I had a chance to actually play some LittleBigPlanet earlier this week. The developers had the level shown at GDC up for play. He would let three people drop into the game with him and play through the level while he talked about the controls and such. I ended up with a little guy wearing a Dragon Lion headpiece teamed up with a woman I didn't know and MTV's Stephen Totilo.

The controls were, for the most part, very easy to understand. Tilting the controller around controlled the head movements, pushing buttons activated the pre-selected emotions for the face, holding in the triggers and wiggling around the thumbsticks controlled the arms and holding another trigger let you grab things and drag them around.

After repeatedly bitch slapping Totilo and the developer, we started running through the course from GDC, trying to get to work together or compete against each other to grab up sponge, which can be used later on to unlock items for the worlds you create.

The fact that the game encourages to smack each other around and grab at each other, but also requires team work at times, is a brilliant touch. It creates this fun sense of competition that I can't imagine would ever get nasty. Instead the game seems to be about, purely, having fun. While the controls were easy enough to figure out, they weren't issue free. For instance, you don't have the ability to move forward and backward in the game, instead you can only move side to side and the game automatically moves you back and forth, like a 3D side-scroller. This is only an issue when you come to something that you can either run in front of or climb up. Typically it seemed to work fine, but I did have a couple of issues with falling off a location.

What was most amazing about my time with the game was the fact that I just played around with one little area that they created, I didn't get a chance to make my own things or see what else could be built. I think this game would have legs even if it was just a straight-up, side-scroller with a pack of pre-created maps, but throw in user created content and I think you've got the potential for a smash hit on your hands. Brian Crecente

LittleBigPlanet
FACT SHEET

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Media Molecule Ltd
Platform: PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3 ) computer entertainment system
Genre: Creative Gaming
Players: 1-4 Players
Rating: "RP" for Rating Pending

OVERVIEW

Developed by Media Molecule, LittleBigPlanet is a new PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3 ) computer entertainment system community-based game with a hugely innovative concept behind it. Players meet on a blue and green planet scattered with individual plots - and use their character's amazing abilities to play, create and share what they build with other gamers throughout the world via PLAYSTATION Network.

The LittleBigPlanet experience starts with players learning about their character's powers to interact physically with the environment. There are places to explore, creative resources to collect and puzzles to solve - all requiring a combination of brains and collaborative teamwork. As soon as players begin their creative skills will grow and they will soon be ready to start creating and modifying their surroundings - the first step to sharing them with the whole community.

Characters have the power to move anything in this glued and stitched-together 3D landscape; they have the power to design, shape and build both objects and entire locations for others to view and play. There's no complicated level editor; all of these skills can be learned by simply playing the game. Creativity is part of the gameplay experience and playing is part of the creative experience. Players can make their world as open or as secretive to explore as they like. When it's ready, they can invite anyone within the LittleBigPlanet community to come and explore their patch - or can go and explore everybody else's.

KEY FEATURES

There's not just one way to play. Players craft their own individual experience based on their own creativity.
Unlimited possibilities for user-created content - players can customize everything: their characters, the landscape around them and their own patch on LittleBigPlanet.
Players learn new skills and discover new items to aid them on their creative journey Explore the massive single player game or go online to find user-generated content."LittleBigPlanet will change every day as players contribute their own levels
Online and offline multiplayer modes - play alone, work as a team or get competitive
LittleBigPlanet global community for players to get involved with: includes player comments, rankings and easy communication with new and existing friends