[PS3] LittleBigPlanet 2

[Shifty Geezer]

I don't know which demo you guys are talking about but the one I played is AWESOME. Grabinator level is so much fun and also puppet level is a great showcase.

They presented two gameplay styles. One was platforming, with a grabbinator and with the robots. The other was multiplayer shooting. They didn't showcase racing, shooters, puzzle games and stuff. They also didn't give people the chance to build ther own things, which is a major selling point of LBP2. It's so easy to connect up devices and get control, it's an enjoyable experience.

They would add some of the creation content but I'm pretty sure then some of you would say " why not the whole creation tools? ".

1) They only need some of the creation tools like the controllinator to show the key differences with the game and LBP1, and the major potential that'd get user excited for building their own machines and vehicles and stuff. 2) Why not provide all the creation tools? If the game is time limited and you can't save your creations, you wouldn't lose sales because the demo provides the whole experience. It'd provide enough experience to know what you can do and get a taste for creating, versus the current situation where anyone not in the beta has no idea what it's like to build a machine, and will have to buy the game on faith.

If Sony is looking for new buyers on top of LBP's userbase then they must show videos from the game , for example some of the levels from Beta. I don't think demo will effect LBP2's sales as much as videos.

But it should have! What's the point of a demo? To demonstrate your title and generate interest. A well crafted demo would have got people buzzing, eager to get the game. If I hadn't have got the Beta, I'd have felt disappointed with the game experience demonstrated because it was just platforming of different flavours, and I'm not a huge platforming fan. A demo should take someone who's not sure about a game and convince them, or at least showcase the areas the player is questioning so they can make an informed decision instead of avoiding buying a game because they lack faith. In this case, questions like, "are there lots of gamplay types or will it just be various shades of shooters?" have not really been answered in the demo, except by videos. "Is it easy enough for me to create a racing game, or will I struggle like LBP1?" has not been answered at all, meaning anyone who struggled with LBP1 may well not try LBP2 believing its beyond them.

Especially considering 2GBs of download, it was a very empty and uneducating experience. They didn't even have a sackbot level! They would sell twice as many copies if they enabled creation in the demo with sackbots and acting!

@Joker454 : Who's responsible for creating demos? Is this the developer picking what goes in, or the publisher, or an uncomfortable compromise between the two?

 

[Cornsnake]

This is a post from Tom_Molecule.

http://forums.littlebigplanet.com:8...e-is-CREATE/m-p/328848/highlight/true#M165617

It's actually pretty hard to make a demo out of Create. Would it have a cut down amount of tools? That wouldn't be much fun.*Would you give players everything? That's kind of generous for a demo! And it's important that the demo is fun to play and appeals to all players of the game - not everyone is interested in create. So that's why we decided to stick with a story level demo (similar to the LBP1 Demo previously) - it shows off different features of the new game, variety in gameplay and hopefully how fun and accessible it can be.

The bolded bit is kind of contradicting if you ask me. They should release a time limited create demo on the same day LBP2 is released. Let people play around with create mode for a week or so, and then let them keep their creations if they buy the full game.

There is a theory on the beta forums that the beta isn't time limited. The beta servers will still go offline so you won't be able to play other people's levels. And you can't transfer anything over. But you can still look at your own stuff at your moon. If there is something you want to recreate in LBP2, you can just go and look how you did it in the beta.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

The bolded bit is kind of contradicting if you ask me.

Absolutely. They've excluded the whole create-minded player who might have little interest in platforming. I also don't understand the point about being generous for a demo. Where is it written that a demo has to be shallow experience? The best demos I've tried have been things like an hour's unrestricted use, maybe with saving disabled, where you actually get to use the program/game as you would and decide if it's right for you or not. Most PSN demos are 5 minutes of tutorials that give no impression at all of the final product. Speaking only for myself, that tends to make me less willing to buy. I bought Deathspank 2 off the strength of the demo because it covered the first section of the game and I got into it. That's definitely the way to do it - provide an experience where the player forgets they're in the demo, and then cut it short in the middle of their game leaving them annoyed it's ended and desperate to carry on! There's no better chance for that then LBP2's create, where there is no end because you completed the level.

There is a theory on the beta forums that the beta isn't time limited. The beta servers will still go offline so you won't be able to play other people's levels. And you can't transfer anything over. But you can still look at your own stuff at your moon. If there is something you want to recreate in LBP2, you can just go and look how you did it in the beta.

That's what I'm expecting. The actual Beta game will run on your local PS3, but you won't be able to share. I suppose they may have patched a date lock in one of the updates once they knew when LBP2 was being released proper.

 

[JardeL]

@Shifty

Your point of view is a creator's point of view. I don't think majority of LBP players cared about creating. I've played hundreds of hours of LBP and NEVER created a level, not even tried it.

LBP2 contains lots of genres as you said; racing, sports, shooters, puzzles and much more. Do you really think it is possible to showcase all of them in the demo? I don't think so. I hope Sony to focus its LBP2 marketing strategy on gameplay videos or pics. I don't think demos or Sackboy Play.Create.Share billboards are enough to show LBP2's potential.

 

[Phil]

I agree with JardeL. While I haven't played the demo yet, from experience, most of my friends (I'd say a large portion of the market LBP appeals to) can just about get into platforming but will not spend much time creating anything. The people that are interested in creating, I'm sure are already well informed and integrated into LBP2 community through the betas and other feed of information available. They don't need to be convinced to buy the game - they already will.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Your point of view is a creator's point of view.

No, I'm thinking in terms of the whole LBP2 experience and reaching as large an audience as possible. Like many, you may never have created a thing in LBP1; this demo isn't going to encourage you to try creating something in LBP2! There's something very appealing about populating a level with sackbots. Letting people experience that is definitely going to increase interest in the title.

LBP2 contains lots of genres as you said; racing, sports, shooters, puzzles and much more. Do you really think it is possible to showcase all of them in the demo?

No, but all they showcased was platforming! If it were me, I'd have maybe a swinging level, though I'd be more inclined to pick the icing creatinator level which has a more novel gameplay. I'd have a shooter or racer, their fly level probably. I would definitely have something with sackbots having to be led or directed, and possibly a video story. These are shown in the video, but 5 seconds of clip isn't as big an impact as a couple of minutes play time with the range of game styles.

You know, that video of creating a space ship and bombing sackbots, they could have easily turned that into a guided create demo. They could have only those materials and components available, just like the tutorials of the game, and guided every player through creating their space ship. That would have been limited enough to not give too much away if that's what frightens them, but also showcased both vehicles and sackbots and shown how easy it is to get something up an running. Like a painting-by-numbers creation. In fact if that was the only content of this demo, it'd do more to showcase the title in terms of creating new gameplay then what we have. I'd have that alongside a couple of main game levels, and the demonstration of the whole LBP2 experience would be much more complete.

 

[Cornsnake]

They have taken some of best user made levels off the servers to be able to showcase them to the press. If those were included in the demo it would have let them show a lot more diversity, and give a better idea of just what create mode is capable of. Now all we have is a video of the user made levels.

 

[upnorthsox]

They have taken some of best user made levels off the servers to be able to showcase them to the press. If those were included in the demo it would have let them show a lot more diversity, and give a better idea of just what create mode is capable of. Now all we have is a video of the user made levels.

I think this would've been the best compromise, especially if they let the beta guys know that their level may be part of the demo.

 

[2real4tv]

Played the demo was ok not the best showing but the trailers got me hyped. Would have been better if we had access to all the levels created during beta. Shame they will go to waste.

 

[patsu]

If they want to do a demo, I think they should add a feedback form/survey at the end. Demoes have been hurting games as well as helping some.

IMHO, they should allow beta creators to download/import their levels from somewhere and then change them to work with the production release. It should be worthwhile. Trailers of these user created levels may be better as a promo tool than a limited demo.

 

[joker454]

@Joker454 : Who's responsible for creating demos? Is this the developer picking what goes in, or the publisher, or an uncomfortable compromise between the two?

It's all up to the developer. I agree with what the other guys say as well, I don't think showcasing the level creating aspect for LBP is necessary in the demo. It's different on a game like Mod Nation Racers where creation is key, but for LBP they should have picked an artistically pretty and unique level with a catchy soundtrack that is easy and fun to play to leave the player satisfied after the demo. The level they picked to start with wasn't all that visually attractive, and it was too frustrating to play. Very strange choice!

 

[patsu]

At some point, an option to compile a user level into a standalone title launchable directly from XMB would be interesting; something like the Buzz! Player or SingStar Player.

 

[patsu]

Back to the Future user level:

This is a test concept for a free roaming Back to the Future level I am currently working on in the LittleBigPlanet 2 beta. This Back to the Future DeLorean level showcases what you can do with the new "controlinator". You can drive forward with X, backwards with square, and you can toggle the car dashboard view with circle. While in the dashboard view, you can activate the time circuits, select a year to travel to, and you can even enable the car to be in hover mode. This level is still a work in progress, so if there is something you feel is "missing", feel free to post constructive feedback and I will see what I can do. Thanks for looking. (my youtube ID is Eddieh1979 and my PSN ID is Hymanator)

 

[Arwin]

I just played this demo and Historic Moves tonight. The tower level is great fun, but the others weren't quite that good (the hamster run was great though!) I can see why these were chosen however in terms of showcasing controllinator and such. The demo mentions to check back in regularly for more stuff it will unlock over time though which is interesting, and the trailers were quite good, including showcasing community levels.

Historic Moves is a lot of fun by the way, my wife 'didn't mind' playing this with me and the pointer based controls posed no issues for her whatsoever.

 

[JardeL]

Pff I was thinking of doing a LBP costumes in LBP2 show off but pics taken in LBP are too small to show details :/ ;

 

[Shifty Geezer]

The demo mentions to check back in regularly for more stuff it will unlock over time though which is interesting, and the trailers were quite good, including showcasing community levels.

Where did it say that?

 

[Arwin]

Where did it say that?

Not sure, just after or when I got into the Pod I think.

 

[JB9861]

@Shifty

Your point of view is a creator's point of view. I don't think majority of LBP players cared about creating. I've played hundreds of hours of LBP and NEVER created a level, not even tried it.

It had to have been a small section of the community publishing levels while the rest just played. There were only a couple million or so total according to the earlier trailers.

 

[RenegadeRocks]

Its so daunting to create something in the little time I get to play games. So, I can understand why millions like me just prefer to just play. Although, it were the community levels I always played, the story mode is still lying unfinished : too hard for me ! LBP for me is relaxing, not hardcore, story mode seemed otherwise. Lets see what the LBP2 demo has in it. I have just started the download !

 

[assurdum]

I am very impressed about the vsync in the demo... from what I remember, lbp was a mess in the overscan area... triple buffering or 'more' double buffer? Good job however, I'm very happy to see more first parties games without tearing... I hope to see more third parties 'to jump' in the vsync Era, like ubisoft for example...