SONY Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios today revealed a glimpse of the LittleBigPlanet – the first creative gaming experience for PLAYSTATION3 – at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, California. Developed by Media Molecule, LittleBigPlanet is a new PLAYSTATION3 community-based game with a hugely innovative concept behind it. Players meet on a blue and green planet scattered with individual plots – and use their character’s abilities to play, create and share what they build with other gamers throughout the world via PLAYSTATION Network.

The LittleBigPlanet experience starts with players learning about their character’s powers to interact physically with the environment. There are obstacles to explore, bits and pieces to collect and puzzles to solve – requiring a combination of brains and collaborative teamwork. As players begin to explore, their creative skills will grow and they will be ready to start creating and modifying their surroundings – the first step to sharing them with the whole community.

Characters have the power to move anything in this glued and stitched-together 3D landscape; they have the power to design, shape and build both objects and entire locations for others to view and play. There’s no complicated Level Editor; all of these skills can be learned by simply playing the game. Creativity is part of the gameplay experience and playing is part of the creative experience. Players can make their world as open or as secretive to explore as they like. When it’s ready, they can invite anyone within the LittleBigPlanet community to come and explore their patch – or can go and explore everybody else’s.

“We were confident that PS3 would be the platform to lead the way in creative gaming, and LittleBigPlanet brings this concept to life spectacularly,” said Phil Harrison, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios. “By giving players the power to shape and share an entire virtual world via PLAYSTATION Network, we've created the space for PS3 owners to realize their creativity and craft their own unique gameplay experience.”

So, how does it work?

• Play the game, learn the skills and then find your own way to play. There isn’t a set solution to anything – you live LittleBigPlanet however you want to.

• Create your own content – customize your character and build your own locations. You have the power to rearrange anything in this unbelievably tactile landscape.

• Build, move, create, collaborate – then share content with friends or publicly by inviting the whole world to come and visit your own location on LittleBigPlanet.

Key features:

• There’s not just one way to play. Players craft their own individual experience.
• Unlimited possibilities for user-created content – players can customize everything: their characters, the landscape around them and their own patch on LittleBigPlanet.
• Players discover and win new skills and items to aid them on their creative journey.
• Initial Levels will be provided – endless others will be user-generated on a global scale. LittleBigPlanet will change every day as players contribute their own Levels.
• Online and offline Multi-Player Modes – play alone, work as a team or get competitive.
• LittleBigPlanet global community for players to get involved with: includes player comments, rankings and easy communication with new and existing friends.

A demo of LittleBigPlanet for PLAYSTATION3 is slated for the PLAYSTATION Network this fall. The full version will follow in Europe in early 2008. This is one title we’ll be watching like a hawk.

Kev J.

07/03/07

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