With LittleBigPlanet releasing on the PlayStation Vita, it would make sense for some of that content to make its way from the PlayStation 3 versions to the Vita. Peter Smith, senior producer for Sony Computer Entertainment, has confirmed just this, saying that costumes will be compatible between the two and possibly more.

In a gamescom 2011 interview with Digital Spy, Smith said that most costumes will be able to be transferred, and that Sony plans to port over as many as possible, with the exceptions being those with any kind of licensing issues.

Technically it was very, very challenging. Extremely challenging. Because we’re backwards compatible with PlayStation 3, so there’s all of the content across two Blu-rays and all of the DLC… there’s just so much content.

But actually, as we started to make the Vita version, we’re trying to create a slightly different experience anyway. So it felt right that you would go on the PS3 for the more epic levels, then you go on the Vita and you would expect a different experience.

Smith went on to add that LittleBigPlanet has “never been about compromise”, and that is why the Vita version is “totally brand new from the ground up.”

LittleBigPlanet for the PS Vita will be available next year whenever the Vita handheld launches.

© Cameron Teague for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Just last month Sony brought in augmented reality (AR) specialists, Novarama Technology, to work exclusively for Sony and the PlayStation Vita. Now fast forward to this month and Sony has decided to partner with Double Eleven, who right now is working on LittleBigPlanet for the PlayStation Vita.

Double Eleven is a UK Studio formed by former Rockstar Leeds lead engineers back in 2010. This deal will not only have the developer working on LBP for the PS Vita, but also new titles for Sony platforms. One thing you can see from the two recent partnerships is that Sony is serious about the Vita and about pushing gaming to new heights.

SCE Worldwide Studios Europe senior vice president Michael Denny had the following to say:

Double Eleven are one of the most exciting developers to emerge onto the development scene in recent years, their technical expertise makes them a great fit for LittleBigPlanet on PS Vita and we’ve very pleased with the progress the team have made on this hugely anticipated title.

Double Eleven CEO Lee Hutchinson chimed in with his enthusiasm about the new partnership:

For us to become strong partners with Sony at such a crucial stage in our own development underlines the unswerving commitment we have made to the quality of our production. We look forward to a truly exciting new phase in our own development, with the absolute intention to become a world-class studio.

From what we played at E3 of LittleBigPlanet on the PS Vita, it is a very impressive title and we can’t wait to see what else this developer can do in the future.

[Via]

© Cameron Teague for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us

LittleBigPlanet has quickly become one of the most well-received and beloved franchises of our time, and rightfully so. With beautiful visuals, an extremely robust level editor, and a plethora of options to explore in each of its titles, nearly everyone has sat down with their family and/or friends to play some fun levels together. However, Media Molecule is looking to move on.

After three critically acclaimed releases, Media Molecule is placing LittleBigPlanet on the side, and have already begun focusing on something new. Siobhan Reddy, executive producer at Media Molecule, shared the next quote with Edge magazine at this year’s GameLab conference:

We’re stepping away from LittleBigPlanet to focus on some new ideas.

Fans of the adorable little Sackboy and his highly-customizable platforming experience have been surprised by this move, and didn’t hesitate to share their concern. Media Molecule posted the following on its Twitter feed in response to the feedback:

Loyal sackfolk – please be reassured that we will always be involved with LBP, at least a bit, and there’s lots more fun yet to come! <3

Speaking of which, a huge PlayStation Move patch is in production right now, and is quickly moving toward its late 2011 release. The patch will add Move functionality to the level editor allowing for a wide-array of options. Sackboy’s Prehistoric Move showed just how enjoyable the implementation of motion controls can be within the LittleBigPlanet environment, and we’re very excited to see what the patch will offer. It should be similar to when Media Molecule added water to LittleBigPlanet; a flood of awesome new levels appeared, and the game was just as fresh as ever.

Media Molecule is currently working on a new project, and it’s probably a new IP of sorts. It wasn’t long ago that they even advertised that they’re hiring, so development is likely in its very early stages. Whether or not it’s going to be a Create. Play. Share. title is the question on everyone’s mind, and secondly, what genre will it fall under?

Now that Media Molecule is taking its talents elsewhere, what would you like to see the company create? I wouldn’t mind a Sony version of Mario Kart, rich with quality gameplay and all of the characters we’ve enjoyed over the years. If not that, a new form of RPG would be killer, and could really change the landscape.

© jleack for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us

ModNation Racers burst onto the kart racing genre mid 2010, combining the racing antics of Mario Kart with the creative freedom of LittleBigPlanet. The game also saw a PSP port, but that version felt a bit limited. Enter ModNation Racers (Working Title) on the Vita. With aims of perfectly replicating the console version of the game on the go, can developer SCE San Diego deliver? We went hands-on with the game during E3 and have our preview ready for you below.

The demo shown to us at E3 had been in development for around 14 months – one of the lengthier times we overheard at the show for a Vita game. One big feature in this version of ModNation Racers is that upon launch you will be granted access to all the tracks and vehicles available for the PS3 version of the game. Assuming it will have the same sorting functionality, then you will already have thousands of great tracks to play once you are done with the single player (as well as thousands of crap material to sift through, I’m sure). It should be noted that this functionality is one-way only at the time of writing – content created on the Vita version is not shareable to the PS3 version.

Racing is pretty standard fare here, and anyone familiar with the console ModNation Racers will feel right at home here. Use R for gas, left analog stick for turning, right stick for in-air rotation, face buttons for boost/jump/drift/weapon. Speaking of weapons, beyond the typical ones available from previous entries, there are now elemental attacks – fire, ice and earth. It is unclear how these are incorporated yet, but one example we did see was a powerup being “leveled” up to the point where the player transformed into a massive snowball, destroying anyone who got in his way. Hopefully these elements will react with each other in expected ways, where each is effective against an opposing element and weak to another.

Creating on the Vita is all about the touchscreen and rear touchpad, and it works for the most part. You use the front touch screen to first draw an overall path for your track. It seems that your tracks cannot go for too long before you run out of track. But the overhead view of the map is rather deceptive – it is a much larger area than it appears, so you can create gigantic turns without even realizing it. Once you are happy with the layout, you are given the option to auto-populate the track and put in a more traditional creation camera. Here is where you can use the rear touch pad to create mountains and valleys on the landscape. Pull the ground low enough and it fills with water, creating a lake. While the effect is cool, the game’s engine seemed to struggle as I used more of my fingers to craft the area – you can apparently use up to ten fingers at once, which is an impressive amount of tracking. But if the sluggishness of the creation mode is not improved by launch, it may be a glaring issue.

In the end, it looks like SCE San Diego is gearing up to deliver an even more faithful translation of the ModNation Racers experience on the go than their PSP port, which was no slouch either. Cross-play functionality is also included, though it was not shown here. This seems to be the killer feature that a lot of Vita games are going to tout. With other features coming to the game such as using the Vita’s cameras to create textures and the GPS to earn “ModMiles” by visiting real locations, ModNation Racers on the Vita is shaping up to be a must-have portable entry for fans of the genre.

© Paulmichael Contreras for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2011. | Permalink | No comments | Add to del.icio.us

E3 may be over, but footage from the show floor is still trickling out. Earlier, we posted footage of Assassin’s Creed: Revelations gameplay from E3. Now we have a cuddly gameplay demo for the PlayStation Vita.

The PlayStation Blog has posted a video of SCEE Liverpool Producer, Pete Smith, playing through a lengthy demo of LittleBigPlanet Vita. As described in the video, LittleBigPlanet Vita is a full-fledged game, not a port. Smith also comments that developers are really excited about the rear touch pad, because it is something new. Anyone who picks up LBP Vita will be able to share in the fun, since the create tool will give you control over rear touch, tilt, and front touch functionality for user-created levels. Smith also goes on the describe the game as a “hand-held arcade.” The video shows off some great footage of the game, so check it out and let us know what you think in the comments.

[Source]

© Josh Fernandes for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us

The annual E3 Press Conference is easily the biggest gaming news event of the year, but not everyone is able to follow the video streams and news coverage live and attempting to catch up afterwards can be overwhelming. Fortunately, PlayStation LifeStyle is here to compile and list the news for the folks at home, which we’ll update as the show continues.

Microsoft:

• MW3 DLC coming exclusively to 360 for a limited time. Read More >>
• Halo 4 teased
• Halo: Combat Evolved being remastered in HD
• Kinect coming to Mass Effect 3, Ghost Recon, EA Sports titles and the next Fable.
• New, new Xbox Experience to have full Kinect support
• Bing with voice search coming, but won’t be able to search the internet
• YouTube and UFC coming to 360
• Kinect Fun Labs announced, coming from Buzz! dev Relentless Studios
• Dance Central 2, Kinect Sports Season 2 announced
• Crytek’s Codename: Kingdoms renamed Ryse

Rating: C+ With the 360′s core line-up rather weak in the run up to E3, we were hoping that a slew of new games would be announced. Unfortunately, Microsoft’s selection was rather weak, with gamers only given a fleeting glance at Halo 4. Kinect remained the centrepiece of the show, with announcements clearly aimed at casual gamers.

EA:

• Mass Effect 3 demoed
• Sports games with Kinect shown
• Battlefield 3 release date, beta announced Read More >>
• Insomniac Games’ multiplatform title, “Overstrike“, revealed Read More >>
• Need for Speed: The Run to feature on-foot chases
• EA Sports Football Club revealed – a live service that allows users to connect and compete with one another
• Star Wars: Old Republic teased

Rating: C Insomniac’s new game made the show worth watching, although lack of real gameplay made it rather disappointing. The rest of the conference was rather bland and repeated what was already known.

Ubisoft:

• Rayman Origins revealed as 2D family game
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Online to be a free game
• Far Cry 3 announced, returning to the jungle Read More >>
• Gearbox Software developing Brothers in Arms: Furious Four Read More >>
• The Adventures of Tintin: The Game announced as movie tie-in
• ManiaPlanet, a brand dedicated to allowing customization options to PC games revealed.
• Trackmania, a racing game, Shootmania, an FPS, and Questmania, an RPG.
• Raving Rabids coming to Kinect
• Just Dance 3 coming to PS3, 360 and Wii Read More >>
• Assassin’s Creed: Revelations gameplay footage shown Read More >>

Rating: B+ Ubisoft started strongly, with Far Cry, Brothers in Arms and Ghost Recon all looking very good. From there it went downhill, with cheesy jokes and casual games dragging on. Luckily it ended with a bang, with Ubisoft showing Assassin’s Creed.

Sony:

• Sony Apologizes For PSN Outage Read More >>
• CinemaNow’s Instant Streaming Access Heading To PlayStation Network Read More >>
• Chloe and Elena Returning to Uncharted Read More >>
• New God of War Collection Announced Read More >>
• Uncharted 3 E3 Gameplay Footage Read More >>
• Resistance 3 Sharp Shooter Bundle Announced Read More >>
• Brand New PS3 Television and Glasses Announced Read More >>
• Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest Announced Read More >>
• Sly Cooper 4 Unveiled At Sony’s E3 Conference Read More >>
• Move Support for Bioshock Infinite Confirmed Read More >>
• Ken Levine Teases Vita Bioshock Title Read More >>
• Dust 514 Announced to Be First PSN Exclusive Cross-Platform MMO Read More >>
• Everybody Dance and Start the Party 2 Moving Its Way to PS3 Read More >>
• NGP Officially Named Read More >>
• Star Trek PlayStation Move Announced with Exclusive Treats Read More >>
• PlayStation Vita is AT&T Exclusive Read More >>
• Mt. Fuji Stage to be Exclusive to PS3 Version of SSX Read More >>
• PS Vita Priced, To 3G or Not to 3G Read More >>
• Idol Minds Announce Ruin, A Cross Compatible “Social Action RPG” With Cloud Saves Read More >>
• PS Vita Set to Release This Year, Christmas Sorted Read More >>
• 80 Titles in Development for Vita Read More >>
• New Modnation Racers Announced For Vita Read More >>
• LittleBigPlanet Finds New Life on PlayStation Vita Read More >>
• Street Fighter x Tekken on The PS Vita Shown on Video, inFamous’ Cole To Join in Read More >>

Rating: B The most announcements of any conference, Sony’s was jam-packed with reveals. However, other than the surprisingly low price of the PS Vita, none rivalled the megaton announcements of the years before. No Agent, Twisted Metal or Last Guardian was disappointing.

Nintendo:

• Zelda: Link’s Awakening is now available for 3DS on the Virtual Console
• Ocarina of Time 3D will launch next week
• Zelda: 4 Swords Adventure will be a free download in September
• Zelda: Skyward Sword will launch this holiday for the Wii, limited edition Gold Wii Remote will accompany this launch.
• Later this year a 25th Zelda Anniversary Symphony Concert will tour around the word.
• Mario Kart 3DS, Star Fox 3DS, Super Mario 3D, Kid Icarus Uprising, Luigi’s Mansion 2 announced
• eShop finally available for the 3DS
• Pokedex 3D out now for free
• Wii U blowout Read More >>

Rating: A- Announcing a new console meant that Nintendo were pretty much guaranteed to have the best show. Add in a spattering of top 3DS titles and a strong list of third party support for the Wii U, and the conference was a hit. But with graphics failing to beat the PS3, a terrible name and an odd control interface, the show was far from perfect.

© Sebastian Moss for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2011. | Permalink | 33 comments | Add to del.icio.us

With the PlayStation Network picking itself and up and dusting itself off, Sony is eager to get things back to normal and put the whole unpleasant mess of the PSN’s hack behind them. Step one to restoring confidence? Free stuff.

As promised, Sony will be offering gamers a “Welcome Back” package that aims to tempt people back online, as well as making up for the extended downtime. Over on the EU PS Blog, Sony explained what gifts SCEE users can look forward to. Update: They have removed the post, so this may or may not be the final selection, although it is highly likely that it is. Update 2: It’s back.

Two PS3 games from the following list:

• LittleBigPlanet
• inFamous
• Wipeout HD/Fury
• Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty
• Dead Nation

For the German market, inFamous and Dead Nation will be replaced by Super Stardust HD and Hustle Kings.

PSP account holders will also be eligible to download two PSP games from the following list (PSP and PS3 users will get both platforms’ freebies):

• LittleBigPlanet PSP
• ModNation PSP
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation

For the German market, Pursuit Force and Killzone Liberation will be replaced by Everybody’s Golf 2 and Buzz Junior Jungle Party. Killzone Liberation will not offer online gameplay functionality.

Additionally, PSN users will be treated to:

• 30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non-PS Plus subscribers
• Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers will be given 60 days free subscription.
• Existing Music Unlimited subscribers will be given 30 days free subscription. [Previously, Sony said that all PSN members would be given 30 days subscription.]
• An unspecified Welcome Back offer in PlayStation Home.

Users must have been an account holder on 20 April 2011, and you will have 30 days from when the welcome back programme goes live to redeem the content.

Access to the 30 days free PS Plus subscription is only available to those countries where PS Plus is offered and you will have access to the PS Plus content planned for May for 30 days.

Are you happy with what is being offered by Sony, or do you already have these games? Let us know below.

© Sebastian Moss for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2011. | Permalink | 24 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Sucker Punch Development Director, Chris Zimmerman, sat down with IGN for an interview, where he revealed that their inspiration came from a rather unsurprising source – LBP.

We were encouraged by the wild success of LittleBigPlanet.

Zimmerman continued:

Even though it’s a different genre and a completely different kind of game, it showed there was this thirst that people had for having this creation/sharing experience. We thought the same desires would be present for inFAMOUS players, too.

It is always a good thing to see developers looking outside the box to games from other genres, especially when it improves their own titles.

[Via]

© Joseph Peterson for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2011. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us

It’s no surprise that whenever high-profile PS3 releases hits store shelves, we hear talk of developers behind these particular titles who claim that they’ve done all they possibly could and have essentially maxed out the console. More and more often these days, however, that doesn’t appear to be the case, especially when it comes to Guerrilla Games.

Speaking with IndustryGamers, Guerrilla Games is pushing the notion that it really is difficult to max out the PS3, as there are always workarounds and more efficient programming techniques which can be utilized to free up major sums of space.  Guerrilla Managing Director/Co-Founder Hermen Hulst had the following to say:

“At the end of every project, we say, ‘we’ve maxed it out.’ I made that mistake at the end of Killzone 2,” Hulst admitted to IndustryGamers. “We felt that we’d pushed it absolutely to the max. We now know from experience there’s always more mileage in the tech. You can always find new techniques.”

Hulst then discusses how custom tech is the way to go if you want a true AAA product. The ability to manipulate technology that the team themselves have created has phenomenal advantages, and Hulst doubts that the high quality titles that we’ve come to know and love on the PS3 might not be possible had it not been for the custom engines developed in-house.

“The guys that created LittleBigPlanet, I don’t think they would have been able to create a game that looks as great on someone else’s tech and that’s the same with us,”

“For example, in Killzone 2, we introduced anti-aliasing to get rid of the jagged edges. We’re using that, but an improved version that is much more efficient, so we actually leave space for more detail, bigger environments and more polygons. Compared to Killzone 2, Killzone 3’s polygon count is three times as high, so we’ve been able to find new space, probably averaging out to 40 percent.”

Apparently, the freed-up space made room for the addition of the new jetpacks and melee attacks. Hulst has also taken a stand regarding 3D, stating that it’s here to stay and compares the difference between HD and 3D to mono and stereo, though a good few consumers, including myself, find it to be somewhat gimmicky. Let’s not forget that the PS2 really showed its muscle with games like God of War II towards the end of its life cycle, which means we’ve probably only experienced a Mustang’s worth of power, out of what is probably a Bugatti engine.

For all the latest gaming news, stay tuned to PlayStation LifeStyle.

© Mike Hartnett for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2011. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us

KyozoKicks, a site known for its custom video game shoes, is currently auctioning off a colorful pair of LittleBigPlanet kicks (or shoes in conventional English). All proceeds from the auction will be donated to Child’s Play, a charity that provides “games, books and cash for sick kids in children’s hospitals across North America”.

Below is a description of the characteristics of these LittleBigPlanet shoes, as told by the designer:

The design that would eventually come to make up this pair was taken directly from an experience I had, and continue to have, with the game. Give the sticker tool to someone who doesn’t play games often and they will begin, slowly, randomly and then frantically, placing stickers about the screen. Soon what they are doing becomes lost in a blur, Their eyes widen, they can’t help emit a small, yet audible, manic laugh, like you they too are now hooked. what you are left with once they finally step back from the controller is something not too dissimilar to these shoes I hope. No rhyme or reason to the stickers placement.

Time is ticking on the auction, which has a few days left until it completes. Why not add a pair of custom Vans to your collection and help a few children while you’re at it?

[Source]

© jleack for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us

LittleBigPlanet 2 is set to release on January 18, 19, 20 and 21 in North America, Europe, Australia, and the UK, respectively.

[Thanks, blumatt]

© Paulmichael Contreras for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2010. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us

When LittleBigPlanet launched, the game offered nearly endless possibilities for level creation, with millions of levels being created by users all over the world. Its highly anticipated successor, LittleBigPlanet 2, is set to raise the bar and once again revolutionise the gaming industry. One aspect developer Media Molecule improved upon was giving players the ability to create their own cinematic cutscenes – something that is shown in this hilarious Kevin Butler parody.

Last week Sony revealed a new commercial featuring Kevin Butler and an awesome Sony deal at Best Buy. Well, if the original commercial didn’t get you excited, then perhaps this revamped one using LittleBigPlanet 2 will.

To compare, here’s the original video:

Which video do you think is better? Let us know in the comments below.

© Adam Wolfe for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us

LittleBigPlanet is widely known for its endlessly adorable and customizable mascot, Sackboy. In the past year, another “mascot” of sorts has become synonymous with PlayStation. And that’s none other than the VP of It Only Does Everything, Kevin Butler. So what happens when you combine the two lovable Sony icons? We just might find out.

In a recent post on the PlayStation Blog about LittleBigPlanet 2, SCEA marketing manager Mark Valledor was fielding questions in the comments section. One of which asked if the team had added a Kevin Butler costume yet. To which Valledor responded:

I’ll have to add that to our checklist…

While that’s not at all a confirmation, a costume for Sackboy featuring everyone’s favorite VP would be an instant hit with PlayStation fans.

Would you jump at the chance to play as a sack-version of Kevin Butler? Let us know in the comments!

© Anthony Severino for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2010. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Just like a few other high-profile PlayStation 3 releases, LittleBigPlanet 2 was delayed, pushing this particular title from the holiday season into the first quarter of 2011. Thankfully, with a beta in progress and the releases of various trailers, Media Molecule has certainly kept prospective game creators at ease. To further whet the appetites of the creative gamers out there, a new trailer has hit starring none other than Sackboy and his Sackbots. Showcased in the trailer below, the Sackbots help demonstrate some of the new features and gadgets available to players in LittleBigPlanet 2. Check it out for yourself:

Clearly, LittleBigPlanet 2 is sure to come packed with enough tools to surprise even the savviest LittleBigCreator. Anyways, if you did not watch the trailer until the end, the official release date for LittleBigPlanet 2 is January 18, 2010.

© Kishen Patel for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us

The PSPgo is an interesting piece of tech. It is an ultraportable gaming console, and is download-only. But with no UMD drive and a hefty price tag of $250, it has always been a bit tough of a sell. However, a recent sighting may indicate that a price drop is on the way.

If a recently-spotted posting by an Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) employee is to be believed, then the PSPgo is going to see a price drop of $50 on October 15th (this Friday) in America. The system will likely still come with vouchers for downloads of SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3, LittleBigPlanet, and Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters. Whether or not this price drop is going to go in effect at other retailers remains to be seen, and Sony has not given any statement regarding the matter. With recent rumors of a PSP2 in development, will this spur sales of the PSPgo? Stay connected with PlayStation LifeStyle for more on this as it develops.

© Paulmichael Contreras for PlayStation LifeStyle, 2010. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us