LittleBigPlanet Demo Not Coming This Year

The MTV Multiplayer site has the saddening news that the LittleBigPlanet demo, probably one of the most-anticipated PlayStation offerings for this year, has slipped to 2008. Not terribly surprising given the time of the year. "'I can officially confirm that there won't be a demo this year,' Ron Eagle, senior manager of PR for Sony Computer Entertainment America told me. But he did say he's played 30 of the games 50 planned developer-made levels and that it's a lot of fun. He seemed genuinely pleased about his time with the game, but his company won't be showing more 'LBP' at least until next month. Eagle could only add that the full game is set for a 2008 release. And with that, the video game release calendar for 2007 is complete. No more delays. No more surprises. Right?"

Comments

I can wait

[Colourspace]

Though disappointed there's far too much other good stuff I haven't even started on this year. My PS3 copy of the Darkness still has its wrapper on for some reason, Ninja Gaiden goes 3/4 unfinished though it is excellent and Mario Galaxy is taking up a lot of my time at the moment, and thats onlyt when Table Tennis isn't. Must get round to finishing Zelda, and I like the odd Motorstorm race online too. So much quality, so little time - and I've asked for the Orange box for xmas as well...

Re:I can wait

[deathtopaulw]

yeah uh because there are games that come out for consoles.... that arent on pc
OH MY GOD

Re:I can wait

[Anonymous Coward]

why do you automatically assume that when someone mentions the orange box, they're referring to the PC version? last time i checked, the Orange box is also available on the Xbox 360. and half the "games" on the PC to which you refer tend to be retarded flash games with no real depth. so, for the gamer looking for something that's not a flash-based game or in-depth RTS, or doesn't have $1,000 to build a rig capable of running crysis, a console's the way to go. and then you have the assurances that if the box says "xbox 360" on it, you won't have to sink another $300 on a video card just to run "shiny killer FPS 32: Electric Boogaloo"

Re:I can wait

[ucblockhead]

I had a Windows PC. It kept breaking. Every time I'd go to run Counterstrike, I'd have to download yet another damn patch. Every once in a while, a game I bought would simply refuse to believe that my DVD drive was valid during the "check copy protection" phase. Lately, it became obvious that my video card wasn't up to all the new games. I decided after twenty years of PC gaming that I was damn sick and tired of all the pain of making everything work. Not to mention all the orphaned titles in my collection that no longer work well on my current machine, for various reasons. It was especially annoying because I use Linux for all my real computing. The Windows box was just for gaming, and I had to go through all the Windows annoyances just to play a damn game.

So about a year ago I bought a console. Now I just put the disk in and it works.

Re:I can wait

[EggyToast]

I wonder how many console players ever switch over to playing PC games? Beyond WoW, that is. Probably has to do with the whole "dwindling PC games market." There's diehards, but it seems plenty of people are perfectly happy getting the Orange Box on a console this year.

Re:I can wait

[Toonol]

I'm at the point where, if a game is released on both a pc and a console I own, I'll probably opt for the console version. I might go pc if there is a significant modding component to the game, or if the interface really demands mouse/keyboard input, but in general the whole experience of console gaming seems better than pc gaming.

I've stopped caring about cutting edge graphics, and decided that having to install games is stupid; pc games are far buggier; and I like the living room+tv combo better than desk+monitor.

I prefer pcs for real-time strategy, which hasn't ever been done well on a console (but could be on the Wii... come on, guys!). Also the pc is great for small quirky independent games.

So there you have it. My opinion.

Re:I can wait

[Anonymous Coward]

You should try to find a copy of Pikmin to see an interesting take on a console RTS. It's kind of a deconstructed RTS and the mechanics aren't nearly as sophisticated as PC RTSs, but it is possible to achieve some merit in simplicity and Pikmin does just that.

Re:I can wait

[Brian Gordon]

How do you even play shooters with a controller? It's not a few "diehards", it's anyone that's ever gotten good at a PC shooter. You simply can't switch from owning with a mouse to fiddling with little sticks.

Re:I can wait

[Brian Gordon]

Oh yeah, those pesky patches fixing bugs in gameplay and adding new content. Please, play through HL2 RTM and then play the current Steam version; your heart will leap for joy every time you see the updater pop up. Also read the changelogs for Counter-Strike and TF2. If you're playing the orange box version of TF2 I laugh in your general direction, because there have been dozens of critical bugs fixed and the gameplay has been tweaked to actual playability since the beta/release. Do pyros still do 2 damage per second in the PS3 version? Yes, yes they do. Have fun patching a DVD.

Re:I can wait

[Khaed]

Get orange box and CS and you'll never look back.

Can't speak for OP, but... I don't like FPS games that much, at least not enough for them to be enough to ditch the console. Some people like other game types. Also, I'm one of the types of people who isn't big on multiplayer -- generally, I only play a multiplayer game if someone else asks. Not saying it isn't fun, it's just not for me.

This isn't to say I don't enjoy FPSs -- I've been playing them since Wolfenstein 3D (on the PC; please God save me from the SNES atrocity...). There are just enough games on consoles that aren't available for the PC to justify it for me, and apparently many others.

Re:I can wait

[IKnwThePiecesFt]

Yes you can. It really is the "diehards"

Re:I can wait

[lpangelrob]

I imagine on the Wii you can point at the screen to aim, use the nunchuk to move (optionally holding Z to strafe, perhaps), shoot with the trigger button and do other stuff with the control pad and A button.

Since I don't actually play shooters, I can't cite any shooters on the Wii, though.

Re:I can wait

[Anonymous Coward]

Err, patches like that come out for the 360 all the time.

Re:I can wait

[JorDan Clock]

Actually, there have been updates to console versions. They don't need to update the DVD, they just put the patch on the hard drive. When the game starts up, it sees the patch on the hard drive and it applies it then or it simply uses the patch data instead of the DVD data. It's not a new concept. It was done on the Xbox.

Re:I can wait

[Mr2001]

last time i checked, the Orange box is also available on the Xbox 360. Too bad Team Fortress 2 is nearly unplayable on there. It's bad enough that it doesn't have Halo-esque aiming assistance, since that was a big part of what made Halo playable. But the real dealbreaker is the lack of matchmaking: you have to use the braindead "host a game" vs. "join a game" system, which means you're at the mercy of whoever starts the game for level choices, settings, and (most importantly) network speed.

Note to console developers: Halo 2/3 have their faults, but matchmaking is one thing they absolutely do right. Copy the hell out of it. Dedicated servers are best, but if you're going to make players host games using their own consoles and DSL/cable lines, you need automated matchmaking.

Re:I can wait

[Mr2001]

Yeah. It actually works pretty well on the Wii: aim by pointing at the screen, look around by pointing near the edge of the screen, and walk with the analog stick. For an example, check out the Wii version of Scarface. It's mostly third-person view, but there are FPS moments, and the controls work as well in FPS mode as they do during the main game (which is to say, much better than the equivalent controls on other platforms).

Re:I can wait

[Anonymous Coward]

Not to mention Orange Box for the 360 has outsold the PC version.

Re:I can wait

[aweraw]

No, you really can't. Only console diehards make this assertion. If you or someone you know claims to have done this, I question their true level of pwnage.

The wiimote is closest to PC out of any of the consoles, when it comes to FPS control - and even it is, at most, only half as awesome as a kb/mouse combo.

But don't take my word for it, do some reading - PC vs Dreamcast: Quake 3. The one situation in my memory where console gamers went head to head with PC gamers in a non-handicapped FPS. Guess what happened? The console gamers whined like little bitches for lack of ever winning.

Another question to consider is this: which platform are the majority of top tier gaming tournaments played on? Ever wonder why?

Re:I can wait

[ucblockhead]

Yeah. Whatever.

I've been gaming on PCs since 1983. I know what it is like.

Re:I can wait

[ucblockhead]

I did. Yeah, it's substandard. But at least I know the fucking game will work when I put the disk in.

Besides, The PS3 version of UT3 will let you use mouse-and-keyboard, a trend that will hopefully continue.

Re:I can wait

[king-manic]

The wiimote is closest to PC out of any of the consoles, when it comes to FPS control - and even it is, at most, only half as awesome as a kb/mouse combo. I have to agree, the wii mote has a significant lag. It's not so much as a Keyboard and mouse replacement as it is a very poor light gun.

Fortunately I don't use my wii or PS3 as a PC replacement. I use them to play games that don't make it to the PC like R&T future or Fire emblem Radiant dawn.

Re:I can wait

[bogjobber]

You make the game so it's not all about twitch. Counter-Strike sucked on a console. Half Life 2, however, was excellent.

Re:I can wait

[xhrit]

There is a linux port ov UT3 in the works. But between Quake Wars, Orange Box, and finally breaking down and playing KOTORII, I am not having any trouble passing the time.

Re:I can wait

[ucblockhead]

I'd consider it, but my linux box is too underpowered to be a game box. I'm disinclined to upgrade just to play games since it is perfect for everything else.

Re:I can wait

[ShadowsHawk]

You should really check out the reviews for Medal of Honor Heroes 2. They basically say that it has great precision and is very responsive. As with all consoles, the games get better as time moves on.

Re:I can wait

[Anonymous Coward]

Significant lag?

You need to put down Red Steel and play a better game.

Re:I can wait

[EggyToast]

I noticed this as well -- take away the twitch/headshot aspect of FPS and suddenly the console isn't a hindrance. I love the people who quote Quake 3 on the dreamcast, a game that's based entirely on twitch deathmatch.

Re:I can wait

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Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[Anonymous Coward]

"No wonder the Playstation consoles sell so well worldwide, they always have the best and most games of any console."

Doesn't the PS3 have the least number of games rated at 90% or above on gamerankings or metacritic?
Doesn't the PS3 have the smallest library between the XBox 360, Wii and PS3?

I guess this explains why the PS3 is selling so poorly worldwide ... Wait, we already knew it was because only an idiot would sell a videogame console for $600

Why should they...

[ivan256]

Why should they release the demo before the game is out?

This is exactly the same kind of crap that all the programmers, software engineers, and IT guys I know bitch about all the time. Their bosses want something sooner than it was promised, so they use weasel-like techniques to get a promise of the end result that much sooner. "Ok, you can't finish until February. Can I have a functional prototype in late December?"... Well.. NO! They're just going to take the "prototype" and sell it like the actual release, and everybody knows it.

Same deal with a demo. The review sites are going to review it like it's the final product even though it's not done. A demo before christmas for a game that doesn't come out until next year isn't going to increase holiday sales. What's the point of the demo other than to distract the developers from producing the actual final product for a while?

Honestly I don't blame these guys for not releasing a demo of an incomplete product. I wouldn't either.

Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[Anonymous Coward]

Doesn't the PS3 have the least number of games rated at 90% or above on gamerankings or metacritic?

And every one of those few games is a multiplatform title. That's got to sting.

But hey, Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy XIII are going to save the PS3 just like Mario, Zelda, and Metroid saved the Gamecube (which had almost exactly the same sales as the PS3).

Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[Anonymous Coward]

Any site that can give Metriod Prime 3 a 90%+ can't be trusted for reliable numbers. Especially when Ratchet and Clank ToD only gets an 88%. One of those games is far superior to the other, and it's *not* Metroid.

Not so

[SuperKendall]

And every one of those few games is a multiplatform title.

You mean like Uncharted? Oh wait, exclusive.

What about Ratchet & Clank, or Resistance? Only a few points shy of 90%.

Check your facts next time.

Obviously the 360 has more exclusives at the top, having had more time in the market. But there's a lot of multi-platform stuff there as well.

For reference, I don't own either a 360 or PS3.

Re:Not so

[Anonymous Coward]

Uncharteds rating it 89.9% on Gamerankings which (last time I checked) was less than 90%, and although I'm not the greatest math student I thought Ratchet and Clank's 88.9% was less than 90% ... So the only PS3 games ranked above 90% on gamerankings are Oblivion and Call of Duty 4 which are available for the XBox 360.

Now, who has to check their facts?

You know what?

[Kingrames]

You know what would save SONY?

Making games for the Wii.

Re:You know what?

[Anonymous Coward]

I love you.

Come to think of it...

[realinvalidname]

...how's Duke Nukem Forever looking?

Re:Come to think of it...

[JordanL]

Oh please. Sony unveiled this game for the first time ever about nine months ago. Who is honestly going to give Sony shit over taking more than nine months to get to a publicly available demo of what looks to be one of the best done games on consoles in the last five years?

Props to Sony for giving the game time to be done right instead of looking at their hardware numbers and demanding a half-asses solution immediately.

Re:Come to think of it...

[ShadowsHawk]

I don't fault them for taking their time to finish the game. I fault them for announcing it WAY before it was ready. I realize that they are feeling the pressure and needed to drum up some hype, but hype gets old real fast. There's a good reason why they start showing movie trailers a 2-4 weeks before the movie debuts.

No one would care

[Chuck Chunder]

if they hadn't been pimping the bloody thing so much before it was anywhere near complete.

Sony seem to have put an inordinate amount of time getting people excited about something that people can't get their hands on. They seem to have done the same with Home.

Re:No one would care

[Kamineko]

You know somebody who's anticipating Home?!

Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[Anonymous Coward]

What the hell is wrong with Gamecube? Nothing stopped me from buying 30-something games for it over the years. It's got plenty of great games. Better graphics than the PS2.
All the big Nintendo franchises that most people haven't played since the SNES days, and are rediscovering on the Wii. Still a better platform than the 360, XBOX, PS3, or PS2 for multiplayer (in the same room) games.

I wouldn't poke too much fun at the PS3 if I were you. You're more than likely going to be embarrassed in the end.

Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[fistfullast33l]

Hey 2006! It's great to meet you. I'm so happy you didn't notice the price drops this year. Yes, they sold the console for $600 one year ago. But I think you'd have to be a moron or live in Europe to pay that much at this point. And based on the fact that you cite dollars and not euros/pounds/yen/canadian, I doubt the latter applies to you.

Re:You know what? (good idea)

[WillAffleckUW]

You know what would save SONY?

Making games for the Wii.

Actually, that's not a bad idea.

Sony is a content provider - movies, music, games - in addition to TVs and electronics.

And since the Wii is not using an HDTV display, it's not like they couldn't just realize the market for a game that plays on both the PS3 (with premium content) and on the Wii (lower res) would have greater sales, and still shut out MSFT's xBox360 ...

Sometimes you have to wake up and smell the failure of the console wars, and realize you need to stay relevant.

Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[renegadesx]

Well obviously your a fanboy. I am not saying R&C is bad, I think it's fantastic but Corruption outshines alot of games released in 07, including Assassins Creed, Halo 3 and the Orange Box.
Games that outshine Prime 3? COD4, BioShock, Mario Galaxy & Crysis.

Despite R&C being brilliant, I list Prime 3 as the 5th best game released this year.

The PS3 has too few exclusives at the moment, Motorstorm and Resistance both got old very quick and the above mentioned Rachet and Clank is currnetly the best exclusive on the system, do you want to give it GOTY or something?

The titles that seem poised to save the system are going to be MSG4, FFXIII & LittleBigPlanet and God of War III. With the 360 having so much more exclusives and the Wii being the success story it is, maybe even those above titles wont get it finishing 1st.

Its a much tighter race this time around, each of the 3 need to pull out all the stops if they want to be the market leader. Rachet & Clank will be a blip on the radar in the big scheme of things.

Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[Anonymous Coward]

I enjoyed my Gamecube too, I was just turning the scorn that so many Playstation fans have heaped upon it back against them.

Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[aichpvee]

Ratchet & Clank is great, as they always seem to be, but I just don't find Tools of Destruction as good as the older ones. There are fewer things to collect and a lot less to discover by returning to previous levels. I also really miss the ship combat and customization that was present in earlier titles, though maybe I'm the only one. An 88% score seems totally reasonable to me. It's a great game, and the first game to get me to buy an HD console, but it was a little disappointing on depth compared to the PS2 installments.

You also should not discount Uncharted, that game is fantastic. I'm probably in the minority here, but I'd take those two games over the big exclusives (Halo, Mass Effect) on 360. I just wish that FIFA and Pro Evolution hadn't gotten the long end of the shit stick on PS3.

Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[Anonymous Coward]

Sony has sold more PS3 consoles than they sold PS2 consoles in its first year and the PS3 has more games than the PS2 had in its first year. With the amazing scope and depth of games scheduled for the next few months, PS3 owners are in for a lot of excellent fun, while Wii and Xbox360 owners will be seeing more of the same as the limitations of their console hardware are already beginning to make themselves felt. As usual, Sony played the long game while Nintendo and Microsoft played their fan bases for chumps.

Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[Khaed]

while Wii and Xbox360 owners will be seeing more of the same as the limitations of their console hardware are already beginning to make themselves felt.

Yeah because, Jesus Christ, I need to see the sweaty zits as Mario saves the Princess.

There's obviously a rather large demographic that doesn't care about "the hardware." What is with this mentality of "dur my system is the PIMPEST"? Let me guess -- do you have spinners on your car?

XBLA?

[ThirdPrize]

Shucks, can't they port it to the 360. I would pay £5 for a piece of that action.

Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[Trogre]

So how's that Atari 2600 working out for you?

There are rumors that...

[master_p]

...they are awaiting for Duke Nukem Forever to be released first...

Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[bateleur]

There's obviously a rather large demographic that doesn't care about "the hardware."

Yeah, that would be me. I don't care about the hardware.

Unfortunately game development companies and games publishers don't seem to agree with me. So games are going to come out which I will be unable to play without a 360 or a PS3 even though the gameplay would be perfectly possible on a Wii. That's why I'll likely end up buying one of the other two sooner or later.

Hahahaha. Haha. Hah. Hahaha.

[Anonymous Coward]

Just because you suck too much to be able to doesn't mean the rest of us do.

It's quite an easy switch really, you just have to actually have a go at it rather than talk crap about something you've blatantly never tried to do.

Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[revengebomber]

There's obviously a rather large demographic that doesn't care about "the hardware." What is with this mentality of "dur my system is the PIMPEST"? Let me guess -- do you have spinners on your car? No, but our friend Chad does.

$600?

[jamie(really)]

$600? Amazon. $399. Now. http://www.amazon.com/PlayStation-40GB-Spider-Man-Movie-Pack/dp/B000XGJH1O/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1197490414&sr=8-2

Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[Khaed]

This is where I mention that I still play nethack.

Re:No Big Deal, Too Many Other PS3 Games Out

[Anonymous Coward]

wow. You're really passionate and angry.

I don't think the parent is a fanboy for liking Ratchet more than Metroid 3. I personally think Metroid 3 is tied with Warhawk as the most overrated game of the year. It doesn't look as good as folks claim it does, and it's demo lengthed (like Warhawk).

The guy just has a different opinion than you, that's all. You seem to believe that Metroid outshines everything, but you don't say why. Is Metroid 3 really better than Portal? How? It's not as much fun or as interesting. Better than Halo3? Why? Halo 3 is a great game! I gotta say, you sound like a fanboy, proclaiming that Metroid is incomparably awesome. It isn't. If it were on the Xbox or the PS3, you would call it a shoddy game. Somehow, Nintendo is no longer the bully asshole corporation and people line up to call its critics fanboys (with no sense of irony). I think most folks out there would have a much better time playing Ratchet than they would have playing Metroid. I think Metroid getting a 90 is proof that the rankings are either bought or biased.

And of course people are biased against Sony. I'm the first to condemn Sony for being unable to get games to market. They are getting better, but they still kinda suck. You're absolutely right that Sony is failing to do what it would have to do to win. Such is life. I just think it's fair to say you're a fanboy much much more than the guy you called a fanboy. He compared two games and noted that the better one was better. You compared a shitty game to all great games and insisted the shit (or at least the wilted rose) smelled the best.

As an aside regarding your discussion of "market leader," I don't think you have any idea what that term means. Is Sony going to "beat" the wii? Who cares? Sony is trying to sell more content, and they are doing pretty well at that. It's not about selling the most hardware (and the wii isn't collapsing in price like the PS3 because it's a gamecube and the price already was pretty low) And your analysis is wrong anyway. Nintendo obviously realizes what Sony seems to get: North American Sales are not worth pursuing. We keep citing the wrong numbers to see who is doing well. The dollar is crumbling, and Sony is winning in Japan and Eurpose, where money is actually worth more and more. They'd rather have installed base over there than here (which is exactly why the Wii is much more available there than here). The only market that Sony is doing worst in is the market that is soft. If sony could bother getting good games and downloadable content (mainly outside North America where people have much better internet) then I guarantee Sony will come out the clear winner. will they? who cares.