Sorry.

Theres something about aversity which can bring forth the best in game design. Some of the best original concepts have been done by studios which have been on the edge or just starting out, places which need to prove themselves. Now they've always got a job, they don't even have to prove themselves to Sony for every single game they want to make because support is implicit. I know some studios get lost in this transition which is what concerns me, its the change more than anything. I like that they will have more support but my concern is about the nature of the studio and how it operates now that things have changed.

Well I have high hopes. Guerrilla Games were a start up to, and they came into their own beautifully after being purchased.

I guess we'll just have to wait awhile and find out what they're working on to see whether this was a good move or not.

I'm beginning to wonder, could the announcement from Sony on GTTV involve Media Molecule??

great job sony, hopefully an LBP sequel soon

On the topic of LBP2.. didn't MM claim that there wouldn't be a LBP2 but rather more focus on DLCs like MGS/Pirates of the Caribbean etc?

I dont really see how you can make a LBP2 anyway. Unless they try to give it a more solid story or something, because an updated engine or new levels reall dont justify a new game, not when theres 2m user created levels. Also, I really like the DLC concept because DLCs like the MGS one really felt like a full game. It becomes more like an episodic content type deal..

Yup, no LBP2 in the works. DLC only pretty much. The game itself is in the creating levels and playing new levels. Both of which are more than present in LBP. What, do people want more dev created levels and story?!?
Let's have a new IP.

My respect for SONY-san is forever grownig with amazing news like this.

It was inevitable! It just matter of time so great for Sony for acquiring one of the  most talented developers out there. BTW Sony is really serious on strengthening their 1st party studios. I wonder who's next? MAybe IW. I want to see what will happen when that happens

PS. I hope they buy QD too lol! or just become an official 2nd party developer for them like Insomniac or buy NiS!!

So how much do you think they paid for them?

I just wish SCEJ would be more active in this regard. In the past four years, SCEA have bought Zipper Interactive, and SCEE have bought Guerrilla Games, Evolution Studios, and now Media Molecule. SCEA have become the strongest arm of Sony's first party, with SCEE actively trying to catch up (and I think they're just about there with this latest move).

Meanwhile SCEJ just pumps out the occasional GT and Ico game, and not much else. Even when it comes to second parties, they basically work with Level 5 on few RPGs and that's it. The only really new relationship they've formed this gen is with From Software for Demon's Souls, but it's unlikely we'll get anything out of that aside from a Demon's Souls 2.

Granted, we never really know what's going on at the quite large and rather amorphous Japan Studio, which contains Team Ico, Team Siren (though is it really a specific, dedicated team?), and the guys that work on Ape Escape, Patapon, and Loco Roco, so I suppose they could simply be expanding that, possibly cooking up something big in addition to the Last Guardian.

Either way, I just wish SCEJ would step up their game. I generally favor the style of Japanese games, and as much as I love LittleBigPlanet, Uncharted, and Killzone, I want more Japanese love for this Japanese console. It's so odd that Sony themselves focus so heavily on Western development when the console's roots are far from being Western focused.

But I guess that's what happens when you get used to 10 years of having Japanese developers almost exclusively backing you up. You get to thinking you don't need too many developers of your own. Hopefully this gen will give SCEJ a nice big kick in the rear. While they still share a majority of Western third party support with Microsoft, Japan is the one region in which they're actively losing development support to a competitor, that being Nintendo.

Because of this, I wouldn't be surprised to hear some interesting announcements from SCEJ over the next year or two. Especially given that they recently announced 2010 is the year SCEJ starts to focus heavily on the PS3 vs the PSP. But at the same, given SCEJ's seemingly lethargic attitude at the start of this gen, I can't help but have my doubts that they'll start making good decisions (rather, decisions I like) any time soon.

This is awesome but I thought Sony already owned them...lol.