LittleBigPlanet, Originally a 3D Platformer, Will Be Again Someday

[Tom Goldman]

LittleBigPlanet, Originally a 3D Platformer, Will Be Again Someday

LittleBigPlanet wasn't always a side-scroller, but the third dimension proved to be too much possibility for the game's designers.

Media Molecule has revealed that Ratchet & Clank [http://www.amazon.com/LittleBigPlanet-Game-Year-Playstation-3/dp/B002ELCUUG/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1282336109&sr=1-1].

Media Molecule co-founder Alex Evans told Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/media-molecule-toyed-with-full-3d-level-design-in-first-littlebi/] at Gamescom that an early build of LittleBigPlanet had "free depth and completely moving cameras, and the gameplay engine wasn't layered fundamentally." Levels could "travel into the screen," so Sackboys were able to move more than just left and right.

Evans admitted that this level of freedom was "really hard" and "creatively unconstrained." He says: "We found our level designers wasted tons of time in 3D land, so we iteratively reduced it; first of all, we reduced the scope, then we added the layers, and with each restriction we did, it improved the quality."

That doesn't mean that LittleBigPlanet will never become a 3D platformer, though. November's untold [http://www.amazon.com/LittleBigPlanet-2-Playstation-3/dp/B002I0K780/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1282335559&sr=8-2] game types user-creatable), but Evans believes the series will go 3D in the future, though it'll be a challenge to allow players to create in 3D rather than just 2D.

He states: "When we go 3D, and I'm assuming at some point we will go 3D, the challenge we will have, and any other user-generated content company -- you know, I want to be one-upped, I'd love to see a fully-3D creation game. I'm not saying it's impossible, I'm saying we haven't cracked it yet." Just as LittleBigPlanet 2 is said to expand the series' creation tools far beyond the first game's, maybe LittleBigPlanet 3 will move them into the third dimension.

Source: Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/19/media-molecule-toyed-with-full-3d-level-design-in-first-littlebi/]

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[UBERfionn]

3D LBP?
Sounds awesome!
Only ages to wait till LBP3D

 

[Calendor1]

I dont really want LBP to be 3D. I loved that it was 2D. Besides, I was hoping MM would make something new after LBP2.

 

[-Samurai-]

I dont really want LBP to be 3D. I loved that it was 2D. Besides, I was hoping MM would make something new after LBP2.

Agreed. I think that being a 2D side scroller made it a great game. It was kind of a throwback to the older games. The simplicity of it made it fun and added to its charm.

 

[Weaver]

I dont really want LBP to be 3D. I loved that it was 2D. Besides, I was hoping MM would make something new after LBP2.

Agreed. I think that being a 2D side scroller made it a great game. It was kind of a throwback to the older games. The simplicity of it made it fun and added to its charm.

I'd still be interested in seeing what they can do with a full 3D game, but I totally agree that the 2.5D thing was a massive component to the game's charm.

 

[Jared]

I have to admit I do like how it turned out at least! It is an epic game, and an epic way to play ^^

 

[Jumplion]

I dont really want LBP to be 3D. I loved that it was 2D. Besides, I was hoping MM would make something new after LBP2.

Agreed. I think that being a 2D side scroller made it a great game. It was kind of a throwback to the older games. The simplicity of it made it fun and added to its charm.

And I will have to third that statement, even though I sadly don't play as much LBP as I want to. Plus, keeping it in a mostly 2D world helps put restrictions, and restrictions make people think in clever ways. Also, having a hugeass 3D world would be mind boggling, so much so that I don't think most people would know what to do with it. To quickly quote Yahtzee here (Scribblenauts Review);

"When you give me everything, I just can't think of anything."

So yeah, some limitation is good overall. Just not too restrictive, which LBP is anything but.

 

[Colonel Alzheimer's]

I dont really want LBP to be 3D. I loved that it was 2D. Besides, I was hoping MM would make something new after LBP2.

Agreed. I think that being a 2D side scroller made it a great game. It was kind of a throwback to the older games. The simplicity of it made it fun and added to its charm.

I'd still be interested in seeing what they can do with a full 3D game, but I totally agree that the 2.5D thing was a massive component to the game's charm.

But there have been enough levels made for 2D LBP that you can always go back to that if you want to play 2D. LBP3D will just give you more options.

 

[TelHybrid]

Is it really that difficult to make a 3D map creator for LBP? Halo did it fine with forge...

 

[Baldry]

I love the charm of it being in 2D, but I wouldn't mind it being 3D, could lead to more innovation!

 

[Simalacrum]

As much as I love the idea of a 3D LBP, I hope that MM aren't going to be constrained into a company who is known for one franchise and one franchise only - I do hope they spread their wings a little bit and try out something new one day.

 

[soapyshooter]

It was damn near perfect the way it is. Thank god they knew their capabilities and didn't put out a crappy game with a gimmick, instead they ended up with a fantastic game with near endless replayability

 

[MattRooney06]

im goining to be honest my only complaint with LBP that can apply to the designers was that how they still let you move between three dimensions but kept the camera at a 2d veiw....was very frustrating with some of the platforming