LittleBigPlanet 2
Encyclopedia
LittleBigPlanet 2 is a puzzle platformer
video game, centred around user-generated content
. The game is developed by Media Molecule
, published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for PlayStation 3
and was originally scheduled for release in November 2010 but was delayed until January 2011. The game was released in North America on 18 January 2011, in mainland Europe on 19 January 2011, in Australia and New Zealand on 20 January 2011 and the UK and Ireland on 21 January 2011.
Unlike the first game, which was marketed as a platform game
, LBP2 is being marketed as a "platform for games". It is a direct sequel to the critically acclaimed 2008 title LittleBigPlanet
and the third game in the series following a PSP version released in 2009. Most of the more than 3 million levels created by users in the first game carry-over and are playable and editable in LittleBigPlanet 2.
Support for PlayStation Move was added to the game through a software update in September 2011, allowing users to play the game using the PlayStation Move motion controller in conjunction with a Navigation Controller or gamepad.
nature of the original title, with the player controlling their Sackboy characters, players are not restricted solely to platforming levels, and can now choose to create many types of levels including racing, puzzle and role-playing games. The player may also choose to create and customise their own heads-up display to accommodate their game type. New animation recording options are available and players are able to create full-motion cut-scenes to go with their level design, manipulate the camera for both cut-scenes and gameplay, and record their own sound effects for use in the level. As well as including a wide selection of original and licensed music, the game also includes a robust music sequencer. Multiple levels can be linked together, so that finishing one level immediately takes the player to the next in the series.
A new tool to assist in gameplay creation is the "controlinator" (formerly the "direct control seat"). This allows players to assign specific actions, such as button presses or Sixaxis
motion control, to specific aspects of their gameplay design. Players are not restricted to using the controlinator on level elements, however, and they may use it to direct the actions of the player's Sackboy character, allowing greater freedom of movement; Media Molecule made this design choice in response to the large number of homages to early platforming games, in which players had to "hide" and manipulate the Sackboy character in specific ways to replicate the style of gameplay. In addition to this tool, more gameplay items, similar to the Metal Gear Solid paintball gun released as downloadable content, are available including a grappling hook, the "Creatinator" - a hat which is worn by Sackboy and can be configured by the Creator to fire any object - and the "Grabinators" which allow Sackboy to pick-up and throw grabable objects. Media Molecule plans to regularly update the game with further items.
Enemy creation has also been improved. Players can now create "Sackbots", which are non-player character
s whose AI can be controlled by the level creator. Options include determining weak points on the Sackbots, as well as programming routines for the AI to follow. Sackbots can be customised using costumes and decorations in the same way that the player character is and the AI for may be copied and pasted between multiple Sackbots. Sackbots may also be controlled by the aforementioned direct control seats.
All downloadable content
from the first game is usable in this sequel, as are most user-made levels from LittleBigPlanet. As of February 2011, 3.6 million levels has been uploaded and created for both the LBP games on PS3.
On 17 February 2011 a community-made made semi-official level pack named Hansel and Gretelbot was released. The series of levels, based loosely on the fairytale of Hansel & Gretel, was created by a team of community members who were approached by Media Molecule and asked to collaborate and attempt to make a set of levels that could match the quality of the game's story levels. The series, created using only the in-game tools, features original music, voice acting and prizes.
who revealed one of his songs had been licensed for the game. It was then formally revealed by video game magazines Edge
and GameInformer in their June 2010 issues. On 8 May 2010 Media Molecule officially confirmed that they were developing LittleBigPlanet 2 on their Twitter
account and hinted that the game would be formally revealed on Monday 10 May 2010. On 10 May 2010, the official website launched an announcement webpage and news article announcing the game with game details and an announcement trailer. The announcement was also made on the PlayStation Blog with a Q4 2010 release date. Numerous gaming websites reported about the game when an embargo lifted, including EuroGamer and IGN.
In October 2008, BBC
reported before the original game was released that Media Molecule had already begun development of a sequel to LittleBigPlanet. The statement was later clarified in an interview with IGN, in which Siobhan Reddy of Media Molecule stated, "we see LittleBigPlanet as a platform... There will be a lot of additional content and it will vary in size and what it does. And we've already started that, yes." The "huge emotional investment" users have made in LittleBigPlanet, Alex Evans stated, is the reason he does not want to ship a traditional sequel. Because they don't want all of the user-generated content to be made obsolete, their focus was to "expand the game without partitioning the audience".
In July 2008, Media Molecule mentioned that should there ever be a LittleBigPlanet sequel that the game would feature backwards compatibility with the original game's user-created levels. In November 2009, Media Molecule Level designer Danny Leaver said that a sequel would fragment the LBP community, calling it "the most counter-productive thing you could do".
On 23 March 2010, IGN
reported LittleBigPlanet 2 was in production and would support the upcoming PlayStation Move controller. Sony later denied this report saying that future content for the original title would be compatible with PlayStation Move. Later on in May, along with the release of the trailer, Sony confirmed that LittleBigPlanet 2 would be compatible with Move. Keyboard and mouse support in Create mode was initially announced however it was later confirmed that this feature was not included in the game at launch.
Stephen Fry
narrates the game as he did with the first one.
On 8 December 2010, Media Molecule posted an article entitled "The Music of LittleBigPlanet 2" in their official blog, in which they revealed the identities of the composers who had created original music tracks for the game. The list of seven composers included Paul Thomson, Richard Jacques
, Winifred Phillips
(with her music producer Winnie Waldron
), Baiyon
, Keith Tenniswood
, Daniel Pemberton and Media Molecule's audio designer, Kenneth Young.
Media Molecule was asked in an IGN Q-and-A session how Move will be added into the game in future updates, the company revealed that they are working on integrating motion controls into the Play, Create and Share modes of the game: "The exciting thing to do with Move is, we're working on a play-create-share pack. We're still in the R&D phase and working out what the features will be, but it will be announced in a little while and we’re really excited. In the same was as in LBP2, you have the Controlinator and you can remap the controls, you'll be able to do the same thing with Move. It'll also allow the community to make their own Move games and that's very cool." A software update allowing users to play the game using PlayStation Move was released in September 2011. A premium DLC pack titled Rise of the Cakeling is scheduled for release shortly after and will add new story levels and tools for creators enabling them to create PlayStation Move games.
On 17 January 2011, Sony handed LittleBigPlanet 2 to selected gamers as they attempted to break the Guinness World Record of 50 hours of consecutive game play. The Guinness World Record of 50 hours of consecutive game play and four other records was broken after two days.
Customers who had the game on week one were given the “1 week only” DLC (only available the first week), which consist of Launch Day "Space Suit" and "Rare" T-Shirt. As a special offer, customers who showed that they have checked in on Sony Style Store Foursquare received an autographed cover from Media Molecule
and Limited Edition DLC. The offer was only available on the 18 and 19 January.
On 3 August 2011, Media Molecule released the Toy Story Level Kit, which is the first DLC pack to feature playable levels since the release of LittleBigPlanet 2 in January. The premium pack includes 9 Toy Story themed levels, 5 materials, 10 decorations, 6 objects, 149 stickers and the Toy Story Alien Costume, which had previously only been available as a bonus for preordering LittleBigPlanet 2 from Best Buy, and bundled in the LittleBigPlanet 2 Collector's Edition. The pack also includes music composed by Winifred Phillips and produced by Winnie Waldron. The music includes three new Toy Story-themed music tracks, one of which is an interactive track. In a review of the music on Gamertell.com, assistant editor Jeremy Hill said "Even without LBP 2 backing it up, these songs can stand on their own", and Simon Smith of Higher Plain Music described the musical score as "Utterly charming and disarming it'll have you beaming in no time." The music received a score of 4/5 from reviewer Juanjo Ramos of Criticas de Cine.
On 7 September 2011, software update 1.06 was released. This patch added support for the PlayStation Move motion controller. A downloadable content pack released the following week includes new story levels and creation tools, enabling users to create their own Move-based games and levels.
.
7-Eleven
is offering exclusive downloadable content for LittleBigPlanet 2 in exchange for Slurpee
purchases in stores in the U.S. beginning in the end of January 2011. 7-Eleven is also featuring LittleBigPlanet 2 themed Slurpee cups. Each Slurpee cup bears a unique code, allowing a download for LittleBigPlanet 2 content (and other Slurpee rewards), such as a dynamic theme for the PlayStation 3 system, the "Slurpee Sticker Pack", the Strategy Guide, the Sackboy Backpack for PlayStation Home
, several ringtone (currently available), a behind the scene video (currently available), and a creator video. The promotion runs until the end of March 2011.
The auto manufacturer, Toyota, offers free sponsored content when LittleBigPlanet 2 launches, including a free XMB
theme and a special Prius
-themed level. The downloadable add-on includes collectible items which players can use to build their own creations to win "some very cool prizes."
SCEA marketing manager, Mark Valledor, announced a Collector's Edition of LittleBigPlanet 2 for North America in July 2010. The Collector's Edition for North America includes a copy of the game, a 7-inch Sackboy plushie, five PlayStation Network avatars, LittleBigPlanet 2 bookends and 11 in-game costumes.
SCEE product manager, Alex Pavey, told the readers of the PlayStation Blog in November 2010 that there will also be a Collector's Edition of LittleBigPlanet 2 released in Europe which different from the North American version. The Collector’s Edition for Europe comes with different box art, the Collector’s Edition copy of the game comes in SteelBook case packaging. It also includes seven in-game costumes and five PSN avatars. There are four other in-game costumes: Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank
. These will be available through retailer-specific pre-order incentives, but details of these have not yet been announced. The LittleBigPlanet 2 Collector's Edition will be available in different ways across Europe and the other PAL countries.
The Collector's Edition for Australia is very similar to the Collector's Edition for Europe. It comes with the SteelBook packaging, eleven downloadable Sackboy costumes and five PSN Avatars. It also include a 7-inch Sackboy plushie as a pre-order bonus.
In the UK, a console bundle is available which consists of a 320GB PlayStation 3 console, a Dualshock 3 controller and a copy of the standard edition of the game.
. Which of the "special" costumes the player received depended upon where they pre-ordered the game. The costumes on offer were Ratchet & Clank costumes, Toy Story
Alien costume, a Tron
suit or The Muppet's The Great Gonzo
costume.
on 21 December 2010 in North America and on 22 December 2010 in Europe. The demo includes 3 levels from the game's story mode. Each of the levels in the demo demonstrates one of LittleBigPlanet 2' s new features: The Grapple Hook in the "Tower of Whoop" level, the Controlinator in "Avalon’s Advanced Armaments Academy" and the Creatinator in the "Rocket Funland" mini-game.
.
(UK) gave LittleBigPlanet 2 a perfect 10/10 score. They praised the redesigned creation tools as "simple-to-grasp, all with huge potential" and said the game overall was "hugely improved" over the original. IGN
's Greg Miller scored the game 9.0/10, complimenting the amount of variety found in LittleBigPlanet 2s story mode. He went on to commend the new creative tools, stating that the "focus of creating games in the game really shines through", referring to the new tool-set as "mindboggling deep". Miller did however reserve some criticism for some of the same "frustrations" from the first game which are still present in the sequel, such as "floaty" jump controls. Eurogamer
also scored the game 9/10 commenting on its "achingly pretty" visuals and looking optimistically on the game's community, saying "there is little doubt that LBP2s online servers will play host to some extraordinary content". PlayStation Universe's Adam Dolge states that "the soundtrack is simply wonderful, while the art style is moody with a vaudevillian flair." Paste Magazine's
Kirk Hamilton singled out the game's backward compatibility with user-created levels from the first LittleBigPlanet, and also praised the game's "musical soul", both in its "eclectic collections of licensed music" and in its "outstanding original score." Edge
gave LittleBigPlanet 2 9/10 commenting on the game's "dramatic and funny" cutscenes, created with the in-game tools. They also praised its more focused, witty and imaginative story levels as well as the new creation tools, saying in closing, "LBP2 represents a dazzling new opportunity for creating deep, diverse and ingenious play."
LittleBigPlanet 2 topped the North American software sales in its debut week. LittleBigPlanet 2 was ranked number four on NPD
's sales charts for January 2011. It scored over 353,000 sales in its first couple of weeks. In Japan, LittleBigPlanet 2 debuted at number five, selling 24.648 copies.
As of October 2011 LittleBigPlanet 2 has sold 1.5 million copies worldwide.
The 'Victoria's Lab' music track from the LittleBigPlanet 2 video game is nominated for a 2011 Hollywood Music in Media Award in the 'Best Song in a Video Game' category. The track was composed by Winifred Phillips
and produced by Winnie Waldron
.
' XDev team, which can be played with two to five players and requires a PlayStation Move controller and a PlayStation Eye Camera. One player uses the PlayStation Move motion controller as a pointing device to manipulate the environment by triggering switches and moving platforms, while the others play using a gamepad to control Sackboy in the usual way. Although billed as a PlayStation Network game, Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves narrator introduces it as a "demo". It features ten prehistoric-themed levels and was released on the PlayStation Store
in North America on 7 December 2010, and in Europe on 8 December 2010 for PlayStation Plus subscribers. It was made available to other users in North America on 14 December 2010 and in Europe on 15 December 2010. The game was also bundled with LittleBigPlanet 2 when it was released in January 2011.
scored the game 6.5/10, describing it as more of a tech demo of the PlayStation Move's functionality, rather than a fully-fledged game. He also criticised the game's lack of lasting appeal as there are no prizes or costumes to collect. Miller did however say "If you have a bud who is as into LittleBigPlanet as you are, you're going to have fun" and that the game could act as a good demonstration piece for the PlayStation Move.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game, centred around user-generated content
User-generated content
User generated content covers a range of media content available in a range of modern communications technologies. It entered mainstream usage during 2005 having arisen in web publishing and new media content production circles...
. The game is developed by Media Molecule
Media Molecule
Media Molecule is a British video game developer based in Guildford in Surrey. The studio was founded in January 2006 by former Lionhead Studios employees Mark Healey, Alex Evans, Dave Smith, and Kareem Ettouney...
, published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and was originally scheduled for release in November 2010 but was delayed until January 2011. The game was released in North America on 18 January 2011, in mainland Europe on 19 January 2011, in Australia and New Zealand on 20 January 2011 and the UK and Ireland on 21 January 2011.
Unlike the first game, which was marketed as a platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
, LBP2 is being marketed as a "platform for games". It is a direct sequel to the critically acclaimed 2008 title LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet, commonly abbreviated LBP, is a puzzle platformer video game, based on user-generated content, for the PlayStation 3 first announced on 7 March 2007, by Phil Harrison at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California...
and the third game in the series following a PSP version released in 2009. Most of the more than 3 million levels created by users in the first game carry-over and are playable and editable in LittleBigPlanet 2.
Support for PlayStation Move was added to the game through a software update in September 2011, allowing users to play the game using the PlayStation Move motion controller in conjunction with a Navigation Controller or gamepad.
Plot
Players continue Sackboy's journey after the events of the first game and the portable version are brought to an end. An inter-dimensional vacuum cleaner called the Negativitron appears over the skies of LittleBigPlanet and begins to suck up its inhabitants, including Sackboy. Larry Da Vinci, the leader of a semi-secret semi-organised group known as "The Alliance", comes to Sackboy's rescue saving him from the Negativitron. The organisation is dedicated to battling with the Negativitron and defeating it before it destroys Craftworld and Avalonia.Gameplay
While still retaining the three-layer, 2.5D2.5D
2.5D , 3/4 perspective and pseudo-3D are terms used to describe either:* 2D graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional when in fact they are not, or* gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is...
nature of the original title, with the player controlling their Sackboy characters, players are not restricted solely to platforming levels, and can now choose to create many types of levels including racing, puzzle and role-playing games. The player may also choose to create and customise their own heads-up display to accommodate their game type. New animation recording options are available and players are able to create full-motion cut-scenes to go with their level design, manipulate the camera for both cut-scenes and gameplay, and record their own sound effects for use in the level. As well as including a wide selection of original and licensed music, the game also includes a robust music sequencer. Multiple levels can be linked together, so that finishing one level immediately takes the player to the next in the series.
A new tool to assist in gameplay creation is the "controlinator" (formerly the "direct control seat"). This allows players to assign specific actions, such as button presses or Sixaxis
Sixaxis
The Sixaxis Wireless Controller was the official gamepad for the Sony PlayStation 3 from launch until 2008 when it was succeeded by the DualShock 3....
motion control, to specific aspects of their gameplay design. Players are not restricted to using the controlinator on level elements, however, and they may use it to direct the actions of the player's Sackboy character, allowing greater freedom of movement; Media Molecule made this design choice in response to the large number of homages to early platforming games, in which players had to "hide" and manipulate the Sackboy character in specific ways to replicate the style of gameplay. In addition to this tool, more gameplay items, similar to the Metal Gear Solid paintball gun released as downloadable content, are available including a grappling hook, the "Creatinator" - a hat which is worn by Sackboy and can be configured by the Creator to fire any object - and the "Grabinators" which allow Sackboy to pick-up and throw grabable objects. Media Molecule plans to regularly update the game with further items.
Enemy creation has also been improved. Players can now create "Sackbots", which are non-player character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s whose AI can be controlled by the level creator. Options include determining weak points on the Sackbots, as well as programming routines for the AI to follow. Sackbots can be customised using costumes and decorations in the same way that the player character is and the AI for may be copied and pasted between multiple Sackbots. Sackbots may also be controlled by the aforementioned direct control seats.
All downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
from the first game is usable in this sequel, as are most user-made levels from LittleBigPlanet. As of February 2011, 3.6 million levels has been uploaded and created for both the LBP games on PS3.
Community
The online community of the game was also improved with the creation of the LBP.me website. From there, players may synchronise with their PlayStation Network IDs in order to check statistics on their own levels, as well as find new levels from the community, where they can queue them, ready to play when their PlayStation 3 is next online and connected to the LittleBigPlanet servers. Website owners may also use a selection of widgets to add live data from the game to any website.On 17 February 2011 a community-made made semi-official level pack named Hansel and Gretelbot was released. The series of levels, based loosely on the fairytale of Hansel & Gretel, was created by a team of community members who were approached by Media Molecule and asked to collaborate and attempt to make a set of levels that could match the quality of the game's story levels. The series, created using only the in-game tools, features original music, voice acting and prizes.
Development
The game was first hinted at by a Sony representative in March 2010, who stated that the game was in production and would support PlayStation Move controllers, and in April 2010 by musician OchreOchre (musician)
Ochre is the stage name of English electronic musician Christopher Leary. The name "Ochre" was originally adopted as the title for Leary's academic work while studying audio production at Newcastle College, as a variation of "Oaker", being the name of a street in Manchester where Leary spent his...
who revealed one of his songs had been licensed for the game. It was then formally revealed by video game magazines Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
and GameInformer in their June 2010 issues. On 8 May 2010 Media Molecule officially confirmed that they were developing LittleBigPlanet 2 on their Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account and hinted that the game would be formally revealed on Monday 10 May 2010. On 10 May 2010, the official website launched an announcement webpage and news article announcing the game with game details and an announcement trailer. The announcement was also made on the PlayStation Blog with a Q4 2010 release date. Numerous gaming websites reported about the game when an embargo lifted, including EuroGamer and IGN.
In October 2008, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
reported before the original game was released that Media Molecule had already begun development of a sequel to LittleBigPlanet. The statement was later clarified in an interview with IGN, in which Siobhan Reddy of Media Molecule stated, "we see LittleBigPlanet as a platform... There will be a lot of additional content and it will vary in size and what it does. And we've already started that, yes." The "huge emotional investment" users have made in LittleBigPlanet, Alex Evans stated, is the reason he does not want to ship a traditional sequel. Because they don't want all of the user-generated content to be made obsolete, their focus was to "expand the game without partitioning the audience".
In July 2008, Media Molecule mentioned that should there ever be a LittleBigPlanet sequel that the game would feature backwards compatibility with the original game's user-created levels. In November 2009, Media Molecule Level designer Danny Leaver said that a sequel would fragment the LBP community, calling it "the most counter-productive thing you could do".
On 23 March 2010, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
reported LittleBigPlanet 2 was in production and would support the upcoming PlayStation Move controller. Sony later denied this report saying that future content for the original title would be compatible with PlayStation Move. Later on in May, along with the release of the trailer, Sony confirmed that LittleBigPlanet 2 would be compatible with Move. Keyboard and mouse support in Create mode was initially announced however it was later confirmed that this feature was not included in the game at launch.
Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
narrates the game as he did with the first one.
On 8 December 2010, Media Molecule posted an article entitled "The Music of LittleBigPlanet 2" in their official blog, in which they revealed the identities of the composers who had created original music tracks for the game. The list of seven composers included Paul Thomson, Richard Jacques
Richard Jacques
Richard Jacques is a British music composer. He is best known for his video game music, most notably for numerous video games created by Sega.-Early life:...
, Winifred Phillips
Winifred Phillips
Winifred Phillips is an American music composer for video games and radio, a published fantasy author, and a radio producer and actress.-Video games:...
(with her music producer Winnie Waldron
Winnie Waldron
Winnie Waldron is an American music producer for video games, a producer for radio, a radio script editor / adapter and a radio host.- Radio :...
), Baiyon
Baiyon
Baiyon is a Japanese multimedia artist from Kyoto, Japan.Baiyon, Real name Tomohisa Kuramitsu, has an artistic vision which links his own graphical designs and music.In 1998, Kuramitsu began painting and making music, and later founded the label....
, Keith Tenniswood
Keith Tenniswood
Keith Tenniswood is a British DJ, producer, and remixer.Tenniswood is better known as one half of the electronic act Two Lone Swordsmen alongside Andrew Weatherall....
, Daniel Pemberton and Media Molecule's audio designer, Kenneth Young.
Media Molecule was asked in an IGN Q-and-A session how Move will be added into the game in future updates, the company revealed that they are working on integrating motion controls into the Play, Create and Share modes of the game: "The exciting thing to do with Move is, we're working on a play-create-share pack. We're still in the R&D phase and working out what the features will be, but it will be announced in a little while and we’re really excited. In the same was as in LBP2, you have the Controlinator and you can remap the controls, you'll be able to do the same thing with Move. It'll also allow the community to make their own Move games and that's very cool." A software update allowing users to play the game using PlayStation Move was released in September 2011. A premium DLC pack titled Rise of the Cakeling is scheduled for release shortly after and will add new story levels and tools for creators enabling them to create PlayStation Move games.
Launch
The “Arcade” genre trailer was released just one day before the game’s launch, showcases tons of new gaming genres, including action, sports, and adventure genre. A behind the scenes video was also released, this video was shot as the game was about to go ‘Gold’. The launch trailer was released on 21 January 2011, and is a tribute to the history of video gaming, as told from Sackboy’s own unique perspective. A TV ad was also released, which showcased the new in-game features, and highlighted how diverse and truly global the LittleBigPlanet community is. A “Share“ was also released, which showcased how to share the LittleBigPlanet 2 fun.On 17 January 2011, Sony handed LittleBigPlanet 2 to selected gamers as they attempted to break the Guinness World Record of 50 hours of consecutive game play. The Guinness World Record of 50 hours of consecutive game play and four other records was broken after two days.
Customers who had the game on week one were given the “1 week only” DLC (only available the first week), which consist of Launch Day "Space Suit" and "Rare" T-Shirt. As a special offer, customers who showed that they have checked in on Sony Style Store Foursquare received an autographed cover from Media Molecule
Media Molecule
Media Molecule is a British video game developer based in Guildford in Surrey. The studio was founded in January 2006 by former Lionhead Studios employees Mark Healey, Alex Evans, Dave Smith, and Kareem Ettouney...
and Limited Edition DLC. The offer was only available on the 18 and 19 January.
Major updates and downloadable content packs
On 15 February 2011, Media Molecule released software update 1.01. The first patch for the game, dubbed "Cupcake", addresses a number of technical issues which were affecting online play.On 3 August 2011, Media Molecule released the Toy Story Level Kit, which is the first DLC pack to feature playable levels since the release of LittleBigPlanet 2 in January. The premium pack includes 9 Toy Story themed levels, 5 materials, 10 decorations, 6 objects, 149 stickers and the Toy Story Alien Costume, which had previously only been available as a bonus for preordering LittleBigPlanet 2 from Best Buy, and bundled in the LittleBigPlanet 2 Collector's Edition. The pack also includes music composed by Winifred Phillips and produced by Winnie Waldron. The music includes three new Toy Story-themed music tracks, one of which is an interactive track. In a review of the music on Gamertell.com, assistant editor Jeremy Hill said "Even without LBP 2 backing it up, these songs can stand on their own", and Simon Smith of Higher Plain Music described the musical score as "Utterly charming and disarming it'll have you beaming in no time." The music received a score of 4/5 from reviewer Juanjo Ramos of Criticas de Cine.
On 7 September 2011, software update 1.06 was released. This patch added support for the PlayStation Move motion controller. A downloadable content pack released the following week includes new story levels and creation tools, enabling users to create their own Move-based games and levels.
Release and marketing
LittleBigPlanet 2 was originally scheduled for release in November 2010, but was delayed until January 2011. The game was released in North America on 18 January 2011 in mainland Europe on 19 January 2011, Australian and New Zealand on 20 January 2011 and in the UK and Ireland on 21 January 2011. On 21 December 2010 SCEA PR Manager, Eric Levine, confirmed that the game has "gone gold", meaning the game was 100% finished and had been signed-off by SCE QAQuality Assurance
Quality assurance, or QA for short, is the systematic monitoring and evaluation of the various aspects of a project, service or facility to maximize the probability that minimum standards of quality are being attained by the production process...
.
7-Eleven
7-Eleven
7-Eleven is part of an international chain of convenience stores, operating under Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd, which in turn is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co...
is offering exclusive downloadable content for LittleBigPlanet 2 in exchange for Slurpee
Slurpee
A Slurpee is a flavored frozen drink sold by 7-Eleven. In 1967, 7-Eleven licensed the product from the ICEE Company, and began selling it as the Slurpee.-Slurpee history:Machines to make frozen beverages were invented by Omar Knedlik in the late 1950s...
purchases in stores in the U.S. beginning in the end of January 2011. 7-Eleven is also featuring LittleBigPlanet 2 themed Slurpee cups. Each Slurpee cup bears a unique code, allowing a download for LittleBigPlanet 2 content (and other Slurpee rewards), such as a dynamic theme for the PlayStation 3 system, the "Slurpee Sticker Pack", the Strategy Guide, the Sackboy Backpack for PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home is a virtual 3D social gaming network developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network . It is available directly from the PlayStation 3 XrossMediaBar under PlayStation Network. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN...
, several ringtone (currently available), a behind the scene video (currently available), and a creator video. The promotion runs until the end of March 2011.
The auto manufacturer, Toyota, offers free sponsored content when LittleBigPlanet 2 launches, including a free XMB
XrossMediaBar
The XrossMediaBar is a graphical user interface developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The interface features icons that are spread horizontally across the screen. Navigation moves the icons, instead of a cursor. These icons are used as categories to organize the options available to the user...
theme and a special Prius
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...
-themed level. The downloadable add-on includes collectible items which players can use to build their own creations to win "some very cool prizes."
Retail editions
Alongside the standard edition of the game, there are several other versions of the game exclusive to certain countries and/or regions around the world. All of the special edition versions of the game are sold in limited quantities and contain a copy of the game as standard or in special packaging.SCEA marketing manager, Mark Valledor, announced a Collector's Edition of LittleBigPlanet 2 for North America in July 2010. The Collector's Edition for North America includes a copy of the game, a 7-inch Sackboy plushie, five PlayStation Network avatars, LittleBigPlanet 2 bookends and 11 in-game costumes.
SCEE product manager, Alex Pavey, told the readers of the PlayStation Blog in November 2010 that there will also be a Collector's Edition of LittleBigPlanet 2 released in Europe which different from the North American version. The Collector’s Edition for Europe comes with different box art, the Collector’s Edition copy of the game comes in SteelBook case packaging. It also includes seven in-game costumes and five PSN avatars. There are four other in-game costumes: Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank is a 3D platformer/shooter video game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Released in 2002, it is the first game in the Ratchet & Clank series....
. These will be available through retailer-specific pre-order incentives, but details of these have not yet been announced. The LittleBigPlanet 2 Collector's Edition will be available in different ways across Europe and the other PAL countries.
The Collector's Edition for Australia is very similar to the Collector's Edition for Europe. It comes with the SteelBook packaging, eleven downloadable Sackboy costumes and five PSN Avatars. It also include a 7-inch Sackboy plushie as a pre-order bonus.
In the UK, a console bundle is available which consists of a 320GB PlayStation 3 console, a Dualshock 3 controller and a copy of the standard edition of the game.
Pre-order bonuses
In North America there were several pre-order offers through several retail outlets. Each pre-order consists of four costumes from the "Even More Animals" pack and up to two "special" costumes from Disney/Pixar and Insomniac GamesInsomniac Games
Insomniac Games, Inc. is an American video game developer headquartered in Burbank, California. Founded in 1994, Insomniac has released titles for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. It created Disruptor, the first three Spyro the Dragon games, and the Ratchet &...
. Which of the "special" costumes the player received depended upon where they pre-ordered the game. The costumes on offer were Ratchet & Clank costumes, Toy Story
Toy Story
Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...
Alien costume, a Tron
Tron (franchise)
The Tron franchise began in 1982 with the Walt Disney Pictures film Tron. It was followed by various film tie-ins, a comic series and the 2010 sequel Tron: Legacy...
suit or The Muppet's The Great Gonzo
Gonzo the Great
Gonzo the Great is a puppet character, one of Jim Henson's Muppets. He was developed and performed by Dave Goelz. The character made his first appearance in a 1970 Christmas special entitled "The Great Santa Claus Switch". Known as a "Whatever" , he is considered one of The Frackles...
costume.
Story Mode Demo
The LittleBigPlanet 2 Story Mode Demo was made available as a free download from the PlayStation StorePlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
on 21 December 2010 in North America and on 22 December 2010 in Europe. The demo includes 3 levels from the game's story mode. Each of the levels in the demo demonstrates one of LittleBigPlanet 2
PlayStation Home
On 19 January 2011, Sony made a Home Square makeover. Cardboard and carpet transformed the familiar Home Square into an environment where Sackboy will feel right at home, in the European version of the PlayStation 3's online community-based service, PlayStation HomePlayStation Home
PlayStation Home is a virtual 3D social gaming network developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network . It is available directly from the PlayStation 3 XrossMediaBar under PlayStation Network. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN...
.
Reception
LittleBigPlanet 2 has received universal acclaim from critics. PlayStation Official MagazinePlayStation Official Magazine
The Official UK PlayStation Magazine is a now-defunct magazine, launched in November 1995 to coincide with the launch of the PlayStation console. It ran for 108 issues, with the last hitting news stands in March 2004. The first issue sold 37,000 copies...
(UK) gave LittleBigPlanet 2 a perfect 10/10 score. They praised the redesigned creation tools as "simple-to-grasp, all with huge potential" and said the game overall was "hugely improved" over the original. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Greg Miller scored the game 9.0/10, complimenting the amount of variety found in LittleBigPlanet 2s story mode. He went on to commend the new creative tools, stating that the "focus of creating games in the game really shines through", referring to the new tool-set as "mindboggling deep". Miller did however reserve some criticism for some of the same "frustrations" from the first game which are still present in the sequel, such as "floaty" jump controls. Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
also scored the game 9/10 commenting on its "achingly pretty" visuals and looking optimistically on the game's community, saying "there is little doubt that LBP2s online servers will play host to some extraordinary content". PlayStation Universe's Adam Dolge states that "the soundtrack is simply wonderful, while the art style is moody with a vaudevillian flair." Paste Magazine's
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
Kirk Hamilton singled out the game's backward compatibility with user-created levels from the first LittleBigPlanet, and also praised the game's "musical soul", both in its "eclectic collections of licensed music" and in its "outstanding original score." Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
gave LittleBigPlanet 2 9/10 commenting on the game's "dramatic and funny" cutscenes, created with the in-game tools. They also praised its more focused, witty and imaginative story levels as well as the new creation tools, saying in closing, "LBP2 represents a dazzling new opportunity for creating deep, diverse and ingenious play."
Sales
In the UK, the game debuted at number one on the UK All Formats chart, then fell to number two in its second week of sales. According to GfK ChartTrack, the original LittleBigPlanet sold 95 more copies than LittleBigPlanet 2 managed at it debut week. LittleBigPlanet 2 remained the UK's biggest-selling PS3 game for two weeks in a row. It dropped three places to fifth in its third week of sales, and again to tenth a week later.LittleBigPlanet 2 topped the North American software sales in its debut week. LittleBigPlanet 2 was ranked number four on NPD
NPD Group
The NPD Group, Inc. is a leading North American market research company. The NPD Group consistently ranks among the top 25 market research companies in the independent Honomichl Top 50 report, which the media and the research industry acknowledge as a credible source of information on the market...
's sales charts for January 2011. It scored over 353,000 sales in its first couple of weeks. In Japan, LittleBigPlanet 2 debuted at number five, selling 24.648 copies.
As of October 2011 LittleBigPlanet 2 has sold 1.5 million copies worldwide.
Awards
LittleBigPlanet 2 was nominated for a 2011 Golden Joystick Award in the 'Best Action/Adventure' category.The 'Victoria's Lab' music track from the LittleBigPlanet 2 video game is nominated for a 2011 Hollywood Music in Media Award in the 'Best Song in a Video Game' category. The track was composed by Winifred Phillips
Winifred Phillips
Winifred Phillips is an American music composer for video games and radio, a published fantasy author, and a radio producer and actress.-Video games:...
and produced by Winnie Waldron
Winnie Waldron
Winnie Waldron is an American music producer for video games, a producer for radio, a radio script editor / adapter and a radio host.- Radio :...
.
Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves
LittleBigPlanet (LBP) Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves is a LittleBigPlanet spin-off developed by SCE Worldwide StudiosSCE Worldwide Studios
Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, officially abbreviated SCE Worldwide Studios, is a group of video game developers owned by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is a single internal entity overseeing all wholly owned development studios within SCE...
' XDev team, which can be played with two to five players and requires a PlayStation Move controller and a PlayStation Eye Camera. One player uses the PlayStation Move motion controller as a pointing device to manipulate the environment by triggering switches and moving platforms, while the others play using a gamepad to control Sackboy in the usual way. Although billed as a PlayStation Network game, Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves narrator introduces it as a "demo". It features ten prehistoric-themed levels and was released on the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
in North America on 7 December 2010, and in Europe on 8 December 2010 for PlayStation Plus subscribers. It was made available to other users in North America on 14 December 2010 and in Europe on 15 December 2010. The game was also bundled with LittleBigPlanet 2 when it was released in January 2011.
Reception
Due to the unconventional release of the game, Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves has not been widely reviewed as a standalone product. Greg Miller from IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
scored the game 6.5/10, describing it as more of a tech demo of the PlayStation Move's functionality, rather than a fully-fledged game. He also criticised the game's lack of lasting appeal as there are no prizes or costumes to collect. Miller did however say "If you have a bud who is as into LittleBigPlanet as you are, you're going to have fun" and that the game could act as a good demonstration piece for the PlayStation Move.