LittleBigPlanet (2008 video game)

Did You Know?

• Sackboy can shift between the three layers of the game's 2.5D plane.
• The story mode's eight themed areas include the Gardens, Savannah, Weddings, Canyons, Metropolis, Islands, Temples, and Wilderness.
• The Collector is both a Creator Curator and the main antagonist who kidnaps and steals creations.

Development

Mark Healey, Kareem Ettouney, Alex Evans, and Dave Smith, former Lionhead Studios employees who had developed Rag Doll Kung Fu (2005), left Lionhead in December 2005 to form Media Molecule, originally called Brainfluff. They had a vague idea of creating an ambitious console-friendly game that used user-generated content and appealed to a broad audience. That same month, they pitched a physics-based 2D side-scrolling prototype named Craftworld to Phil Harrison, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, using their own software for live character movement. The pitch was intentionally vague, downplaying the creative aspect; Harrison noticed and asked why they had not explored it further. The meeting lasted three hours, and Sony agreed to fund the project for six months. Media Molecule became incorporated in February 2006.

Release

LittleBigPlanet was first announced in March 2007 at the Game Developers Conference during Harrison's keynote, with Healey demonstrating creative tools and a pre-made level. It was shown at E3 in July 2007, Tokyo Game Show in September 2007, Consumer Electronics Show in January 2008, Leipzig Games Convention in August 2008, and again at E3 in July 2008 and TGS in October 2008. A pre-order campaign in North America in August 2008 offered bonus gifts including a sticker book, burlap pouch, official game guide, and downloadable Sackboy costumes such as Kratos and Nariko; Canada received only the costumes, while Play.com offered the Nariko costume in Europe. A demo was rumored around May 2007 but was not released that year. A limited public beta ran from 24 September to 11 October 2008, requiring a beta key from sites like Eurogamer and IGN.

Reception

LittleBigPlanet received widespread critical acclaim. Mike D'Alonzo of X-Play called it one of the most incredible games ever made, and GamePro's Tae K. Kim described it as one of the most amazing gaming experiences ever designed. Edge called it one of gaming's rare triumphs. The creative aspect was widely praised, though some noted that creating a great level required patience.

Nick Suttner of 1Up.com praised the create mode, and Mike Jackson of Computer and Video Games felt Sony had successfully created a great game around user-generated content. Game Informer's Joe Juba noted the tools were complicated enough for complex tasks yet simple enough for any motivated gamer. The community aspect was also praised, with some critics recommending online play. Multiplayer views were mixed: Guy Cocker of GameSpot found it more fun with multiple players but flawed, while Matt Wales of IGN noted cooperative play was not a significant part.

Legacy

Shortly after release, LittleBigPlanet gained popularity, with Mikel Reparaz of GamesRadar+ noting in November 2008 that hundreds or thousands of PSN users were uploading homemade levels. By July 2009, one million levels had been published; by July 2013, eight million levels had been published across the franchise. Levels included side-scrolling shooters and went beyond Media Molecule's expectations. After a 2011 PSN outage, Evans observed multiple levels being published per second.

By the time servers shut down for all franchise games except the PS4 port of LittleBigPlanet 3, ten million levels had been published. Scholarly research on the culture is limited; Sara M. Grimes noted the cultural scene is tethered to Sony and integrates player activity into the brand. LittleBigPlanet was the first mainstream console game to give players creative tools to share levels, coinciding with the rise of user-generated content. It was an early example of website integration and public beta testing. In January 2009, Peter Molyneux called it the most important creative innovation of 2008.