LBP beta is an old build, full game will have many more features

by Jem Alexander { Sep 24th 2008 at 8:00PM }

It's been over 24 hours since people have had access to the LittleBigPlanet beta (pronounced beeeeta in Europe, naturally). We know a lot of you managed to get codes from Eurogamer, so congratulations to those who did. How are you enjoying it? We're having a blast, but there are a few things that we feel are lacking. Thankfully, a new post on the official Media Molecule blog states that "it's already quite an old build. We have some cool new stuff that's been in our private test for a few days, I won't give it all away but there are things cooking such as 5-star ratings, (much) better performance and less lagginess, better online stability, better UI for publishing, faster downloads...."

Consider our minds put to rest. We're looking forward to seeing expanded user profiles, level rankings based on ratings and improved level filters. So hopefully they're included in Media Molecule's current cooking pot. If not, we're sure they'll be implemented one day, thanks to the company's emphasis on developing the LittleBigPlanet experience based on user demand. So, LBP beta testers, what are your demands?

Tags: beta, LBP, littlebigplanet, media-molecule

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

lee @ Sep 24th 2008 8:06PM

actually i would say its about 50/50 in the UK

some people say 'bayter' and some say 'beeta'

chowley @ Sep 24th 2008 8:33PM

:o Never heard it pronounced either of those ways :P generally just bay-ta in ireland. Ahem. Sorry just taking the piss about the "R" :). No never heard it called "bee-ta" ever.....

Popfrogs @ Sep 24th 2008 9:22PM

Or the Michael Caine way to pronounce it, "bay-uh".

jizzwacker @ Sep 24th 2008 8:09PM

i didnt get the beta....dammit

kevin @ Sep 24th 2008 9:31PM

i got it and i cant start it up :/

benny boy @ Sep 25th 2008 11:52AM

Americans that downloaded can't start it up. That's why its a European beta.

You should have left the few keys that there were for the Europeans. At least the game would work for them. The Americans will get their turn with probably 10 times the amount of keys soon.

jizzwacker @ Sep 24th 2008 8:11PM

what i would like to know is: when does the beta hit north america?

derek @ Sep 24th 2008 8:12PM

I wish I had a beta key. My worry is that there won't be any more easy sign ups and the rest will be extra selective, random giveaways, and contests. :\

Sam @ Sep 24th 2008 8:18PM

I managed to get hold of a key, and ive gotta say... its fantastic.

Its even better than i thought it was going to be, and i thought it was gonna be pretty swish!

Incredible amount of fun, and even though its a beta/demo, it feels like a full, finished game.
Loads to do, and playing other peoples levels and creations are really a blast.

I can't reccomend it enough!

AlterEgo @ Sep 24th 2008 8:19PM

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

It's one of the IF not the best games this year (GOTY and GOTF already) based on the beta alone...

and there's more?

Paul @ Sep 24th 2008 8:21PM

I got into the Euro beta by opening a UK PSN account then downloading it and no problems using it with my NA account.

Problem is after the tutorial (and amazing intro/credits) the game always says failed to initialize when I go to the first level. I think it's safe to say the servers are a little hammered atm.

AlterEgo @ Sep 24th 2008 8:51PM

I don't think so...

I've been playing for 2 days straight and haven't gotten that message yet.

Works fine all the time.

benny boy @ Sep 25th 2008 11:44AM

It's probably just because it's trying to connect the American servers which aren't up yet or it's just region locked.

The Americans will get their own chance for the LBP beta.

Paul @ Sep 25th 2008 12:19PM

I'm getting in fine now =]

Most likely it's because of my NAT 3 suckage.

Pablos102030 @ Sep 24th 2008 8:24PM

Oh yeah, I just wanted to brag that I got all of the gifts in each level :p

sean @ Sep 24th 2008 8:31PM

the beta is amazing i love it to be honest i was a bit on the fence about this game i didn't understand the hype but now i do this is on my preorder list for sure

joshua2327 @ Sep 24th 2008 9:02PM

that the problems with text bubbles is fixed. And that when u make something that is too complex(nothing else is allowed to be added to it) but also it won't let you edit any of the corners or take anything away from it or copy it. It is very annoying

StayHuman @ Sep 24th 2008 9:22PM

can't wait for this game to be released.

DeathroW @ Sep 24th 2008 9:29PM

Its good enough how it is now, i mean obviously alot of the objects are missing at the moment which is limiting us a bit but its still amazing.

codybaker03 @ Sep 24th 2008 9:46PM

Its the best and easiest beta i have ever been in. Not lieing, it took me 2 clicks and 100 refreshes to get one, but it was worth it am i right? The skateboards, golfballs, and jetpacks make it amazing

Alexandra_3259 @ Sep 24th 2008 10:14PM

I wanna know when it comes to America.

poisonedsodapop @ Sep 24th 2008 10:22PM

I've been hearing that the US beta keys will be handed out very soon. As in possibly tomorrow. Here's hoping we'll hear some news soon.

1664 @ Sep 24th 2008 11:17PM

soo whos got 100% on skate to victory and can tell me where that lion sticker is lol im on 95% and can see where the sticker goes and the hole that will open but cant find it anywhere :-/

Games good, better than i imagned and i already thought it was going to be great, does get a bit laggy sometimes so nice to hear theres another version with that fixed, its all about the multiplayer, its had me in stitches, funny stuff! ... you can paint your sackboy too lol someone was painting my room and got it all over me, been running about with green and red splodges

Search for mischief garden level, thats mine xD lol

sintax @ Sep 25th 2008 7:12AM

The lion sticker you require (at least in this beta) is being held captive in the level building portion of the game. You have to create a new level and hammer through a bunch of the tutorials. Eventually you will be rewarded with it.

iamkid @ Sep 24th 2008 11:47PM

congratz to all of you that got it, i wish i could say the same :/

Pablos102030 @ Sep 25th 2008 12:41AM

I just realized something. If the pre-retail builds are alpha and beta, is the retail game called a gamma? A delta perhaps? Epsilon?

White Spy @ Sep 24th 2008 8:51PM

Nope, the version that gets released to manufacture is called Golden Master, or GM for short.

Pablos102030 @ Sep 25th 2008 12:46AM

Oh yeah, I've heard of that term before.
I still think it should be called a gamma.

dave @ Sep 25th 2008 2:37AM

But I thought that LBP had gone gold just a week ago. Doesn't that mean it's been sent to manufacturing? Now we've got Alex saying that there's all this improved stuff and better performance, in a version that's 2 days old.

Plus, what's the use of a public beta if the game is already released to manufacturing?! Well, I guess Alex does mention testing their servers, so presumably the beta is only for testing online play.

Pablos102030 @ Sep 25th 2008 3:01PM

Yeah, online play is kinda buggy at the moment. One time it froze my PS3 and I had to restart lol. I'm sure they'll fix it soon though.

aMIGA_dUDE @ Sep 25th 2008 2:38AM

Some people in the UK do not say it "beta", they pronounce it "Windows".

;)

Deaddy @ Sep 25th 2008 3:30AM

The beta is buggy as hell. I'm constantly getting stranded inside tutorials and have to quit to the XMB, or stuck at the finish line of an online level and no way to proceed, have to quit to XMB, or the game just freezes and I have to do a hard reboot of the PS3. But aside from that sort of thing, they really need to improve camera/view control while you're working with objects in create mode. If you're dealing with a large object it will zoom way out and then you can't make any fine adjustments because you can't see anything. I find that really frustrating and can't believe that they left it that way.

Matt @ Oct 7th 2008 8:55PM

fuking oath yes.

thats exactly what i was thinking....

if they fix both of those things itll be awespome but this freezing better not be in the final.

prodigy_69 @ Sep 25th 2008 4:46AM

I demand free cookies and milk,
my best smoking jacket,
warmed up slippers,
my pipe and a comfortable chair.

other than that I'm loving the beta..even if it is an old build :D

fanpages @ Sep 25th 2008 5:03AM

OK... I'm now officially "with the programme", or as you would say on your side of the pond, "program".

After being unconvinced by all the marketing, hype, rumour & speculation for months, the 2.5 hours of tag-team offline multi-playing with my 6 year old ("Awww... Sackboy... he's so cute") was all that I needed to understand "LittleBigPlanet".

I tried to keep the game-play to myself for the first twenty minutes of the enthralling introduction/credits/tutorial side-scrolling visual wonderment, but gave in to the seemingly constant interventions by said small child's open-mouthed delight, "Did I mention I hadn't had a go yet, Daddy? That's because I haven't!... When is it my turn?... Come on already, give me the controller" etc.

A review of this title based on such a limited time could never do it justice. We only touched the surface of the ‘Planet, and what it will be capable of.

Any review, however, should include just three words... "Just play it".

It IS *that* good.

But those who know me, or have come to ignore me, should realise I do have something further to add.

Do you remember the feeling you had when you loaded up the first "Crash Bandicoot" title on the original PlayStation when the cheeky marsupial turned to you & raised his eyebrow?

Do you recall the many hours (and coins) spent on "Donkey Kong" as the Jumpman (Mario Mario) Carpenter character seeing how 'High can you go' towards the next 25 metre level only to be thwarted by a barrel that was faster than your little legs could carry you?

And think back to the times spent with the same gaming premise but the differing approaches of "Hunchback", "Manic Miner", "Frak!", "Prince of Persia", "Chuckie Egg", "Commander Keen", "Super Mario Bros.", "Sonic The Hedgehog", & "Tomb Raider"?

Well, throw all these happy hours, nay, years of gaming into a bag labelled 'Media Molecule', shake it up, and stick your hand in.

Guess what you'll find... that's right, "CrashKongbackManicPersiaEggCosmicMarioHedgehogRaider"... a very large score at Scrabble, or the PS3's finest offering to date, and more succinctly packaged with a rather more convenient (and memorable) name of "LittleBigPlanet".

It is like all previous platform games you have ever played, but unlike any other game you have ever seen.

It is familiar but highly original.
It is the title that all current & future generation video games console titles should take note of, and learn from.

All those involved should be congratulated for their vision, design, execution, and by no means least, their ability to capture exactly what is needed to convince everyone that the PS3 is a more than worthy successor to the previous iterations of the Sony PlayStation brand.

It was just earlier today I was saying [ http://threespeech.com/blog/2008/09/thesixthaxis-on-ps3-and-mass-appeal/ ] that the PlayStation 3 "is portrayed as a device for adults, with very few titles for children, or for families".

This title will change everything.
This title is The Next Big Thing.
This title is the past, the present, and the future all rolled into one.

This is Living.

OK, sound bites out of the way...

I could have gushed on about the game-play, the characters, the costumes, and other inventory items, the in-game world objects, and the excellent focus on the action, but that would be spoiling the joy that anybody else would receive first-hand like we experienced last night.

And yes, if you are lucky enough to be one of the few who have access to a title in advance of everybody else, I agree with you that you owe more to the community that just one or two words of critique.

Of course, you may hate it, as everybody's tastes in gaming are different. I am a first person shooter, martial arts, and racing game fan, and "LittleBigPlanet" has none of these elements (well, to a point, but I'll not spoil that either!). My son who played last night also said mid-session that he had "forgotten that it wasn't a game where you had to attack someone" as he was happily playing along in an environment where you can trust kids to learn problem solving skills, and adopt team-working strategies, rather than seeing how much blood & gore they can extract from a random character, or how to hot-wire a car.

It was a very refreshing change, and the time passed only too quickly before he had to go to bed.

I can't wait for him to get home from school this evening so we can continue.

I only hope I can trust myself not to peek at the next puzzle before he returns :)

BFN,

fp.
(1upGamers.com Forums Moderator / ThreeSpeech.com Contributor)

elephant_stone @ Sep 25th 2008 5:04AM

Demands:

Make it easier to make flat objects - I have only managed to do this by fluke.

Sort the camera out when using the poppit menu to edit your costume, as when you have finished with that sub-menu it doesnt zoom out until you resume play and move a bit.

Amazing game though

Laurens Holst @ Sep 25th 2008 5:12AM

Aside from the crash I had in the third level, and some framerate issues in multiplayer, my primary issue is the huge spelling errors in the ‘don’t turn off while loading’ message that scream in your face in the Dutch version :). It looks very sloppy.

Those things aside, I’m having fun :). By the way, sure this is a beta, but where should I go to actually give feedback to MM?

Rasti @ Sep 25th 2008 5:14AM

Are you kidding? Even with this build I would pay more for this than any other game. It's Brilliant, marvellous, exciting, fantastic, super-sonic rocket-powered sackboy madness!

xxn00bxx @ Sep 25th 2008 6:11AM

Wow, I just played the game for three hours, it's just so great... can't believe this is an old build, felt just like the final version of the game. LBP GOTY definately!

j.howlett @ Sep 25th 2008 7:30AM

i am jack's envy

Robert @ Sep 25th 2008 8:47AM

Where can I submit bugs? I've found several. One that hangs the game (although not reproducible), one was mentioned here: complex items not being editable, some captured items doesn't show correct icon in the menu, some items mysteriously being crushed/deleted when unpausing the game (happened once, I can't find a recipe to reproduce - if it happens just rewind and edit some points), and probably some more that i forgot.

Although to those reading and thinking this game seems buggy, that will likely not happen with the finished version. This game does seem pretty finished.

freebluespike @ Sep 25th 2008 3:00PM

i demand free beta key from PS3Fanboy now :)

Stuart @ Sep 25th 2008 3:14PM

Well I have to say the beta is awesome, I feel pretty good just to of got in it to be honest. Anyhow, this game is amazing! I just made a simple rocket car level with a cart on a string stuck on the back of it, duplicated it by three and threw in some triggered explosives for excitement, little did I know playing with someone in the same room as me and constantly replaying this simple level would suck away so much of my time, It's just hilarious, the stupidly huge amount of different outcomes that when I replay it make it all the worthwhile, it doesn't get old, last race I was playing I was in a heated dash to the finish, neck to neck with the other driver, an explosion sends me spiralling and my vehicle is gone, the other driver cackles with glee. But low and behold, I fall and madly reach for anything I can to survive, I manage to grab on the other driver and knock him off, Now Im laughing an I carry on to the finish the other driver laughing too even though he lost. It's a great game people my only complaint is the god damn camera in create mode with two players, it annoys me too no end but ah well its worth it in the end.

P.S. Definately buying the full game, I was on the fence but now with this announcement I'm sure I will.

Elite-King @ Sep 25th 2008 3:30PM

A few more tools would be nice, and the ability to make clothes for your character, that is all.

1664 @ Sep 25th 2008 4:21PM

Thanks Sintax! found the lion sticker xD i thought id done all the tutorials but there was more lurking, also found bombs and the rocket engine at last!

iv just spent 29 hours playing lbp non stop lol thats how good it is just had 2 hours sleep and getting back on it in a mo, building a rocket powered monster truck and a rocket that takes my dude into space!!!