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GameStop LBP pre-orders also get God of War level pack
According to a new GameStop commercial uploaded to Youtube, gamers who pre-order LittleBigPlanet from GameStop will not only get Kratos sackboy, but also Medusa and Minotaur costumes along with a unique God of War map pack. It sounds like the map pack means not just a brand new level to play, but special tools and items for you use in your own creations. So "power to the players," people; take that slogan to mean "feel free to bother your local store clerk" for hours on end to give you those additional voucher codes. Check out the commercial embedded after the cut.[Thanks gambit07! via Ripten]
Rumor: Disney characters set to invade LittleBigPlanet
According to the rumor section of the latest edition of Electronic Gaming Monthly, future LittleBigPlanet DLC will include characters from Disney and other non-Sony properties. The rumor also stated that characters from third-party titles will make an appearance. EGM doesn't provide a date or otherwise elaborate on the gossip -- how do you guys feel about this? Are you looking forward to seeing a Sackboy version of Jafar terrorize your LittleBigPlanet or would your rather not have LBP become Kingdom Hearts? [Via Joystiq]
Rumor: Disney characters coming to LittleBigPlanet
As you put the finishing touches on your latest laborious LittleBigPlanet masterpiece, you make a startling realization -- something is missing. Your homebrewed LittleBigLocale is missing its keystone; without this necessary component, your hours of work will have been for naught. The component is, of course, a statue of Horace Horsecollar and his bovine betrothed, Clarabelle Cow.While the previous sentence likely only made sense to people who watched cartoons in the 1930s, the following will probably be clearer -- according to the latest revolution of Electronic Gaming Monthly's rumor mill, LittleBigPlanet DLC is set to include non-sony property, such as characters from Disney franchises and 3rd-party PlayStation titles. We're not sure in what capacity these properties could be included in Media Molecule's uber-customizable platformer, but we're certainly excited about the prospective existence of SackBaloo.
Joyswag: LittleBigBeta code giveaway, day five
Over the last week, we've been deriving deliciously twisted pleasure from our LittleBigPlanet beta code giveaway. Oh, to have such power over our readers in exchange for a simple sequence of letters and numbers. Please continue to indulge our pathetic power trip and make a play for ten more codes. Tell us why you don't want entry into the LittleBigBeta and we might just give it to you out of spite. To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment telling us why you don't want entry into the LittleBigBeta. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec and Imaginationland). Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and we'll toss poor Sackboy into a fire). This entry period ends at 11:59pm ET on Friday, October 3rd. We'll randomly select 10 winners at that time to each receive a LBP beta code. Please check your e-mail! For a list of complete rules, click here. Also keep an eye out on The Not Unofficial Joystiq Twitter™ for a chance to win more beta codes!
LittleBigPlanet dev wants user-created content that make the game unrecognizable
In an interview on Edge, Media Molecule co-founder Alex Evans talks about his thoughts as LittleBigPlanet is about to be shipped. He expressed his desire to see something radical out of the user-created content. Specifically, he wants to see more than just stickers. Not that there's anything wrong with stickers, mind you, but the man wants the game to become unrecognizable. "Stickers are fine, and they will be there, of course, but I want to shock myself. I want to be at GDC next year when someone does a LittleBigPlanet reveal and no one knows it's LittleBigPlanet."That sounds intriguing -- maybe we'll start seeing LBP content that's not remotely cute, perhaps even disturbing, in the future. Evans also talks about the effects of implementing the live level-editing feature and in-game logic-embed objects, so head over to Edge if you want to read the entire interview.
Sackboys (and girl) in real life: Kratos, Snake, Nariko
Sackboy plushies! You want them. We want them. And until we get the official squeeze toys, we'll have to settle with these adorable homemade dolls. As creations of DeviantArt member mythical89, this collection of four sackpeople must have taken a good amount of time to make. We're thoroughly impressed; we especially love the Solid Snake one, and Nariko is our second pick.[Thanks JC!]
LittleBigPlanet beta codes from GameTrailers and G4
We know many of you are looking for LittleBigPlanet beta codes, which can be a frustrating process at times, but do keep in mind the game comes out October 21st, less than a month away. Pretty soon, we'll all get to experience LBP for ourselves. With that said, two more sites have revealed how you can get your hands on these highly-desired codes.G4's method is simple. You just have to fill out this form here any time from now until October 2nd, then cross your fingers. A random drawing will occur on October 3rd and 2,000 codes will be awarded to the winners.GameTrailer's method is also rather simple ... for now. Register for their site and you can view their current newsletter here. That isn't the newsletter with the information you want though -- we are assuming the link to Thursday's newsletter is here (the link doesn't work yet) and more details will surface at that time. We hope this helps. Good luck, everyone!Source -- G4Source -- GameTrailers[Thanks, MiguelCar808, black_ryuk and Andrew!]
Media Molecule was working on Portal-like game
Ah, the things that could have been. Alex Evans, co-founder of Media Molecule, revealed in an interview with Kikizo that they were working on game "more Portally than Portal ... Portal, but with scale factor." They even met with Valve, who suggested they collaborate on a title (it is unclear whether it is the aforementioned one) together. "We were very tempted ... But in the end we decided to talk to Sony and they just got the game at the beginning." Considering Valve's history with Sony's console, PS3 fanboys everywhere are thankful for that.The five page interview covers much of what the Media Molecule devs wants for LittleBigPlanet. "One of my personal ambitions is that I want to make this game easy enough for my mum to play, which is actually a very ambitious thing to say," Mark Healey stated. Awww! Jokes aside though, if Healey thinks LBP is easy enough for his mother to play, it might just help the PS3 find a whole new audience.[Via Shacknews]
More LittleBigPlanet beta codes from 1UP and GamePro
Missed out on some of the LittleBigPlanet beta code giveaways from yesterday? Fear not, for there's more to come courtesy of 1UP and GamePro. For the next three days (today, Wednesday and Thursday), 1UP will be giving out 500 codes per day. First, you have to register with them if you haven't done so already. Next, check their LBP minisite for their question of the day. Once you figure out the answer, head over to Sack_Boy_1UP's page and send him a private message with your answer. The first 500 people who send in the correct answer will receive a beta code.GamePro has 1,250 codes to be given away on Wednesday, October 1st. You must also register with GamePro in order to enter their contest. When Wednesday arrives, check this page out and enter your information for a chance to win. Don't enter your information till Wednesday though, the current page is for Monday's contest. Winners will be notified on October 2nd.Source -- 1UPSource -- GamePro[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
LittleBigPlanet devs were making something 'more Portally than Portal'
Here's one to slide right between Thrill Kill and Earthosaur: The Terraforming Bike in the "Games We're Sad We'll Never See" file. LittleBigPlanet devs Media Molecule told Kikizo that, before they started work on their user-generated platformer with Sony, they had been crafting a game "more Portally than Portal ... Portal, but with scale factor."As intriguing as the game sounds, we're more upset we'll never see if Media Molecule could have come up with other incrementally better things. Could they have made an AI more GLaDOSy than GLaDOS or a company more Aperture Sciencier than Aperture Science? We, of course, don't ask if there could be a songwriter more Jonathan Coultony than Jonathan Coulton, as that's a position handily filled by Jonathan CoulT-2000, an android currently in cold storage somewhere in New Mexico.Duh.
When Sackboy met the Xbox 360 ...
... they didn't get along so well. PSN user RedBullRacer is having a blast in the LittleBigPlanet beta, apparent from this video of a level he/she created which pokes fun at the Xbox 360. It amused us ever so slightly, so we decided to share it with our dear readers. And remember kids, this is just for fun. Make sure you hold on tight to your sense of humor, then check out the video after the jump.
Canada gets Nariko LBP pre-order from Future Shop
People who pre-order LittleBigPlanet in the United States already know where to go, but the Canadians up north ... they're still wondering what's to become of the second half of their early-payment campaign. While it's been know for some time now that Canucks could get the adorable Kratos Sackboy from EB Games, it's only now that we find out that Nariko Sackgirl will be available via Future Shop.That's all according to the Future Shop website as pointed out by one of our Canadian readers. Now all that's left is for Media Molecule to confirm this and it's solid as gold.[Thanks Andrew!]
Sony announces more sites for LittleBigPlanet beta keys
[Update 1 -- IGN is beginning their giveaway. They have a "few thousand codes" and all you have to do is send an e-mail over to beyond@ign.com. Make sure your subject is "LBP Beta Code" and send them your idea for a LBP level. It doesn't have to be long, as long as you show you are "interested in creating something." It's a first-come-first served type of deal, so get to it ASAP! Thanks, freebluespike!]Some of you were lucky enough to have your LittleBigPlanet beta keys and are enjoying some fun with Sackboy right now (*ahem* Andrew *ahem*), but others aren't so lucky. Fortunately, the guys over at PlayStation.Blog just complied a list of where you will find LittleBigPlanet beta keys in the "the next few days." They have listed IGN, 1UP, Gametrailers and the official LBP news site but no additional information was provided. Needless to say, we'll update you guys as soon as more information leaks out. G4 has release partial details for their beta key giveaway; tune in to their X-Play show at 8PM on Tuesday, September 30th for a chance to win one of their 2,000 beta keys. PS.Blog also provided instructions on how to install the beta if you managed to obtain a voucher, so check that out after the jump.
See Mario's World 1-1 in LittleBigPlanet
You had to know this sort of thing was coming: As you can see right after the break, Super Mario Bros.' World 1-1 has been replicated in the make-your-own-fun platformer, LittleBigPlanet. It's not exact (in fact, we wouldn't be surprised to see players trying to immediately trump it) but it's still adorable.What's surprising, though, is that it appears to lose a bit in the fun department during translation. Of course, maybe this is more about the actual achievement. We should really stop looking a gift Sackboy in the mouth.
LittleBigPlanet could get you that industry job
And not like how we have a "job" in the industry. This one might actually bring joy into the lives of others! "I think this game can definitely help people get jobs in the industry," Media Molecule's co-founder and LittleBigPlanet's art director, Kareem Ettouney, recently told VentureBeat."Imagine a guy going into a job with five levels of LittleBigPlanet and you get to play his creation." Having been "blown away" by the varied creations that flooded out of Parsons New School of Design earlier this week, Ettouney explained that LittleBigPlanet's shared level building could provide a way for upcoming game designers to become known and appreciated -- or feared, in our case. "People know his levels and know his name," he said, suggesting that aspiring designers would walk into a job interview, already known. "We hope LittleBigPlanet plays a part in getting new game developers jobs and also making them stars."You hear that, Dad? This guy says we can get a job by playing a game! And you said it was just a waste of time.
LBP beta is an old build, full game will have many more features
It's been over 24 hours since people have had access to the LittleBigPlanet beta (pronounced beeeeta in Europe, naturally). We know a lot of you managed to get codes from Eurogamer, so congratulations to those who did. How are you enjoying it? We're having a blast, but there are a few things that we feel are lacking. Thankfully, a new post on the official Media Molecule blog states that "it's already quite an old build. We have some cool new stuff that's been in our private test for a few days, I won't give it all away but there are things cooking such as 5-star ratings, (much) better performance and less lagginess, better online stability, better UI for publishing, faster downloads...." Consider our minds put to rest. We're looking forward to seeing expanded user profiles, level rankings based on ratings and improved level filters. So hopefully they're included in Media Molecule's current cooking pot. If not, we're sure they'll be implemented one day, thanks to the company's emphasis on developing the LittleBigPlanet experience based on user demand. So, LBP beta testers, what are your demands?
LittleBigPlanet beta begins tomorrow, codes available on Eurogamer
So it turns out the LittleBigPlanet beta begins pretty soon. Like, tomorrow. Want to be involved? Eurogamer are giving away 5800 beta codes on a first-come first-serve basis. These are obviously dwindling rapidly, so get your skates on. We're not sure what the beta entails, exactly, but it begins tomorrow and ends on the 12th or October. You'll be able to make your own levels which, we suspect, will be populating the servers once the game releases at the end of next month. We suspect these beta codes will only work in Europe, but we should be hearing about the American method of entry any day now.
Art students make LittleBigColossus in 24 hours
We've got to admit that when we decided to write up this post on the 24-hour LittleBigPlanet Game Jam at Parsons New School of Design, it was because of a few misconceptions. First, we thought that, since this was Parsons, former chair of fashion design (and our personal favorite human) Tim Gunn would be there. He was not. Also, we thought that a "Game Jam" would be a lot more like "Space Jam." This, too, proved to be untrue.If you're curious what a bunch of designers-in-training came up with for LBP, we have a truly stunning video of their "LittleBigColossus" after the jump. Just don't expect any slam-dunking bunnies or wizened fashionistas over their shoulders telling them to "Make it work™." Gallery: Parsons LittleBigPlanet Design Jam
Parsons students create 'Shadow of the LittleBigColossus'
"We're not a bunch of gamers here," a faculty member of the Parsons New School told the audience. "A project like this means much more to us than working with a new game. What we're interested in is collaboration, learning in new tools, in testing possibilities with environments and products we haven't worked with before. The experience we had with LittleBigPlanet this weekend is more than that."Over the weekend, students from NYC's Parsons School worked for twenty four hours continuously with LittleBigPlanet. Their challenge? To create a level from scratch using early copies of the PS3-exclusive. With little or no background in the game, the students were able to create a wide assortment of hugely innovative and different levels.There were a number of winners, across multiple categories. In fact, additional prizes were handed out by Sony due to the overwhelming number of great submissions. However, one level stood out as the single best level -- one created by Team Sportsmanship. We've lovingly dubbed the level "Shadow of the LittleBigColossus." Watch the video (above) and see why. %Gallery-32483%
LBP won't have online co-op level editor at launch
PS3's much-anticipated LittleBigPlanet will not ship with the online co-op create mode, according to Sony's official US forums. The feature will be added with the "first major update" of the game after launch, but no indication was given as to when we can expect said update.The four-player co-op will still be online and four-player level creation will still be possible -- as long as everyone is sitting in the same room. LBP is slated for release globally at the end of October.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
