site Gameplayer wonders whether LittleBigPlanet will show Microsoft the folly of their restrictive Xbox Live policies [warning: interesting read, but very crude graphic].

Gameplayer also has posted an extensive hands-on, calling it “a guide to building your own level.”

Scotland

WonderwallWeb’s hand-on preview from Edinburgh points out a neat level feature (that I haven’t seen much talk about):

When first playing through the levels they will seem very linear, with a beginning and an end, but with closer inspection you will notice sticker boards dotted around, if you have picked up the matching sticker from other levels you can use it to open new areas which may hold extra goodies to use in game or during customization.

Scotland’s Daily Record has a nice preview as well.

DarkZero’s hands-on preview from Edinburgh includes screenshots and details of their attempt at building a complex vehicle; definitely a must-read.

PS-cubed’s hands-on answers the oft-asked question “Is the Play part actually fun?”:

Given that these core platforming mechanics are the foundations upon which this entire experiment is built, it’s important that Media Molecule get at least this bit right, and happily they acquit themselves handsomely; the controls are simple and nicely weighted, the physics floaty yet consistent, and the gameplay and puzzle challenges enjoyably tricksy.

Norway

Another LittleBigPlanet voice actor revealed: Harald Eia!  [thanks BasketSnake!]

Denmark

GameStadium got a demo in Leipzig from Leo Cubbin and Jim Unwin, but only took a picture of Jim?  The interview unfortunately confirms that there aren’t many plans for pre-order goodies in Europe.  We can only hope that the same goodies will available some other way.

Benelux

PlayStation Only has posted a screenshot showing a number of LBP trophies.  It looks like there are at least seven for simply completing the story levels.

Forums

Goodbye sponge and fluff and aether, Sam says it’s officially “bubbles” now.

Curious about the music in the trailers?  AKIRA-UK is maintaining a very informative threat over on LBPCentral.

Elsewhere

TheSixthAxis tells us six cool things about LittleBigPlanet, with links to Sam’s posts on the forums where they got the info.

Gotgame’s preview of LittleBigPlanet gives us the phrase “comfort food platforming”.  And another article reminds us that console user-generated content isn’t restricted to LittleBigPlanet (or, indeed, the PS3).

Joystiq got in touch with both Canadian and American PR folks to confirm that LittleBigPlanet is definitely, completely, really, truly a Blu-Ray-only release.  I’m sure this changes nothing, and we’ll be hearing “I thought it was a downloadable game” well beyond the end of the year.

No real surprise, the readers of Scrawl have voted LittleBigPlanet their most anticipated game this year.

The San Francisco Chronicle ran a short article about user-generated content, which of course talks about LittleBigPlanet:

[GameTrailers editor-in-chief] Satterfield said a lot of eyes will be on LittleBigPlanet in particular to see how it performs. If it does anywhere near what people expect, he said, it’s likely other developers will follow suit.

GameSpy has a confusing positive/negative preview; I have to admit I’m not sure exactly what the author was shooting for, but I gather he’s looking forward to Playing more than Creating.

Newsweek’s Level Up’s N’Gai Croal caught up with Mark Healey to talk about receiving the Game Critics Awards for Best Console Game and Best Social/Casual/Puzzle Game.

PlayStation Disorder has a long page of Leipzig coverage, calling LittleBigPlanet “one of the best casual games I have seen so far.”

PlayStation Direct, however, is concerned that the hype will give way to criticism, and suggests lots of DLC.

IGN gives us a list of 10 Sackboy costumes they’d like to see. [thanks Capn P!]

Over on Flickr, Pavel Hruboš gives us a glimpse of the moderation reporting screen.

Develop

Gamasutra has an article about the value of constraints, citing Alex Evans’ talk at Develop:

So it’s clear that the amount of freedom given to the user in LittleBigPlanet has at once been a massive win but a massive issue to the people creating [...]]]> More stuff, from Develop and E3:

Develop

Gamasutra has an article about the value of constraints, citing Alex Evans’ talk at Develop:

So it’s clear that the amount of freedom given to the user in LittleBigPlanet has at once been a massive win but a massive issue to the people creating the game. The solution? “The best way is to give players a tiny, simple tool that can be used in a complex ways – rather than a set of complex tools which lead to confusion and inelegance.”

GameSpot concentrated on the challenges faced by Media Molecule:

Despite the pitfalls and perils, Evans also talked about his passion for developing games. “Why is my experience of making games with friends the same as it was 10 years ago?” He said one of the reasons is that the people making games with him haven’t changed. “We’re still a room of boys and girls at 2:00 in the morning with a dev kit. We’re still making the same things as we did 10 years ago. We just have the opportunity to get it out to a wider audience.”

GameSpot UK’s Start/Select (with our favourite Guy Cocker) talked to Alex “I’m just a code monkey and I wave my arms around” Evans at Develop as well.

More E3

Somehow I had missed UGO’s preview of LittleBigPlanet from E3, where Scoop was somewhat concerned:

Little Big Planet‘s strength is in its devoted user base that will create lots of different types of content experiences, but I, Scoop, have to worry about it long-term.  I’m not like Rusty, having to run around in N+ getting the best time or collecting every last coin in a Mario game; I play for story or cool experiences.  So playing some guy’s level just to collect some more bubbles doesn’t do it for me.  I guess I’ll reserve final judgment until I can tour some user-created stuff this October, before I condemn it for feeling too flash in the pan for me.

I think Scoop will find that the community is prepared to offer him more “story or cool experiences” on an ongoing basis, if he’s willing to give our levels a try.

PlayStation Lifestyle tried to make a Joker Sackboy at E3; check out the results.

It looks like Gamereactor cornered Alex Evans for an interview one evening at E3.  It sounds like Media Molecule is looking carefully at what’s happening with Spore, along with their own Beta.  According to this interview, Sony had asked about using LBP for the E3 Press Conference even before Paris GDC, so there goes my theory.

And with that, my inbox is almost clear.  For a few hours at least.

(with apologies for my poor animated-gif skills)

1. A Sackboy with big realistic buttons for [...]]]> Well, now E3 has come and gone.  All of my friends keep raving about some guy who’s so mad about not being famous that lightning shoots out of his hands.  But here’s what we saw at Sony’s Press Conference:

(with apologies for my poor animated-gif skills)

1. A Sackboy with big realistic buttons for eyes, and very well-animated blinking:

Adorable++.

2. A very short-lived (0.1 seconds?  Slowed down below.) loading screen when Sackboy selected his new shirt:

Why is this a good thing?  If the costumes are loaded when selected, that means that only the up-to-four active costumes are taking up memory during gameplay.  So the already-huge wardrobe can just get bigger and bigger.

3. Either a pressure-activated switch or a proximity sensor; but invisible:

I didn’t see any little microchips hanging around the bar graph.  As was later confirmed, the switches/sensors can be made invisible.

4. A bed of spikes:

5. A wavy glass material:

6. Electricity effect applied to a block behind a cutout to make an impact:

7. Generators of complex objects:

As you can see, there’s nothing to the left of where the trucks come out.  They must be being created inside the building.  The African and Construction levels appear to have generators as well.

To the right of the truck area, we see to the background again.  So either something is consuming the trucks, or they have a timed lifespan and are disappearing somewhere hidden.

8. Dissolving blocks:

Press a switch, and the blocks fade away.

9. Stained glass:

The background is somewhat visible through the lighter portions of the game images.  Transparency-enabled stickers pasted on glass?

10.  Disappearing text:

Where’d the “$29.99″ go?  Maybe my dreams of a quiz show level can be realized after all.

11. Release date confirmation:

Who needs Halloween candy?

Media Molecule‘s very own Alex Evans made a guest appearance on 1UP’s epic end-of-E3 podcast.  Alex joins the poolside group around 46 minutes in, and we get [...]]]> [Note: The 1UP Yours podcast is rated R, or M, or 18+, or whatever.  Especially this one.  So don't go listening if you shouldn't.]  [Also note: Possible spoilers.]

Media Molecule‘s very own Alex Evans made a guest appearance on 1UP’s epic end-of-E3 podcast.  Alex joins the poolside group around 46 minutes in, and we get to hear a few interesting things:

• 1UP’s Garnett Lee calls LittleBigPlanet his E3 Game of Show.
• A Sony internal Beta test is ongoing; at E3 the press was able to play some of the levels created in the Beta.
• Social networking features to help select from the thousands of levels; you can favourite other players, etc.
• The new trailer with the romance story: video maker in Liverpool made the level as well.
• Built-in levels relatively easy compared to the brutal platforming being churned out by testers.
• “Lowrider” level has a companion level “Drag Racers”
• When you attach a “brain” to an enemy it takes control of the limbs..
• A big multi-stage transforming boss made of 120 switches was in the version of the game shown at E3, but no one thought to ask, so no one got to play it.
• Victor, a 19-year-old Swede who works for Media Molecule, built the big boss.
• Vehicle may break, and still continue to run as a broken vehicle would.
• Someone else at the table asked the question which vexes me: “How the h*** do you QA this game?”
• Although an Ueda-san-designed level would be amazing, Alex “can’t possibly comment” on the possibility of one actually being in the game.
• The company doing the new Rag Doll Kung Fu game have captured the style, and upgraded it to HD.
• During the Paris GDC keynote, Mark and Alex showed footage of a chaotic eight-player romp through the English Garden level.
• Media Molecule’s approach to these trade shows?  “We show everything we coded yesterday”
• SHANE: LittleBigPlanet II or content packs?  ALEX: Both.  I hope both.
• If someone stays in a level, that instance stays open as others join and leave.
• Alex wants to create a Resident Evil level after the game ships, and coins the term “triple-M” as the rating.  Apparently both Kareem and Alex have a dark side.
• There’s a lot to do with music and sound: remix and tweak the 8-track music, sound effects speakers that can be glued anywhere (and made invisible), sounds triggered in various ways.
• Kenny and Matt do the sound; they’re awesome.
• Francis did the modelling and animation of Sackboy.
• Garnett thinks the Media Molecule folks don’t sleep.
• Alex says that after release, “We need to crank on the downloadable content.  We’re never going to have a holiday, because of this game.”
• Apparently Miyamoto saw LBP on the E3 show floor and was impressed.
• At some point, Media Molecule did actually talk to Nintendo about LittleBigPlanet.
• There’s a bank vault that has to be blown up, on “Uncle Jalapeño’s level”.

Alex leaves the podcast at around an hour and seven minutes in, but there’s more of interest at the very end:  Stephen Totilo, N’Gai Croal, and Shane Bettenhausen all join Garnett in declaring LittleBigPlanet their E3 Game of the Show.