The LittleBigPlanet pre-release Saga

[Shifty Geezer]

I presume 8 players is spread across however many consoles, though no-one's said for sure. Competitive play is an unknown too, but your ideas ought to make it in! Pitching creations verse creations would be very good for the game. I expect creative rivalries would pop up of teams who keep challenging each other!

 

[slider]

Nothing we haven't seen before. That level is the first level demo'd at E3. I guess you're not up to speed on this favoured title of mine! Offline there's 4 player coop. Online there's 8 players supported. I think the offline coop will be one of the best gaming experiences ever.

I had a feeling nothing new was in there but I still got excited.

Shifty I think everyone knows you appreciate LBP! (Along with EOJ - c'mon show some love to FPS' otherwise people might think you're weird! )

 

[patsu]

http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/856/856680/vids_1.html

Shows level selection screen and scoring. Kinda semi-confirmed that there is no controller shape change

 

[Shifty Geezer]

This game looks rubbish.



Argh....I can't helping gushing! User defined scoring. Different collectible items. Online highscores for every level you make. Sounds like they're listening to feedback and aiming to make it as versatile as possible without being complex to operate. Watching the following dev commentary (27th August) they mention other game developers creating environments based on their games, such as a KZ environment. It would be pretty awesome for the title if it got some strong support from the developer community from launch, starting momentum on high-quality content creation, and it'll give them better exposure too. Everything sounds pretty faultless so far.



I mean...meh. Seen better.

 

[Arwin]

Yeah. I mean, the jumping in this game ... just ... sucks.

 

[betan]

http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/856/856680/vids_1.html

Shows level selection screen and scoring. Kinda semi-confirmed that there is no controller shape change

Thanks Patsu. The animation in the selection screen itself is enough to make me go crazy about this game and I'm really trying hard not to get hyped.

People (read Chef) are talking about mistakes of Sony in different threads.
The biggest mistake of Sony may very well be not making this gem ready soon.

It looks like it can appeal to wide range of gamers including my nephew, creative artists, hardcore platforming fans, Incredible Machine maniacs, co-op casuals, etc.. They better have a good sorting mechanics.

Weren't they going to show enemies during TGS?

 

[pipo]

Lovely. As always.

 

[patsu]

Yeah. I mean, the jumping in this game ... just ... sucks.

Can you shoot out the lights in this game ? I mean really. And where is God of War-like epic story and gameplay variety ? Don't get me started on the lack of blood and intestines in this game too. I rate it 1.0/10.

Thanks Patsu. The animation in the selection screen itself is enough to make me go crazy about this game and I'm really trying hard not to get hyped.

People (read Chef) are talking about mistakes of Sony in different threads.
The biggest mistake of Sony may very well be not making this gem ready soon.

Sony's mistakes ? Plenty to talk about. When all is said and done, it begins with marketing (especially product marketing). But they are all 500 pound gorillas. There are still interesting moves to win the war but really the single, biggest challenge/issue/factor this gen is how to broaden gaming appeal _effectively_ and in the face of narrow-minded gaming press and fans, but I have digressed.

I wouldn't worry too much about company versus threads. The corps will simply try to leap-frog each other round after round. What may be more interesting are the software companies (e.g., Peter Moore in EA).

It looks like it can appeal to wide range of gamers including my nephew, creative artists, hardcore platforming fans, Incredible Machine maniacs, co-op casuals, etc.. They better have a good sorting mechanics.

Yes, the community aspect of this game will be crucial. Not just the mechanics, but the marketing programmes (e.g., competition/talent discovery is a good start).

Weren't they going to show enemies during TGS?

I am not sure.

Argh....I can't helping gushing! User defined scoring. Different collectible items. Online highscores for every level you make. Sounds like they're listening to feedback and aiming to make it as versatile as possible without being complex to operate. Watching the following dev commentary (27th August) they mention other game developers creating environments based on their games, such as a KZ environment. It would be pretty awesome for the title if it got some strong support from the developer community from launch, starting momentum on high-quality content creation, and it'll give them better exposure too. Everything sounds pretty faultless so far.

I am waiting for a Gundam level, a Starwars level, a Lego level, and a pr0n level (just for kicks). I am sure they will all make it *if* Sony allows them.

 

[cthellis42]

Something little of mine gets big over this title, but it's not a planet~!

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I am waiting for a...Starwars level.

It's sounds inevitable given the ubiquity of the SW franchise. But now you mention it, this must look quite attractive to commercial contributors. How much is it for BK to make there's XB360 mini games? How much would it cost to use the LBP framework and create BK content? Or a Coca-Cola/Pepsi Christmas level? Or a Nike/Adidas level? It seems like a chance for maximum exposure (assuming the title is popular and the commercial productions are handled in a way that makes them popular too) at minimal expense.

 

[patsu]

All possible but besides cost of production, it also depends on the following factors:
* User base
* User profile/segment (ok, all can afford $499 and $599 boxes)
* Effectiveness (as opposed to unmeasurable brand advertising)

... to make it worthwhile.

But it won't stop the users from using their favorite brands or game characters/objects in LBP though.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Those factors didn't seem to deter BK though, so if they're willing to invest that much on small segment - $400 console owning burger eaters - I can't see why a smaller investment wouldn't find its way onto LBP. Cost wise, what might an LBP level cost? How does it compare with viral marketing? Thinking of the SotC viral website, who knew about it to even visit it?! My bet is someone will experiment at least.

 

[patsu]

I guess it's possible if it's pegged to something bigger (i.e., part of a campaign like placement in a Sony Pictures movie, and Playstation Home). The ad agency would have to be trained though. So I expect this kind of move only after PS Home launches.

BTW, here's more LBP hands-on:
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/821/821036p1.html

The other big revelation is that LittleBigPlanet will feature VoIP and all the characters are actually lip-synched; when you talk, their adorable oversized gobs will babble away, which is always entertaining. This feature wasn't demonstrated, but will apparently feature in the press conference. Beyond this, although Evans was non-commital on a release date, he did mention that there were plans for a slow roll-out of a public beta this year starting, jokingly, with his mother and expanding bit by bit from there. Sign us up, please.

 

[Npl]

Could well imagine "treasure hunts", that way both Sony and the advertising Company get coverage from the respective other.
ie. Nike advertising "go play LBP on PS3 and break the record on our map, each week best 10 get 100€ coupons"
and obviously a free downloadable LBP level stuffed full of Nike-Adverts on PSN.

I`d bet that Sony would agree to something like this, without getting direct payment.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Cool feature on the lipsync! That makes virtual plays/movies even better! As for direct payment of content, much of it is going to be free. That's what makes YouTube popular. If you had to pay to try user created content, no-one would try it and the community wouldn't get anywhere. And if it's open to user created content to download for free, it's open for commercial ventures to add content for free, like YouTube or the 'net.

Edit : Although permission will be needed for LBP's name and likeness in ad' campaigns, if that's what you meant.

 

[Npl]

@Shifty: I dint meant "normal" user created Content (free for sure), but Content which contains advertising for companies, call it commercial content.
Sure Sony would like something in return for offering & hosting advertising, I mean its not like there wont be monitoring of uploaded content (even if only by checking reported abuse) anyway. Maybe it will even have to get rated to comply with parental control.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

What if a non-commercial user slaps in a Coke can? Is user content going to be that heavily monitored to filter out trademarks? In a way, piracy of IPs will need to be guarded against. If someone creates a playable Mario type character, Sony will never hear the end of it! But if no-one complains about the 'infringement' of a trademark, will they do anything? If I upload a YouTube vid where I'm clearly drinking from a Coke can, will YouTube refuse to show it? Nope. Do they charge CocaCola for advertising? No as far as I'm aware. If CocaCola asked them to remove it was it was an infringement, they might well comply, but if CocaCola are happy with the exposure, it'd stay up.

I'd expect the same with LBP. A home user can chuck in IPs, and they'll get removed if the owner complains. If not, Sony won't be a copyright police, I imagine, and so any company can post content as though from an individual - in our glorious age of covert, viral, subterfuge marketing. Then again content will be much less prolific than YouTube, so maybe they could spare the manpower and will wheedle out all adverts unless you pay up?

 

[cthellis42]

The other big revelation is that LittleBigPlanet will feature VoIP and all the characters are actually lip-synched; when you talk, their adorable oversized gobs will babble away, which is always entertaining. This feature wasn't demonstrated, but will apparently feature in the press conference. Beyond this, although Evans was non-commital on a release date, he did mention that there were plans for a slow roll-out of a public beta this year starting, jokingly, with his mother and expanding bit by bit from there. Sign us up, please.

Well there be voice manipulating? Please tell me there will be voice manipulating! The characters are too small and cute for my thundering bass.

 

[inefficient]

Impressions

I got to play Little Big Planet today at TGS .

It was the level from the GDC conference, but slightly tweaked and different in some areas. I didnt get to play the create part just the play part with 4 players. But what I played was pretty much as awesome as I expected.

It played pretty much like the GDC level. But the yellow spong was completly gone for some reason. There was these colored marshmellow things instead for point gathering. There were also this pink colored easter eggs which I assume are some kind of bonus picks. Who ever gets the most points before the end gets the 1st prise trophy.

You just move with the right analog and grab with R1 and jump with X. That's about all you need to know to play the game. There are other controls by they don't impact core gameplay. Like the dpad is used to control facial expressions. And there is some button/stick combo to say to do waves and slaps etc.

The only thing that I didn't absolutly love about it was the whole 3 teirs on the Z axis thing. It makes the game a bit confusing at times. There are 3 teirs or layers along the Z axis that your character or objects can be resting on. And a lot of the movments between these teirs is not explicit.

I think they thought the game would be more simple if the player only had to worry about 3rd axis. But the fact that there really is a Z axis and the player does have to implicity move across it at times makes things confusing. It's kind of hard to explain unless you actually play it. But jumping from one platform to another that is on a different Z axis some times doesnt go the way you expect. Like they don't actually connect every time you want them to. But it's a pretty forgiving game when it comes to making mistakes. So the impact of timing a jump wrong is pretty small. At least in that level.

 

[xatnys]

You just move with the right analog and grab with R1 and jump with X.

Er, wouldn't that make jumping and moving at the same time a bit uncomfortable? I use my thumbs to control the analogue sticks but I also use them to press most of the buttons (sans the shoulder ones).