LittleBigLevels

Is it?

2009-03-04T21:28:00.001-05:00

It is. The 1.1 update is finnaly released to the community, as of, well, now. Since this postis from my phone, I'll tell you what's new (who needs official feature lists anyway...)

Ok, starting up... Nothing new... Checking some things, again nothing.... Wait? Co-op create! Well there's nothing new on the moon, hmm, nothing.

Nothing new under the search, no new costumes, one last thing to check, create mode itself.

NOTHING!

Well, it looks like we need Media Molecule to help clear things up...

Come on, co-op create needs to be here somewhere...

And Boom Goes the Dynamite

2009-02-26T09:59:00.001-05:00

Somthing wonderful has happened on the LittleBigPlanet. First off, the cool pages has been reset, now filled with many cool and new levels (including one of mine, Killzone 2: Welcome to Helghan, made it on page 2). So if you were tired seeing the same levels with 10,000+ plays, now you have 20 pages of hidden gems in the lime light. Who knows how frequently this will happen, but definatly a welcomed change.

Another improvment came with an updated search feature. It shows less results, but the results you do get are more relevent.

On a side note, Killzone 2 comes out tomorow, so will we finnaly see that Helghast costume today? We'll see later...

A Little Late.....

2009-02-12T17:43:00.002-05:00

... But just as cool. What is it? Well, LittleBigPlanet merchandise of course. Even before the game was released, people thought that Sackboy would make an adorable toy. Well, here they come. Made by Mezco Toys, these 4 inch tall figurines will be released in spring to select retailers....

On a related note, Sony has announced actual plush toys that will be released soon.... So keep checking back for more news.

Put Down Your Cheese And Go Get Some Cheese....

2009-02-09T20:11:00.002-05:00

Well, yes. The 1.09 patch, a.k.a. Edam, is out for your downloading pleasure. if you forgot what this patch has included then.... Umm.... Read this....

* Failed to save profile’ message not being displayed when a users profile is full.
* Object Capture Bug: switch connectors being deleted when an object is captured.
* Failed to load profile issue :where the user is thrown out to the XMB due to a texture that is not registered in their profile being present in their pod.
* Text not displaying in the text chat window.
* Slow rewind due to moderation check.
* Save file corruption which caused the game to crash when placing any object in an emitter in any level.

A lot of improvements indeed! Hopefully everything works as expected, and didnt create any new problems. So what are you waiting for? Go!

On a related note, this patch is number 1.09, and you know whats next, 1.1! (in software terms, that's a fairly substantial update, granted its no 2.0)... Rumor has it that 1.1 will contain the much desired online create mode.....

The Official LittleBigPlanet Review.

2009-02-04T16:27:00.002-05:00

Well not really. However, Yahtzee, the person who produces the hit video game review series Zero Punctuation, has finally got around to reviewing LittleBigPlanet. For those of you who don't follow his weekly reviews, well then shame on you! Zero Punctuation follows an ingenious design or simple images, constant talking and most importantly, ripping apart and criticizing every flaw within a video game. Now surprisingly, it appears as if he likes LittleBigPlanet and admires what Media Molecule has achieved, but points out the flaws behind the user created content system.

Warning: Review may not be suitable for minors.

Oh Snap!

2009-02-01T11:50:00.003-05:00

w00t! It seems as if Media Molecule has accidentally leaked some information concerning the upcoming patches.

Some things to note from this board are ONLINE CREATE and an unannounced "arcade pack". Other things to note are some more tutorials (yay?) and a data patch for something 2000 ad-ish..... For those of you who don't know, 2000 ad is a British sci-fi comic.... DLC perhaps?

2000 ad.... Sci-fi.... What else could be sci-fi.... Hey! Killzone 2 is sci-fi... hmmm.....

There it is.....

2009-01-22T21:02:00.002-05:00

Media Molecule had told us some details about some new patches for LittleBigPlanet, and they also released an apparently unrelated video with some "building tips". However, a LittleBigWorkshop member, corn_fest, has found some new create mechanics in the video.

An magnetic switch angle setting.... Interesting.....

Ahh, there is that tool that was featured in the Metal Gear Solid level pack levels..... Presumably to control day/night settings.....

Hmm, another pop-up, this one will tell us what song is playing.... That will get annoying quick.....

An unlimited checkpoint? A nice addition....

Now there are several things to note with that picture. First is the floating x thing-a-ma-jig. I suspect that once you touch it, you will lose your power ups, and you will drop your jet pack and Paintinator.... second, is the floating jet pack. I guess that that is included for continuity reasons and is puerly asthetic. I suspect that all future power ups will be floating on a white pad. They probably also left the old jetpack in to give players the option and to keep levels with the old jetpack in stilll editable....

They look like good additions, and I cant wait to try them out (and possibly find more)....

Cool Beans!

2009-01-22T17:48:00.003-05:00

Everyone loves updates! Everyone loves LittleBigPlanet! So let's combine the two! Well, we have had updates before, but they were all unannounced and usually brought more problems then they solved. However, Media Molecule is hinting at new updates, with both bug fixes and new "creative abilities".

Edam contains a set of bug fixes and is currently in testing. We are hoping for this to be out into the world by mid February (fingers crossed). Specifically the fixes are:

* Failed to save profile’ message not being displayed when a users profile is full.
* Object Capture Bug: switch connectors being deleted when an object is captured.
* Failed to load profile issue :where the user is thrown out to the XMB due to a texture that is not registered in their profile being present in their pod.
* Text not displaying in the text chat window.
* Slow rewind due to moderation check.
* Save file corruption which caused the game to crash when placing any object in an emitter in any level.

Cornish Yarg contains many fabulous things, most excitingly new creative abilities – woo!! This will be a big delivery and so we want to make sure that it gets to you without any bugs and so we are planning very extensive testing which may involve some of you guys (more details out soon). This has only just started the testing process which usually takes 6-8 weeks minimum. Further announcements will be made in February.

Leerdammer: This delivery will really help people who are experiencing issues with lagging/packet loss. This improvement is still in development, which means it will be out after Cornish yarg but we aren’t sure when, rest assure Amy is hard at work. Announcements will be made throughout feb.

Pick me! I am a fantastic thing tester! I test things all of the time, even when people ask me not to.... And as for the new creative abilities, co-op create anyone?

New Costumes?

2009-01-21T16:43:00.002-05:00

Now, new costumes aren't anything new, but if you have been visiting the PlayStation Store over the past month or so, you would notice that there hasn't been any new costumes! Now, Media Molecule was just taking a break, after all, they have released something every week since the game was released.....

January 26th -- Chinese New Year costumes (10 days only)
January 29th -- Groundhog Day costume (one week only), God of War mini pack, Kratos costume
February 5th -- Valentines Day mini pack (2 weeks only)
February 12th -- Ape Escape costume, Toro costume
February 19th -- WipEout costume kit

A WipEout costume? Sounds interesting, although we are all still waiting for our Killzone 2 costume....

Even More Win....

2009-01-10T15:44:00.002-05:00

The folks over at LittleBigPlanetoid have created one of the most useful websites I have ever seen. Although they created a pretty nifty web ring of LittleBigPlanet fan sites, their latest creation is perhaps the most useful and creative, one-of-a-kind websites around. I strongly urge every one of you to visit the site, by clicking here.

So. Much. Win.

2009-01-05T19:14:00.003-05:00

Here is a newly posted YouTube video that features the one, the only, Michael Sackson! Yes the king of bubbles is back, and he's ready to rock your world.

You know your going to make a Michael Jackson sackboy next time you go on LittleBigPlanet. My only question is why is the sackboy Michael Jackson white? Well the real question is, why is the real Michael Jackson white?

Paintinator Speculation

2008-12-23T11:30:00.004-05:00

Well, today's the day when the new Metal Gear Solid level pack launches. We are all excited, and I just want to highlight some information, and point out some information that you may not have known about.

Firstly, You can't grab anything while holding the gun. To me, that is extremely disappointing. Just imagine the possibility of holding on to the bottom of a helicopter and shooting everything below you. Not even that! What are we suppose to do when were holding the gun and we need to pull a switch? Media Molecule should have just used L1 to fire. This is like not having the ability to grab and lift things with the jet pack. This is severely limiting and I home Media Molecule either explains their logic behind it, or provides a remedy.

Second, your paint balls take the color of your pop-it. This is a nice detail and it lets you customize how your going to shoot things. In the picture above, there is two green, a peach and a blue on the score board, and it clearly corresponds with the Sackpeople's paintinators. So make sure that you have a different color pop-it than your friends, or else you won't know who's shooting what!

Now this part is just speculation, but it looks like you have a depeting amount of paint in your gun. Presumably, that is what the meter on the top is for. I would imagine that it refills once you walk over another Paintinator power up.

Speaking of the "power up", yes, you do need to pick it up, much like the jet pack. You cannot put it on like a costume, so you cant use it in your pod, or in levels that don't have the Paintinator in it.

Some final notes about all of this new stuff. When you hit one of your friends, it has been described as a "weak slap". You can still play with the Paintinator if you didnt purchase the level pack, if you play a user created level with it in it. If you want to play the new story levels, then you need to join a friend who did purchase the level pack. If you play the new levels and you didn't puchase the level pack, then you can't keep the new items, including the Paintinator. The level pack should come out around 8:00 pm est, but that's not always a guarantee.

Finnaly, if you cant wait until this evening, then head on over here for some gameplay videos. Warning: Contains Spoilers.

Publishing 101

2008-12-20T14:55:00.003-05:00

If you have been reading the official Media Molecule blog (you do read the blog for the studio of the year, right?) then you should have come across an article that gives some tips on increasing your levels traffic. If not, well then, you can read it right here.

#1. The Title

This is the first thing your potential Player will see, so you have to make it exciting. If the Player thinks that no effort has been made on the Title then they will think the same about the level.

Here are some bad examples of titles that Players will probably avoid:
Unnamed Level
My First Level
A Random Mess v1.3
Blah Blah Not finished yet

…and here are some good examples:
Temple of the Enchanted Stone (Of Doom)
Wibbly Wobbly World
Adventures in Pirate Bay
Sackboy goes to Electric Funky Land

If you’re lucky, the Player will dive straight in, but for more picky Players you’re going to have to do a bit more persuading.

Now it’s time for the next hook, The Badge.

#2. The Badge

This is also one of the first things your potential Player will see, maybe even the first, if it’s done well enough.

Badges look good when they use bold colours and fit nicely onto a round badge. Badges don’t look good with lots of detail on them, say, a zoomed out PhotoBooth/PlayStation Eye image.
Here are some steps on how to make your Badge.

Go to your Moon and create a new level.
First choose a material and then make a round shape.
Now use stickers (the bigger and bolder the better) to make a nice design.
After you’ve finsihed your design, press Start and go into Front View, this will give you a nice flat view of your Badge.
Use the ‘Take a Photo’ tool of your design, now get the edge of the design right to the edge of the photo frame and take the photo.

You should now have a nice picture to put on your Badge.

#3. The Description

It’s so sad sometimes when a great level has no Description. For the more wary Players (who haven’t been swayed by your witty Title and funky Badge) a Description can make them want to play it.

Here are some basic rules on how to write a Level Description:

Write 2 or 3 small paragraphs, nothing too long though, keep it short.
Make up a story and put that in the first paragraph.
Second, tell the Player what the goals are in the level something like ‘race the cheetah’ or ‘find the hidden gold’.
Optionally, if you want some feedback from Players, tell them to leave you a comment.

A Description can seal the deal and also, its something to read whilst the level loads, so that’s nice.

#4. The Location

Now, this can be tricky. The position you publish your Badge to will be the position everybody else sees. For example, if you publish it in Australia, Players will access it by rotating the LittleBigPlanet to
Australia.

So, here’s the tricky choice, do you publish where everybody else is (usually the top part of the LittleBigPlanet) or, do you go where nobody else is and stand out from the crowd? Hmmm, I’ll leave that decision to you.

#5. Uploading Pictures

Have you ever wondered why some levels have pictures and some don’t?

The secret is the Upload option in Popit. How?? Where?? I hear you ask, OK, I’ll explain: When you take a Photo (including PhotoBooth photos) they are saved into ‘My Pictures’ in Popit. Find the Photo you want to Upload and press the Square Button and a menu will appear with lots of options, Upload being one of them.

Any Uploaded pictures will appear in the Level Information when Players select your Badge. Don’t panic if they don’t pop up straight away, it can take maybe 10-20 minutes for your Photos to appear.

#6. Advertise

After you’ve Published your level, you can also go onto the Internet to spread the word. Here’s a couple of official places places you can have a look at.

LittleBigWorkshop
Official PlayStation Community : LittleBigPlanet

Or you could try fansites like:
LittleBigMadness
LittleBigLand
(or in our forums, or LittleBigPlanetoid's Big Book of Little Levels)
Have a search round the internet, there are plenty of places to share your work! Add them to your Facebook page, or just email your friends.
Don’t forget to post some nice pictures as well, so that Players can see what your level is like before they go searching for it. Also, why not grab a camera, try making a movie of your level and put it on YouTube. We loves us some Youtube.

These tips may be obvious to some, but there are countless examples of decent levels with no description. Plus everyone wants to increase the number of plays on their level.

Metal Gear Solid Trophies

2008-12-19T16:35:00.006-05:00

In case you were wondering, the trophy list for the new trophies in the Metal Gear Solid level pack have made it out. They offer some interesting information on how the new game play mechanics are going to work.

QuickFire Artiste
Fire 40 paintballs in under 5 seconds

Rexecutioner
Destroy the Metal Gear REX boss

Ace Act 3 and Act 4
Ace Act 3: The Mission and Act 4: The Level Factory

Ace Act 5: The Boss
Ace Act 5: The Boss

Paint Splurge
Fire 5,000 paintballs

Diamond Hunter
Destroy the 5 hidden target diamonds in Act 4: The Level Factory

Thrifty Painter
Complete Act 3: The Mission firing less than 125 paintballs

METAL GEAR SOLID® Booty Master
Collect all of the METAL GEAR SOLID® prize bubbles

Paint Sharer
Publish a level containing the METAL GEAR SOLID® Paintinator Powerup

Thrifty Rexecutioner
Destroy the Metal Gear REX boss in under 2 mins 30 seconds

Virtual Survivor
Achieve a score of 3,750 in the VR Survival Challenge

There you go, but I counted 11 trophies, but there may be a secret trophy. Remember, the level pack will cost you $6 (a steal in my opinion), and will be released on the 23rd.

For those of you who are wondering how you will purchase it without a credit card (thank you economy), many stores now carry PlayStation Network cards worth $20 and $50, including Blockbuster and Wal-Mart...

!!!

2008-12-19T16:03:00.005-05:00

Last post, I briefly mentioned a Metal Gear Solid level pack, and Sony has released ll of the information we need, an a cute trailer. First, and probably most importantly, is the level pack itself. It features a Gurlukovich soldier costume, 72 stickers, 12 materials, 10 decorations, 18 objects and most excitingly, a paintball gun called the "Paintnator". With the paintball gun, you can fire it at enemies (with a newly added depleting health bar), new paint switches, and at your friends! It also includes some paint generator tool thingy, presumably it's the thing that makes those exclamation marks in the trailer below.

The level pack also includes 6 new levels to find all of the items in, and 12 more trophies for us to unlock.

You don't need to buy the pack to play, but there will obviously be some restrictions.

* Non-MGS Level Pack owners can PLAY the MGS Story Levels by joining a “host” who owns the pack and play the levels online together. Now you won’t be able to keep any objects, but you can have tons of fun just PLAYing.

* MGS Level Pack owners will be able to CREATE levels with any of these items (including the Paintinator) and SHARE them online for everyone to play.

Separately, there will be a Metal Gear Solid costume pack, featuring 3 costumes (featuring the much desired Old Snake) for $2 each, or a pack of 4 costumes (includes Raiden) for $6.

Both of the packs will be sold separately on the PlayStation Store for $6 each. They will be released on the 23rd.

ANOTHER surprise for us is the release of a new patch for LittleBigPlanet itself, and this one is rather significant. Some of the features I found were the inclusion of the PlayStation Store into LittleBigPlanet, a revamped search feature (finally), refined text chat, a "save level as" under create, and the ability to export in-game photos to your HDD (sadly, the reverse is not possible, yet).

Stuff!

2008-12-17T16:55:00.003-05:00

Guess what we're getting... that's right, STUFF! Level pack stuff to be precise. Coming this Thursday, the PlayStation Store will be updated with the first "Level Pack". This pack will be based around a Christmas theme, and will include two new costumes (Christmas Tree headpiece and Gift Wrapped Sackboy), one new material (Wrapping Paper), two new items (a festive sleigh and a festive light), six new decorations (including a candy cane and a festive baubel) and "a ton" of new festive stickers. This pack will go for $3 and will be available for a limited time only...

In other news, the Hong Kong store will have the Metal Gear Solid costume and level pack, so hopefully those will make it stateside soon.

Street Fighter attacks LittleBigPlanet

2008-12-09T19:37:00.003-05:00

This week, we get a new costume pack, containing several characters from the Street Fighter series. You can pick them up for $2 each or $6 for all four of them.

This week's costume-of-note is made by Joee94. When I saw this picture on LittleBigPlanetoid, I laughed so hard... Never gonna give you up.....

I will be posting some unique articles shortly, addressing LittleBigPlanet, and some of the cool community things I have found. So keep checking back!

Let's be thankful....

2008-11-25T20:17:00.003-05:00

Well, since this week is Thanksgiving, Sony is giving us our weekly store update today (but they really just didn't want to come in and update it on a holiday). This week, for free, we get a..... Turkey head..... We feel so... Loved? Hmm, well, there is also a Chimera costume, for $1.99...

This week, I found an Imperial Stormtrooper and a Stitch costume. Great job guys, it always amazes me how creative everyone is.

And So It Begins....

2008-11-19T22:25:00.002-05:00

The quest for obtaining rare items is no new concept, and that idea is now being implemented into LittleBigPlanet. The crown that you see below will be a new "rare" item. How rare you ask? It's not a "you can only download if for a week" kind of item, it's more of a "you can only get this if Media Molecule says you are worthy enough to have it". So how can you get it, wekk if you win a LittlebigChallenge of course! The first one that you will be able to win this crown fore will be a contest where you make a level celebrating the PlayStation 3's 2nd birthday.

1. Create an original LittleBigPlanet level celebrating the PLAYSTATION 3 second anniversary.

2. You must name your Level using this format. “LBC1 -<>”.

3. Publish your Level to the LittleBigPlanet online server at any time up until 11:59am PST December 9, 2008 when the contest closes.

4. Send an e-mail submission to community_support@playstation.sony.com and indicate your level name (LBC1 - <>) in the subject line. Include your PlayStation Network ID along with the name of your Level in your e-mail submission.

Yeah, that crown, it's mine (or so I wish). Please visit the PlayStation Blog for the full list of rules.

Puting The 2D, Back Into 2.5D.

2008-11-19T21:44:00.002-05:00

Wait, what? Nevermind... Tomorrow, on Thursday, as usual, Media Molecule will be releasing MOAR COSTUMZ! What will these costumes consist of, well for starters, we will get a free costume. The costume is a television set, and it's called "Sack-In-The-Box". The costume was created by nebu1ou5, and was the winner of that LittleBigChallenge that you could have your costume in the game (and here it is).As for the 2D, 2.5D title, well here is your answer. Another Sony ip has been incorperated into LittleBigPlanet, and this time it's LocoRoco! You can download this pack of 5 costumes for 3 bucks tomorow.I'm also going to start a new tradition here, and I will post two Sackboys created in game that are unique, intresting, and just plain awesome. This week we have Iron Man and Leonidas, from 300.

DLC Costumes!

2008-11-12T19:37:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow, Sony will place several costumes to adorn you Sackboy with, including a MotorStorm outfit, a gorilla and a shark.

Each costume will go for 99 cents, except the MotorStorm costume, which will go for 1.99, and the flowerpot outfit, which is free (yay?).

I have also seen some impressive custom outfits made with just the current array of parts and stickers, Including these Ratchet and Hellboy outfits, impressive work guys.

And you thought your Joker was impressive.....

My Levels So Far...

2008-11-04T21:58:00.004-05:00

Here are my two levels that I have uploaded so far, the first one is based off the popular flash game, You Have To Burn The Rope. You can play it here.

The second level I made during the beta, and is based off the television show, Scrubs. It's called Scrubs: My First Day. It features numerous references to the show and you need to be a fan of the show to truly appreciate the level, If you're not, you can play anyways, but you should watch the show. You don't know what you are missing.....

Start submitting your levels to the LittleBigLevels forums. More people will play the if you submit them.

Costumes!

2008-10-31T19:32:00.004-04:00

Next week, for a limited time only, you will be able to download new costumes, for free!

You get the promised spacesuit, and the newly announced pumpkin, albeit a week after Halloween. Media Molecule plans to continually deliver new costumes for us to download.

I have been playing a lot of LittleBigPlanet, although I haven't beat the story yet. I'm trying to be thorough, and collect everything, and ace every level. Are you having fun with LittleBigPlanet?

We Have Lift-Off...

2008-10-25T22:32:00.003-04:00

Those of you who pre-ordered from GameStop will be pleased to learn that LittleBigPlanet is now available for you. You must have pre-ordered before the 17th, so you cant show up now an expect to get a copy. That being said, reular purchasers will need to wait a little bit longer until they get their hands on LittlebigPlanet.

So this is one instance that pre-ordering payed off, you get the game early(er), and you get the Kratos code.... I'm just playing through the story, trying to get all of the items and I'm re-playing all of the tutorials (yes, you need to do those again). So did you have any luck?

Sigh

2008-10-21T17:15:00.002-04:00

... And to think, we could be playing LittleBigPlanet right now.... well actually, we should have been playing LittleBigPlanet in January, but that's not the point.

Cant wait 6 more days? Check your local WalMart and Target then. word is that they have games, and as rebellious as they are, they are selling them. So you can guess where I'm going....

DelayStation 3

2008-10-17T16:36:00.004-04:00

Just when you think you have it all figured out, The liberal media comes to confuse you. Well it's not the liberal media this time, it's the soundtrack. Apparently, a reference to the Quran was found in one of the songs in LittleBigPlanet. The song in question is called Tapha Niang by Toumani Diabaté and the Symmetric Orchestra. In order to fix the "problem", Media Molecule has decided to delay the game, for 6 days! So it WAS the liberal media...

Apun further resherch, the phrases are preety.... not E for everyone. We really don't want the phrases "every soul shall have the taste of death" and "all that is on earth will perish" in our LittleBigPlanet. So what are you going to for your next week or so? I'm going to play Socom, once they have the servers fixed.

LittleBigPlanet Scoring Big!

2008-10-14T17:16:00.004-04:00

Well, as the release of LittleBigPlanet draws closer (21st, but you already knew that), game websites (and lucky players, I'm looking at you iamcool388) have been giving LittleBigPlanet record shattering review scores.

Over on Metacritic, LittleBigPlanet currently has a 96! To put that into perspective, that's 2% higher than MGS4 and CoD4, and 2% behind GTA4. GamePro and OPM gave LittleBigPlanet a 100, IGN and MeriStation gave it a 95, and EuroGamer gave it a 90, all really good reviews.

LittleBigPlanet is already shaping up to be a fantastic title, and a must have game, but you already knew that as well.

Full Game Impressions!

2008-10-12T19:17:00.003-04:00

Remember iamcool388, you know, the guy who gave away 3 beta codes on our forums, well he's back! What did he bring this time, well the full game! That's right, the full, retail version of LittleBigPlanet.

As a special treat for the community, iamcool388 has created a thread on our forums detailing his impressions of LittleBigPlanet, complete with information and pictures. He describes each of the stages, and points out new and interesting things that we have never known before. For iamcool388's full post, click here. This is amazing (and lucky), but go ahead and read his full write-up. If you feel compelled, you could ask him a question or two (although he may not respond, heck, he's playing LittleBigPlanet) but it's always worth a shot. He will continually update the post with more information, so keep checking this post for the full story. Spoiler alert: May contain spoilers.

A HUGE thank you to iamcool388 for doing the community such a big favor. So what are you waiting for, read it now!

Beta Wrap Up.

2008-10-12T19:01:00.002-04:00

With the LittleBigPlanet beta ending soon, I just wanted to say a few closing words. The beta was fantastic, and the levels people submitted were amazing. Although at the beginning I was nervous at the amount of craptastic levels, my fears were shattered practically the next day when I saw the amount of awesome content that has been uploaded, and some of the stuff it unbelievable, almost professional. The networking was nicely done, although the lag needs to be improved apun (in the good way, we don't need more lag). The menu system was nice, although recieved messages were hidden on a tiny button within the start menu. Overall, the beta was amazing, and I'm glad to see that all of the levels will transfer over to the final product.

I also wanted to re-thank beta code doners, who decided to help the community rather than a becoming a greedy cheap-ass.

The doners were:
doublee22
MarkoPolo
iamcool388
Shahchip
iluvtheps3

Thank you for supporting the LittleBigPlanet community, and for helping LittleBigLevels.

LittleBigGiveaway! (Round 4, with 2 codes!)

2008-10-10T16:59:00.002-04:00

Round 4! This will probably be LittleBigLevel's last giveaway round, and like yesterday, we have received 2 codes to giveaway, donated by Shahchip and iluvtheps3. Same rules apply as before, only post ONCE in this topic. Do not e-mail or send us private messages, for you will be disqualified. Only registered members can win. New and old members may apply.

Read the first post in that topic for the full list of rules.

Remember there are TWO codes to give. This giveaway will end on Friday night at 10:00 pm eastern.

Good luck!

LittleBigGiveaway! (Round 3!)

2008-10-09T18:07:00.005-04:00

Here we go again, LittleBigLevels has received two more beta codes, donated by MarkoPolo and iamcool388. So if for some odd reason, you haven't been able to secure a beta code, then by all means enter for tonight's giveaway here.

(Anyone notice how all the giveaway posts have an old, non-related screen shot?) Same rules apply, look at previous posts for a refresher. Only post once in the designated thread, do not e-mail or send us private messages. New and old members can apply. This giveaway ends Thursday night at 10:00 pm eastern. Soon after the winner will be contacted via private message.

Good luck!

I want to give a special shout out to iamcool388. He had took the responsibility of giving away three (!!!) beta codes to forum members. I apologize for not responding quickly enough to inform visitors who don't frequent the forums, but lets just think of it as a treat to the regulars. Thanks iamcool388!

HOLY CRAP!

2008-10-06T22:18:00.003-04:00

And I thought that the T.V. that I made was impressive (it displayed "little", then "big", then "levels", then ".tk", hehe), but this is unbelivable, a digital 8-bit calculator, it adds and subtracts, and its all run by A LOT of switches, take a look.

That's really impressive, I guess my Scrubs level is now obsolete.

LittleBigGiveaway (Round 2)!

2008-10-04T18:36:00.004-04:00

FANTASTIC NEWS! LittleBigLevels has received another beta code, donated by doublee22. This is a European beta code, so you need to have a European account to download it (you can make one in under 5 minutes, and you can still play it on your standard account). So from this point in time, you can post once in this topic for a chance to win. Same rules apply, ONLY POST ONCE, DO NOT send e-mails or private messages to me, and DO NOT send e-mails or private messages to doublee22. If you send an e-mail or a private message to either of us, you will be disqualified from winning. If you post multiple times, you will be disqualified.

The giveaway will close on October 4th at 10:00pm eastern. Shortly after, the winner will receive a private message with further instructions

Members who have entered last night's giveaway can re-enter tonight, along with new members. So good luck!

UPDATE: Congratulations adrian96!

And thank you doublee22 for donating the beta code. Some keen eyed members may notice that adrian96 gave me a kudo before the winner was picked. I just want to make it clear that I used a random number generator to pick the winner, and I clicked the random number generator 7 times (my friend picked the number 7), so it was a totally random drawing. I didn't even look at who sent the kudo until after I sent adrian96 the code, so nobody should criticize me for not picking them.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway, and keep checking the LittleBigLevels.tk homepage for more LittleBigPlanet news, level reviews, and possibly another beta code giveaway.

Server Downtime.

2008-10-04T18:10:00.002-04:00

Boo! Look at what you guys did! The servers are down! Well, it's not our fault, but there is currently some unexpected downtime with the servers, as in you cannot play any user-made levels or play with friends.

Those are currently the LittleBigPlanet servers. Nah, that would be funny tho. Hopefully Media Molecule will fix the situation soon!

LittleBigGiveaway!

2008-10-03T16:14:00.003-04:00

Today's your lucky day! If you weren't able to receive a code through the various websites that offered them, you can enter for a random drawing for 1 (one) beta code!

Here are the details, register to the LittleBigLevels forums (click here) and post only once in the "LittleBigLevels.tk Beta Code Giveaway!" topic under the LittleBigPlanet Talk category. That's it! What do you have to post? Well, anything really, since its a random selection process. The Thread is open now, so go quickly!

Only registered members of the LittleBigLevels forums will be eligible to win. Please post only once, multiple posts won't increase your chances of wining. DO NOT send me private messages or e-mails, you will be disqualified. Only entries posted on the forum will be counted. This contest will end on Friday, October 3rd at 10:00 p.m. eastern (7:00 p.m. pacific). The winner will be notified via private message on the LittleBigLevels forums.

Good luck!

UPDATE: Thank you everyone who entered the giveaway, and congratulations Vader05 for winning the code, have fun and enjoy the beta!

LittleBigLevels may have another beta code giveaway in the near future, so stay tuned!

Open Beta for All?

2008-10-01T16:48:00.003-04:00

Well, the last poll on LittleBigLevels revealed that the majority of you wanted to have the beta open and available for everyone, well, that my be true.

"If you don't get in, don't worry. They are supposed to be opening up the public beta for the final week. Last I heard they were still planning on doing so, this closed beta is just there to generate a bit (a lot) of hype for the game before it releases. Basically they are talking about turning the limited time closed beta into a demo for the week before launch. It is easier to do this than to release a demo."

With the way the beta codes were handled, This is certainly a welcomed piece of news, but this is all just rumor and speculation at this point. Remember, if your still not in the beta, keep looking at websites like 1UP (today's question is not up yet, so keep refreshing), GameTrailers (not up yet), GamePro (this is how I got in, and it looks like you can go now!), and G4 (it's up now! Go!). Good luck to everyone, and keep checking back here for more updates, reviews, and possibly LittleBigPlanet beta codes.

There is a God!

2008-09-30T18:48:00.003-04:00

And he/she got me into the LittleBigPlanet beta. I've been trying for the past week or so to get in, and I finally have my opportunity to experience greatness through the GamePro contest, so a big thank you to them (there is another opportunity on Wednesday to enter a similar contest, but you need to register). Well, you can start expecting level reviews, and new LittleBigPlanet developments as well.

If you want to play with me, my PSN is KEVON. Feel free to add me even if you don't have the beta yet, I always like to chat.

If I receive any more beta codes (I entered a lot of contests), I will ofter them in a contest on the LittleBigLevels forums (pending my close friends beta statuses).

Fun Shall Overcome....

2008-09-27T20:19:00.003-04:00

.... But that fun shall come later. Apparently, on Monday, 25,000 LittleBigPlanet beta codes will be distributed through various gaming websites. Which ones? Well, keep an eye out for contests from GameTrailers, 1UP, GamePro, and the official LittleBigPlanet News website.

Word is, winners of the IGN and GameSpot contests will also receive their keys on Monday. So be on the lookout for lots of beta opportunities....

HINT: Resister for the previously mentioned websites now, so you won't be excluded from entry...

The EyeToy is Compatable!

2008-09-26T17:44:00.002-04:00

Want to import some personal images to your LittleBigPlanet level, but don't feel like spending 40 bucks on a PlayStation Eye? Well good news! DrunkMiffy from the LittleBigPlanet Central forums has confirmed that the PlayStation 2's EyeToy will work in the game.

The EyeToy is going for 5 dollars used at GameStop, so there's a money saver.

New Gameplay Video

2008-09-25T20:44:00.002-04:00

Well, in the midst of all this beta news, Media Molecule has released a new game play trailer (probably to make all of the non-beta-players happy). It doesn't reveal much we didn't already know, but it's interesting none-the-less.

Well, I applied to the GameSpot contest (the answer was C (thanks brain trust)). I also sent out requests to a few other websites, so hopefully I get in. So how are your experiences so far?

Beta Possibilities....

2008-09-25T17:51:00.002-04:00

Go forth! GameSpot is giving out beta keys for LittleBigPlanet! How? Well, just watch a video.... Kinda. When "Brian" asks his trivia question, follow his directions to win. It's very vague right now, but just watch On The Spot at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. That's less than an hour!

Beta News!

2008-09-24T17:07:00.005-04:00

For all of you North American viewers (all 6 of you (just kidding, LittleBigLevels is the cool fan site that goes to parties on the weekend)), Sam_Protagonist has posted a new message on the PlayStation Underground, with some very good beta news.

How do I join the beta?
Several thousand invitations are in the process of being sent out today by email. If you do not receive an email from SCE today, you will also be able to sign up over the next 5 days on a variety of popular gaming sites. I cannot name the sites here, however the LittleBigPlanet News Site will be giving out more details tomorrow. If any further places to sign up are made available I'll update this thread again.

So start checking your e-mail, and keep checking LittleBigLevels for more updates. Posted below is the intro and some game play taken from the LittleBigPlanet beta.

Huh, Wha?

2008-09-23T17:12:00.005-04:00

What happened? Everything is happening so fast, I can't make sense of it all.... Oh wait, yes I can. So apparently EuroGamer had some LittleBigPlanet beta codes, how many you ask? 5,800 codes, noticeably shy of the 20,000 mark that Media Molecule has promised. However, these codes only for Europe, and besides, there all gone now. We are still waiting on the North American beta announcement, so be on the lookout for the next few days.

The parson's competition is over, and with a slew of levels for you to play come launch day. One of the nicer levels created was LittleBigColossus, which you can watch below.

So jump onto YouTube and lookout for some LittleBigPlanet beta videos. And keep checking back to LittleBigLevels for more beta news.

ONOZ!

2008-09-22T17:03:00.002-04:00

Uh-oh, well, it looks like that since Media Molecule has spent so much time perfecting the game, they had to temporarily take out some features. What features you ask? Well, the ability to create levels online with your friends will not be available at launch. Sure, you can still create levels with your real-life friends, and you can play levels with your online friends, but co-op creation over the internet has been scratched. However, Media Molecule has assured the community that they will be patching the feature into the game after launch. So don't worry, you will get everything you want (and more) in due time. Look at the bright side, you will have plenty of time to play and review levels for LittleBigLevels before the patch arrives!

T-Minus One Month....

2008-09-21T13:27:00.005-04:00

Well, there's only one month to go until LittleBigPlanet is released in North America. If for some reason you don't know what I'm talking about, then you need some updating, With the game going gold, and the beta on the horizon, Media Molecule has confirmed LittleBigPlanet's launch dates. With October 21st for North America and Latin America, the 22nd in Europe and Australia, the 24th for the united Kingdom, and the 26th for Japan.

But that's not all! Japan has the ability for users to download a LittleBigPlanet theme, which enters them into a drawing for the beta (much like the home beta). The plans for North America haven't been released yet, but sources say each region will get 20,000 users each (60,000 in all). the beta will clock in at just under a gigabyte, and will consist of the first set of levels, and the create mode (hopefully with the networking features also). Some major gaming websites (like IGN) have beta keys to give away, so be on the lookout for those.

But that's still not everything! As an "early bird special" for LittleBigPlanet's early adopters, there will be FREE download-able content available for the first week only, featuring the spacesuit that you see above, along with a t-shirt.

Wow, that's a lot of info. LittleBigLevels will keep you informed on any new LittleBigPlanet beta news.

Trophies For The Win!

2008-09-18T16:49:00.003-04:00

Well, it looks like the official list of trophies for LittleBigPlanet have been released and posted on the internet by the people at PS3Trophies.org. With 48 in all, it looks like Media Molecule has focused on encouraging users to just play, create, and share, rather than competing and completing hard and repetitive tasks.

And for your convenience, here is the complete list:

The Gardens - Complete all levels in The Gardens
The Savannah - Complete all levels in The Savannah
The Wedding - Complete all levels in The Wedding
The Canyon - Complete all levels in The Canyon
The Metropolis - Complete all levels in The Metropolis
The Islands - Complete all levels in The Islands
The Temples - Complete all levels in The Temples
Expert Creator - Complete all levels in the tutorials
Artist - Place a sticker
Homemaker - Place 10 stickers or decorations in your pod
Fashion Sense - Choose a costume for your sackperson with at least one item on your head, at least one item on your body, and a material
Forager - Collect 25% of the prize bubbles on the story levels
Sticky Fingers - Collect 50% of the prize bubbles on the story levels
Treasure Hunter - Collect 75% of the prize bubbles on the story levels
2X Multiplier! - Get a 2X Multiplier
8X Multiplier! - Get a 8X Multiplier
Incredible Speed! - Travel at incredible speed
Incredible Height! - Travel to an incredible height
Friendly - Complete a level with more than one player
Party Person - Complete a level online with 3 other players who are on your friends list
Socialite - Complete a level online with 3 other players who are not on your friends list
Top of the Class - Win a 4-player game
Traveler - Complete a community level
FIRST! - Be among the first 10 people to complete a community level
Opinionated - Tag a community level
Neighborhood - Watch Heart 5 community levels
Networking - Heart 3 authors
Talkative - Post a comment on a community level
Creator - Build and save a level with the thermometer more than 30% full
Team Creator - Build and save a level with more than one player with the thermometer more than 30% full
Publisher - Publish a level
Look What I Made! - A level you published was played by 5 or more people
Trendsetter (Hidden) - Place a sticker or a decoration on another player's sackperson
Cranium Collector (Hidden) - Kill 100 Creatures across all levels
Secret Stickerist (Hidden) - Unlock the race in First Steps
Sackbird (Hidden) - Spend 8 seconds or more in the air

They look easy enough, perhaps a little too easy?

LittleBigBeta details?

2008-09-17T22:56:00.004-04:00

The folks over at PS3 Fanboy have uncovered (or were told) some pretty neat information about the LittleBigPlanet beta selection process, or well, at least in Japan. Apparently, it will be handled much like the recent Home beta invitations. For your convenience, here is the full post.

Those of you who are anticipating the LittleBigPlanet beta will be happy to know that we've got some of the juicy details right here for you. Japanese PS3 owners can currently head to the PS Store and download a LBP theme that will also allow you to enter a drawing for the LBP beta, similar to the Home one that was held a while back.

According to the details given, applications to the beta will be accepted from September 17th to September 23rd. The beta itself will take place from September 29th to October 12th. The size of the file will be 950MB. In each region (Japan, Europe and North America), 20,000 users will be selected for a total of 60,000 users. Hopefully we'll hear about how North America and Europe can get in on the act soon.

We can only wonder if this selection process will be utilized in America and other territories. Hopefully, LittleBigLevels will be able to start our level reviews, and level submission process during the beta (hopefully it will be allowed within the user agreement). Keep checking back for more LittleBigPlanet beta updates.

LittleBigManual?

2008-09-08T18:36:00.002-04:00

Well here is something new and interesting, the folks at PS3Fanboy have ran across a .pdf file of the users manual for LittleBigPlanet.

Click Here!

It looks legit, and is certainly a must-see for any LittleBigPlanet fanatic.

Games Convention: Create a Level.

2008-08-24T13:04:00.006-04:00

Here is pair of new videos, courtesy of GameTrailers, that shows us a time-lapse video of 4 people making a complete level.

As you can see, the tool set included with the game are extremely robust, and you can make whatever your heart desires. It is going to be exciting to see what people will create with LittleBigPlanet.

Sackzilla Trailer Pop-It Menu Screen Grabs.

2008-08-21T13:56:00.003-04:00

I have screen captured and croped the "Pop-It" menu system used in LittleBigPlanet. It was hard to see in the video at standard speed, but by looking at each individual frame, you can see the depth and extend in which you can customize your levels in LittleBigPlanet.

A spring:

A winch, that's interesting:

Some elastic, also interesting:

The rod, which we will go more in-depth:

In-depth rod customization:

Piston customization and tweaking:

My objects page:

Tools, I'm not sure what this one is:

Tools, this one starts fire:

Stickers and decorations tool box:

Some decorations:

Stickers. There's more than this, I just forgot to grab a picture. (Note the concept stickers):

And finally the materials:

I think that the gadgets are awesome. It will be interesting to see what people will make with them.

Games Convention: New Video.

2008-08-20T17:57:00.002-04:00

Straight form Leipzig, here is the new trailer for LittleBigPlanet.

It looks awesome, and it shows how creative and unique we can get with the create tools. It also includes some intense "play" moments. So take a look if you haven't already.

As for other LittleBigPlanet news, the PAL release date for the game has been confirmed to be on October 29th. As for the U.S. release date, that's still anyone's guess.

Leipzig Games Convention.

2008-08-19T13:19:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow, August 20th, marks the start of "Games Convention 08". Games Convention is an annual event held in Leipzig, Germany. Think of this as Europe's E3. This year, Sony has set out to make a big statement, and is going to have a significant showing at the convention. They have dedicated booths displaying many of Sony's big ip's, such as Killzone 2, Resistance 2, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift, and of course, LittleBigPlanet. Here is a leaked photo, from Sony's LittleBigPlanet booth.

As you can see, there are may televisions set up, so people can get a hands-on experience with LittleBigPlanet.

Sony Computer Entertainment Germany has planed for a press conference on day one of the convention (that's the 20th!). So, for the next few days, keep checking LittleBigLevels for new game information and videos!

New Videos!

2008-08-14T12:28:00.003-04:00

Here are two new videos, filmed off of a television, highlighting LittleBigPlanet's game play. This first video shows off some features in the create portion of LittleBigPlanet's "create" portion. It demonstrates some nice "gadgets" that you can use on your objects and in your levels.

This second video shows off a sledding level, resembling a popular flash video game. This level (called Spline Rider) is nice, short, and fun.

If that hasn't satisfied your LittleBigPlanet cravings, then you can watch 7 more new videos, by clicking here!

My Solution to the Water Problem

2008-08-03T19:11:00.003-04:00

There it is. The solution to all of your problems. Everyone has been asking for it, and I have found a solution. We have been asking for it to be included in the game, but all along, we can make it ourselves. Yes, I'm talking about water. Don't understand? Just watch this video.

It turns out, water simulation consists of many tiny round particles, essentially little spheres. If we just make a lot of tiny little spheres of glass in LittleBigPlanet, we can essentially create an effective simulation of water (or any fluid for that matter).

Excited now? Well don't be. Even though it will work in theory, the create mechanics in LittleBigPlanet don't allow you to create spheres that can move freely along all 3 axis. In fact, you can't create spheres at all. Sure, there's the soccer ball, but who wants to swim in a pool of soccer balls? The create tools in the game wouldn't allow you to create little spheres of glass. You can model a circle facing the screen, but in reality, that's just a cylinder.

Not all hope is lost tho, lots of little cylinders could move and flow like water. If you hit a switch, and open a gate, those cylinders will certainly roll out, and wa-la, something that at-least looks (and potentially behaves) like water. We wont know for sure if this theory will work until the beta is released in September. Until then, we shall continue to speculate.

New Preview

2008-08-02T21:42:00.004-04:00

There was yet another new preview for LittleBigPlanet posted in Edge Magazine, once again, stating how revolutionary this game is going to be, how simple it is to make stuff, and how surprisingly fun it is. However, this preview had shed some light on some new game play mechanics. I have posted (and bolded) the new features stated within the article.

If you want text in your level somewhere, you just open the Popit, select a mouth, and stick it wherever it's needed, and add your text. So you can use this for hint boxes, stories, cut-scenes etc.

Adding music you add a music box. There was some confusion about music and sound editing possibilities from the E3 coverage, but this seems to be how it is according to Edge: the options on music boxes are to control the song, the audible range, and the volume level of each of the instruments in the music. However, you can also have music boxes that just play a given sound effect. For example, Edge describes granite whoopy cushions that sound a fart when jumped on.

Scripting is object based too. As Edge says, this is where LBP could have risked losing a lot of players - "the boss battle where people get stuck on and just give up". But, they say, it's not - it's simple stuff that can let you trigger enemy attacks, locked door behavior or NPC behavior. Switches are the main object for scripting. They give an example of a basic Zelda style puzzle made in 15 seconds - a switch tied to a motor. Flip the switch and motor can raise a locked door.

However, there's more kinds of switches than just manual. Motion sensitive ones can act like more conventional passive triggers. E.g. you could have an enemy drop down from the sky when you pass a point - all this behavior control by cogs and pistons linked to the switch.

There's a lock-and-key switch based on stickers. Use the right sticker(s) to flip the switch.

There's magnetic switches. Which is totally new to me. You have a pair of switches that can be split between two objects. The switch only triggers when they're brought together. As Edge says: "in a single move, the colour-coded keys and gateways of Gauntlet and a hundred other RPGs are suddenly brought within reach".

The mechanism for chaining levels together is also revealed - keys. When you build a level, a key for that level is added to your inventory. If you want to link that level to another you're building, just place the key at the end, and players will be warped from one to another. The capability opened by this is pretty great also, in that it needn't just be warping players from the end of one level to the beginning of the next. You could have worlds of multiple depth..e.g. have a key to a doorway of a house, to warp your players to another level representing the inside of the house.

These new features are really cool, and will provide for a more in-depth game than we had originally imagined.

Awsome Level!

2008-08-01T12:08:00.002-04:00

Here is an awesome level shown off at E3 08. It shows off some nice game mechanics, and possibilities for awesome user created levels. You can see how you can run out of restarts until a "game over", you can see those projectiles and the use of switches, and of course, ICE! just imagine the possibilities! Sled races down icy mountain sides, a game of hockey... we have seen ice before, but that was the kind that freezes you into an ice cube. This ice has the actual physical properties of ice. Will we be able to melt it with fire?

Community Portal and Forums are up.

2008-07-31T17:32:00.002-04:00

I have created the "Community Portal", complete with a forum system and a chat. With the new portal, people can register to LittleBigLevels and submit level reviews, submit your levels to be reviewed, post level ideas, and talk about LittleBigPlanet among other things. The portal features a chat box and gallery, and it will also serve as the homepage for the LittleBigLevels Community section. The new section includes many robust features, and it will help make LittleBigLevels a more community focused game, where the community can add to and expand LittleBigLevels.

Please register to the community section, that way you may create and post topics and reviews. You can access the new section by the links to the left, or by clicking here!

LittleBigLevels.tk is Now Open!

2008-07-26T20:53:00.005-04:00

Well, over the past week or so, I have been working on LittleBigLevels, changing from a standard blogger template to this highly refined beauty that you see now. It took a lot of work, and a lot of code changes, plus I had to register the domain several times, and I'm almost happy about it. I'm mad about the fact that you aren't currently reading this (most .tk domains are currently down) and the fact that I need to use their ugly favicon (I worked hard on all of the art for LittleBigLevels)! Please contact me (hit that newly added link to your right), and report any problems, or send us any LittleBigPlanet news!

Translucent Stickers!

2008-07-26T20:30:00.004-04:00

Here is a (relatively) old video from Sony's E3 2008 press conference, using LittleBigPlanet to make their sales presentation exciting (and it certainly succeed). Since many of us have already seen the video (a must watch if you haven't yet), I wont run through the standard description, but I would like to point our a new feature, translucent stickers! If you look at the individual game cases during the new Greatest Hits lineup, the box art stickers are placed on panes of glass, and the cases themselves are slightly see-through. OK, so what's so special about that? Well, nothing really, but it dose demonstrate how robust the features for creating levels in LittleBigPlanet have become since the games unveiling. By the time the game is released (rumored to be October 21st), LittleBigPlanet should contain all of the features required for the community to create amazing levels.

Welcome to LittleBigLevels!

2008-07-22T15:50:00.001-04:00

Welcome to LittleBigLevels! This is obviously the first post (and subsequently my first blog post), and ideally, this post should explain what LittleBigLevels is all about, so I will!

I (KEVON (feel free to add me on your Psn friends list)) have created this blog with the intent of informing my viewers about interesting, creative, and unique LittleBigPlanet levels that users have created. It will essentially become a portal into the user generated community within LittleBigPlanet, but that's for latter. Right now, since I can't blog about user created levels, it will serve as a standard LittleBigBlog. I will post important news and status updates about LittleBigPlanet, until user generated levels will be released. Fell free to comment about posts, send me links containing LittleBigPlanet information, or send me the link to your own LittleBigWhatever blog. Afterall, Lbp is going to be a community based game, so send me to your website (and don't hesitate to link to here).