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

Fanboy Battle: Most Overrated Games in 2008

Get the boxing gloves out, dudes. We’ve said time and time again that we love lists. We flock to them like they are the life-bread from heaven, glorious nectar from the gods. I’m not sure what invisible quality it is that makes them so addictive, but gamers love them and so does GamerSushi.

Anywho, Fidgit just posted its list of the 10 Most Overrated Games of 2008, and I bet there will be a few surprises on there (eliciting an “oh snap” or two) as well as a few that you would expect. Get ready to rant a little bit…

List after the jump!

Continue reading Fanboy Battle: Most Overrated Games in 2008

Favorite Platformers?

The platformer is a dying breed in today’s game world that is filled with shooters, gore, exploding aliens and musical game clones. We don’t always get the same kind of games that we used to get, and sometimes I really miss this genre, because it’s so often overlooked by the big gaming studios. Because of that, it’s kind of interesting that we’re getting a few great platformers this holiday season.

As kind of the early staple of gaming, it shouldn’t be any surprise that these games are still fun. There’s something so delightfully simple about pushing one button and seeing a response on the screen. Where most games have gotten needlessly complicated, platformers are pure gaming enjoyment.

Games like LittleBigPlanet, Prince of Persia and even Mirrors Edge can hopefully shine the spotlight on the fun of platforming in video games. Who knows, maybe they can rekindle the fire. What do you guys think? What are some of your favorite platformers of all time?

Go, go, go!

A Gaming Emergency!

So I’m exactly in the position that i didn’t want to be in: I’ve got a bunch of games to play, and I’m dabbling a little in each one, without ever really jumping into one to finish it.

Right now, I’ve got: Fable 2, Saint’s Row 2, Fallout 3 and Little Big Planet sitting in my apartment, and I’m just knocking out a bit here and a bit there. To top it all off, Gears of War 2 releases later this week, and after playing the Mirror’s Edge Demo (more on that later) and seeing the new Prince of Persia trailer, I’m in a bad spot.

Continue reading A Gaming Emergency!

Next Gen Underachievers

Remember when your teacher would give you progress reports and it always said something like, “Not living up to potential”?
Yeah, me either. But I am sure it happens to people out there, just as we know that some games are not living up to their next-gen potential. This post will examine these chronic underachievers.

Continue reading Next Gen Underachievers

New Little Big Planet Levels And More

I just started digging into User Created levels last night and after about 5 minutes, I was frantically calling Eddy to tell him how awesome it all was. Well, the good news doesn’t end there as Gamepro.com is reporting that Sony has confirmed that Media Molecule will be adding new levels and more as DLC.

Eric Fong says,

Yes, Media Molecule is continuing to add to the player experience with new levels, costumes, materials, and a host of other content.

I love what I have played so far and I look forward to more goodness from the MM crew. Have you guys played this yet?

 

Source- Gamepro

Little Big Planet Has Arrived!

Went to the mall today to see a movie. The Duchess, for those that care. Not bad, I liked it. As we passed by Gamestop, I felt a great disturbance in the Force. I went inside and asked the clerk when they would be getting Little Big Planet in. She replied that they had them come in today! That sound? Was my mind blowing!

So yes, been playing for an hour and it is FUN! Have not gotten to make anything yet, as you have to watch the tutorials and stuff, but just playing it is a lot of fun. Go out there and get this game!

Top 5: Games I Want For Xmas

It’s time for all the good boys and girls to make lists for their loved ones for Christmas or Hanukkah or whatever holiday festival you choose to celebrate. I celebrate Christmas, so this is a Christmas list. If that bothers you, don’t worry. I eat poorly and will likely die an untimely death. Now, on with the countdown…er count up, since I start with #1. Continue reading Top 5: Games I Want For Xmas

LittleBigColossus

Wow, the possibilities just seem endless when I look at LittleBigPlanet. Take this new video, for instance, where a student re-created a Colossus from Shadow of the Colossus in LBP as a level. When I see stuff like this, it makes me both tingle with excitement and ashamed of my own lack of creativity.

Today’s WTF: No LBP Online Creation at Launch?

A post by a developer over on the Playstation forums dropped this bombshell recently: when LittleBigPlanet launches, you won’t be able to create levels via online multiplayer. Wtf?

Color me puzzled. You figure with the launch of one of Sony’s biggest games of the year, they would have their act together, or rather, they would put the pressure on Media Molecule to get their act together. I mean, maybe I’m wrong, but isn’t online co-operative level creation one of THE reasons to get this game?

Continue reading Today’s WTF: No LBP Online Creation at Launch?

Little Big Release Date

Since it’s been more than, I don’t know, a few days since we’ve posted anything related to LittleBigPlanet, I figured we were about due for some kind of excuse to talk about Sackboy. Well, that excuse has arrived.

Kotaku reports that Sony Europe has now set the release date for LittleBigPlanet as October 24th, which is way too close for words. Granted, this is the European release date, but one can only assume that the U.S. release will be coming on or around the same time. Excited yet?

Source- Kotaku

Little Big Planet’s Little Book

I know, I’m kind of a whore for any Little Big Planet info, but when we all get honest with ourselves, we want a little plush Sackboy to take with us everywhere. That’s normal… right?

Well, regardless of my odd obsessions, it seems that the manual for the game is already on the web at SCEA and available for your perusal. Pardon me while I print it out and read it cover to cover.

Little Big Planet Manual

Casualties of Gaming

All this talk about the Wii being the bastion of casual gamers is really starting to stick in my craw. And I didn’t even know I had a craw or that such a thing could get stuck in it, but whatever. What bothers me is that casual gaming has been around FOREVER and it has nothing to do with the Wii.

Continue reading Casualties of Gaming

PAX: The Leftovers

The wild thing about PAX is there’s really so much to see and do, it’s hard to take it all in. I got to play a ton of great new games, many of which you’ve already read about. There were also a few other not-so-great ones, which you no doubt read about as well.

In the end, though, there were too many to do write-ups on all of them, so I just focused on the ones that stuck out to me most for some reason or another. However, I’ve put together a list of the other games that I saw, played and gathered some brief impressions of:

Continue reading PAX: The Leftovers

Work With Sackboy

Think you’ve got what it takes to work with Media Molecule, the minds behind Sony’s new and way-too-cute game Little Big Planet? It seems that the team that created Sackboy will be watching the community for up-and-coming map and level designers, as a big piece of the game’s appeal is going to be all of the user-created content that will grace PSN once it hits.

Why would they be watching, specifically? To give you a job. That’s just how they roll.

Continue reading Work With Sackboy

Top 5: New System Mascots That Aren’t Named Mario or Sonic

It appears as time goes on that Mario and Sonic (especially Sonic) are becoming almost irrelevant. Mario appears mainly in spin-off games, like Mario Kart and even that has lost its luster. Sure, he pops up in a true Mario game once every 3 or 4 years, but aside from New Super Mario Bros., was anyone really excited about any of those games? With that in mind, I thought it time to showcase the new mascots of the new generation. Feel free to disagree and add your own or make your own list.

Continue reading Top 5: New System Mascots That Aren’t Named Mario or Sonic