@HansSprungfeld: nah, you're not. What I still don't get is what the game (that isn't the toolkit) has to offer. I loves me some platformers, but it doesn't look like a very exceptional one when you take out the hyped creation tools.

CaptaiNeNN

You Kotaku guys have a knack for coming up with editorials that incite white hot rage. One of the differences is that LBP isn't out, and therefore very few people can actually discuss it.

Lokno

Both games seem pretty cool but I cant help but feel like they are kinda like Seaman, not really a game. The idea is awesome but how fun will it be down the road. Making levels/characters might be fun but I can see it getting old after you have done it alot.

BONERJAM

@Chances:
Kicks his Xbox360.

BE MORELIKE LBP!

vhd244

@iamcool388: Mine has surpassed MGS4 levels. I have played all the MGS so knew what to expect.

mablung

@CaptaiNeNN: Some people don't like making stuff. But Media molecule have been working hard to make the tools accessible. You might surprise yourself and find yourself enjoying it.

gojirah

It could hurt future side scoller games from other dev teams, since you will be able to make your own on the PS3. And soon on Windows/360 when a better XNA side scroller tool set is done (similar to Torque's version but closer to LBP).

Win for us, but could hurt those that currently make money off Platformers.

Talryyn

Another thing, I watched the video of the "best" level designed by the Parsons students and while looking interesting and novel it didn't look fun.

HansSprungfeld

@Gray_F0x: You need to check again. You can create any type of non player character you want and customize them in both look and function.

baru

@EloraHRanma:
Not to mention little individual SackBoy FruitFuckers... I've seen little Zebra's, spacesuits and Godzilla's... can you not go as far customizing the exterior of your Sackboy as you can the environment?

I've got my pre-order w/ Kratos, and now apparently a new mission as well :)

JimmyNice

I can't be the only one that doesn't understand the hype surrounding LBP can I?

I just don't see why this game is supposed to be so great. It seems like the type of game that people will buy on the first day, play through a few levels, take a crack at the creation tools and then (completely underwhelmed) turn it off to play something else.

HansSprungfeld

@vid3oman64:

"coughyournameisLittleBigPlaneteerIquestionyourobjectivitycough"

haha :P

It's true, my opinion can't be looked at objectively when it comes to LBP! Though I still think Spore was disappointing in its own right.

Personally I don't think LBP should even be compared to Spore. They share the common link of being a user-created driven game, but that's mostly where the two separate.

LittleBigPlaneteer

@A Pimp Named DaveR: At it's core it's a platforming game like Super Mario. Although the creators say depending on your creativity you can make it a lot more than that.

gerrylum

@Brian Crecente: this would make a cool "FEATURE". I feel like further exploration on this topic after LBP's release would make for an awesome read. think about it.

3inst3in

@CaptaiNeNN:
Dude. Chill, in Little Big Planet you can download games that are made by other people, people who used the LBP engine. It's more then Spore will be in a large variety of ways.

Dexyn

I think maybe spore tried to do too much with their game... which (agian, I think) is the root of why it "let me down." The creature creator is beautiful... but the actual gameplay felt like caffiene injected versions of other games (any body else have flashbacks of the Barrens while playing the creature phase?)
Overall I am happy with spore... not for what it did... but for what it tried so hard to do.

Since I haven't played LBP... I can't say it won't have a like result...
But I think I have more faith in it... perhaps because the actual gameplay is straight forward and obvious.

Maudite

@A Pimp Named DaveR: its shipped with 50 levels to actually play out of box. Its a platformer so its got those levels. MM couldnt expect everyone to be into creating their own stuff, not when Parents looking at the cover see that osocute Sackboy and buy it for their kids.

Deus_EpS

@Deus_EpS: Oh, yes, you will. Probably lots of them. Giant, metallic FruitFuckers you can destroy cities with; giant, wooden FruitFuckers you can lock SackBoys in and put on fire; human-sized, grey FruitFuckers counting down until the end of the world in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds...

EloraHRanma

Perhaps the thing that you're missing out here is the fact that Spore is DRM. LBP is not.

Dexyn

@LittleBigPlaneteer: (coughyournameisLittleBigPlaneteerIquestionyourobjectivitycough)

Kidding. I didn't even buy Spore -- partially because I'm broke, but also I heard things that made me think I wasn't missing much. Obviously, I haven't heard any reviews of LBP, but it does look pretty good.

vid3oman64

@theEnemy:

Given that you're willing to make a statement like that, I assume you have been playing the beta a hell of a lot. How is it? I'd really like to hear hands-on impressions from Kotakuites who have been playing the game.

Marlor

User-created content. That's where the resemblance stops for me.

IntelSilver

Am I alone in not caring about this? Spore and LBP both sound like games of moderate quality grafted onto pretty good.... building block sets. I don't mean that to come across as dismissive as it might sound; I'm impressed by what they seem to have created and the apparent creativity and depth of it, and I think they're great toys.

But at the end of the day when I sit down to play a game, I don't want to design my own levels. I want the game in front of me, crafted by someone better than I am at making a game. I just want to figure out their puzzles.

If you like the building block thing, cool. But I don't feel that it's necessarily superior to the pre-made alternative.

CaptaiNeNN

Full Disclosure: I've played neither.

Look at the previous Kotaku post on Little Big Planet. This game aims to have fully customizable user content right down to its very mechanics. Spore basically lets you admire other user's artwork.

elementary

I'm still wondering what the actual "game" in LBP will involve. All I've heard about so far is the creative tools it presents, and the ability to generate my own world and so on and so forth....

.... but the professional version of Photoshop also gives me the ability to generate my own world and populate it with creatures of my own design, etc.... and I don't consider that a "game".

I'm not dissing on the game or the concept -- I really just haven't gotten any sense of how any play/gaming element is incorporated into LBP, and I'm curious about that. With something like the Sims or Spore, you can express what you're supposed to DO with your creations fairly easily: "guide them through life fulfilling their various needs" and "guide them through the phases of history" respectively. I haven't seen that expression for LBP in anything I've read about it. And I'd like to.

Can anyone help a brotha out here?

A Pimp Named DaveR

@theEnemy:

Damn right. Spore barely lived up to its hype. It was the biggest disappointment of the year so far in gaming in my book. Not saying it's a terrible game, it's just flawed in many ways and in no way close to what they promised it would be. All that after waiting years for it to be released. That's disappointment.

LBP isn't released yet so I'll reserve judgment, but so far critics seem to be in love with the thing and it's living up to its hype and more.

LittleBigPlaneteer

Well, what I expected from Spore is quite different than what expect from LBP.
I'd like Spore to give the user the chance to create something and see how that manages to leave in the world populated by other user's on its own. I wanted the player to just modify the critter as new options were obtained, as in RoboCode, but real time.

From LBP I expect a great freedom in creation and just going around trying to guess what to do with other people's crazy ideas.

LBP is much wider, while the Spore I craved for was much more... achademic.

EloraHRanma

You wont get no Fruitfucker in LBP :(

Deus_EpS

My enthusiasm for LBP is attaining MGS4 levels... and that right there is a scary thought!

iamcool388

FRST! N BFR SHTSTRM!!

LOL! I disemvowled myself :)

On topic, I think LBP is going at it in a more easily accessible way. Will that pay off? Maybe. Plus they aren't cramming 5 games into 1 which won't hurt either.

Lachoy

Hugs his Playstation 3.

I knew you were the right choice.

Chances

Yeah, definitely similar to Little Big Planet. Hopefully it'll be as much fun as it is revolutionary, unlike Spore.

jasoncourt

I'm just here for the eventual "How dare you compare Spore to our game of the forever, LBP!?" freak out.

WatershipDown

Last time i checked the only person you can customize its sackboy.

Gray_F0x

LittleBigPlanet > Spore.

Unless of course if you don't have a PS3 and you only have a PC.

theEnemy

There is one huge difference, actually: LBP won't have any DRM controvery surrounding it!

WorldDude

Can't we all just get along?

The Great Aussie Evil

@iamcool388: Just make an MGS themed level. Then your head esplode!

gojirah

@-EDGE-: They've announced that there's a story mode that ships with the game that includes 50 levels. I'm not really clear on the story, but similar to Super Mario Brothers, it seems more like an excuse to run to the right and jump on things than something that will be woven so tightly into the game (like MGS)

thegreatpablo

@JimmyNice: lol can't wait for someone to make a 'sack'boy hahahaha

~runs away~... don't shoot me

lilaliendog

One major difference between Spore and Little Big Planet in terms of the hype machine is the exposure that Little Big Planet has had. Having been in a playable state for almost a year, been part of competitions like the one we recently saw, and demo'd everywhere...not to mention the open beta that just opened up yesterday, I think it's hard at this point for any major negatives aspects to have not cropped up yet.

The *ONLY* negative thing I've read/seen/heard about LBP is that it won't ship with online level creation modes available in the box...but MediaMolecule made that announcement, it wasn't "discovered", and they said it would be available in the first patch which they are already working on.

thegreatpablo

@Talryyn: Microsoft wont come out with a better side scroller, there to busy making an other Geometry Wars like shooter.

Assassin_Kensei

@BONERJAM: Actually, the keyword in your post is "alot".

It really depends on the person, but I personally don't have much time for gaming these days. Having a game where I choose to either play or create is great because it allows me to play for a short amount of time and still have fun.

Also, whenever you get bored with it, you can always stop playing a few days/weeks, then come back and download a bunch of user-created levels/games and renew your experience with the game.

You know how I never get bored with megaman games? They're all the same, but the levels are different. Well , depending on how well made the engine is, this could be a "never-ending Megaman"

Also, I'm sure some awesome, evil freaks, will make very challenging levels or those who only feel satisfied when they are challenged.

Of course, we don't know how fun the actual game is... but the self-renewing idea of the game makes it a lot more interesting for me.

UndergroundDreamer

@Brian Crecente

Brian, perhaps you can answer a question for me. On several occasions I have heard or read repeated comments from MM that there is in fact a "game" in LBP. I was wondering with your hands on time with the game have you seen what they are alluding to? Maybe I read more into the comment then was implied, but I'd love to hear if you know something about this aspect of the game.

-EDGE-

@Marlor: After a couple of hours on the beta, it's quite charming alright. There's a great deal of attention to detail and a huge amount of stuff to experiment with, from just dressing up your sack-person with various costumes to delivering additional touches with stickers (decals you can plant on both the game world and your character).

The gameplay is what has been seen; a proficient 2D/3D side-scroller with fun physics thrown on top. The content (i.e. the actual game rather than the stuff you can build and share on your own) seems to lie in plenty of pre-made levels revolving around picking up score spheres, thoroughly investigating the levels to unlock more stuff for your sack-person, and finding keys to get access to additional time-based trial runs.

Still very much a newbie into it all but so far, it has a definite LocoRoco/Patapon-ish charm to it and has a tendency of making you smile a lot :)

EldonTLH

@vhd244: lol. I would hug my PS3 if I had more games... but that has more to do with my eternal brokeitude than lack of games...

(pets vhd's 360) You know he doesn't mean it when he drinks...

vid3oman64

At last it ahs charm. After all the waiting and hyping, Spore has disappointed me incredibly. It's extremely boring and feels like someone took all the grinding from WoW and made it to a game with a somewhat funnier character creator.

I do agree that player content is a great thing, but as I learned, a game cannot rely purely on the participation of its player base.
No, Second life is not a game.
>_>

Poison

@baru: overall who cares about character customization, have you seen that level editor in action? creating levels in that game is going to be a blast, maybe even more fun than playing them.

Forsakenchild

Well, at least there is an audience for it.

Think of Garry's Mod for HL2. LBP has more straight-forward gameplay than Gmod, but if there'll be even half the percentage of creative people in LBP compared to Gmod, there'll be endless amounts of quality content to mess with created by other users.

lumpi

@A Pimp Named DaveR: I'm sure you've heard it a platformer. What else are you wondering?

The things I see when I look up video on LBP are all kinds of realistic physics-based game mechanics. Materials have different frictional properties and mass. Things can swing. You can grab things. Some objects can float or fly around.

So besides the style, multiplayer, and community sharing aspects...it's getting from point A to B, but with good physics.

gojirah

@HansSprungfeld:

probably for some people. Certainly not for all.
It's obvious how much effort went into this game. This isn't a civilian friendly editor bundled with a game. It's a "Be a game developer" game... a well constructed vehicle for the imagination.

there are people who find this appealing... and therefore are hyped up about it.

Maudite

@HansSprungfeld: "Completely underwhelmed?" Pretty obvious you've already decided what you want to think about the game... if you cared to listen to impressions from previewers and people in the beta you will find that it is widely reported as "stay-up-till-6am" amazing.

Astrofox

@A Pimp Named DaveR: I was worried about the same thing, the tools get all the love from the press. And to be honest, I have been a little worried, seeing all the hype around LBP, thinking that it wouldn't turn out to be as cool as it looks. However after playing it for a couple hours last night it appears to be a really solid platformer with a fun story and great level design (only 5 levels from the story mode are in the beta). The gameplay is solid so far with my only complaint being that the three levels of depth are a little funky at first since you automatically go in and out depending on situation (you can manually move in and out to, it's the auto stuff that's a little weird at times.)

However, even with a great game it will still be overshadowed by the power of the creation tool. It's similar to NWN, when you think of that game you generally think of the tools and the mods that were created, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the game was great (1st act was weak).

But if you like platformers, and cute look then from my limited experience with the game it looks like it will deliver a solid platforming experience and the story is supposed to be interesting.

baru

I would say the difference is the level of gameplay variety that LBP can create as opposed to the limited experience of Spore. While there is a lot to visually customize in Spore it has little impact on the way you play.

zatransis

its amazing to see spore not meet the hype. LBP has an opportunity to be game that gets "sharing"and "gaming" done right.

if you break down spore with lbp, LBP is more robust. the comparison is truly lies in user created content. it ends there.

zanzibarlegend

@Chances: Damn right it is the right choice.

We would feel jealous of LBP if we had the 3FixMe instead right ? :)

theEnemy

Jesus. I have a feeling LBP is going to be one of those games that continues to overpopulate Kotaku's front pages AFTER it releases, too. Just like GTA4.

dynendal

I'm not sure if i agree about the "same game" statement, mainly because for one, there is not RTS game play in LBP, second I don't think you can recreate a game like mario in Spore, third I don't think there is a co-op part to Spore, fourth in spore you share creatures, I little Big Planet, you can share levels, and character skin should you chose, and i can keep going. The only similar thing i see is that fact that both games are community focus games, and creating things, but LBP creation is far more in depth then I think Spore is.

Blackflash

@Maudite:

It's comments like "It's a 'Be a game developer' game" that make me think so many people will end up disappointed.

HansSprungfeld

@HansSprungfeld: There are pretty much two types of gamers in the world: casual and the hardcore. LBP is ideal for the casual gamer, which is honestly where the the biggest market for games is. That said, I am a pretty hardcore gamer, but I still can not wait for this game. It is going to be perfect for those times when I have only an hour to play a game or feel a little creative. Not to mention the game will always have replay value with downloadable content.

Forsakenchild

@HansSprungfeld: Hans, you´re not the only one. I´m still trying to understand the hype about it. It must be really good and all but it just doesn´t attract me. It must be a good game and all but I´m not hyped to play it (I don´t have a PS3 though but I know someone who does so I´ll try it sometime).

And I just don´t see the appeal of Sackboy either. Parappa made a better "mascot" to me than Sackboy will ever be for Sony. Even Kratos is a better mascot.

lucasreis

It's the unbound ability to create that makes me so excited about LBP. The construction toolset appears to be simple-yet-flexible, like Fantastic Contraption, a game where you could make any crazy thing you wanted given the effort. LBP promises a HUGE parts set too, and I can't wait to toy with that.

The only thing I'm slightly scared about is the platforming controls. I hope, really hard, that the controls aren't too floaty. Floaty character physics make precise movement difficult and levels that require tight maneuvering frustrating. That's my only concern, though, and I hope it's unfounded. I'll find out for sure when I pick up the game in October.

jmaster14656

@vid3oman64: I would hug my PS3 if I could fit my arms around that Behemoth

Just kidding *shoots a dirty look in his Wii's direction*

Strife56

@Crecente
"At least that's what I thought, but when I floated that past the LittleBigPlanet guys earlier this week they totally shot it down."

Did that make you feel sad? Media Molecule are so mean.

gojirah

I can't wait for LBP. Spore was good but I don't think it'll be even close to being the same as LBP, seeing how Spore is more RTS and LBP is a platformer

Spartanidiot

I've been playing the Beta all day, and I can safely say it's a lot better than Spore. It's on the far opposite end of the spectrum as Spore, rather than feeling shallow and 'casual', it has apparent depth. The user created levels vary from impossible to lose, to impossible to win. I really think it has much more potential than just creating stuff without practicality.

Demilich

@zatransis: I think this hits the nail on the head.

thegreatpablo

@dynendal: It deserves the hype. people are loving the demo. critics are praising its ambition. trailers look brilliant. its time for lbp to get its shine on!

zanzibarlegend

*witty DRM comment*

That is all.

culic

@HansSprungfeld:
The game comes with 50 or so levels and a story... there's as much of a game in there as any other... If people aren't creative they should play those and the ones people make...

DustySword

I want my Little Big Evagelion, that would own on so many levels. As a follow up how 'bout Gunslinger Girl LBP!

aphexmalus

I bought a PS3 just for LBP. Sure I picked up a couple other games in the meantime but it's really all about the LBP.

And whenever Spore comes to the PS3 or 360 or Wii or uhh.. SNES or whatever I'll definitely pick it up. Consoles are DRM-free heaven.

dowingba

Anyone who makes a comparison between Spore and LBP and concludes that they are similar obviously is trying to be an idiot.

They are totally different games. Its like saying Garry's Mod and Spore are similar games.

LBP is the Garry's Mod of the console. Its almost entirely a playground for physics except with LBP, the tools are more simple because its on a console. But without a direction and gameplay, it would get boring so they added in a focus to platforming.

You could indeed create the mario level but as MM has already stated, levels created that infringe on other developers IP will be taken off if found. SO pretty much your stuck to just playing it with your friends and online friends and not be able to upload them for everyone to play.

Viet0ne

@HansSprungfeld:
I played the beta.
I can assure you that this game allows you all the tools you'd want or need to express yourself or make games inside the game.

tehFluffz

I've been a strong believer in User Generated content. It's another way of feeling like you OWN the game and the game's character. Whether it's as simple as putting your own name instead of Cloud's, or creating your own bizzarro love hotel in The Sims. Hell, I never play Soul Calibur these days without playing my own creations. It's part of that spark that's in me that really feels more empowered through creation. And I'm certain, given the success of so many great creative games (we'd be myopic just to name LBP and Spore) the open ended structure of Creativity as Gameplay is the new Multiplayer in terms of Great Gaming Epochs.

Psudonym

@thegreatpablo:

Ahh, I see thanks for the info. I'm really looking forward to the creative part of this game, but the "story" part has been ellusive at best.

-EDGE-

@zanzibarlegend: I really hope it does well too, but there's a fine line between blogworthy and annoying. Not even GTA4 deserved the amount of stories it ended up with here.

dynendal

@DustySword:

Fair enough. I've just always assumed that it will be for some reason. The game just seems suited to being a downloadable title. It's all about user-generated and downloadable content anyway.

Marlor

"Spore stopped being fun to me almost a year ago" @Bokusatsu_Tenshi: Are you talking to us from TEH future? How's the Delorean?
Who won the 2010 World Cup? Buy a Sports Almanac before coming back to September 2008!

Alex_Mexico

@Talryyn:

Not really. The Adventure Construction Set didn't kill adventure-style games. Doom WADs didn't kill the FPS. SEUCK didn't kill shoot-em-ups. Neverwinter Nights didn't kill the CRPG.

Creating a good-quality game is a difficult thing to do. Just because tools are available doesn't mean that people will suddenly be creating all their own games. Not to mention that there will obviously be limitations on what can be done with the toolkit.

It will be like with any other mod-tool. There will be some great content created, some awful content created, and many game designers (or at least level-designers) will probably get their start with LBP and go on to better things in the future.

However, it's not like there will suddenly be an endless supply of AAA platformers for free. Creating something brilliant takes talent, dedication and time. You're not going to whip up something to rival Super Mario World in an afternoon.

Marlor

@gojirah: *mind blown*

Alex_Mexico

@Marlor:
LittleBigPlanet is not a Playstation Store game though...

DustySword

I'm a huge LBP fan and Spore stopped being fun to me almost an year ago, so this comment may wound kinda biased.

But I see the character creation more like an improved personalization of your character in the game.... something like an enhanced spray paint to customize and make your character unique... rather than a main feature of the game.

In LBP things looks kinda different. It's like the game's MAIN PURPOSE is to create things and enjoy other people's creation.

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

@Forsakenchild: I agree, I was simply responding to Gray_F0x saying that you can't customize any character other than sackboy. And after playing with the beta last night for several hours I agree that it is a blast to create levels with.

baru

@Dexyn:

Of course it has DRM. That's what stops you from copying the game off your PS3 onto someone else's.

Everything you download from the Playstation Store has DRM embedded in it. There are also limitations on re-downloading content of you delete it (at least on video content, I'm not sure about games). Additionally, there are limitations on how many different consoles you can install a game on (which could possibly be an issue if you have a run of bad luck with hardware).

It's probably not as bad as the Spore DRM for the average user, but it's certainly there. It's just that nobody's protesting loudly about it because DRM is part and parcel of online delivery systems.

Marlor

@Deus_EpS: you could even get a MORE AWESOME FruitFucker.... since LBP level/character creation is more open than Spore's.

Adding stamps, pics and other neat things...

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

It seems to me that the big difference between the two is that Spore seems to be creating for the sake of creating. The fun is in finding what others have created or creating things on your own.

LBP seems like it is built very similarly, but it enables people to create together. You can invite anyone into your level editing session. The fun is in creating together then finishing the level together.

Right?

linkabi9

personally, i think lbp is more like a cross between the sims & super mario, with elements of black & white, a hint of lego star wars, a dash of ratchet & clank, & a whiff of tamagotchi...

but maybe that's just me?...

semiconscious

Look, I understand the perspective but using "user-generated content" as a similarity is kind of thin. They're very different in the style of gameplay and creation. One allows you to create a world, the other, create a playable "character".

But simply that they have (or even focus on) user-generated content isn't enough to call them reminiscent of one another. I think that playing these two games will distinctly draw lines between the two.

Which leads me even MORE in my desire to try LBP out...

TuxBobble

So was there a point to this article, or was it just yet *another* pointless cheap shot at Sony and Sony products?

GrandfatherParadox

@dynendal:

It's possible to exclude unwanted stories based on their 'tags' at the top of the page. I can't remember the proper syntax but if you complain often enough you'll either get the info or get banned for your lack of self-control. (Quit clicking the damn things.)

SeedyXX

I'll wait to see what LittleBigPlanet is like. The media is in love with it, but the media has been in love with some not-so-great games before in the past. I have a feeling that the hype is going to hurt it, badly.

I'm sure it will be a very good game, for people who are into that sort of thing, but every time its brought up its made to be the "PS3 savior" which seems like a gross overstatement to me.

Hey_guy

@jmaster14656: After playing it, it is pretty floaty. not uncontrollably so, but there isnt much weight to the sackboy... course, it's not like they are made out of flesh meat and bone amirite???

anyways smack a sackboy in the face and watch em fly off a cliff. doesnt get better than that in 4 player.

Derigor

Yes, I can make my own creature in Spore.

But can I explore (and have my friends explore) my own, personalized and customized world, crafted to my terrible and sadistic whims?

Yes, I can make a giant monster in Spore.

But can I make it a living, breathing dungeon that can only be taken down by the little creatures of my world scaling his labyrinthine body until they find his weak spot?

Spore promised us creativity and endless fun.

Little Big Planet looks to deliver.

Razgriz1

@theEnemy:

Please dont remind me of the horrors that is my xbox360. first red ring, then dvd drive, now one of the controllers doesnt even work. At least I can still play Castle Crashers off the HD... OH WAIT...

Derigor

@Deus_EpS: You can even take a picture of the actual fruit fucker with a playstation eye camera and then use that as a skin on your fruit fucker.

Mikatro

Platformer is still a platformer and boy do I dislike platformers <.<''' Personally I'd rather play something like this on the PC rather than a console of any flavour. I hope the game does well for itself but it won't be getting my limited moola this fall. (sorry there's too much coming out this fall/winter ;P )

jhgoforth

one thing both games have in common nobody mentioned yet:

they're both a PR person's wetdream. and by that I mean they demo* very well.

* press demo(s)

rainofwalrus

hey, beta tester! any LBP impressions for us unlucky ones?

the_answer

I've spent about 4 hours with the beta. Although I've been a little hyped about it, it exceeded my expectations.

First the developer levels were great fun. Second, it's the physics that make it so different and interesting; each level can play differently each time.

Third, and most important, the Community features are excellent. Within 1 minute of starting the game, I can be playing online with others on the newest, highly rated map. No big downloads; not much of a wait at all. Or I can chose to play the newest map offline. What really suprised me was the speed at which you could find a level online, click on it, and boom....5 seconds and your playing a completely new level.

Plus if you play a level online with others and decide to quit to look for other levels, those players you've been playing with have the option of coming back to your "pod", then you can all go to the next level together.

It is seemless and fast and fun.

Hey, I'm usually a FPS guy. Maybe this looks too "cute" for you, or just not your cup of tea. That's cool. But for many people (even those not into sidescrollers) this is going to be a fantastic, long lasting game.

And I haven't even gotten into the creating tools.....

learnedhand1

I have been playing the beta, i have logged a good 10-15 hours on it since last night. The game is truly amazing and actually exceeds the hype. The amount of detail involved when creating a map is literally mind blowing. From working bicycles and space shuttles to monsters that are engulfed in flames and chasing you throughout the level, its fun to create anything and you really can create *anything*!

The controls are intuitive and very easy to use, i mastered them by the time i finished my the first level. Graphics are as nice as they look in the screens that im sure everyone has seen by now and the interface for navigating throughout the LittleBigUniverse is great. Community features are excellent so far, though i havent seen any options to invite friends.. hmm.

Overall im enjoying this quite a bit, i havent had so much genuine fun in a long time. Its fun to get in a room with 3 other Sackies (Sackies.. yes, thats the best i could come up with) and just mess about. Its fun to not always have to worry about competing against another team or person, but to play as a whole and have everyone enjoy themselves.

This is the game that the PS3 has needed since launch. GOTY material for sure.

ak416

I agree... from what I've seen it looks like LBP gives you a toybox, scrapbook, video game resource kit, and open-endedness with things like the webcam to make whatever you want.

Spore... sometimes offers you a handful of monster parts that all feel like they were from the same designer to make monsters that overall, seem to act pretty predictably.

Not actually knocking Spore, but until LBP hits and reality sets in it's going to be hard to pick my jaw up off the floor. It seems to be in another league compared to... video games.

fuchikoma

The PS Store's DRM for games is very lax. The only restriction is that u can only have it on 5 PS3's at a time. In fact it is so lax that i can download content on a friends ps3 and they can play it on there, on their account.

WilburHorse

@ak416: If you aren't lying, thank you.

My PS3 hasn't gotten much love since Warhammer came out. Save me from my PC, Media Molecule!

Razgriz1

@Chances:

As much love as I have for just the thought of playing LittleBigPlanet, I'll never be convinced that paying hundreds of dollars to play a single game is worth it.

Mact

I was thinking about this earlier today while wondering how much broad consumer appeal LBP will have. I figure it won't quite have the same blanket appeal Spore has, most specifically because you're talking about a much larger install base of PCs vs. PS3s.

Also, the side-scroller has been alternately dead or on its last legs for years (and don't get me wrong, I love them - I fantasize about a high-resolution Symphony of the Night). I don't see how a few cool XBLA/PSN titles will all-of-a-sudden shift the gaming landscape to make them insanely popular again.

Strangelove

@learnedhand1: Exactly, it's fun even without the create tools. I had an idea for a level today, but got stuck in the multiplayer portion for the rest of the evening. Have to try that out tomorrow.

Furu

@HansSprungfeld: this is what i find will be very true. this is the same concept behind Korean BBQ: YOU be the creator! after dinner though, you'll realize the chef does it a lot better (if they have chefs in those damn restaurants)

just as with the Korean BBQ, you'll realize the best levels are from the hard working level designers, not your basement ones.

LBP will just be a fad where it'll leave a lot of frustrated gamers with an epiphany: you can't make games :(

MysteriousStranger

@WorldDude:
I still won't buy it. Sony makes securerom. between that crap, and the other rootkit fiasco's from Sony, there is no way I'm buying a PS3. Sucks cause this gmae looks like pure win.

Qix213

@the_answer: Basic game mechanics are easy to learn. Move, jump, grab and that's it. Playing alone is ok, but playing online or with friends offline is where the meat is. Pressing 'Play online' will mate you with other players automatically, which works really well. I just plowed through maybe 20 levels in 40 minutes and it was fun. The quality of the package is astounding. I might sound a little over the top, but that's how I feel right now about the game.

The controls make it easy to express the feeling of the character, so you don't necessarily have to speak, but voice chat is also supported.

This game made me smile for an hour and thats all I needed. Get it.

Furu

@theEnemy:

This is the ONLY game i want to play on PS3. That sucks cause im not paying for a PS3, or giving any money to Sony in anyway. Maybe someone I know will get it...

Qix213

after playing spore, LBP doesn't look appealing at all anymore.

MysteriousStranger

@Hey_guy: This is a game that deserves all that praise. I have had incredible amounts of fun the past two days with the beta. Even though that 'PS3 savior' might sound a bit indimitating, LBP can carry that weight easily. I believe in this game.

Furu

@CaptaiNeNN: As people have already told in numerous thread, you don't have to create. Just play the game! It's very simple and the online portion is fantastic. Quick, easy and fun are the words that come to mind when playing the game.

I recommend finding that friend that might have the beta. It's fun compressed in 906 MB. Really.

Furu

The comparison is not really working, since LBP has a pretty lenghty single player mode, where you dont create anything, just run and jump around, figuring out puzzles. The editor is a totally different part of the game.

mazur

I've always made this connection between the two games. Whenever I talk about LBP to someone who's never heard of it before, but has heard of Spore, I always say that it's like "Spore, but where you create levels and environments instead of creatures and characters."

I wonder how much you can actually customize the Sack Boy frame, though. I mean, I'm sure you can put a lot of clothes and themes on top of them, but can you alter the actual Sack Boy itself?

Blah8

i don't want to have to build the game. i just want to play dammit!

sayten

@Mact: The games are widening in scope, yo.

phinehas

i think the two are like this
in spore, the gameplay is the creation
in LBP, the creation is the gameplay

joat217

@Mact: here ya go, sparky.

[en.wikipedia.org]

oh, and this:

[en.wikipedia.org]

bialia

@WorldDude: LOL, just downloaded the beta yesterday and I'm so glad I can play it on different users. I did have to create a UK account to download it :(

crabperson

@Marlor:
Why? It looks like a full game to me. And it is. It comes with 60 developer created levels, and so much content that it takes up 40 GB of the Blu-ray disc. If any game is worth my 60 bucks, it's this one.

DustySword

@Marlor: The Add-ons and the levels that other players made are the downloadable content.

If they made it(the whole game) available on PSN for download, it will be a gimped version. PSN Downloadable games should stick to arcade-like games, or games that can be fitted to 1-2GBs and still have all it's glory.
I seriously doubt Burnout Paradise(PSN) will be the same as the blu-ray version.

PS3 games(Blu-Ray Disc) aren't hackable yet. So whether Sony puts DRM on it or not, it won't matter. People will always buy it and publishers won't loss a dime from pirates. Unlike PC/360/Wii who's using a very hackable disc format.

theEnemy

@Razgriz1: No of course im not lying lol. The game is great. Im a fan of shooters, every game i own is a shooter aside from Burnout, but LBP, theres just something about it, its really addicting and its a great game in general. And even better news, not one technical problem yet. My only complaint is a bit of a stutter with the frame rate when there were like 230 apples on screen at once. Other than that, smooth as you could ever hope for.

ak416

I feel the disturbance as well.

Darthvinder

@jasoncourt:

ya, there are huge similarities... but also huge differences.

i haven't played spore, or LBP, so i can't say if either is actually fun or not, but the gameplay of LBP definitely appeals to me WAY more.

joeloliol

@Marlor: I heard it's using a dual-layered blu-ray though.

dowingba

@HansSprungfeld: @HansSprungfeld:

There's obviously a big difference from the game and the real thing

but that's understood with all video games
What guitar hero is to guitar PLAYER etc.

wait... what does that comment even mean?

Maudite

So.... Kotaku has been officially garbage for how many months?

RuthPartridge

The above comment makes no sense whatsoever.

MyrtleInsect

I just keep drawing a blank with LBP ... it's not got me very excited at all. I haven't really enjoyed 2D platformers since Super Mario Bros on the NES, running left to right and jumping now and then doesn't really hold my interest regardless of how nice it may look.

Also have a big problem with the game relying on user-generated content. There's gonna be an awful awful lot of terrible things, and I don't think the 'community' will sustain itself particularly well. Plus, making levels doesn't appeal to me really ... same with all these games, the sims, the movies etc etc, the creating aspect of them I usually find quite boring.

sanzen

@Chances:
Also hugs PS3 *knows made right choice*

*glances at un-plugged wii*

Masterted11

@Chances: I'm hugging the PS3 right now because I was able to find one bc, so I'm playing all the PS2 games I've missed out on.... which were mostly all of them.

However, my 360 will definitely get some lovin' when Fable 2 and Last Remnant comes out.(That's if I could pull myself away from LBP. :0 )

superfrogsavestokyo

@WorldDude: Consoles are the ultimate DRM technology!

Ok so I'm just trying to downplay your comment.

ElArabDeMagnifico