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LittleBigPlanet 2 delayed until Jan. 2011
Sony-owned studio Media Molecule has announced that LittleBigPlanet 2 will miss its original November 2010 release date and arrive sometime during January 2011. Writing on the official website, the development team expressed disappointment, but deemed the extra time necessary to deliver "the experience that our great fans and community deserve." "We've all been working like powered-up space ninjas and we're almost there, but because we love what we've made, and we love our little sack-friends, and most of all we love all our fans out there, we couldn't let you all get together until we knew we were giving you the best experience imaginable." Considering the complexity seen in some of the game types and levels in the LBP2 beta so far, fans can clearly imagine some impressive experiences already. We'll see you next year, Sackboy. [Update: We'll see you on January 18, to be precise.]
Pac-Man, Micro Machines, Air Hockey created in LittleBigPlanet 2 beta
We have no earthly way of knowing who YouTube user TheFinalBurst is, but we're pretty sure the mystery creator's series of videos from the LittleBigPlanet 2 beta could serve as more effective marketing for the game than any ad campaign Sony could put together. Over the past week, TheFinalBurst's managed to create some mind-bogglingly intricate games using LBP 2's tool set -- games like Pac-Man, Micro Machines, an air hockey mini-game and even a first-person shooter, which we're still trying to wrap our heads around. Check out a few of our favorite selections after the jump, or visit TheFinalBurst's YouTube page to check out all of this homebrew designer's brilliant creations. Those beta invites can't arrive soon enough. Update: A few of our commenters have pointed out that TheFinalBurst wasn't the author of all of the levels posted in his YouTube channel. We apologize to the original creators for not giving credit where credit was due.
LittleBigPlanet 2 beta expanding to US within a few weeks
Jealous that you weren't one of the lucky few who got a golden ticket to join in the LittleBigPlanet 2 beta test? There's probably a pretty good reason for that: You don't live in Europe. A recent update on PlayStation.Blog clarified that the beta invites sent out earlier this week only went to active members of the European LBP community, and that similarly Sackboy-obsessed gamers living in the US and other countries will be added to the testing group "in a few weeks." A few weeks? So we can either wait like, 21 days, or buy a plane ticket to London and forge some important citizenship documents? That sounds like an awful lot of work. On the other hand -- grappling hooks.
LittleBigPlanet 2 'Sackzan' featurette is a swinging good time
What level could better demonstrate the practical applications of LittleBigPlanet 2's grappling hook than one based on Tarzan, the O.G. of using swinging as a form of locomotion? Check out Media Molecule's "Sackzan" featurette below, and imagine how you'll incorporate the new toy in your own levels.
LittleBigPlanet 2 beta invites going to 'really active' LBP users
Want an early sneak peek at LittleBigPlanet 2's fancy new features? Beta invitations will be going out this week, but they will be reserved for "users who've been really active in LittleBigPlanet," according to a post on PlayStation Europe's forums. If you haven't been playing, sharing and creating lately, you may be out of luck. "Unfortunately we are not able to recruit any further Beta Testers at present."
Media Molecule reveals LittleBigPlanet 2's more-than-just-music sequencer
The demo of LittleBigPlanet 2 that was shown at Cologne's Gamescom this week was similar to the build shown off to great effect at E3 a few months ago. But there was one significant level-editing feature that was being demonstrated for the first time here: a music sequencer that's also quite a bit more. LittleBigPlanet 2 Technical Director Alex Evans demonstrated the sequencer, which lets you arrange notes on a four-measure grid with the beat at the bottom and multiple octaves of notes running vertically. You choose from a selection of instrument samples including a honky tonk piano, acoustic guitar, drum kit, beatbox, and roughly 30 more that were shown in the demo (more are expected for the final game, Evans said). Notes can be built into samples, which can then be repeated and mixed further via a larger timeline object in the level creation screen.
LittleBigPlanet 2 Gamescom trailer makes beautiful, beautiful music
We know you just got that Passion Pit song from LittleBigPlanet 2's debut trailer out of your head, so we apologize for the video posted just after the break. Sony's Gamescom 2010 press conference offered its crowded attendees a look at even more of the customizable sequel's creation tools, such as the music editor and cutscene direction process. It also shows off more of the main campaign's multitude of colorful backdrops -- all set to the infinitely brain-adhering "Sleepyhead." Check out the new video after the jump -- and keep your fingers crossed for a chance to get in the upcoming LittleBigPlanet 2 closed beta test.
LittleBigPlanet 2 beta announced, starting 'soon'
Between the grappling hooks, AI Sackboys and gigantic, "Everlong"-sized hand attachments, we couldn't blame you for wanting to get your hands on LittleBigPlanet 2 before its release. You're in luck -- Media Molecule community guru Spaff recently announced on the game's official forums that, much like its predecessor, the game would undergo a beta process "soon." Spaff didn't deliver any specifics about when it would begin, but did mention that information how recruitment will go down will also surface "soon." We'd imagine he means "sooner" than the actual beta kicks off -- in that instance, the actual time table for the beta test is "soon, but not the soonest," or, in simpler terms, "soonish."
LittleBigPlanet 2 'Adventure' trailer fits like a Power Glove
There is plenty for LittleBigPlanet fans to soak up in the newest trailer for the customizable platformer's upcoming sequel. The most tantalizing clips offer a look at some of the new tools Sackboy will have at his disposal, including the Grappling Hook, Creatinator (used as a Shadow Complex-esque Foam Gun in this particular video) and the Power Gloves, which appear to allow Sackboy to lift enemies and objects and toss them at other things, Super Mario Bros. 2 style. The PlayStation.Blog post revealing the trailer also gives a few hints about the game's plot, which sees Sackboy protecting "Craftworld" from the nefarious, vacuum cleaner-shaped Negativatron in an "epic adventure through time and space." Check out the video below the jump, and, as is the case with most of Media Molecule's marketing videos, get your tapping toe ready for a workout.
LittleBigPlanet 2 grabs onto Nov. 16 release date; Collector's Edition and pre-order bonuses detailed
Here's that LittleBigPlanet 2 release date you were looking for: November 16. That's just under four months away, which leaves you just enough time to make some tough decisions. Here are your choices: you can either pre-order the game from select retailers to score a number of special costumes -- as seen in our gallery below -- or you can opt for the $80 Collector's Edition, which is also a limited edition, by virtue of actually being limited. Pre-orders from Amazon will net you both Ratchet and Clank costumes, along with four new "Animals" costumes for a grand total of six. Order from BestBuy and grab, claw-style, the Toy Story Alien costume along with, you guessed it, the four Animals costumes. Lastly, order from GameStop and get a Tron suit along with the same four Animals costumes. There's also a Gonzo costume, but Sony's not saying which retailer that's tied to. If all this pre-ordering sounds hard, why not just do it the American way? Throw money at the problem! 80 bucks nabs you a copy of the game, a 7-inch Sackboy plushie (cute!), LittleBigPlanet 2 bookends, all the above mentioned costumes, and exclusive Jak and Daxter costumes. Not bad for a $20 premium. The catch: This Collector's Edition is actually a limited edition, "so you better pre-order soon to ensure you get one," Sony says. %Gallery-98081%
Interview: Media Molecule's Alex Evans, on LittleBigPlanet 2
We know enough about Media Molecule's follow-up to 2008's highly customizable platformer LittleBigPlanet to know that it's remarkably ambitious. Still, for each feature the studio announces, dozens of questions surface about how they'll actually be implemented in LittleBigPlanet 2. For answers to these burning queries, we turned to Media Molecule co-founder Alex Evans. Click past the jump to learn more about the sequel's bold new creation tools, community features, PlayStation Move functionality, and the unconventional ways the small development studio has expanded. %Gallery-95497%
Preview: LittleBigPlanet 2
There's a phrase that sometimes comes to mind whenever a developer is showing off the differences between their upcoming sequel and the past iteration of the franchise. It only springs forth when this new installment introduces major, sweeping improvements over the series' previous entry, and, in my case, it almost always serves as a metric for my excitement for the sequel: "Well, this changes everything." As a fond appreciator of the already powerful creation tools upon which LittleBigPlanet is perpetually built, this phrase entered my mind a score of times during Media Molecule's recent E3 media demo of LittleBigPlanet 2. I suspect that, in order to contextualize the hugeness of some of these changes, you have to have a deep understanding of how the creation tools in the first game functioned. Even if you don't, the proof is in the proverbial pudding: You didn't used to be able to make real-time strategy games. Now you can. %Gallery-95497%
More LittleBigPlanet 2 community features, LBP.me functionality revealed
At a recent E3 preview presentation, LittleBigPlanet 2 mastermind Alex Evans revealed a handful of new innovations that Media Molecule is incorporating in the do-it-yourself sequel. One aspect of the game that will see a major (and oft-requested) improvement is its community features. According to Evans, the days of hunting for levels randomly distributed across the face of a planet will be gone -- player creations will now appear in a simple list, which players will be able to filter using a number of metrics (genre, keyword, etc.). More exciting than that was the explanation of the functions offered by LBP.me, the web portal which will give players their own personal websites, which will automatically update with that player's creations, recently played levels and top scores. If you're looking at one of these pages in a browser, you can set the game to automatically queue up the level next time you play -- or, alternatively, you could just print out a QR barcode assigned to each level, place it in front of your PlayStation Eye, and watch as it loads up the appropriate creation.
LittleBigPlanet 2 FAQ clears up some confusion, confirms Stephen Fry
The debut trailer for LittleBigPlanet 2 created more questions than it answered, most of them relating to the sequel's compatibility with DLC for the first game, and how the new features promised in said trailer would function. A handful of these queries have been put to rest by a FAQ post published on the PlayStation.Blog. For instance, the post confirms that all objects, costumes and decorations collected in the original game should carry over, except for objects using a graphical glitch or exploit. More importantly, QI host and wildlife enthusiast Stephen Fry will reprise his role as the game's omniscient narrator. However, the FAQ also references "custom Voice Acting," a feature with a capacity for hilarity that we've yet to be able to comprehend. For more answers to your burning questions, check out the full LittleBigFAQ.
Media Molecule co-founder talks LBP2 changes, Move support
In a recent interview with VG247, Media Molecule co-founder Mark Healy talked about some of the big changes coming to LittleBigPlanet 2 -- not all of them were revealed in this morning's action-packed, Passion Pit-infused trailer. According to Healy, improving the "Play, Create, Share" pillars of the first game was a focus for the sequel. The first two will be bolstered by new creation tools like the Direct Control Seat and character AI, which allow you to modify the genre of your homespun creations. The Share pillar will see the implementation of the web functionality teased last year, suited to creating personalized websites for each of your in-game creations and making them easier to share with other players. Media Molecule will also streamline the stage-finding process with Level Links -- badges you can embed within your levels, which players can use to hop directly into another of your creations, or the next sequential level in your fully-formed game. Finally, on the subject of Sony's motion controller, Healy said the potential to play the game using only the Move and Sub Controller "seems like a bit of a no-brainer." However, he added, "we're totally going to go to town on supporting that, but I don't think we will have the full functionality at launch." After watching this tech demo, we're not sure we can wait for the Move's near-limitless capacity for Sackboy-griefing.
LittleBigPlanet 2 trailer falls to Earth
digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/10/littlebigplanet-2-trailer-falls-to-earth/'; Media Molecule officially took the handmade wraps off its game-sweding suite's sequel, LittleBigPlanet 2. How do you make a full sequel to a game that's already had a sequel's worth of free content updates? Media Molecule appears to have expanded its game-making engine significantly. For example, it is now possible to add AI characters called "Sackbots," with behavior you can record or define. Levels can also be bundled to make a whole game, and those games don't have to be platformers. The trailer above gives us brief looks at racing games (one of which appears to involve players riding mice) and a Space Invaders-style shooter. You can even open use a "Direct Control Seat" to alter controls, allowing you to control objects that are not Sackboy, "and make a game that doesn't even remotely resemble" Media Molecule's foundation. This sequel will even, in a way, act as yet another upgrade to the original: all of the two-million-plus LittleBigPlanet 1 levels will still work. LittleBigPlanet 2 will be out on PlayStation 3 in Winter 2010.
Media Molecule re-confirms LittleBigPlanet 2, more details coming Monday
Though the first day of the working week is typically despised by most intelligent lifeforms -- especially Garfield -- we've got something to look forward to this coming Monday. Following information about Game Informer's feature article on LittleBigPlanet 2, Media Molecule Tweeted that the game is, in fact, real, and that we can expect "full mega details on Monday." Details supposedly culled from the Game Informer feature have already found their way online, but we think we can wait another 48 hours for the first-hand skinny. [Thanks Luis!]
LittleBigPlanet 2 revealed in June Game Informer
While Gears of War 3 may hold the cover spot of the next issue of Game Informer, the June 2010 issue will also feature a "huge feature" on LittleBigPlanet 2, Sony's not-yet-announced-but-very-real platforming sequel. Considering the numerous leaks surrounding the title, we're unsurprised that the game's existence is confirmed by an uneventful preview of a preview. If Sony shows this off at its E3 press conference, just try to act shocked, okay? [Thanks, Scuba Owl!]
Musician announces licensed song for LittleBigPlanet 2
It looks likely that LittleBigPlanet 2 in the works. Musician Christopher Leary (aka Ochre) announced on his Twitter that his song, "Infotain Me" has been licensed to Sony for use in LitteBigPlanet 2 on PS3. This would be the second accidental mention of a sequel to Media Molecule's platformer in under a month. First spotted by IGN, Sony refused to offer comment on the tweet, simply stating it "does not comment on rumors and speculation." Hopefully, if this sequel is real, it will provide full backwards compatibility with the original game -- something that was promised by Media Molecule's Alex Evans. Listen to the track after the break.
Sony Benelux brand manager casually mentions 'LittleBigPlanet 2'
In a video interview posted by Game-Vid and reported by Dutch tech site Tweakers, a kind of nervous-sounding Folkert Langeveld, PlayStation marketing manager for Sony Benelux, appears to have outed LittleBigPlanet 2. His Dutch-language speech about the PlayStation Move hits all the familiar bullet points: support for downloadable games like Hustle Kings, new games like The Shoot, and major releases like SOCOM 4. The thing is, he also name-drops a "LittleBigPlanet Twee" -- or, in English, "LittleBigPlanet Two." (See the video interview after the break.) While it makes sense on a base level for Sony to release a sequel to one of its flagship games, we're leaving the possibility open that Langeveld simply misspoke, for a couple of reasons: First, Sony has made repeated reference to Move support for the original LittleBigPlanet, something that Langeveld didn't mention; and second, Media Molecule level designer Danny Leaver once said that a sequel would be "the most counterproductive thing you could do I think." Of course, Leaver may have been overruled by Media Molecule's Alex Evans, who said last year that he would "love there to be a sequel" -- and overruled by Sony, which owns the studio now.
