When Devs Step Back: LittleBigPlanet

LBP

Panic struck the hearts of LittleBigPlanet fans around the net this weekend, as there have been reports that Siobhan Reddy, studio director of Media Molecule, said that the group was “stepping away” from the franchise for a time to focus on new ideas. Naturally, game sites reported this news (which originated from a single tweet) as gospel, but since then there have been updates from Media Molecule which clarify that they are not leaving LBP forever, merely putting it in the backseat temporarily while they break ground on new developments.

All of this is most certainly welcome news (I’ll be happy with anything that MM puts out in the future), it did spring a new question to life that I thought I’d ask you guys. It’s well known these days that game devs’ hands are tied to their popular franchises, which is why we see sequel after nonstop sequel each year. It almost makes me wish that more studios had the freedom to step away like this. I would love to see what Naughty Dog could do besides Uncharted, and I certainly can’t wait to see what Bungie does with its new-found life after Halo.

So now I ask you gents: which devs would you like to see step away from their current hit franchises? What kind of games would you like to see them create? Go!

Source – LittleBigLand

GamerSushi Top Six: Freed Franchises

freedomWell folks, it’s time for another GamerSushi Top Six, where Anthony and I dissect the gaming world and come up with a list of six spectacular things. Why six? Because six sells. Our feature this week even has a holiday theme.

In the spirit of Independence Day, when us Americans threw off the shackles of tyranny by some other snooty country that nobody even remembers the name of, we have compiled a dream list of franchises that could be liberated from their current developers and sent to live with someone who will treat them in a way they’ve never been treated before.
Continue reading GamerSushi Top Six: Freed Franchises