Since its release on PlayStation 3 (PS3) in October 2008, LittleBigPlanet has been credited with establishing the PLAY, CREATE, SHARE creative gaming genre by putting the powers of creation firmly in the players’ hands. LittleBigPlanet is a unique experience provides developer and user-generated levels and an engaging story to explore and PLAY, a huge host of materials, tools, stickers, and more to CREATE, and a robust set of online features for everyone to SHARE these creations with each other via PlayStation Network. The original title has been widely praised with more than 80 industry awards worldwide, 15 of which have been for ‘Game of the Year’ categories, and the game’s stitched-together mascot, Sackboy, has broken through as the industry’s newest star—one that has resonated with every member of the family, young and old. Developed by the award-winning team at Media Molecule, the franchise to date has sold over four million units worldwide and the game continues to grow and evolve helped by on-going expansion through downloadable content and the support of countless fans around the globe who have uploaded over 2.5 million user-created levels to PlayStation Network since launch.
In 2009, the LittleBigPlanet Game of the Year edition was introduced to celebrate these achievements, featuring 18 never-before-seen bonus levels created by members of the community. Hand-picked by the development team, these fans were rewarded with the opportunity to become actual level designers, a notion that all LittleBigPlanet devotees can relate to.
Later in 2009, LittleBigPlanet moved to the PSP (PlayStation Portable) and PSPgo systems allowing players to bring the beloved Sackboy with them on the go. Developed by Sony Computer Entertainment’s Cambridge Studio with the help of Media Molecule, this portable LittleBigPlanet showcases over 30 new story levels in the palm of your hand, along with the same tools to PLAY, CREATE, and SHARE anytime, anywhere.
Now, that same creative team at Media Molecule brings you LittleBigPlanetTM 2 for the PS3 system providing fans a new means to PLAY, CREATE, and SHARE. It all begins with a brand new story mode that provides a beautifully reshaped world for Sackboy to explore and PLAY. Each story level is influenced by cultural high points in history and is visually stunning when seen through the game’s revamped graphics engine. This franchise has always empowered players to CREATE their own levels with the same tool set used by the development team. Therefore, LittleBigPlanet 2 will offer revolutionary gameplay mechanics and a level of customization and creative control that has never been seen before. With the implementation of a new CREATE mode, the tools have evolved to allow users to not only make better levels, but completely new games across multiple genres.
Players can reset the controller buttons for any object and change the rules to any level through an ability called Direct Control and new multiplayer abilities advance the types of games possible for a social/competitive experience— imagine racing games, flying games, shooters, puzzle games, sports, action/adventure, and more. And finally, what would a LittleBigPlanet game be without new SHARE abilities. Users will be able to link levels together to provide longer gameplay experiences without the breakup of going back to the ‘Pod’ and you’ll be able to see what LittleBigPlanet 2 levels/games your friends are playing via activity steams, so gamers will now spend less time searching and more time playing the millions of levels/games created by gamers around the world!
* More Than 40 New Story Levels Across Six Themes – Everything in LittleBigPlanet 2 is influenced by cultural high points in history providing an artistically reworked canvas for Sackboy to explore. All of the new levels and territories to PLAY fuse different historical ideas together to create fresh aesthetics that populate this new world, with themes including: Techno Renaissance, Steampunk and Cake, Neon Propaganda, Fluffy High-Tech, Designer Organic, and Hand-made Arcade.
* Four-Player Offline/Online Multiplayer – New game/scoring modes allow players to include, scoreboards, and other elements in their creations to advance the types of games possible for a four-player social/competitive multiplayer experience, including puzzle, racing/sports, and action/adventure games. Players can also make Sack-buddies with other players across the world while they PLAY, CREATE, and SHARE together online.
* New Gadgets – Along his adventure, Sackboy will have new tools and equipment to aid him on his journey, including a Grapple Hook for swinging across large gaps and pulling small objects towards you, Power Gloves for picking things up and throwing them, and a customizable Creatinator for Sackboy to carry that spews out anything a creator desires.
* CREATE Full-Scale Games – Evolved CREATE tools allow users to not only make better levels, but completely new games. Featuring new Controlinator abilities, players can reset the controller buttons for any object and change the rules to any level. Your vehicles and creations can behave exactly the way you want them to. LittleBigPlanet 2 can become your own handmade arcade to CREATE games across multiple genres— imagine racing games, flying games, shooters, puzzle games, sports, action/adventure, and more—anything you can image, you can CREATE.
* A.I. Sackbots – Customizable Sackbots (non player Sackboys) are interactive, programmable non player characters that bring the game to life. Customize sizing and clothing for each individual or group of Sackbots, place them in your game creations or cut-scenes, dress them up, choose different behavior patterns (make them mean or friendly, safe or dangerous), and even record your own voiceovers and/or actions for them to perform.
* Cinematic Cut-Scene Maker – A new camera system, along with cinematic tools makes it easy to CREATE full cut-scenes, whether as stand-alone movies or cut-sequences in levels, for a more immersive and narrative experience to PLAY. You now have full control over camera position, movement (including tilt, zoom and shake), transitions, and timings, as well as the ability record full voice-overs for Sackboys and Sackbots that can be used in music videos, short films or even entire movies.
* New CREATE Materials – Players will have new base materials with a selection of Filters, dangerous Plasma to add to fire and electricity, Electrical Neon that can change color with a switch, and Holographic material to make your own HUDS, all added to the infinite amount of stickers, decorations, materials (glass, metal, sponge, polystyrene, cardboard, and rubber), bolts (springs, motor, and wobble bolts), and rods to choose from while you CREATE.
* New CREATE Tools – Multiple new gadgets are at your disposal, including a Level Link Badge to jump from level to level by simply placing a badge without going back to the ‘Pod,’ Global Gravity to change the effects of gravity within the whole scene, Bounce Pads to launch Sackboys and Sackbots in the air, a Smoke Machine for a smoke releasing effect, and Circuit Boards which enable creators to layout complex logic connections onto a single chip. No longer do creators have to conceal complex tangles of logic strings behind curtains, they can now simply add to a Circuit Board and hide it away. Circuit Boards can also be used to control the behavior of Sackbots.
* Stunning Visuals – LittleBigPlanet 2 utilizing a revamped graphics engine and state-of-the-art visual technologies to showcase Sackboy and his new world better than ever. Players will also be able to access the more than two million user-created levels from the original LittleBigPlanet, all which will shine due to the newly enhanced graphics engine.
* SHARE Easier – An enhanced SHARE experience will have gamers spending less time searching and more time playing the millions of levels and games created by fans around the world. With the unveil of LBP.me, a social networking website, every published online game/level will get its own webpage, so users can search/find creations while online at home/work, mark them, and have these favorites queued up and ready to PLAY when you return to your PS3 and sign onto PlayStation Network. Users will also be able keep an eye on what games/levels your friends are playing via activity steams, as well as link levels together to provide longer gameplay experiences without the breakup of going back to the ‘Pod.’
* Backwards Compatible – LittleBigPlanet 2 players can enjoy the more than two million online community levels created with the original game, levels that will look even better when seen through our revamped graphics engine. All purchased and earned downloadable content from LittleBigPlanet can be used as well.
* Move Demo – LittleBigPlanet 2 will include a standalone, 10 level demo that supports PlayStation®Move.
* Trophy Support – LittleBigPlanet 2 supports a host of fun and challenging trophies to collect along the way.
* PLAY, CREATE, SHARE – The LittleBigPlanet franchise continues to bring its revolutionary PLAY, CREATE, SHARE concept and the most accessible design tools to the videogame industry. There are brand new developer and user-generated levels to explore and PLAY, a huge host of materials, tools, stickers, and more to CREATE, and a robust set of online features for the community to SHARE with each other via PlayStation Network. In LittleBigPlanet 2, the world is full of infinite possibilities, where imagination becomes reality and the powers of creation are firmly in the players’ hands.
* Core Gameplay – The experience starts with players customizing Sackboy, the stitched-together main character in LittleBigPlanet 2. From there, players learn how Sackboy interacts physically with the surrounding environment in Story Mode. Players are tasked with making their way across LittleBigPlanet 2 to discover all the quirky, wonderful, and colorful landscapes, while solving puzzles and collecting items that can be used to CREATE games.
* Customized Experience – Whether the player is a fashion designer, an architect, or aspiring video game developer, they can show their talents off with the easy-to-use creation tools to build unique levels/games that can be used as a presentation, an in-game fashion show, a photo album, or a creative homage to your pet. In this stylish and stitched-together 3D craft material world, there is fun to be had for all ages, tastes, and player type.
* Endless Gaming Experience – With more than 2.5 million user generated levels published for LittleBigPlanet on the PlayStation Network, fans will never run out of exciting environments to explore. And there’s no telling how many new games will joins these levels online once LittleBigPlanet 2 launches!