More hype =- more hate

a great game that compoetes with other peoples fav console = more hate

people who cant afford the ps3 or would have trouble buying it = more hate

@hanafuda

What do you mean the wii promised so much and we got mario galaxy. MG is a great game and probably my favourite of this generation. Despite me having owned all 3 consoles.

You're right in a sense, but to say that is to miss the point. If you break it down, just about everything that LBP does -- level creation, physics-based platforming, charming art style, cooperative gameplay (though I'm not so sure about that last one in a platformer) -- has been done before. What's different about LBP is the way it brings them all together in the right way, at the right place, at the right time.

There have been platformer creators before. There may even have been heavily physics-based platformer creators before. But there hasn't been a heavily physics-based platformer creator with a hyper-realistic-yet-cute art style with compelling, cooperative gameplay in the age of social gaming on an online console.

If you doubt the importance of those last two points, I'll explain. Almost everyone enjoys creating things, but without a ready way to share those creations with others, it gets old fast. Game maker programs on the PC have addressed this with exporting features that let you upload your creations to the internet, but it's not the same as a console. What LBP can offer is an instantly-accessed, living, centralized community that connects you to virtually everyone who owns the game. That opens up a world of possibility both to share ideas and to gain inspiration from the ideas of others.

For a crude analogy, try this: there was always downloadable video on the internet, but it took YouTube to turn it into a phenomenon.


Huh? So any medium with limitations doesn't promote creativity? Like a painting canvas? Like a 5-minute CD track? Like every creative medium in the world?

Maybe you meant it's too limited, but there's no basis for that assumption at all right now. Pretty much all we've heard from journalists about the limit on the level creator is that it's "large" and "probably bigger than most people will need." On top of that, you can string levels together for effectively infinite space.

I think this may be the most ridiculous, or at least the most demonstrably false argument of the anti-LBP crowd. Just how many of the people on this board -- on every gaming board across the internet, on gaming publications -- that are going nuts for this game -- how many of them do you suppose are under 11?

LBP has captivated people of all ages to a degree that's almost never been seen before in the industry. This is a fact.


Yes, if you completely ignore the extensive developer-built playmode that ships with the game, which Edge magazine recently called "some of the purest 2D design we’ve seen since Super Mario World."

@Bork
I agree, I don't think there is anything that is inherent in the game's design that means it targets 11 years and younger. That sentiment is based probably solely on the visuals, but SSBB has cute visuals too, tons of games have cute visuals, does that mean that all of these games are designed for 11 year olds as well?

dawve24 said: @hanafuda What do you mean the wii promised so much and we got mario galaxy. MG is a great game and probably my favourite of this generation. Despite me having owned all 3 consoles.

Not saying it is a bad game, but is it much different from Sunshine? Is it the way forward for the genre? Did it make good use of the Wii hardware? I say no to all of the above. It's time that gamers didn't have to settle for 'bee' Mario...

Borkachev said: To the OP: I'll explain why I as a developer, feelthat this game will not live up to its hype. 1- Audience. Yes, you reference this as a common argument, and it is perfectly valid. LBP has a target audience for the younger gamer crowd, under 11, the pokemon type crowd. The PS3 however has a main audience that ranges from high school to college kids. A Nintendo counterpart would be Pikmin to Zelda. What do you think a college kid is going to buy first? I think this may be the most ridiculous, or at least the most demonstrably false argument of the anti-LBP crowd. Just how many of the people on this board -- on every gaming board across the internet, on gaming publications -- that are going nuts for this game -- how many of them do you suppose are under 11? LBP has captivated people of all ages to a degree that's almost never been seen before in the industry. This is a fact. 2-Design plan. This above all else terrifies me about this game. They are using the "Leftovers for Dinner" approach. Leave everything open ended for character modification, rely on user-generated material to enhance the game. Not everyone is an artist nor wants to attempt to be one. I have a feeling that there are going to be some dramatic holes in this design. Yes, if you completely ignore the extensive developer-built playmode that ships with the game, which Edge magazine recently called "some of the purest 2D design we’ve seen since Super Mario World."

Ah, a fact is it? Amazing how a fact on a product can exist before the actual product itself does. In other words, that is an opinion of yours. Until the game is sold and we can view the actual demographic, there is no fact such as you claim. It's very brave of you to tout facts but refuse to show age or location so we can get a picture of your overall personality. Likely as brave as sending women in to blow themselves up in shopping malls. Yet, I'll answer your question. Thus far, I've seen maybe 30-50 people rallying for LBP. I certainly hope that for the developer's sake, that they sell more than 30-50 copies of the game. Yet, I guess to you, 30-50 people is a massive amount of people. I guess that holds true if you are from a small farming town.

As for the design of the game, there is more than just levels to a game. In a 2D environment, level development is quite a simple task. I would hope that a game using this model would be able to harness the skill of a 22 year old design style. the game is very open ended, which for the nature of the game, leaves a big question mark.

Lastly, don't tout about what is/has been seen before in the industry. A lot of devs are looking at LBP with a raised eyebrow, trying to figure out what the actual angle for this development is. Its pretty sketchy. Of course, this doesn't mean failure, it just means something unorthodox.

I can't help but feel that this title is going to get lost in the holiday sea of games for everyone except those that will go out and buy it just to support the game.

 

 

To OP:

1. The main people coming out and saying LBP won't be any good are the forum trolls. I don't see any MS or Nintendo ad campaigns against LBP, and they're most certainly not "scared" or "jealous" of this game. All three companies believe they have viable machines with viable software, and all three do. So far the only console with something to prove is the PS3, so if anyone is "scared" it's Sony, but I doubt that's even true. Sony has a great machine and they know it. I'm sure they're prepared to continue to do battle with their competitors just like the other two companies are.

2. No game that is surrounded by this much hype is ever going to live up to its expectations. Even the most amazing games can seem mediocre at launch because the buildup has been more exciting than the actual game. I think this game, as with any ultra-hyped game, gets a mixture of reactions: People who genuinely feel they won't like this type of game, people who may like this game but don't want to get caught up in the hype and then inevitably let down at launch, or fanboys who like to give other fanboys grief. The first two are legitimate, but the third one is unfortunately prevalent.

3. Anecdotally speaking, I don't know many people out in the real world who have even ever heard of Little Big Planet. I read all about it on web forums, blogs, and in the general gaming media, but of all the people I know in the "real world" who game (and I do know quite a few), I have never once heard anyone say how excited they are about Little Big Planet. Now, that could be because I only know a handful of PS3 owners, or it could be that only dorks like me who look for this kind of stuff online know about it. Either way, from what I can tell so far, I think LBP will sell moderately well, and will probably not push hardware sales up that much, but definitely has the potential to be an amazing game. All of those things could change with some good old fashioned marketing or a really solid, bug free launch, but I think they have some work to do before this title transcends to the level Sony wants.

Borkachev said: You're right in a sense, but to say that is to miss the point. If you break it down, just about everything that LBP does -- level creation, physics-based platforming, charming art style, cooperative gameplay (though I'm not so sure about that last one in a platformer) -- has been done before. What's different about LBP is the way it brings them all together in the right way, at the right place, at the right time.

This is exactly my problem with the LBP hype machine. Until the game is actually released, I don't see how anyone can say it "brings them all together in the right way". Previews just aren't enough to make a judgment like that. Reviewers love game experiences that feel new and fresh, and when combined with a polished presentation, such games will always receive rave previews. The question is this: after a few days, when the "new experience" feeling starts to wear off, will the core of the game still be great without it? The game has potential, and could very well succeed in becoming a masterpiece - but I'll wait until some time after release before I believe any hype.

As for "the right place, at the right time" - again, I think it's too early to say that. People's perceptions of the PS3, 360, and Wii are pretty much set at this point, and it will be difficult to change their minds. As such, I don't see LBP single-handedly bringing a new demographic to the PS3. While it's certainly possible for LBP to become a cultural phenomenon, such things are almost impossible to predict.

Seeing the success of games like Animal Crossing, The Sims and Spore Creature Creator I would argue that one could say this is the right place and time. This game seems to take those themes one step further by allowing you to actively engage in creation WITH you're friends. Not just after the fact. Not to mention an age where people want their children to do more than blow things up and murder in their games. At an age where I want to do more than murder in games(I'm 22 and have been playing console games for as long as i can remember). This is the start of games 2.0 as far as I'm concerned. Not to speak for non-gamers but this game holds my attention even though i don't currently own a ps3 and have thought there was nothing this generation for me.