Playstation LittleBigPlanet 2

[moogling]

Found this article today, and was really interested in it. I had really no interest in LittleBigPlanet, but the way this sounds makes me want to look into buying LBP2 when it's released.

In the first LittleBigPlanet, if you could create something that wasn’t a second-rate Mario level, you were heralded as one of the finest minds of your generation. In LittleBigPlanet 2, someone’s already made a Command & Conquer clone.

That’s right: in LittleBigPlanet, you made levels. In LittleBigPlanet 2, you create entire games. How do we know? Because the latest issue of Game Informer’s leaked the lot.

Hours after it was announced, the all-knowing videogame hivemind that is NeoGAF managed to get its hands on the issue in question. So, what’s new in LittleBigPlanet 2? Hoo boy, where do we even start?

Foremost, the game’s focus is no longer on platforming. Rather, if you can dream up a game genre, you can probably bring it to life. Examples given included shooters, racers, puzzle games, RPGs, and even a working Commander & Conquer-esque RTS.

Vehicle creation – once so rudimentary and simplistic that it made Flintstones cars seem like marvels of modern Stone Age engineering – has been taken up a few notches with the inclusion of Direct Control Seats. Basically, you can glue a Direct Control Seat to a vehicle or enemy (!) and assign them a custom control scheme. In other words, it’s much more robust than the first LittleBigPlanet, but far from overwhelmingly complex.

Perhaps a bit more daunting, however, are Sackbots – LBP 2’s name for programmable AI. You can tweak them in a number of ways – for instance, telling them to be afraid of heights – and even choreograph elaborate acting routines. For instance, the funky folks over at Media Molecule created a disco dancing army by manipulating one Sackbot’s arms and legs, and then pasting that routine onto 20 other Sackbots. So basically, the day the game comes out, expect a few hundred levels that reenact the music video for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

You’ll also be able to craft cut-scenes, record your own sound effects, customize HUDs, and string levels together – in effect, creating an entire game.

And that’s only the beginning.

And you can see the full post from Game Informer, here. So what do you guys think?

 

[Linnaete]

I never got round to buying LittleBigPlanet, but if what this says is true, I'll definitely hold on to my purse a little longer to get the sequel. This is something I would see to hear more of in the near future. I mean, who doesn't find the idea of experimenting and making your own games intriguing? Since I consider myself a bit of a creative person, I am definitely keeping my eyes on this.

I just hope that the "Sackbots" aren't too difficult to use. It does sound daunting. I can see a lot of time will be needed tweaking and perfecting them. It's kind of like a much simpler version of what actual developers have to do. Unlike them, I have no patience for this kind of thing. xD

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

I'll give it a miss, personally I hated LittleBigPlanet, it seemed to run on novelty value and once that disappeared it was boring as hell imo. It just happened to offer something different. The sequel sounds like an improvement but it'll most like build on the same ground work that the first had D:

 

[eye of the divine]

It just sounds like the first game but made slightly more sophisticated software if you ask me. as .cx mercurial said it runs on novelty and theres no actual substance to the game and I'm porbably thinking correctly here but the 2nd one won't be much differant. The first one came across as more of a game for kids rather than one that is more for everyone and I think the 2nd one will be the same.

 

[Dionysos]

I must defend Little Big Planet from this slander!

It's one of the only controller-based (and online based too) multiplayer games on the PS3 at the moment. I find it great fun when playing with real people, and it is great that you can join in with your online friends too. Some of the most hilarious times I've had on my PS3 have involved slapping people on LBP.

Some of the user created levels are quite well made and impressive. There are a lot of terrible ones, but they're enjoyable too in my opinion as they make you laugh your ass off. To each their own.

As for Little Big Planet 2... While I've always been against the idea of a sequel, and would much rather they just update the current version, this one does sound a heck of a lot better, and much more awesome. I'm really interested in learning more about this now that they are updating it to involve so much more than just platforming.

I don't see me actually making levels myself though... It was quite simple in LBP to make a level, but complex and time consuming to make a good level. As a result I have yet to actually publish any level I have made so far. I've just simply lacked the time / failed to make the time to make something decent, though my head is filled with awesome ideas that I'd just want to magically unravel and appear in my level.

I find it fun enough playing the levels other people have made though.

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

LBP2 scans from Edge hit the net

 

[DeadFantasy]

LittlebigPlanet 2 huh?


Damnn, from what this says it sounds hella fun I have littlebigplanet but this one.... just sounds amazing


Sounds fricking awesome

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

It looks like LittleBigPlanet 2 isn't anything like the original we played on the Sony console last year. The developers have taken it more seriously and have provided a robust platform that will let you "clone" just about any kind of game and environment. The LittleBigPlanet 2 beta version leaked on the internet about sixteen hours ago and while we haven't had much time to give it a try there were some obvious new features we are happy to report.

LittleBigPlanet 2 does Mario dynamics in hours

For starters, you can now mimic just about any move your mind can envision. We tried it out with a simple side-platformer, Marios Bros. We attempted to clone the behavior of the sack jumpers from the game. We were able to replicate the physics easily with all the tons of gadgets thrown in and totally knockoff Super Mario Bros dynamics within hours. Furthermore it allowed us to integrate Playstation Move and Eye, making it the most robust level editor to date.

The AI editor wasn't troublesome to setup and the sound creator came in handy especially when developing cut scenes. Did we forget to mention you could make cut scenes now? Next thing Monday we will give LittleBigPlanet 2 a go when it comes to developing first-person shooters and possibly a racing game.

Ozcarguide

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

Double post, but whatever. It's all in the name of latest news.

Changes in Little Big Planet 2:
Huge visual upgrade
Colour filters for certain areas, e.g. x-ray
Instead of sliders in lighting and sound menus, they have percentages
Cutscene cameras are now white… (Seen in a screenshot)
You can place decorations and stickers on your planet

New features in Little Big Planet 2:
Bounce Pads
New hazard: Laser
You can make Sackbots harmful (electrify, fire etc.)
You can grapple Sackbots
It is possible to record something and apply it to a sackbot
If you program a sackbot to follow you, and then jump into a vehicle, the sackbot will catch up and jump in with you.
You can use direct control seats with Sackbots
Direct control does control momentum, so no unwanted shooting up into the air
You can program sackbots to hang off things
Level Linking ‘Badges’
“Place the new level-linking ‘badge’ in your level and you can seamlessly transport players to another. Useful for building multi-level games as well as for collector types to create level hubs for great levels that they’ve found” Photos on lbp.me will be the ones posted on the level itself
Usernames on lbp.me will be PSN names
There will be a facebook-style ’stream’ (possibly lbp.me) which will show highscores, hearted levels etc for each player

New tools in Little Big Planet 2:
Grappling Hook
“A powerup in the mould of LBP’s MGS DLC, the grappling hook is thrown out with R1 and attaches to any grabbable [so sponge etc] surface until you let go in the same way a grab would usually work. You can reel it in and out by pressing up and down on the stick, and also swing, your tether flexing with a satisfying ‘boing’.” Microchips: Once you place them, it projects a space in which you can build logic etc. When you are done it minimizes the logic and store it inside one little microchip
New torch/flashlight lighting object (Just looks like one, sackboy cannot actually hold it)

Extra round:
So far it is 4GB extra content (will get bigger). Meaning it is too big for a patch.
If they were to make it as DLC it would be VERY expensive DLC.

Source: LittleBigLand

 

[moogling]

LittleBigPlanet 2: PlayStation Move, DLC And Community Levels Transfer

Sony announced LittleBigPlanet 2 for PlayStation 3 and plan to release it in winter 2010. The sequel to the PlayStation 3 platformer creator is now a Sackboy powered game making engine. Players can change rules, reset buttons, and configure life meters and points to create a wide variety of genres. The press release notes shooters, adventure games, racing games, puzzle games, and sports titles can be created with LittleBigPlanet 2.

Sackboy also has a few new items such as a grappling hook, power glove, and ambiguous “magic bag.” The toy that’s getting the most attention are Sackbots, robot Sackboys players can customize with voiceovers and custom animations. Bonus levels will support Sony’s motion controller, PlayStation Move.

While LittleBigPlanet 2 has a bunch of new content, including a single player story mode, Sony also made the game compatible with LittleBigPlanet content. All of the downloadable content from LittleBigPlanet will work with the sequel and appear in your Popit from the start. Sony also say players can access the two million user created levels from LittleBigPlanet from LittleBigPlanet 2. Both games share the same server so you won’t lose anything if you decide to pick up the sequel.

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

The 2PM embargo is off, this will be a mammoth-sized post, your scroll bar will get significantly smaller due to the magnitude of information. And. Here. We. Go.
--

Post Summary:

• Media Molecule - LBP2 won’t have full Move support at launch.
• Interview: LBP2 community managers, James Spafford and Tom Kiss.
• Interview: LittleBigPlanet 2’s Mark Healy on “attacking” Play, Create, Share.
• LittleBigPlanet 2 – Movie, screens, art, a picture of some love robots.
• Interview: LittleBigPlanet 2 lead artist Francis Payne.
• Interview: LittleBigPlanet 2 level designer Victor Agren.
• Playtest – LittleBigPlanet 2.
• Interview: Media Molecule studio boss Siobhan Reddy.
• LittleBigPlanet 2 goes thermo – impressions round-up.
• MM’s Evans: LBP2 a disc-based game to reach “wider audience”.
• Stephen Fry to return for LittleBigPlanet 2.

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Media Molecule: LBP2 won’t have full Move support at launch

Media Molecule co-founder Mark Healy has told VG247 that LittleBigPlanet 2 won’t have full support for PlayStation Move in the game whenever it launches. But speaking to Joe Anderson at the formal reveal of the Play, Create, Share sequel, he did say that “there will be a taster”of how the motion controller will work with the title.

“We’re really excited by giving the Move controller to the community,” Healy told us. “We’re totally going to go to town on supporting that, but I don’t think we will have the full functionality at launch. There will be a taster, but it is something we are planning to do." Healy also said that playing LBP2 with just Move and the sub-controller is pretty much a “no-brainer”.

“I think that will have to be the case. We haven’t sat down and scoped that out entirely, but it seems like a bit of a no-brainer really.” LittleBigPlanet 2 also has a feature called “Sixthaxis Direct Control Seat”, which allows you to map out how you can control the game. Healy insists that the feature works with Move, as well as the original SIXAXIS and DualShock 3.

“You may remember from the presentation that we had the Sixthaxis Direct Control Seat, which is a ridiculously long title which we will no doubt change,” said Healy. “What this does is allow the user to take the guts of the SixthAxis controller and map the buttons in any way they like, and I see no reason why you couldn’t use this function with any other controller, like the Move controller for example.”
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Interview: LBP2 community managers, James Spafford and Tom Kiss

​

“Community” and “LittleBigPlanet” are as intrinsically symbiotic as “wanking” and “self-hate”. It should come as no surprise, then, that community has been a key upgrade area for Media Molecule in LittleBigPlanet 2, with the developer saying at the game’s reveal in London last week that LBP’s site is going to play a big part in the sequel’s social experience. We [VG247] took the opportunity to speak to James Spafford and Tom Kiss, LittleBigPlanet’s community managers, about their plans and how littlebigplanet.me will work with LBP2.

Can you give us a bit more detail regarding the LittleBigPlanet.me website?
James Spafford: The idea was to better enable people to find content. We have 2 million levels out there and no easy way of sifting through and finding them. LBP.me will allow users to log onto the web and browse through the levels. There are plenty of users out there making all this cool stuff and there is no easy way for them to publicise it. They go on the forums and advertise their levels, so we wanted to make it easier for them to do this.

Tom Kiss: Every player will have their own unique URL on the site, and then every level will have its own unique URL as well. Just having them on the web is going to make it so much easier for people to share those levels.
The main feature will be to allow anyone anywhere to add those levels to their playlist. So, if you re at work and you have some suggestions you simply go on the page, add it to your queue: when you get home it’s ready to play. We’re also allowing users to embed widgets into their websites to help promote levels. That’s really exciting, because it will help people to share their levels even more. The idea is to get the data out all across the web to allow users to share with as wide an audience as possible.

Would it be possible to implement this idea into things like FirstPlay, which often shows the best LBP levels, giving users the ability to add levels from there?
James Spafford: That’s something we may look into. We do pick our own top levels, as does the community, so you’ll be able to add these levels straight to your queue.

Tom Kiss: One of the new features we have is QR Codes. These are digital barcodes which you can print and take with you. You can hand them to your friend, they hold them up to the PSEye and then they’ll be taken straight into the level.

Can you see a future where people will create apps for iPhone, allowing people to add levels without even accessing the net?
Tom Kiss: Yeah, there’s definitely potential there. People will probably create things like this, allowing for people to get levels even when they’re on the move.

How big is the Official LittleBigPlanet Community? How many members do you have?
James Spafford: There are tens of thousands now; usually you see spikes around the Christmas period, like when we sell the new DLC packs. I think it is because there are so many new experiences all the time.

Tom Kiss: The new features in LBP 2 such as the microchips will have people sharing even more. People can create these and then give them away in their levels to other users. You’ll no doubt see some pretty amazing inventions using just this feature.
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Interview: LittleBigPlanet 2’s Mark Healy on “attacking” Play, Create, Share

Mark Healy is a Media Molecule founder and of the masterminds behind LittleBigPlanet. It was with great pleasure that we spoke to him about the game’s sequel at its reveal in London last week.

VG247: Can you tell us how you are going to use LittleBigPlanet 2 to expand upon the Play, Create, Share philosophy that was created by the original game?
Mark Healy: We are attacking that from lots of different angles, obviously. To tackle the question from the specific areas, such as the Share point of view, we have put a lot of effort into finding the new content and the type of content that you would want. We feel we’ve done a lot for people who create their own levels and want to share them, like LBP.me which automatically creates a website for your level that anyone can access and add to their queue immediately. Players will be able to go on the website to view all the levels they have made, pictures, number of views and comments. Of course, you will also be able to use the URL of your personalised website to tweet and put on Facebook. There are people out there who enjoy finding and reviewing levels, so we like to feel that we have streamlined this process. The Create and Play elements directly feed off each other, but with Create we have just added a whole bunch of stuff which really takes it to a whole new level, taking it from a creation tool for a platform game to a much more versatile game-creation tool.

You don’t even have to make games any more. You can make interactive movies or non-interactive movies, and I’m sure the community will be the one that teaches us what can be done there. The Play side is obviously influenced by the Create side, so when people go into the community there is going to be such a wide range of experiences to be had now. I am desperate to play the game a few weeks after it comes out to see what the community’s done.

How does the recent takeover of Media Molecule by Sony help you to achieve your goals better?
We have always had a close relationship with Sony anyway and really enjoy working with them. This is why we decided to get into bed with them.
Not much has changed really. What has improved is that it’s taken the pressure off a little bit. Obviously, the other directors and I have always had this additional responsibility of running a company and thinking a project ahead, thinking about who our next project is going to be with. That’s quite a lot of pressure. Now that this is gone we can concentrate on doing what we are actually best at: making the game. It also means that we can afford to take more risks and do things that we might not have done as a small independent company, because if it fails Sony can sort it out [Laughs].

What made you decide to release a brand new game, rather than just expanding the first with DLC?
We’ve added a lot with LittleBigPlanet 2, much more than you would normally get with the sequel. Obviously, we could have split that up into areas and dribbled that out as DLC. What we have found from experience is that when you have got a bunch of tools and features and you’re working on them in unison together, you start to realise how they work and link together and influence each other, which is a lot harder to do when you are working with these items separately. We also liked the idea of having the time to create a new story, which combines all these new experiences and shows them off to the users. The game is also fully backwards compatible, so we feel that we will not split the community in anyway. It’s also a lot easier to explain to my mum when I have a disc to show her. I like making my mum proud.

Is there anything that you have specifically improved upon due to feedback from the first title?
Loads of stuff. We consider ourselves a small team, some 30-40 people, but we also consider ourselves as a huge team of 2 million people who provide lots of feedback to us. We are constantly looking at wish-lists and because we ourselves are using the same tools to create stuff it’s usually the things we want anyway. That’s a direct way in which users influence the way things have improved in LittleBigPlanet 2. There are also some little tweaks, like being able to hide things and add comments to them, so that you can remember what they do. All the obvious things that the creator out there would want, we’ve done. Hopefully we’ve also gone a lot further than that, and also added things that they didn’t realise they wanted.

Will you continue support the original LittleBigPlanet in terms of DLC and patches?
I imagine we will, though I don’t know how it is going to work as there is a very blurry line between the two. If no-one wants upgrade [to LBP2] then that community will still remain, and anyone who is playing LittleBigPlanet 2 will still be part of this as it’s one and the same community. If there are any obvious bugs that come up then we will deal with them, however hopefully we can convince people to come and play the new game and experience the fantastic new content and features.

LittleBigPlanet 2 will no doubt be a big influence in helping Sony sell their PlayStation Move controller, so in what ways are you planning on incorporating this into the game?
You may remember from the presentation that we had the Sixaxis Direct Control Seat, which is a ridiculously long title which we will no doubt change. What this does is allow the user to take the guts of the SixthAxis controller and map the buttons in any way they like, and I see no reason why you couldn’t use this function with any other controller, like the Move controller for example. We’re really excited by giving the Move controller to the community. We’re totally going to go to town on supporting that, but I don’t think we will have the full functionality at launch. There will be a taster, but it is something we are planning to do.

Will you be able to play the game using just the Move and perhaps the Sub Controller?
I think that will have to be the case. We haven’t sat down and scoped that out entirely, but it seems like a bit of a no-brainer really.

Last question. Are there any secrets that you can tell us about the new game, any hidden characters or features that we may not have seen today?
There is loads of stuff, just because there are so many things added. I can tell you about Level Links, as that is a great feature we didn’t talk about. You can put badges in directly in to your level now. This allows you to link levels, entering directly into a new level without returning to the pod. Although this is a simple thing it’s incredibly powerful, as someone can now string together a thousand levels into one massive experience. Also, people who are good at finding good levels could create a café which is just full of badges of their favourite levels. There are lots of new features, but I’m getting glares from the PR people so I think we best leave it there.
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LittleBigPlanet 2 – Movie, screens, art, a picture of some love robots

For the screens and art, hit the link; http://www.vg247.com/2010/05/10/littlebigplanet-2-movie-screens-art-a-picture-of-some-love-robots/
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Interview: LittleBigPlanet 2 lead artist Francis Payne

Media Molecule has created one of the most recognisable games of this console generation in LittleBigPlanet with Sackboy, the game’s cloth protagonist, becoming something of an emblem for PlayStation 3 as a format. It doesn’t look like Mr Boy’s visibility is about to diminish any. LittleBigPlanet 2 is about to build on the original in every conceivable way, including the visual department. The man in charge of the game’s aesthetic is lead artist Francis Payne. Payne spoke to us at LBP2’s reveal in London last week; get the chat below.

What is behind the inspiration from the art and animation in LittleBigPlanet 2?
Francis Payne: The game has been out for a long time now, with lots of DLC available. The challenge for LittleBigPlanet 2 was to create something new by combining various ideas. Something we’re very aware of is that the games industry is always very visual in the way it presents games, and this has been very successful. We’ve drawn from thousands of years of art and taken that as our inspiration while adding our own twist.

Have any of the ideas behind the art style come from the community?
Francis Payne: Yeah, definitely. Players have in the past used different materials and made them really thin, making it look like they have vanished completely and giving a feeling that the platforms they’ve made from these are floating. This has inspired us to make things more translucent, allowing for things such as transparent pipes, glass and holographic materials to appear in the game, giving users a lot more options than they had before.

Can you explain what’s new in terms of art in a technical sense?
Francis Payne: We have an upgrade engine which has done an amazing job, and all the objects in the new game look really solid. There is now transparency and all sorts of new features, such as new fancy materials.

How many new materials are in the game?
Francis Payne: Loads, if you imagine that each theme is a DLC pack, you get loads of stickers, new building blocks. Every theme has new stickers, costumes and collectables for users to get their hands on.

How many levels are included in the new game?
Francis Payne: Well, there are six themes, each of which has a bunch of new mini-games and levels within them. I would say there are well over 50.

How difficult was it to upgrade user levels from LittleBigPlanet to LittleBigPlanet 2?
Francis Payne: Genius brainpower from the programming team, really. They didn’t touch any of the materials or textures, just the way the objects are rendered in the world. That’s the new part really. Asset-wise everything is the same, but because of the new shading and renders we have everything looking that much better.

How limited are the users in terms of time and space, when creating Cinematics for their levels?
Francis Payne: I am looking forward to seeing what users do with it; really it is only limited by the user’s imagination and the type of content they want to show. If you have lots of items then you will use up the space, though you have the concept of Level Links now, so you can go to different levels without returning to the pod. This means you can set up levels so it will make the experience feel a lot more seamless.

Can users actually make a level which is essentially just a movie, without them having to have gameplay in it?
Francis Payne: Totally. In fact, I really want the community to do that and I hope there is a part of the community out there that will use the game to tell stories. It will be good to see how they use the new cinematic tools in clever ways, like they did with the gameplay.
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Interview: LittleBigPlanet 2 level designer Victor Agren
​

Following our hands-on with LittleBigPlanet 2 at the game’s London reveal last week, we sat down with level designer Vitcor Agren to quiz him on influences and style. Victor’s been with Media Molecule from the very beginning, so he’s a key influence on the game’s direction. During out chat he gave some tips for all you creators out there, so be sure to read.

Can you take us through the process of designing levels in LittleBigPlanet 2? Do you normally work together on or do you work on individual levels separately?
Vitcor Agren: Usually we’ll group together and decide what works best. We’ll then take all of these ideas and plug the work into the level. Sometimes we approach this by the look and feel of the level, deciding what type of gameplay we can create around that. So, there are different angles from which we can approach level design.

Do you ever come up with an idea that you try to keep for yourself, possibly working on it before revealing it to the others?
Vitcor Agren: It’s funny, yeah. At first you think, ‘Oh yeah this is my level,’ but because it’s such a brilliant team you then see what the other guys make and say, ‘Oh, why I didn’t think of that.’ You then feel confident about anyone helping out because you know it will turn into something better.

How do you feel about the new style of LittleBigPlanet 2 and the ability to create any genre of game? Mark Healy called it “A Platform for Games”: would you agree?
Vitcor Agren: Yes, it’s great. I used to do a bit of Flash game design in my spare time and the thinking I got from that basically translates to LittleBigPlanet now. It’s a bit like programming but in a visual form, basically. If you can think of it then you can almost certainly now create it.

How do you feel about the new Cinematics? Is this something you’ve enjoyed putting into your levels?
Vitcor Agren: Yeah. I seem to be a more technical person, so I enjoy doing the more intricate things. What I find is that I can use the cut-scenes, for example, to indicate a door is opening somewhere else on the level when you pull a lever. This is a type of thing I find really useful. Equally though, you can also use the Cinematics to make really broad, big, cut-scenes, and I guess this is what we are trying to do with the game: introduce bigger and better tools so that you can base whole levels around them.

What is your favourite element of LittleBigPlanet 2?
Vitcor Agren: Like I say, I’m more technical, so I enjoy being able to think of an idea, play around with it and go from there. It’s just great that you can do whatever you want and create some really special levels.

When creating levels, where do you take your inspiration from?
Vitcor Agren: That’s an interesting question. A lot of my inspiration comes from old 8-bit arcade titles and the type of gameplay style they have. I try to take inspiration from whatever I can, really. I do a bit of live drawing in my spare time so I can translate this to my work at Media Molecule.

Do you have any tips for budding designers out there?
Vitcor Agren: It’s a bit cliché, but you should look at various levels and see what you like about them, then you can take those bits and play around with them. You can learn a lot from that.
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Playtest – LittleBigPlanet 2

LittleBigPlanet has been a very popular game since its launch in 2008, selling over 3 million copies and gaining support from the media and gaming public alike. The platformer, built around the premise of allowing users to create and share their own levels, has won over 80 awards, and now sells more DLC now that it did last year. More than 2.3 million stages have been created by the game’s users. Media Molecule appears to be onto a “good thing”. Like all games though, LittleBigPlanet has its limitations, as Media Molecule is first to admit. And what do you do when you hit a brick wall?
Welcome to the world of LittleBigPlanet 2.

VG247 was lucky enough to be invited to London last week to witness the unveiling of Play, Create and Share’s next evolution. Media Molecule was on hand to explain the IP’s next step forward, saying incoming advancements will “melt your brain”. Pass the mop. Succinctly, LittleBigPlanet 2 completely reinvents the concept of Play, Create, Share. Media Molecule’s slogan for the sequel if, “A Platform for Games”. Obviously, it’s not just a level-builder any more. Instead of LittleBigPlanet just being a platformer, far-reaching new features and customisable camera angles allow users to create any type of game they wish. Yep, it’s true: RTS, racing, retro and shooters are now all possible. Media Molecule predicted that users will come up with new game genres thanks to the sheer amount of tools on offer.

We were shown a video of a top-down racer in action, but weren’t shown how it was made. Looks as though you’re going to have to wait a little while for that. Never fret, though. It’s not just LBP’s creation tools that have been overhauled.

Community spirit
LittleBigPlanet 2 is a huge step up from the original. We didn’t see half the game’s features in London last week, but the changes that were on show more than convinced us it’s going to be a massive hit. First off, Media Molecule showed us community upgrades by opening up the game’s Share ability. Your own planet now includes a Stream option, allowing you to see the levels your friends and favourite authors are playing, as well as Media Molecules top picks. This, of course, makes it easy to find levels to suit your taste.

Level search has clearly been an area of focus for the sequel. MM’s launching a new section to the game’s website named LittleBigPlanet.me, which allows you to search for levels by username and title and then add them to your wish list; the next time you turn on your console they’ll be there waiting for you to play. Each level is to now have its own URL, with visiting traffic counting towards its popularity. MM wrapped up the community area of its demo by saying you’ll be able to both put tags on forums linking to levels and publish print codes. These can be held in front of the PSEye to gain access to the relevant stage.

The game is fully backwards compatible, with any levels created in LittleBigPlanet being playable in the new title. In fact, any levels that you have previously created now look better than ever, thanks to improvements to shadowing, colour and depth. What goes one way doesn’t go the other, however: you won’t be able to play levels from LittleBigPlanet 2 in the original.

“Let’s play a game”
In terms of creation features, saying Media Molecule has gone “all out” in LBP2 is like saying Duncan Goodhew is “bald”. If you’re going to be creating full games, you’re going to need some sizeable new kit. As well as expanding on items from the original game – such as the Jet Packs – tons of new stuff’s been included. Examples include a Grapple Hook – which allows you swing from one feature to the next in some style – and Bounce Pads, which offer the ability to go quickly and vertically up a level. Previously this was difficult to achieve.

A major new build feature is Sackbots, NPC Sackboy-like characters which perform as you wish. You can tweak them to walk like a zombie, run away from you, turn them into electricity and send them on patrol. You can dress them in any of the content previously downloaded or unlocked for your Sackboy. Sackbots can be multiplied, made bigger and smaller; everything you’d expect from LBP content. New circuit boards – including new electrical boards and circuits – have been introduced for advanced creators. New board features include the ability to map buttons on your controller using the “Six Axis Direct Control Seat”. This, for example, means that you can create a car or robot and then have the user control it in anyway they see fit: they simply get in the seat with their Sackboy.

Alternatively, you can program a Sackbot to get in it and drive away. You can even hide the Sackboy or Sackbot and make it look as though there’s a large robot storming around the level. Large robots are always a win, obviously.

Lights, camera, small virtual child’s toy
Another big addition is Cinematics. Users will have the ability to create cutscenes – or even full movies if you can be bothered – thanks to a new video editing suite. An example we were shown had the designer creating a music video with dancing Sackbots. By linking the cameras up he could add different angles and time action to the beat. The end result was amazing, and there’s also the ability to use voiceovers recorded by the user [Sackboy porn! Maybe not - Ed].

So many new features have been added to LittleBigPlanet 2 that it would be impossible to list them all here. Even though we did get hands-on time at the event, we were assured that we haven’t seen anything yet. Bring on E3, then.
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Interview: Media Molecule studio boss Siobhan Reddy

Media Molecule has a unique “culture,” something made fairly obvious by the product it creates. Don’t think this is something that happens by chance, however. Workplace ambiance is a precious thing, and people like Siobhan Reddy, the developer’s studio director, are employed to protect it. She’s a sort of games developer culture policewoman. Nothing if not niche.
Reddy sat down with us at the LittleBigPLanet 2 reveal in London last week to talk about the sequel and her role in the company.

Can you tell me what your role is on a day to day basis?
Siobhan Reddy: My job is to look after the studio and its culture. I work alongside the finance and HR team on one side, and on the other side there’s the production team of three. They’re responsible for managing the day-to-day production of the games. At Media Molecule we try to encourage people to work in a way that’s natural to them, which means that there are many different methods going on at one time. The production team are there to underpin it and make sure the chaos is at least being tracked. My job is just to help keep the team focused on delivering the game.

Do you give the teams deadlines?
Siobhan Reddy: We try to help each team work out what they need to do in order to finish, and so we have deadlines like our Alpha and Beta deadline. Within each “molecule,” as we call them, it is up to them to figure out what their plan is to get there. So, within the production team, we try to remove any blockages and try to remove the democracy that they may have to deal with otherwise. Mainly, though, it is just about getting people to remain focused and come in every day and get on with what they are good at.

You mentioned that there are many different methods going on at one time. How do you gel all of these ideas together?
Siobhan Reddy: One of the consistent things we have is a Friday feature, where people show off the work they’ve been doing that week. When we get closer to the end of the game it all gels together by us doing regular place readings. You can see amazing stuff on the walls and keep some track of it. Ultimately, though, it’s what’s on the disc or TV that’s the proof.

Is there ever the occasion when someone will have an idea and shout out for everyone to come and have a look at what they have done?
Siobhan Reddy: Yeah, that happens very regularly at Molecule. We actively encourage that, because part of the Molecule is about being involved. People in the office do more than one thing; one of our programmers, for example, has moved on to become a writer. We are a very creative team, so things like this just happen naturally.

How did the idea of LittleBigPlanet 2 come up? Was it a joint decision?
Siobhan Reddy: It was a collaboration. People started creating and then followed through with the ideas they had. Over a period of time we’ve culled it down to the set we think that we need. But yeah, Molecule works in a very ground-up way, and then over time we will pull things together and try to nurture any ideas by giving them a go, manifesting them and seeing if they’re worth putting more time into.

How long has LittleBigPlanet 2 been in development for?
Siobhan Reddy: It’s very hard to say because people have been on and off it for the past year. Obviously we have mini-threads, the DLC threads going on, so the whole team hasn’t been working on the game very long.

I think LittleBigPlanet is a good family game. Would you agree with this?
Siobhan Reddy: That’s one of my very favourite things about LBP. Mark as a child was really inspired by the Commodore 64, and so for him it’s really nice to hear of people playing it with their children. To hear of children playing with Create is also very cool.

What excites you about LittleBigPlanet 2?
Siobhan Reddy: The thing that excites me is the idea of working in teams. I might be into cut-scenes, you may be into gameplay, someone else may be into something else, and together we become a team that makes something. That’s how we make games. LittleBigPlanet was really good for people who were one-man bands, whereas LBP2 should encourage people to work together more as you don’t need to be everything. You don’t need be good at art or whatever else; you just create to your talent.

What do you think about the new Cinematic features?
Siobhan Reddy: I have to say that I’m much more excited about playing with cut-scenes and Sackbots because it’s in my realm. I am not a level designer, so I think this opens the game out massively to the type of people who can create.
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LittleBigPlanet 2 goes thermo – impressions round-up

LittleBigPlanet 2 is real. No more leaks, no more embargo-breaking shots, it’s out there. And by the Sackboy gods, it looks incredible.

But what about everybody else? Fellow European websites are going live with impressions of the Play, Create, Share sequel. Get rounded-up of everything so far below.

• Eurogamer
• play.tm
• CVG
• IGN UK
• Gamespot
• Videogamer
• Multiplayer.it
• 1UP
• G4

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MM’s Evans: LBP2 a disc-based game to reach “wider audience”

Media Molecule co-founder Alex Evans has revealed that one of the reasons why LittleBigPlanet 2 is a disc-based title, and not a massive DLC expansion, is to reach a “wider audience”. Speaking with 1UP, he said the other reason was down to not wanting to release certain new features like a “drip feed, ten features at once”. “There are kind of two reasons,” said Evans. “It’s all predicated on [having] to make [the game] backwards compatible, which is huge and epic technically, and also quite unheard of in terms of all of the content that comes across.

“If we did DLC, [it'd be] a drip feed. If you wanna do 10 features at once and then holistically make a story that uses all of those together in all the different combinations, [retail's] the only way to do it. It has to be an event. We couldn’t release a new story with all these tools, bit by bit by bit.” Evans further added: “I think the Blu-Ray is still the best way to reach a wider audience. DLC, in a way, is like preaching to the converted, you know? It’s to people who want to evolve their experience. But LBP2 gives a new entry point for loads of people, and the people who have LBP1 get all the bonuses, they can keep all their stuff, and they don’t lose anything.”
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Stephen Fry to return for LittleBigPlanet 2

The US PS Blog has confirmed that Stephen Fry will return as the narrator for LittleBigPlanet 2. Fry, actor, comedian and TV presenter, has been the main voiceoverr since the series began two years ago, as well as the PSP spin-off from last year. Responding to a user comment on the site, an SCEA rep said: “Yup, Stephen Fry is back!” Jolly good. We here at VG247 LBP247 couldn’t be more happier to see him return.

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All information courtesy of VG247


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[SapphireStar]

I NEED A PS3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, LittleBig Planet 1 & 2 and Heavy Rain are the only reasons. LittleBigPlanet is so much fun and a second game shows how damn popular it is! I have my own Sackboy whom I love and I need to get s PS3 before crimbo for this gem!

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

Not really news but it has a nice box cover.