Sep When we started planning our Orlando blog readers’ meet-up, I can’t say that I set the bar that high. 30 people would be stunning. After all, our previous meet-ups took place alongside industry events such as PAX and E3; we had a built-in audience. Last Friday in Orlando was just that: a Friday in Orlando.
And yet last Friday we held our biggest, most fun, and best event ever. Over 150 Floridians turned out (many driving from far-off locations such as Tampa and Gainesville) to partake in WipEout HD, LittleBigPlanet beta, Buzz! Quiz TV and BBQ. It was great to get to talk with so many of you, many of whom expressed thanks for coming all the way out there.
My favorite story of the night came from the gentleman (pictured below), who bet his friend $5 that he wouldn’t win anything, “because he never does.” This, of course, is right before he won a copy of Buzz PS3.
Actually, everyone was a winner, as we surprised attendees with LittleBigPlanet beta codes, prompting the biggest cheers of the night.
Thanks again to everyone who attended, and especially to Matt and Sean who took so many great pics with their fancy SLR cameras. Oh, and to the Orlando Sentinel, PS3 Fanboy, and other bloggers who wrote about the event.
Uber-extra-special thanks to the fine folks at Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy/UCF, for proving such gracious hosts in an awesome venue. Thanks Todd, Rich, and JR.
Just so you know, we’ll be back in Central Florida (in a somewhat different capacity) in just a couple of weeks during the PlayStation Pro.
Oh, and we’ve got a few extra LBP codes for those who couldn’t make it. The first 50 people to email us at playstationblogorlando@gmail.com will receive an LBP beta key by the end of the day (Pacific time!).
UPDATE: All winners have been identified, and will be receiving their codes shortly (some of you have them already). So, um, that’s good on the emails! Thanks!
(Average: 4.41 out of 5)
151
+ X1rtam on September 29th, 2008 at 5:37 pm said:
Oh, forgot to mention, I got my platinum in Burnout yesterday at 3:44 PM. :P The online ones were the hardest to get thanks to a few uncooperative people, until I hosted my own room. :D
152
+ PirateThom on September 29th, 2008 at 5:39 pm said:
How good is Wipeout HD?
Isn’t it spectacular?
I’m easily distracted by lights and noise, so Zone mode is perfect! :P
153
+ FritoZ on September 29th, 2008 at 5:44 pm said:
Thanks Jeff!
;)
154
+ kaede177 on September 29th, 2008 at 5:49 pm said:
is it too late??
155
+ HorizonShadow on September 29th, 2008 at 5:49 pm said:
grats to all winners, gimmie some feedback on the game!
156
+ TRIX_BOL on September 29th, 2008 at 5:51 pm said:
That is “RACIST”, i didn’t get a code and i was one of the first people to send that e-mail!
Come on man!
157
+ Dann7978 on September 29th, 2008 at 6:02 pm said:
Oh man, i missed my chance to get little big planet oh well ill just till the 21st
158
+ HorizonShadow on September 29th, 2008 at 6:23 pm said:
@157
abviously, you were one of the 51-2000 people that e-mailed…
159
+ WHAT on September 29th, 2008 at 6:31 pm said:
Cool, I missed out but at least you gave them out here.
160
+ BigVic on September 29th, 2008 at 6:40 pm said:
Thanks for the code!
161
+ Kontraband on September 29th, 2008 at 6:58 pm said:
Omg the event was so awsome, and the best part is I made the Blog front page! Thats my buddy Esquanda and Wipeout playing Little Big Planet. Im the guy on the left in the black shirt with a much needed shave! Thanks again Jeff!
+ Jeff Rubenstein on September 30th, 2008 at 9:34 am said:
Thank you for coming out!
162
+ snowglobe on September 29th, 2008 at 6:59 pm said:
@darkwonders: The beta exists mainly exists for hype. Instead of advertising normally they put out a beta, give codes to a select few sites and watch as everyone goes crazy trying to get in. It’s for their benefit, not ours, so you’d be mistaken thinking they did this for the good of the playstation community.
Sony should be doing everything they can to try and get us to be playing this game, instead they’re more focused on hyping it up. didn’t they learn from lair & haze? hype has no substance. you need to get it into the hands of the gamer and let them voice how good it is. If sony aren’t interested in selling me the game then I’ll meet their request and not buy it. the irony is that if this beta wasn’t handled by laurel & hardy I would’ve bought it, but the sheer idiocy of the situation has made me think twice.
Sony shouldn’t be rewarded for incompetence. They’ve had nearly 2 years to get their act together and they’re still making schoolboy errors. when will it end? in all likiness, it won’t; and that’s why I thank heaven there is a competitor in the marketplace ready to pick up where Sony leaves off.
163
+ ilike2game on September 29th, 2008 at 7:22 pm said:
you should hold a meet up in Seattle,I couldn’t make it to PAX, no money at the time.
164
+ yeahboy333 on September 29th, 2008 at 7:39 pm said:
Thanks for the Beta code Jeff. I really appreciate it!!!
165
+ Stoffinator on September 29th, 2008 at 7:49 pm said:
Why don’t you just make it available for everybody and cut out this crap with “let us know if you want it” BS.
166
+ 40cal on September 29th, 2008 at 7:54 pm said:
Can you guys/gals please do a blog meet up in the Dallas Fort-Worth area? If so I’m there. I might even make the drive to Houston.
@ canguy69 #40 LOL
@ huked on foniks #50. Im going to vote for Jack Tretton for president. Wait he already is? Well president and CEO anyways. :) But really though I’m voting for Obama because he has Clinton’s finance team and I don’t care to much about anything but the state of our economy.
Dolla Dolla bills yall!
167
+ Ezalis on September 29th, 2008 at 8:27 pm said:
Thanks for showing up in Orlando. It was fun meeting everyone. I’m glad I got a code there. I’m never quick enough on these things, but I haven’t slept in days I just keep playing/making more and more levels.
+ Jeff Rubenstein on September 30th, 2008 at 9:35 am said:
It was my pleasure.
168
+ FritoZ on September 29th, 2008 at 8:37 pm said:
********************
**********
******
@ E V E R Y O N E !!!!
THIS GAME IS AMAZING!!!
Media Molecule has achieved something very special..let me say all the “hype” (as some blog posters have said) is well worth it..
I’m sure alot of you have read other site’s reviews like game informers in-depth with the beta…but until you actually move your sackboy’s little appendages around for the first time and make him do “staying alive” with his arms..well..i’m sold.
this IS what the PS3 needed..
SONY- advertise this game like no other- this will be the next mario/zelda/halo/pokemon/star wars/monster quest/etc. etc. game phenomena..
ok…back to the beta, time to find some more stickers! *hint* try jumping behind things you think are in the background! nice!
:)
:)
:)
169
+ EvoAnubis on September 29th, 2008 at 8:50 pm said:
@163:
…….huh?
170
+ EvoAnubis on September 29th, 2008 at 8:53 pm said:
Come to think of it, explain to me why the hell other sites get literally thousands of these things to hand out, but for the OFFICIAL PlayStation.Blog we get only 50.
Seriously, Jeff; explain that to me.
171
+ NewYork214 on September 29th, 2008 at 9:12 pm said:
i hate you jeff.lol the only time i cant get to the internet is when all these LBP beta keys are given away. i hold you responsible lol
172
+ saunderswan on September 29th, 2008 at 11:32 pm said:
@163 beta test are not mainly for hype this 1 imparticular is to stress test servers so there aint another f**k up like MetalGearOnlineBeta
NOT TO BUILD HYPE
173
+ Linconan on September 30th, 2008 at 12:02 am said:
Damn….late as always :(
Any chance a free code swung my way…
Everywhere i go is a dead end.
Anybody?, Sony?
For pity sake someone throw me a bone, scraps will do…. *starts panting*
I’m always late jim.
Damn i can’t wait for LBP, but i guess i’ll have to like alot of other people,lol…*sigh
Linconan
174
+ snowglobe on September 30th, 2008 at 12:30 am said:
saunderswan: And how are you supposed to stress test servers by only allowing a fraction of the real amount of people on at the same time? Don’t be surprised if you see the servers buckle when release day comes because the amount of users will multiple many times over. MGO was crippled because Konami couldn’t handle the amount of users attempting to register for a gamer id – if you dropped the id you would’ve dropped the problem
The gamer id was the only negative part of MGO. otherwise, the way it was handled in terms of distribution was fine. beta codes for those that pre-ordered in the US and an open beta on the store for EU. Konami have done it better than Sony so far.
175
+ THATPSPGUY on September 30th, 2008 at 2:39 am said:
You know what? all this beta madness sucks rocks hard. Keep beta for people who actually “BUY” the games and want totest for real. This sucks so hard you wouldn’t believe. I bought the game in the hopes of getting a beta key but after wasting the last 7 days I could care less. I’m so unhappy!
176
+ GGCAN on September 30th, 2008 at 6:27 am said:
Oh well,,,,guess we’re too late now.
LBP is out around Oct 21st and it’s Sep month end now…so really no big deal…we will all be playing very soon.
177
+ mza49311 on September 30th, 2008 at 6:30 am said:
@34 I totally agree with your statement, I miss out on all the good beta stuff, always working and such, during the time period I would be able to partake in these contests as well the time slot I would able to partake in the betas, it’s too late, I mean come on by comment 20 it says they received 100 emails! then shortly after over 800, oh and I tried for the different websites contests and such, same thing, sometimes I think the internet is my enemy, lol, oh well as exciting as it is to get into a beta, release date’s not that far off I’ll just twiddle my thumbs for a bit longer
178
+ badzo on September 30th, 2008 at 6:42 am said:
any more keys for LBP beta?
179
+ big_hawk97 on September 30th, 2008 at 7:00 am said:
These beta codes are becoming more and more like Willy Wonkas golden ticket. I’d still like one though.
180
+ AkiraDevil on September 30th, 2008 at 7:49 am said:
What do I have to do to get something cool from sony? I bought my PS3 a few months after the initial launch. I wasnt upset that the price dropped not long after that. I defend Sony’s honor against all the Microsoft haters. I have waited patiently for home (even though my antipation has lost a little steam) I have even pre-ordered LBP.
I wasnt able to make it to the Orlando playstation blog event even though i really wanted to go. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE give me a LBP beta key. Thats all I ask.
181
+ cocojen on September 30th, 2008 at 8:05 am said:
you guys should come down to so cal!!! it would be even better if it were in san diego!!! i would so miss work for that!!! XD
182
+ StalkingSilence on September 30th, 2008 at 8:19 am said:
Jeff,
I have a code for 20% off of a single item at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Want to trade codes?
+ Jeff Rubenstein on September 30th, 2008 at 9:37 am said:
I got that one too. Egyptian cotton sheets, here I come!
183
+ Onna76_NL on September 30th, 2008 at 8:52 am said:
Damn too late again to get the code :-( Already the forth time :’(
184
+ Onna76_NL on September 30th, 2008 at 8:55 am said:
I posted a message anyway, but probably no use *sigh*, what grudge does Sackboy have against me anyway :-(
185
+ MidnightBlues on September 30th, 2008 at 9:02 am said:
No way now it lets me post omg im sorry dont ban me please I was thinking it wouldnt post my comment like it has done 1000 times! i am sorry I thought I was just sending a messsage that would drift off into a black hole like my others sorry
186
+ Lex_Yayo_407 on September 30th, 2008 at 9:06 am said:
Let me know when your down here again. Alex from GamesOnSmash.com
187
+ RICKDOEZ1 on September 30th, 2008 at 10:30 am said:
i need a lbp beta key..plz help!!!!!!!!
188
+ Azured_Scorpio on September 30th, 2008 at 11:31 am said:
I’m I too late for the Beta code!?
189
+ TRIX_BOL on September 30th, 2008 at 11:36 am said:
Jeff why didn’t i receive a code?
190
+ Letters2Kay on September 30th, 2008 at 12:44 pm said:
You know, I’m REALLY tired of getting all these LBP beta keys getting rubbed in my face. It’s pissing me off, seriously. Stop it. Just give them away and keep it to yourselves.
191
+ rccola06 on September 30th, 2008 at 12:48 pm said:
does anyone know if MM will be putting out a DEMO for Little Big Planet?
192
+ rahstar2003 on September 30th, 2008 at 1:35 pm said:
Whats all this news about a ps4 Jeff????!!!! I keep hearing it everywhere for 2011. That would suck in my opinion.
193
+ Scodo_Thope on September 30th, 2008 at 1:38 pm said:
Geeze Sony – Dallas – Come to Dallas!
:P
194
+ cicelskowitz on September 30th, 2008 at 2:06 pm said:
What do i need to do to get a code?
195
+ EvoAnubis on September 30th, 2008 at 4:29 pm said:
So, no explanation, huh? Loyal PlayStation customer, regular PlayStation.Blog poster, pre-ordered in full, but I can’t even get a simple explanation of why I apparently can’t get a LBP beta invite. Home I can understand; I haven’t put any down for that at all. LBP, however, I paid in full, and the only people who seem to get these things are those that have all day to search the internet and grab them up.
Thanks for that. At least this served as a reminder that loyal customers mean nothing.
I’ll remember that when the 8th gen consoles launch.
I am EXTREMELY disappointed and disheartened. Help me.
196
+ elprimodebklyn96 on September 30th, 2008 at 5:36 pm said:
damn im so late but i sent it in any way love yall @ sony 4 doing this though
197
+ 40cal on September 30th, 2008 at 9:44 pm said:
Jeff Rubenstein replied on September 30, 2008 at 9:37 am
I got that one too. Egyptian cotton sheets, here I come!
I’m with you on that one Jeff, Egyptian cotton sheets are awesome just make sure you get the highest thread count. :)
198
+ Tabooger on September 30th, 2008 at 11:20 pm said:
Any chance of giving us New Zealanders some love?
Haha, just kidding. But seriously, do it.
199
+ NEJI64 on October 1st, 2008 at 3:31 pm said:
it sux that none of these events happen in NYC
200
+ rusty razors on October 2nd, 2008 at 1:03 pm said:
great info
sent an email. thanks!