On the PlayStation Store:
In celebration of our birthday, we have two FREE costumes for our community. One new and one revisited – both available for a limited amount of time. How else would we celebrate the birthday of our launch, but with a slice of cake and a spacesuit? Be sure to drop by the PlayStation Store and download it this weekend.

Another celebration…Community Picks!
We’re not the only ones celebrating something special. Our friends at LittleBigPodcast are celebrating their 40th episode of one of our favorite shows. Check out this week’s episode, featuring guest appearances from Media Molecule themselves, along with answers to tons of questions from the community.

What’s new in LittleBigPlanet (PSP):
In case you missed it, there’s a new development diary on the LittleBigWorkshop all about PUZZLES. Plus learn more about some of the levels in the new adventure on the PSP.

LittleBigPlanet (PSP) on the PlayStation Store – Two week special!
We know a lot of you are waiting to hear about getting LBP (PSP) through the PlayStation Store, and more specifically, how you can get the cool pre-order costumes too. Well, here you go:

We’re pleased to announce that if you purchase LittleBigPlanet (PSP) through the PlayStation Network from 11/17/09 to 12/3/09, you’ll also get the six Sackboy costumes from UNCHARTED 2, Killzone 2 and MotorStorm.

So now you have two options to get LittleBigPlanet (PSP) plus these costumes – reserve your physical copy at any of our participating retailers, or be sure to purchase the game on the PlayStation Store within the first two weeks of launch.

That’s it for this week. Enjoy!

“Whats New” in LittleBigPlanet PSP
SCEE Cambridge has been hard at work developing a completely new adventure for Sackboy. We’ve asked them to give us some insight on the PSP version through a series of articles to explain what’s new.

“Diary Entry – Nuts and Bolts…and Motors, Strings and Magnetic Keys – What Makes LittleBigPlanet (PSP) Tick” by Jon Torrens, Designer

What’s unique about LBP is that all the behind-the-scenes machines that make the game work are actually created using the tools available to players in edit mode, and are in the level somewhere (just not where you can see them). For example, in the mini-games we have things that have to get faster and faster, like the giant wheel you run on in the China mini-game. The best way for us to do this is to have a little vehicle that moves slowly towards a switch that uses the speed setting. Need something to happen faster? We just speed up the motor bolts on the vehicle. Need something to happen halfway through the game? Stick a magnetic key on the vehicle and a magnetic key switch on its track. The brilliant thing about this is that you have a really simple diagram of what happens in the game. You don’t have to think ‘Well, the time for the wheel to reach top speed is 90 seconds, and I want the player to have to deal with bombs at increasing amounts, so I’ll put bombs dropping on the player at 40, 70, 85 and 90 seconds, you can just place key switches along the track.

A technique we used for repeating sequences was simply having a big disc with a magnetic key on it that rotated past magnetic key switches on a static block behind it. We could move the magnetic key switches into any sequence without having to calculate the exact values required, and to change the overall speed of the sequence we just changed the speed of the motor bolt that made the disc rotate. This might sound technical, but if you’re making a slightly more sophisticated level – like, for example, one with emitting blocks that Sackboy has to run across, or a series of sound effects that plays a tune – then comfort yourself with the knowledge that you have exactly the same tools that we had, and with which we managed to make all those lovely story levels you’ve been playing. Okay, there are quite a few of us, and we had a fair amount of time, but it’s all there for you to use. Aren’t we generous?

For more stories from LittleBigPlanet (PSP) head on over to LittleBigWorkshop.com to read more…like “What’s the Story“, “Prizes and Physics” and more…

LBP (PS3): Game of the Year Edition – User Spotlight
In this week’s spotlight, we learn more about Tommy, PSN ID x-nobody-x, and his level, “The Tails of the LittleBigCrytal”, in the LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition.

Community Picks!
Our fansites continue to find standout levels online…here’s more to play over the weekend (when you’re not trick-or-treating, of course).

**QUICK CORRECTION** – Last week, we showed off a great new vehicle pack and some of you couldn’t find it…attribute that error to my nimble fingers and whoever invented the keyboard and put the F next to the R. So check out “TSFRJ”s new level pack which he recently updated.

LittleBigLand.com picks:

• Level Name: A Journey
• PSN: syroc

The title of this level says it all, because it truly is a journey through different worlds. It has many different themes but they all blend in so well together. The author of this level has used all the sounds and music in such way that it completely fits the scenery and adds a lot to the whole experience. This is a amazing level that is well built with some good platform action.

• Level Name: Back to the Savannah
• PSN: marquise126ace

Building a level that has the look and feel from a Media molecule story level is hard and before i saw the “Back to…” levels from marquise126ace i thought it was impossible to create such a thing. But he has managed to create levels that have that Media molecule look and feel, if i didn’t know any better i would have said that this is a story level. Back to the Savannah is basically a sequel to the Savannah story levels, the plot of the story is that the Gibbon king needs to speak to you urgently but you have many dangers to survive before you get to him. If you like the Media molecule, Savannah story levels (and who doesn’t like those) then this is a level that you do not want to miss.

For more check out some other fansites like LBPforum.net, LBPcentral.com and of course our own LittleBigCommunity site, LittleBigWorkshop.com.

New to LBP?
Just joining us? As our community continues to grow with new members, we thought it would be good to steer your way to some LBP goodness:

FREE STUFF

• (again) HURRY and get the Halloween Costume for your Sackboy – available for 1 week only
• Download the LittleBigPlanet (PS3) demo on the PlayStation Store and give the game a spin….BTW, the LBP PSP demo is coming soon too.
• Download the Norse Mythology pack (for LBP PS3) @ SonyWonder.com – scroll to the bottom and click the Sony Partners Page.
• Pre-order LittleBigPlanet (PSP) at our participating retailers and get 6 FREE Sackboy costumes!

FUN STUFF

• Since Halloween is here, check out the Monsters Kit DLC on the PlayStation Store

What’s New in LittleBigPlanet (PSP)

But first…wanna learn more about costumes in LBP PSP? We’ve posted the latest dev story from our SCEE Cambridge team on the LittleBigWorkshop.com News Page about Sackboy’s new costumes in this new adventure.

And speaking of costumes…don’t forget to get your pre-order to get your hands on the six (6) exclusive costumes from UNCHARTED 2, Killzone 2 and MotorStorm. Click here for details and participating retailers.

Dear PlayStation…LittleBigPodcast Edition!!!

OK, this isn’t exactly LBP news…but our friends over at LittleBigPodcast have had a little too much fun with the camera and spoofed our “Dear PlayStation” spots. Our team here had a laugh and thought we’d share.

Amazing Community Finds

Some of the community packs we’re finding are really starting to catch our eye.

Check out PSN ID: TSRFJ, who has pulled together a vehicles pack through various levels – he’s keen on us making an official vehicles pack and decided to do it himself. Be sure to try these levels out and get your hands on som pre-made vehicles. Cool stuff.

If ‘tagging’ is your thing, check out the creativity oozing from PSN ID: defo-est. He’s mastered the pop-it tool to create some brilliant masterpieces.

LBPForums.net FrightFest Competition

In the mood to CREATE a scary Halloween themed level? If so, head on over to LBPforums.net, and check out the community contest they’re running. They even made a promotional level for the contest.

Can’t wait to see the kind of levels to come out of there.

User Diary…”My Trip to Mm”

David Dino, one of our GOTY bonus level creators, made his way out to the UK and took some time to visit Media Molecule.

Have a read on his trip…ENVY WARNING – he received a lot of swag from the team (I’m so jealous!).

If in London…Come Meet the Teams

Media Molecule and our brothers and sisters at SCEE (Europe) are hosting a Mini Fan Meet @ the London Eurogamer Expo in London on October 30.

Lots of new info this week, specifically for LittleBigPlanet (PSP), which hits store shelves on November 17th. So without any further adieu…

LittleBigPlanet (PSP) Pre-order Announcement

As teased last week, we’re pleased to announce the official pre-order goodies for LittleBigPlanet (PSP). If you pre-order before November 17th, you’ll get a valuable pre-order voucher to redeem (via the PlayStation Store) for six costumes from some of your favorite PlayStation games, featuring:

• UNCHARTED 2’s Nathan Drake and Chloe Frazer
• Killzone 2’s Helghast Officer and Tank costume
• MotorStorm’s Lucky Jack Flynn and Candy Buzzbomb

Pre-order now at any of the below participating US retailers:

• Amazon
• BestBuy
• GameCrazy
• GameStop

***If you’re in Canada, pre-order now at your local EB Games/GameStop, and online at Amazon.ca.

“What’s New” in LittleBigPlanet (PSP)?

SCEE Cambridge has been hard at work developing a completely new adventure for Sackboy. We’ve asked them to give us some insight on the PSP version through a series of articles to explain what’s new.

“Sackboy – An Animated Diary” by Martin Binfield, Senior Artist

LittleBigPlanet is a world of fun, and a big part of that fun comes from its diminutive denizens; the Sackpeople. They’re a bunch of expressive explorers with a natty line in fashionable clothes. Making the transition from the big PS3 screen to the little PSP screen has resulted in a whole new way of interacting with the little dudes. If a player wants to show quite how their Sackboy feels about a particularly dastardly level, or an impressive feat of daredevilishness, they can pull off an excited greeting, a jubilant celebration, a dismissive taunt or even a snazzy dancemove. There’s an emote animation to suit any situation!

So where does a Sackboy learn kung fu? In the “Animation Dojo” (otherwise known as Maya) where an intensive course of being posed, keyframed, scrubbed forward and backward on the timeline, and tweaked and tweaked and tweaked will teach him the ancient arts of being animated.

And it’s not just the limbs that get seen. When one is performing a convincing ‘nail-bitingly-scared’ routine, one must make sure one’s expression is appropriate, dear. Thankfully, Sackboy was born with a fully expressive face, driven by blendshape deformation no less, which helps him achieve that academy-award level performance with gusto.

Coaxing such a performance from Sackboy is simplicity itself. Simply choose your emotional state by pressing up on the directional pad to make him happy, down to make him sad, left to make him scared or right to make him angry. Now that you’re in a mood, it’s time to show precisely how moody you are – press and hold the L shoulder button and press up on the directional pad to make Sackboy celebrate, left to make him vigorously taunt, right to make him greet and down for a surprisingly miscellaneous gesture.

“Adventure Awaits…Part 1″ by Gareth Hughes, Lead Designer

Having completed his PS3 adventure, Sackboy thought it was about time he took a well deserved holiday. Even a Sackperson needs a bit of relaxation time! Having visited so many wondrous locations across the LittleBigPlanet already, Sackboy decided it was time to go portable and experience a walkabout. What better way to unwind his threads than the peace and quiet of down under.

After a warm and fuzzy welcome from the locals, it was time to head out into the Outback. Oh my, so much to see and do! A veritable fabric-based feast of new Stickers, Costumes and Materials.

Sackboy’s walkabout had not gone unnoticed! Impressed with Sackboy’s exemplary, exploratory endeavours, the Mystic summoned Sackboy to the Cave of Dreams. A place no LittleBigPlanetian should miss visiting! Exploring deep into the cave, Sackboy was soon having a great time swinging through ancient caverns, solving devious puzzles and bagging himself plenty of new prizes. However, this was no time for such silken shenanigans! A hop skip and a jump later, Sackboy was before the Mystic.

The mystical events that followed this meeting are now the stuffing of legends, best you experience this yourself when you visit LittleBigPlanet on the PSP.

What’s that, don’t leave you hanging? Oh very well, perhaps there are a few more threads of this story that I can weave together for you!

After being shown a wonderful vision known as the Dreamtime, it was revealed that a new quest awaited Sackboy; to make sure that all the Creator Curators can attend the upcoming Carnival of Creators! The first of the Creator Curators to be invited is the Emperor of The Orient; a pint sized Prima-Donna who is having trouble with a fire breathing behemoth.
Can Sackboy free the Emperor from this unwanted distraction and get him to attend the Carnival? That’s a question only a PSP owning player such as you can answer!

“The Popit Tool” by Craig Abraham, Associate Producer

The one must-have accessory that all Sackboys and Sackgirls just can’t live without is the Popit. It’s a fun-sized box of tricks that allows them to do all kinds of weird and wonderful things. If you want to customize your Sackperson’s attire then the Popit is the place to go. Or maybe you just want to show your artistic flair and brighten up a level? No Problem! Just open the Popit and choose one of the hundreds of stickers you may have picked up on your journey across LittleBigPlanet.

Create Mode is where the Popit really comes into its own though. There’s just so much on offer, you won’t know where to begin. Rummaging around the tools bag there’s all sorts of bolts and pistons, buttons and switches. Not to mention creature bits, sounds and music, or backgrounds to make your levels come to life. Emitters, cameras… the list goes on and on.

All the familiar tools are back too. There’s the material changer and the ever-so-useful capture object tool. Electricity, flame or deadly gas are all great ways of lethalizing your level if you’re feeling particularly nasty. The corner editor is essential for fine tuning, and so we’ve suped it up so you can edit multiple corners at once.

The goodies bag is where you’ll find all of the objects you’ve collected on your travels. It’s also where you can create new objects, and there are a few new settings in there too. You can place pre-made shapes or, if you prefer, ‘paint mode’ does exactly what it says on the tin. And the Popit cursor will allow you to manipulate all your objects, or tweak their settings as you see fit. You can even tweak things you might not have thought possible before!

Whoever you are, wherever you are, let your own personalized Sackperson take you on a ride and show you the plethora of potential waiting inside the perfectly proportioned portable Popit!

LBP (PS3): Game of the Year Edition – User Spotlight

In this week’s spotlight, we learn more about Chris Miller and his thoughts on “Great Gratuitous Raid of Goblin-Berg!”, his bonus level in the LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition. We hope you get a chance to play his level and special thanks to “thekillermiller” for inviting us into his home.

New on the PlayStation Store

We’re excited to introduce a new type of downloadable offering on the PlayStation Store – Music Pack 1 ($3.99).

If you’re looking to fill your level creations with some new music, this pack has got what you need. Head on over to MediaMolecule.com for more details from Kenny himself. And if you’re in the mood to preview the new songs, here’s a preview video (with audio, of course).

Also, on Wednesday, SCEA announced a PlayStation Store on Amazon.com – so in addition to gettin’ your LBP DLC on the PlayStation Store or through the in-game store, now there’s a new way to get your costume, sticker & level packs. So don’t forget to drop subtle *hints* to your friends / family to gift these purchases for you.

For more LittleBigPlanet updates, head over to LittleBigWorkshop!

It’s official! On November 17th, 2009, you’ll be able to take Sackboy on a completely new adventure. LittleBigPlanet (PSP) hits the store shelves and now you’ll be able to Play, Create, Share…everywhere. (We know you know, but there may be others out there…) And with a little more than a month away until release, we’re excited to unveil the North American packaging, so you know what too look for.

NOTE: Our designers had a bit of fun with the packaging and you can proudly display your Sackboy pride at home. So if you own the original LittleBigPlanet (PS3) or LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition (PS3), you can “wonder twin powers, activate” a mini-mural for your display. (Please forgive my blurry camera phone pics…but you get the idea.)

What’s New in LittleBigPlanet (PSP)?

As we ramp up for launch, we’re getting a lot of questions asking about LBP (PSP) and wanted to start answering them with a series of posts to provide more in-depth details about the game. For our first post, we decided to refresh you with our very first trailer…enjoy!

PS – Send us your questions so we have more topics to discuss!

LBP (PS3): Game of the Year Edition – User Spotlight

In the LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition, one of the bonus levels features an intricately designed tank with an equally fun level, which will have you on an adventure to clear a path for your uber-armed vehicle. Thanks Sean for making such a cool level and sharing your story with us.

You can find Sean’s and other bonus levels in the LBP: Game of the Year Edition. For those of you who have the original LBP and want to play these bonus levels…

Workshop of the Week:

Our friends over at the LittleBigWorkshop have left some detailed step-by-step instructions on how to play the GOTY bonus levels online. Read up so you can experience these levels too!

New on the PlayStation Store:

“Who Sacks the Watchmen” – Announced on Monday, and fresh on the PlayStation Store right now, is the latest batch of Sackboy costumes from Watchmen. Available on the PS Store for $5.99.

The WATCHMEN costume pack includes a ton of items including:

• Nite Owl Costume: Boots, Mask, Gloves, Trousers, Cape, Vest
• Ozymandias Costume: Mask, Gloves, Hair, Belt, Cape, Breastplate, Skin
• Rorschach Costume: Gloves, Hat, Trousers and Shoes, Raincoat
• Silk Spectre Costume: Skin, Belt, Silk Spectre, Hair
• 55 Themed Stickers

Community Levels!!!

Over the weekend, go check out the newest community level from our friends at LBPCentral.com.

Castle of the Witch Queen: Part One by Bercilak

Part 1:

Part 2

ConfusedCartman: This level is very well designed with an obvious emphasis on storyline, characters, and atmosphere. Not only will you be jumping on Gargoyles and hanging from conveyor belts, you’ll actually help transport an amphibian through traps and other obstacles. Interested in discovering why all of this is important? Give this level a try and find out!

Also, keep an eye out this afternoon for the latest LittleBigPodcast from our friends Daniel and Austin. This week is episode is #35 (WOW!).

***Did you know that every episode ending in 5 is their Q&A episode? They told me they get lots of e-mails from all over and they love answering them.

Sackboy in the News

G4TV’s LBP PSP Hands-On Impressions

PLAY Magazine.com’s GOTY Edition Review

Motion Controller + Sackboy = Multiplayer Goodness

At TGS, we were treated to some cool Motion Controller news, and how MediaMolecule could plan to incorporate the new control mechanics into LBP. Check out the tech demo by our friends in Japan.

Sackboy Bento Box

Anyone hungry? Great find from Mm.

FREE DLC @ SonyWonder.com

PLEASE don’t be the guy/gal that buys these codes on eBay when there are tons more FREE codes for the LBP community. Just check out our partners page on SonyWonder.com. Just, everyone, don’t all go there at once like last time…flash mob + internet = uncontrollable tech issues. We should be good now, but if you have any issues, please be patient, close and re-open your browser and you’ll get a new code.

TIPS GALORE!!!

With a new batch of gamers getting the Game of the Year Edition and getting their feet wet into LBP’s create tools, Mm just introduced a new Tips video on their site to help you maintain your Thermometer:

And for those of you that missed it, here are links to the previous two tips videos:

Switches

Survival Challenges

COMMUNITY LEVELS!!!

First off, apologies to a few people for miscredits on Monday’s SITM:

- PSN ID: CuzFeeshe deserves proper credit for his brilliant level highlighted on the last post – If you haven’t checked out “Destiny!” yet, do so now.

- Also, last Monday’s level highlights were provided by our community at LBPCentral! Thanks again guys for Monday’s (and now today’s new) levels.

This week’s levels come from our friends at LBPForum.net.

Lightbringer by Trindall

“Lightbringer! a wonderous adventure level set in a bygone epoch. From the moment you wash up on the strange haunting shore, right through to your final confrontation with the Nemisis that has ravaged this once picturesque land, you will be enthralled and intrigued. Great atmospheric design, evocative inspiring dialogue combined with accessible puzzles and a unique gameplay mechanism wherein you advance by relaying the light to combat the forces of darkness and desolation….this level will stay with you forever.” – EnochRoot.

Lightbringer part 1.

Lightbringer part 2 and part 3.

PS3 GAME OF THE YEAR – USER SPOTLIGHT

Now that the Game of the Year Edition is available, many of you are discovering the amazing levels that are created and shared by users just like you. Over the past few weeks, we spent some time with a few of the users (whose levels are featured in the GOTY edition) and wanted to start spotlighting them. Here’s the first:

Thanks Tony (for both the level and the interview time)

LBP PSP UPDATES

• IGN: PSP Games of Fall 2009
• Kotaku LittleBigPlanet PSP Preview: PSP Platforming At Its Cutest
• Destructoid Preview: LittleBigPlanet PSP
• IGN: LittleBigPlanet PSP Character Design School

SACKBOY IN THE NEWS!

TGS 2009:

• PSX Extreme: “29 Years” Required To Complete All LBP Content
• Examiner: LittleBigPlanet to Support New Motion Controller

GOT FREE DLC???

Our friends at Sony Wonder are celebrating the launch of their new website highlighting hundreds of entertainment options including new movie trailers, info on the latest Blu-ray and DVD releases and fun games and activities for the whole family. As part of the celebration, they’re giving away FREE voucher codes for the LittleBigPlanet Norse Mythology Pack.

When you get a chance, check out what’s new over at Sony Wonder and get your hands on some new Sackboy Costumes. Sorry World, these codes only work on the North American PlayStation Store (US + CA).

Enjoy!!!

ATTN: North American WATER BETA PARTICIPANTS

Finally, for all you lucky North Americans that were accepted into the Online Water Beta and eagerly waiting for your invite….check your mailbox early next week, we had to settle a few technical issues, but its sorted out and we can’t wait for your participation.

Sackboy in the News:

Since it’s been a while since our last “Sack it to Me,” here’s a list of links of the latest news around the web:

• New York Launches Public School Curriculum Base on Playing Games
• LittleBigPlanet team wants to work with Studio Ghibli
• LittleBigPlanet Demo Live
• Adorable New LBP PSP Screenshots
• Origins of LittleBigPlanet

@ the PlayStation Store

Over at the PlayStation Store, the LittleBigPlanet Demo (FREE) has been a big hit, and the new LBP Dynamic PS3 Theme ($2.99) continues to find new homes. I love the idea of Sackboy running all day, everyday. Don’t forget to check these out when you get a chance.

Community Picks

Our friends at LBPCentral.com have a new round of Community Picks. Have fun playing these GEMS:

Up & Away in Sky Town by jump_button

My thoughts: From a great gameplay hook (involving a single red helium balloon) to a visual style that can only be described as “beautiful,” this is definitely one of the best levels LittleBigPlanet has to offer. Don’t miss it.

Lafarge’s Request by Keldur

Part 2 is here.

My thoughts: Reminiscent of “The Islands”, “Lafarge’s Request” is a platforming level at heart, but it comes with enough creative innovation to keep you on your toes. Definitely a must-play.

Destiny! by CuzFeeshe

My thoughts: The premise of this level is simple: a cosmic storm is tearing apart your ship, and you’re the only one left who can save it! You’ll love the creative, fastpaced puzzles, and for those of you who can’t keep up, you can still move on (albeit with less points than you would have if you beat it). Give this level a shot – you’ll be glad you did.

Workshop of the Week

Ever want your Sackboy to teleport? Chaotictails put together a great tutorial here (even in the LBP presentation theme) to show you how. Great stuff!

Mm.com Goodies

Media Molecule has a new DevFace podcast focused on their teams designers. Get to know Mark and Danny and what they love about designing levels in LBP.

DEMO and GOTY in-stores next week
Sept 10 – For those of you who haven’t “jumped in the sack” with LBP yet, head over to the PS Store on Sept 10, and you’ll be able to download a free playable demo of LittleBigPlanet.

The demo is filled with – PLAY: a hand full of in-game levels and mini-games by yourself or with 3 of your friends, CREATE: Customize your Sackboy and plaster levels with a variety of stickers and objects, SHARE: a few community levels picked from the over 125MM levels created online.

Hopefully, you’ll get hooked just in time for the release of the Game of the Year Edition (coincidentally next week as well :) ). If your just getting your hands on a new PlayStation 3, check out the Examiner.com’s “Top five games to purchase along with your new PS3” – which just happens to have LBP #1…and conveniently just arrived in our offices!

GOTY Q&A
A few weeks ago, when we announced the Game of the Year edition, we saw a ton of questions, and wanted to address what we could, so we decided to create a quick FAQ:

“Will my old game save work with the Game of the Year edition?” – Yes, so long as you have the latest LBP online update.

“Are there new trophies” – Sorry, there are no new trophies in the GOTY edition.

“Will existing owners get a chance to play the bonus levels?” – Nothing has been planned yet, but stay tuned over the next few weeks as we’ll be highlighting our ’super users’ so you’ll be able to search and play their other masterpieces online.

“Is there any other way to get the Modnation beta?” – Currently, this is the only way to guarantee entry. As we get closer to the ModNation Racers Beta, we’ll update if this changes.

“How will the bonus levels be shown in game?” – I took a few shots for you to see.

First, you’d see the “Bonus” call-out beside “Story”.

Then you’d see the Planet filled with all your free DLC and Level packs.

Finally, after selecting the Community Level pack, you’ll see all 18 community levels to select. :)

PSP ROUND UP
Ever since Gamescom, lots more details have been revealed for the PSP version (available 11/17). Check out the below news and catch up on the latest and greatest:

• PlayStation Blog – Chris Morell’s LBP PSP dev interview
• IGN – CREATE mode impressions
• Joystiq – A big batch of LittleBigPlanet PSP screens
• TheSixthAxis – Europe Cover revealed

COMMUNITY PICKS (from LittleBigLand.com)

Paying the Bill! by Mnniska

Bludhound’s Comments (PSN: marquise126ace) :
This is an absolutly great platforming level. The author of this level has put the John Burgerman stickers to great use, making the scenery a real treat for your eyes. You will also find some very unique obstacles and a
unique x2 section in this level. Overall it’s a very fun level that you will want to play again and again.

amazingflyingpoo’s Comments:
Mnniska has managed to create a wonderful “feel-good” platformer. Instead of sticking to just tried-and-true platforming mechanics, he creates some original scenarios which helps to make a great experience into an outstanding one. On top of that, the story is so wacky that you just have to love it!

The Ultimate Puzzle Challenge by Werehare

Bludhound’s Comments (PSN: marquise126ace) :
Want to test your self with some mind boggling puzzles? Then this level is for you. The author of this level has done amazing work in coming up with puzzles that you don’t see too often in lbp. the design and scenery is absolutely beautiful, if you appreciate great design (that looks like it took hours just to think of) and puzzles that will test your mind then give this level a try.

amazingflyingpoo’s Comments:
This level has impressed me more than just about any other level I have ever played. Most authors struggle to come up with one good originalpuzzle, but somehow werehare has come up with a level composed of a large number of incredible puzzles.

WORKSHOP of the WEEK

Over on LittleBigWorkshop.com, dextroyer4u has created a new tutorial for those of you inspiring to make an “Earthquake” level. Good stuff, keep them coming.

NEW LBP stuff on the PlayStation Store

STICKER PACK = VERA BEE

Check out the latest downloadable Sticker Pack on the PlayStation Network. We love how Vera’s stickers look in LBP and hope to see lots of levels influenced by her style. Mm.com has a great interview with Vera along with a full site takeover.

LBP DYNAMIC THEME

As announced with the 3.0 PS3 Firmware announcement (thanks Eric), the LittleBigPlanet Dynamic Theme hit the store earlier this week for $2.99. Check out SirHypnotoad youtube clip for a sneak peek of the Sackboy Dynamic Theme in motion.

LittleBigPlanet @PAX

Yes, LittleBigPlanet will be at PAX. Drop by the PlayStation booth and check out LittleBigPlanet on both PlayStation 3 and PSP – and if you have something Sack-specific, we may just hook you up with a little sumptin-sumptin…

Hey guys – With all the hustle and bustle of all things GamesCom, wanted to share the LittleBigPlanet news in the air. We hope you don’t mind us moving this week’s “Sack It To Me” up a few days but we couldn’t wait to reveal some great news. So…are you ready to get WET?

Introducing the latest major gameplay update to come to LBP…WATER! We wanted to give you a peek of what Media Molecule had up their sleeves. When we released the Paintinator, we loved seeing user generated levels evolve from the platform genre to action oriented levels. Now with Water, we look forward to another evolution in level design. Stay tuned for more details on Water in an upcoming DLC kit in the near future.

LittleBigPlanet on the PSP – CREATE mode revealed!

For all you fans tracking the latest news for the PSP version, look no further. Our Cambridge Studios are hard at work on the PSP version and released a new video focused on the CREATE mode of the game.

Workshop of the Week

Our friend, luisbravo1, is having quite a bit of fun on the LittleBigWorkshop. Not only does he have some tutorials to help out the community, but he and his friends shared some ‘ice cream and cake’.

We’ll have more info for you soon!

And while everyone unveils this type of news with a shiny new package front… grrrr… we wanted to be different and do the reverse…

…and spend some time on the back of the box to talk about what’s in this “Game of the Year” version:

• First off, you’ll get the full award-winning LittleBigPlanet gameplay experience, or as we like to call it “Play Create Share” – ok, that was a bit to ‘infomercially’ (sorry), but you get the idea. Everything that made LittleBigPlanet one of the biggest games on the PS3 is in there.
• Next, to give our new fans a taste of the over 1,000,000 user-generated levels available on the PlayStation Network, Media Molecule has hand-picked 18 extraordinary people to Create bonus levels specifically for the GOTY edition – complete with interviews with each creator. We loved how these levels turned out and hope you will to.

• And, for everyone looking for a great value, the GOTY edition includes 7 packs from the PlayStation Store. These packs feature tons of costumes, stickers, objects, new levels and the “Paintinator” to amplify the fun you’ll have. Once more, these are on the disc FREE (that’s nearly a $30 value)
  Content Packs* include:
• Metal Gear Solid Level Pack – featuring the “Paintinator” paintball gun
• Metal Gear Solid Costumes
• Monsters Costumes
• Monsters Pack
• History Costumes
• History Pack
• Animals Costumes

• Finally, as a peek at the next game in the “Play, Create, Share” family, a limited supply of LittleBigPlanet – Game of the Year Editions will include a special voucher code for the upcoming ModNation Racers Online Beta. This is your chance to play ModNation Racers before the game comes out in 2010. If you haven’t checked out ModNation yet, and you’re a big-time racing fan, always dreamed of creating your own track, or you’re into vinyl art – head on over to www.ModNation.com and register.

So to summarize the bonus content:

• 18 new levels made by players just like you
• 7 different content packs
• Exclusive access to the upcoming ModNation Online beta

All together, with bonus content valued at over $30, the award-winning experience and over 1,000,000 levels to play online, it’s a great offer for those that haven’t joined the LittleBigPlanet community yet…all bundled in one neat little ‘sack’.