Postcards from Leipzig: LittleBigPlanet team

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More Games Convention 2008 now, straight outta Leipzig. I just received this update from Pete Smith, Senior Producer of LittleBigPlanet.

leipzig postcard LBP

Day 1
We’ve arrived for the first day at The Leipzig Game Convention and I’ve been blown away by the PlayStation stand – even though I say so myself it’s the best thing here and considerably bigger than the other stands. Within the stand, the LittleBigPlanet area is buzzing – we’ve got 25 pods with the game on and they’ve been full all day long. We’ve had a crowd before we let the public in, so we’re expecting some queues. THERE IS a special 3 pod area set up for Danny, Jim and Craig (the designers from Media Molecule) to show off the Create mode from LittleBigPlanet. They’ve been doing an awesome job at showing just how crazy this part of the game is.

I’m sure some people saw the Sony press conference where I was demonstrating the game – I was interrupted by a famous comedian from Germany (although I’d not seen him before) and he did a good job at making my presentation more ‘entertaining’. Apparently he asked me my name and my response was ‘hello’ – perhaps I need to brush up on my basic German.

The main thing to report is that the game is very popular indeed! Whenever we do a demo, people start playing and creating they don’t seem to want to leave! Everywhere you look around the LittleBigPlanet area you’ll see people laughing as they’re playing, which for me, is the best thing ever.

LittleBigPlanet @ Leipzig

Day 2
Uh Oh! The public have arrived! It’s much more busy than yesterday, the guys from Media Molecule are working their socks off demoing constantly. There are over one hundred seats available to play the game from and every one is occupied – plus there’s a queue.

Once again, everyone is really enjoying themselves. The level we’ve chose to demo is the construction site from the Metropolis theme and it’s pretty tricky, people seem to be loving the challenge, and there is plenty of laughter as SackBoy gets it wrong on numerous occasions!

Danny, Jim and Craig are looking exhausted!!! I would be too after demoing non-stop for 2 days! They’re talking about getting an early night, which I can’t say is surprising, however I’m going to take a look around the rest of the show – some of the booth babes are demonstrating some really interesting games…

I saw the SackBoy on the side of the tower block last night – it looks ace! LittleBigPlanet is absolutely everywhere, our team in Germany have done an incredible job.

It was also good to see Rag Doll Kung Fu being demonstrated today! That was the original concept behind LittleBigPlanet believe it or not! Look for it on PSN soon!

LittleBigPlanet @ Leipzig LittleBigPlanet @ Leipzig

Thanks, Pete! Still more to come from Leipzig !

Comments are closed.

112 Comments

  • Quick Question:

    Did you use my post to decipher what the German comedian was saying to you? Here’s a link of my post (just delete the parenthesis when copying & pasting):

    (http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=littlebigplanet&thread.id=23409&page=2)

    LOL. It would make me feel special =)

  • I didn’t think Sony could screw this game up, but I guess I was wrong.

    Little Big Continent indeed…

  • Please make the servers region-free! Or have a way for the whole PLANET to share content! Make it happen Jeff, tell MM or Sony or whoever to fix it! :)

    That being said, I’m excited.

  • Little Big Planet :)
    That game always put a simile on my face :)

  • Everything aside. I want to know the name of the guy who came up with this moronic idea? Really. I’m just curious. Which genius thought region locking Little Big Planet would be a great idea? Come to think of it… who came up with the idea of region locking Home?

    Oh wait… I have got a better question:

    Right now our games are NOT region locked. So I can import a game from Japan and play it on my console, perfectly. Yet PSN is region locked unless you do some sort of work around. How does this really make ANY sense?

    Really… What’s this guy’s name? It can’t be more than one human being, who thought this is the good idea…

  • Oh, FFS! I swear this generation has brought the most whiny people ever into this industry.

    “Wah, wah, cry, cry.” That’s all I hear. Each region has its own servers. No, you can’t go to another server. Yes, levels/content can be moved from one server to another.

    No, no one is interested in all your crying!

    My God, you people are fickle. MM and Sony are giving you a game with crazy production values and that you are only limited by your imagination, but the second something happens that you don’t like, even something as asanine as this, and suddenly it’s “Sony iz teh fail” and “MM r teh stoopid.”

    What in the name of “Hello McFly” are you people thinking!? It’s not about limiting your experience. It’s about making sure everything runs smoothly for the consumers!

    I’m done here. Don’t waste your time replying to this, because I’m not answering. Buncha spoiled freaking kids.

  • @EvoAnubis

    Completely agree with you

  • I think the word “magical” applies here. Bring it Media Molecule!

  • Sony or MM!!!

    Open up the servers for LBP!!!!

    Please allow the community of the world to connect with each other and be able to play with each other!!!!!! Please, don’t ruin LittleBigPlanet!!!!

    It’s LittleBigPlanet, not LittleBigContinent!!!!

  • lol @ EvoAnubis complaining about complaining.

    The game is called LittleBigPlanet. PLANET. what’s made up on the Planet? Continents. If the levels are locked to regions then how will be able to enjoy good and bad levels from other region? Yeah, Anyways since you’re not going to reply i’ll just LOL some more at you.

  • “I’m done here. Don’t waste your time replying to this, because I’m not answering. Buncha spoiled freaking kids.”

    like: I’m saying my opinion and insulting you, bye bye.. yes that’s very mature.

    Anyway, we are complaining because the sharing aspect of the game is kinda screwed. I’m european and have american friends. For them not being able to download my levels and otherwise, this is very sad news. Not to mention that i’ll have to find european forums and stuff cause on american forums they’ll share stuff i will never be able to play.

    Maybe for you it’s not that important, but for some it’s a huge deal.

    Don’t care if you don’t answer to this anyway, i just hope MM will reconsider and fix this.

  • I too can understand the reason for having “Region Servers” as opposed to global servers. (Ping, lag, servers being swarmed issues)

    But what I’m asking is that if there’s going to be system where the best levels from each region are going to released globally on all servers.

    And if it is possible to upload levels onto the internet via PC and have methods to install it on the PS3. (Like how the mods in UT3 were done via FlashDrive.)

  • @facepalm: They already said in that article that levels can be moved across servers.

    I think we just need to wait for more information on this before jumping to conclusions.

  • @EvoAnubis

    If we didn’t complain like this I don’t think in-game XMB or the new PS Store would have come to fruition at this point in time. That’s what this blog is for man, the developers need to listen to the community and so far Sony has done a good job of that. So leave them be.

  • The internet is global, region free servers please. :)

  • One question remains:
    Why is the user generated content region locked? I thought you wanted “us” to play together. I mean how am I going to play with my UK and Japanese friends in this?
    Still I will be buying this for sure

    Also on a side note: Can I have a Home Beta invite please, Jeff?

    Oh and pics of BOOTH BABES!
    Thanks in advance

  • Can you PLEASE PLEASE put your own music in the game

  • @74: That’d be an issue for copyright reasons.

  • @75 Super Stardust and motorstorm pacfic rift has it

  • EDIT:

    Ok, i’ve send the news to PSFanboy as suggestion and they answered me this:

    “Thank you,
    We actually heard slightly differently at Leipzig, so we’re waiting for a clarification from Sony. Hopefully, LBP won’t be region-locked.”

    OMG i hope CVG was wrong!

  • Sony

    Please do not have region locked servers for LBP. People should be able to download levels from other regions since the fun of LBP resides on its community. If you segregate the community, then it would not be fun anymore. If any game needs worldwide servers, this game is it. PLEASE…I also hope the online co-op is not region locked too.

    Thanks

  • @EvoAnubis “They already said in that article that levels can be moved across servers.

    I think we just need to wait for more information on this before jumping to conclusions.”

    I already know that levels can be moved across servers. The “information on how they will implement it” is what I’m asking for…
    as well as an alternative method to get levels onto the HDD.

    Considering that the game is only 2 months away from its debut I hope they will answer our question as quickly as they can.

  • Word just came in over the wire that all the user generated content will be region locked.

    In the words of Shia LaBeouf: nonoNoNoNONO!

  • Region lock is a bad idea, especially in terms of user content. Even while considering that the levels can be moved across the servers it doesn’t strike me as a good idea since we won’t get a hold of those which don’t make it into other territories.

    Also considering the current status of PSN across the regions I have much doubt about this whole region lock and the “solution” of moving levels across servers.

  • @76: Oh, you mean just custom soundtracks? In that case, I agree.

    From the way you phrased it (put your music in the game), I thought you meant adding a mp3 on your HDD into a created level as the soundtrack for it.

    My bad.

  • I’m from Australia and I have already pre ordered the game at jb hifi, aawww cant wait!

  • region-specific is epic fail, as will the game be if it’s not sorted out. You have 1 week.

  • wooo cany wait for this game to come out! this is a game worth getting!!

  • I agree with Onna76_NL, i mean not using the image from hDD is bad enough, now this?

  • LITTLE BIG FAIL SONY, LITTLE BIG FAIL!

    So much potential… wasted.

    No HDD picture import is already retarded. This is a whole new level of FAIL!

    This isn’t Little Big Planet. This is more like Little Big Continent.

  • I just read this on PS3Fanboy:

    “We’re confused, Mr. Pete Smith, producer of upcoming platform-a-thon LittleBigPlanet. When we spoke to you during today’s LittleBigPlanet breakdown session you said that “the game will have a global server.” Now we hear that you told CVG something a little different. User generated content will be region locked? Normally we’d say “we’re not sure who to believe” at this point, but seeing as both statements come from the same person, we’re doubly confused.

    Maybe you meant that the gameplay servers would be global. But what good is that if the people playing with each other can’t access the same content? Will we be limited to playing with our foreign friends in one of the 50ish levels included on the game disc? Kind of defeats the point of the game, doesn’t it? Sadly, we’re not able to find out for sure until after the weekend, but rest assured we’re actively looking to get confirmation either way.”

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    I think an official statement here on the blog would be the best to let at least the PS fans know what’s the true story about all this.

  • If I cannot either download the content made by people in Japan or play with people in Japan then I am no longer interested in this game.

    SAY NO TO REGION LOCKING!

  • Come on Sony/MM we want a final word on this ‘region-locked’ issue!

  • Wow, I totally remeber Rag Doll Kung Fu, it’s insane how far the concept has gone, those “slaps” Sackboy hands out are a little reminiscent of the fighting in RDKF.

  • Say no to Region Locking.

    ALL PLAYSTATION SERVICES SHOULD BE WORLDWIDE.

  • this game can not come soon enough. but i want ad’s. i mean i want a LOT of ad’s. also, i’ve tought up another reason why i want a youtube video uploader. i want to get some of this videos on my computer because i want to use little big planet to make a presentation that won’t bore people. i mean seriously, little big planet could be the fun version of power point!

  • Okay we can all keep our shorts on!!

    “Chalk this one up as a LittleBigWin for LittleBigPlanet fans. A Sony representative has posted on the official European PlayStation forums to clarify the region locking issue, stating that “there will only be one region for the game…. a LittleBigRegion.”

    “The confusion arose out of regional differences in how moderation will work as there are different legal rules each region have to play by, and at one point this looked like it may require the game to be independent in each region”. Thankfully, this was unnecessary in the end. So you can stop fretting now; your level creations will be playable worldwide and, perhaps more importantly, we’re going to have a huge selection of content from all different cultures to play with soon after launch. Is it October 29th yet?”

    Source: ps3fanboy

  • It looks like the LittleBigFail and LittleBigContinent idiots jumped to conclusions before getting the facts.Did any of them even own a PS3? doubtful

    Another win for LBP fans and the haters look dumb yet again

  • Erm they had every reason to, including me. According to PS3fanboy Pete Smith gave 2 different statements.

    “We’re confused, Mr. Pete Smith, producer of upcoming platform-a-thon LittleBigPlanet. When we spoke to you during today’s LittleBigPlanet breakdown session you said that “the game will have a global server.” Now we hear that you told CVG something a little different. User generated content will be region locked? Normally we’d say “we’re not sure who to believe” at this point, but seeing as both statements come from the same person, we’re doubly confused.

    Maybe you meant that the gameplay servers would be global. But what good is that if the people playing with each other can’t access the same content? Will we be limited to playing with our foreign friends in one of the 50ish levels included on the game disc? Kind of defeats the point of the game, doesn’t it? Sadly, we’re not able to find out for sure until after the weekend, but rest assured we’re actively looking to get confirmation either way.”

    Source: PS3fanboy.

  • See? All that whining over absolutely nothing. I guess Sony and MM are “teh moar smarter” than you think.

    Moral of the story, children; Don’t make mountains out of molehills and don’t go grabbing torches and pitchforks until you have all the facts.

    Now, if you will excuse me, I’m going to go play my BRAND NEW copy of Burnout.

  • Little Big Planet will be one of those games that will not be for everyone.

  • Yes! Yes! Yes!

    I take back my post now.

    Yes! Yes! Yes!

    Now… go back and enable HDD importing of images.

  • I’m glad the LittleBigContinent confusion was cleared up. Now please do the same for the PSN and Home (specially Home!)

  • the second best game in 09 after resistance2 so wuhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu………………………………………………………………….

  • finaly… i want to play LBP!

    http://www.ps3clan.nl

  • I can’t wait!
    I’m chomping at the bit to dig into this game.

  • 1. Make LBP REGION FREE PLEEEAASSEEE
    2. The sackboy toy doesnt look as good the one was custom made b4 (that was a cool)

  • shut up with the region free already!!! it already was announced this morning on the official SCEE European blog that LBP is gonna be region free. so please, read before you post! don’t just post cause you read it in another post. do some research….

  • I would definitely by another console if it were the LBP bundle intead of the Uncharted bundle coming out. And i’m already a 40 gb owner!

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