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IFC short film contest takes inspiration from LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet's influence is going beyond video games and into the realm of films. The Independent Film Channel used LBP's mantra of "Play, Create, Share" as the theme for a film-making contest it was holding a few months back. While directors didn't have to use LittleBigPlanet in their film shorts (and none of the finalists did, by the way), they were tasked to take inspiration from the game's atmospheric "art and act of creating." Sadly, you won't get to see Sackboy turned into a movie star with these films. Check out the winning short film, "Papercuts," after the break.
LittleBigPlanet commercials: The World of Fart
Whenever you have a do-it-yourself creation game like LittleBigPlanet, it's almost certain that obscene user-created levels (NSFW) are sure to follow. Sony's advertising gang know this too and thought it'd be fun to highlight something of that nature in its latest TV spot. From the UK comes "The World of Fart" -- a level filled with gas hazards and pull my finger jokes. Despite its childish concept, it looks like a well-designed and realized world. You'll want to watch the commercial after the break to refresh yourself.
LittleBigContra collaboration is remarkable
Various members from the popular video game forum NeoGAF have teamed up in an outstanding collaboration to recreate the classic NES game Contra within LittleBigPlanet. The iconic 2D shooter is revived in LBP thanks to the addition of the "Paintinator" in the Metal Gear Solid level pack. The massive project spans eight different levels, each painstakingly recreated in the LBP engine. Impressive, yes -- but we're wondering how long it will stay on the servers before the moderation team shuts it down for its obvious copyright infringement.Update: There are 8 stages in total and 7 authors on the LittleBigContra team. You can find them on the PlayStation Network as follows: Jungle: MisterAnderson - PSN: Leonidas2123 Base 1: Orz- PSN: SaitoHalifax Waterfall: PSN - RyanardoDavinci Base 2: Orz- PSN: SaitoHalifax Snowfield: PSN: NinjaMicWZ Energy Zone: El_Beefo - PSN: El_Beefo Hangar: Jaeyden - PSN: Jaeyden Alien's Lair: Donkey Show - PSN: gevurah22 See a trailer, after the cut.
Killzone 2, Buzz and Heavenly Sword LBP DLC revealed
The observant among you may have noticed that Sony's LittleBigPlanet 2009 DLC roadmap has now finished and we're still clueless as to what's coming next. The PlayStation Blog has updated with some new costume images, as you can see above, including Sev from Killzone 2 (almost certainly due to arrive today, in time for the game's launch tomorrow), Kai from Heavenly Sword and Buzz from, uh, Buzz!. While unlikely, the low-res textures and low poly-count of the Buzz model have us thinking ... maybe, just maybe, this may be a model from the upcoming PSP version?
LittleBigPlanet gets littler on PSP this fall
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/playstation/LittleBigPlanet_gets_littler_on_PSP_this_fall'; The rumors were correct, LittleBigPlanet is heading to PSP and it'll be here before the end of the year. Announced at today's Destination PlayStation retailer event, the PSP version will be developed "in conjunction" with Media Molecule and will offer a similar experience to the PS3 version with players being able to play, create and share on the go. We're promised plenty of new content, such as levels, exclusive to the PSP version this fall.We'll be very surprised if we don't see any cross-platform interactivity, but details are very thin on the ground. We'll keep you updated as more information is revealed.
Do you take this Sackboy? The LittleBigPlanet marriage
The Escapist reports that Jed, a smitten Little Big Planet gamer, created a level last October in order to propose to his girlfriend, Andrea. She said yes, and now the couple have sent out a wedding invitation in the form of another custom level, which invites players to join them for their wedding on April 11. The catch, is that the couple plans to get married in Little Big Planet. As the escapist points out, with a maximum of four players, the logistics of such a wedding are a bit of a mystery. Regardless, we have to admire Jed's creativity and look forward to their special (digital) day.Check out videos of both the proposal and wedding invitation levels after the break.
Game Developers Choice Awards finalists announced
The finalists for this year's Game Developers Choice Awards have been announced, with Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet adoring judges with nine nominations, including one for Game of the Year. Other titles up for the prestigious award include Fallout 3, Left 4 Dead, Grand Theft Auto IV and, of course, Fable 2. The Joystiq darling is also a shoe-in for snub of the year with Lionhead's opus going overlooked entirely in the Best Writing category. Seriously, what's the deal?Braid, Far Cry 2, Spore, World of Goo, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Gears of War 2 are all up for multiple awards, with winners set to take the stage during next month's gala event as part of the 2009 Game Developers Conference. The show will be hosted by Grim Fandango and Brütal Legend's Tim Schafer, promising a tongue-in-cheek good time even if our personal faves leave empty handed.
LittleBigPlanet's Edam patch goes live today
It may sound cheesy, but it's true; Media Molecule loves you. So much so that the next LittleBigPlanet patch, which is even cheesier, rolls out tonight, slightly earlier than its original "mid-February" forecast. Edam (otherwise known as version 1.09) will be automagically downloaded when you load up the game and adds plenty of bug fixes, the full list of which can be seen on the Media Molecule website. More information on further cheese-based updates will be coming "at the end of this week." This will hopefully include dates for Leerdammer and Cornish Yarg, which are expected to add more creative abilities, improved online stability and the much anticipated online create mode. Who knows, we might hear a little more about Jahlsberg and Stinking Bishop too. Wouldn't that be nice?
LittleBigPlanet patched to 1.08, lacks cheese but adds clothes
That latest LittleBigPlanet patch? It's not Edam. You'll understand what that means in a second. The patch updates the game to version 1.08 and adds two new costumes, completely free of charge. These traditional Chinese outfits are to celebrate the Chinese New Year and, as you can see, are totally adorable. Aww!There are more patches coming soon, according to a separate post on the official Media Molecule blog. Next up is Edam, which fixes a number of the game's LittleBigBugs (for the full list, check out the blog post). It's currently in testing and should be released in mid-February, with Cornish Yarg following shortly. The latter is said to contain "many fabulous things, most excitingly new creative abilities." Finally, Leerdammer hopes to stabilize LittleBigPlanet's online functions, hopefully eliminating lag and packet loss issues. Between these patches and the promised downloadable content, it's going to be a busy couple of months for LittleBigPlanet fans.Source - Welcome To The Ox (1.08 And Other Things) [Media Molecule Blog]Source - More Cheese [Media Molecule Blog][Thanks, Mick]
How do you make a survival challenge in LBP?
If you want to try making something other than remakes of Mario Bros levels and flying penises, you may want to create a survival challenge. These levels are all about getting a high score. In fact, they don't end until you die! Find out how to make one of these levels in this special video, presented by the Media Molecule team. [Via Joystiq]
LittleBigPlanet 1.08 patch fixes ... nothing
You may have noticed a LittleBigPlanet patch went live this weekend. However, don't expect the patch to fix any glitches. A developer stated that "the 1.08 update contains content only. The Edam update is still going through the testing process and we'll have more information about its release date once it's completed testing."The 1.08 patch adds textures to be used in upcoming costume DLC releases, such as the Chinese New Year costumes pictured above.The upcoming "Edam" patch will fix a number of glitches, such as the full profile warning, save corruption, and slow rewind.
LittleBigPlanet getting WipEout, Ape Escape costumes
The bad news: According to a PlayStation Europe community manager, LittleBigPlanet's DLC hiatus will continue until next week, just slightly beyond January 22's promise of "big surprises."The good news: As of January 26th, fans of Media Molecule's make-your-own-platformer will receive numerous downloadable goodies. January 26th -- Chinese New Year costumes (free, available for 10 days only) January 29th -- Groundhog Day costume (available one week only), God of War mini pack, Kratos costume February 5th -- Valentines Day mini pack (available for 2 weeks only) February 12th -- Ape Escape costume, Toro costume February 19th -- WipEout costume kit That's right, a WipEout costume kit. Haven't you always wanted your sack person to resemble a cuddly little HOVER VEHICLE THAT SHOOTS MISSILES OUT OF ITS NOSE? The neutral news: Release dates and prices have yet to be confirmed for the North American PSN. We'll keep you informed. [Via PS3 Fanboy]
NPD: MGS4 sells over 1 million in US, Tomb Raider left undiscovered
Now that we've seen the real list for 2008's top-selling games, Gamasutra has taken a look at some of the high-profile titles that didn't make the cut. Thanks to data from the NPD, we now know Metal Gear Solid 4 has passed the one-million threshold in the US with 1.08M in sales -- 775K in June, 301K since then. It's worth noting that the figure doesn't include copies sold in the MGS4 PlayStation 3 bundle. Globally, Old Snake has enlisted over 4 million soldiers. As for LittleBigPlanet and Resistance 2, they sold 611K and 598K stateside in 2008, respectively. Here's the bad news: Tomb Raider: Underworld has managed only 246K across three platforms since launching mid-November -- indeed a disappointment, but also a lowered bar for Naughty Dog's Nathan Drake vs. Lara Croft claim. To its credit, TRU has done better elsewhere, selling 1.5 million worldwide. Meanwhile, Prince of Persia did 483K in December, with at least 213K of those going to the PS3 version. While that puts it on par with Sony's first-party titles last month, it also means the Xbox 360 version saw relatively disappointing sales. Metal Gear Solid 4 and LittleBigPlanet were both "honored" (if you can call it that) in our Best of 2008 awards. See what else made the list.
Learn to make a Sackboy plushie for free
Do you remember last month's story? The one about Brit mag Simply Knitting having a feature article on how to knit a Sackboy? Surely you do, because we just linked to it. Anyway, back then you had to buy the mag to get the instructions, but now, all you have to do is click right here.It's all thanks to The Sun, who has teamed up with Simply Knitting to bring this free PDF version of the spread for the enjoyment of everyone. Now that the issue has probably been taken off the newsstands, there's no problem with letting the internet go wild and have their fun. Go at it and make some Sackpeople![Thanks Sarah S.!]
LittleBigPlanet earns ELSPA gold, 200K copies sold in UK
Sure, LittleBigPlanet may have had a rough start at first, but it seems the wrinkles are smoothing out and things are on the up-and-up. In the UK, total sales for the awwww-inducing Sackboy sim have hit well over 200,000 copies prompting ELSPA (Electronic Leisure Software Publishers Association) to award the title with prestigeous gold status. Edge notes that the healthy sales figure was due to a strong TV campaign which ran throughout the holidays -- such as commercial spots like the one embedded above. Sources also tell Edge that LBP is due any time now to receive Platinum status (300K copies sold and onward). Hometown heroes Media Molecule must be grinning ear-to-ear.
LittleBigPlanet patch adds in-game store, improved search
In addition to news about the upcoming Metal Gear Solid level and character packs, Media Molecule has also released a 67MB patch that upgrades LittleBigPlanet to version 1.07. No patch details have been released yet, so here's what we've noticed so far: An in-game LittleBigStore! It functions as its own planet, and if you've already purchased the equipment, you can swap into the whole costume here. New search options (just to the right of Community). You can now navigate through user-generated content by highest rated levels, the most hearted levels, the newest levels and the busiest levels, as well as searching with text or tags. A "save level as" option when creating levels that lets you move the creation to whichever slot you would like. No additional Stephen Fry narration (unfortunately). If you notice anything else, let us know. We'll update with the official patch notes when and if they're released.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
First LittleBigPlanet level pack coming Dec. 18
Sony has announced that LittleBigPlanet level packs will soon be proliferating the PlayStation Store -- are these the "very substantial" packs Alex Evans mentioned at the Spike VGAs? Each one is expected to cost you $2.99, which is less than the price of two Street Fightin' SackBoys.The first one, Festive Level Pack, is coming this Thursday, December 18, and includes two new costumes, one new create material, two new objects, six new decorations and a "ton" of new stickers. It's worth noting that levels are not included -- sorry folks, this is a DIY set. The pack will only remain in-store until January 8, 2009. Looking for free handouts, TinyBigTim? Don't forget you've got a gratis Santa costume available now.
VGA 2008: MM: LittleBigPlanet packs 'very substantial'
Our man Kevin Kelly is grilling celebs on the red carpet at the VGAs, and in addition to Kevin's standards ("Where's the cool party after the show?" and "Can I have a ride home?"), he's also asking about a few more substantial topics. This first nugget comes from Alex Evans of Media Molecule who said: "The LittleBigPlanet packs are going to be a lot more than what people are thinking they will be. They will be very substantial."That's all we've got for you at the moment, but stay put for all the latest updates.
Philosony: Give a sackboy a level and he'll play for a day...
Teach a sackboy to make a level and he'll play for... well, an additional day. Or so it seems.I'll be honest. This post is apt to be all over the map. There's so much that could be said and yet so little that has been said about LittleBigPlanet that I'm at a loss for where to begin. I've been trying to hone my thoughts on the game into something bloggable for more than a month now, but a recent post by Michael Abbott got me teary-eyed at the thought of little neglected sackpersons crying from loneliness. I even had a nightmare dream two-nights ago of walking into a store and seeing new copies of LBP selling for $8 (the horror!).So for the sake of some kind of organization let me break down this discussion into three open ended questions:#1: Why has LBP seemingly fallen off the radar?#2: Is it possible to have truly "community made" levels?#3: Should we think of LBP as more "toy" than "game"?
Sony to deploy free, multi-stage Santa SackBoy costume
In addition to tomorrow's for-pay Street Fighter outfits, Sony will be gifting LittleBigPlanet fans with the first part of a free, two-piece SackSanta costume for your SackBoys (or SackGirls). Stage one is the Santa suit; the hat and beard will be available on the PlayStation Store (again, for free) the following Thursday, December 18.Like the milk & cookies you leave out for the real Santa, this costume will magically disappear from the PS Store come January 8. We're assuming it won't be replaced with a coal costume.
