Little Big Planet devs hiring for 'AAA PS3 title'

Media Molecule wants gameplay programmer for an unnamed "ground-breaking" title--which may or may not be LBP2.

Last October, the BBC reported that British developer Media Molecule was already hard at work on a sequel to its popular platformer/level-creator kit Little Big Planet. However, the vagueness of the report made it unclear if the title was a true sequel to the PlayStation 3 game or the PSP spin-off that was confirmed earlier this year. (See video below for its E3 stage demo.)

Artist's rendition of an ideal Media Molecule employee.

This month, though, evidence surfaced that Media Molecule is hard at work on a major project for Sony's console. In a job listing posted as the Electronic Entertainment Expo's metaphorical dust settled, the Guildford-based studio laid out the requirements for a gameplay programmer for a "ground-breaking, AAA, PS3 title for Sony Computer Entertainment."

Sony is the publisher for both the original Little Big Planet and the forthcoming PSP spin-off, due out later this year. And while it has been more than happy to use the game's adorable Sackboy character models as a corporate mascot, it is remaning mum on what Media Molecule is up to. Requests for comment about the project and the future of the Little Big Planet franchise had not been answered as of press time.

117 Comments

  • xboxlive1000

    Posted Nov 20, 2009 11:09 am PT

    They cancelled it ;,,( Why Why? :,,,(.

  • shani_boy101

    Posted Oct 29, 2009 1:12 am PT

    i don't see the point for a sequel unless it has some really huge changes and improvements. it'd be better if they made a completely different game.

  • crazyshooter93

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 7:17 am PT

    @ jumper-man when you say hardcore you mean the 10 year old kids that scream at you everyday on xbox live right ?

  • jumper-man

    Posted Jul 13, 2009 9:23 pm PT

    Fps_d0minat0r,
    there are more people playing xbox live because of all the multiplaer games halo, gears of war, and others. Microsoft was just able to pick up that hardcore fanbase quicker than Sony and those are people who are deeply involved in online play, so it's worth the money for them, it doesn't matter if it's free. Sony is building it's online community though so whatever you play, xbox live or plastation network, it really doesn't matter there both at a good level of members.

  • jumper-man

    Posted Jul 13, 2009 9:09 pm PT

    The ps3 is really surprising me. Originally I bought it for the blu Ray player and wrote it off as just that, owning both the 360 and the ps3 the 360 was obviously better, but Sony is puting up quite a fight with these new titles. Also it would be interesting if lbp2 implemented the motion control they demonstrated at e3, any one interested in that?

  • tremor33

    Posted Jul 13, 2009 2:22 pm PT

    awesome game. as misunderstood as if you described mario to someone before 1984 (He's a plumber that has to save a princess by stomping on turtles and collecting flowers, coins, and stars) LBP is a truly great game that shouldn't be missed

  • nicebai1224

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 2:17 pm PT

    for fps_d0minat0r
    dude i have a ps3 but not a 360..anyway i think that the ps3 is better but gears of war is good..i really like it..but the ps3 games is niccce tooo

  • fps_d0minat0r

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 7:42 am PT

    dear xbots,

    go and play halo, gears, halo, gears, halo and halo.

    oh hang on.....u got a ground breaking title.....its an expansion for ...... oh its halo again.

    argue when M$ gives u stuff like god of war 3, uncharted, killzone 2, gran turismo 5, MAG, infamous, heavy rain ect.

    whatever genre game M$ brings out, sony will always have better.

    and dont forget theres more ppl playing online on PS3 then xbox since M$ are charging for a wireless adaptor and XBL.

    keep dreaming of free services like Home, vidzone and obvisouly upto 256 player lag free dedicated servers.

    oh well atleast gears offers u 32 players.....oh hang on it doesnt...enjoy 16 players then.....oh hang on..... its only 10 players online. -.- laaaaaame.

  • XeonForce

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 8:29 am PT

    SalarianChemist, "Wasting resources on an unpopular game series like Little Big Planet is the entire reason why the Playstation 3 is a business failure."

    I will continue to support and buy games for what you call a "business failure" and I will be enjoying many unique titles you call "unpopular", but are amazingly fun. You are probably one of those guys who wet their pants when they heard Halo 6 was coming out, and rejoyced when you found out that LFD1 was obsolete, which I and everyone else was expecting decent DLC for; that's fine, but could you please stop posting non-sense, out-of-your-ass, one-sided comments telling people that a game they enjoyed was a "failure". It's obvious no one likes what you have to say.

  • Chrysus

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 3:07 pm PT

    Salarian grow a back bone, you were bashing a PS3 topic again & someone you know seen it. You are a fanboy. I can't listen to a guy who gives every 360 exclusive a 9 to 10 rating (GIVING LIPS A 9.5!!??) and every PS3 one a 7 at max.

  • D3A7HJ0K3R

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 2:21 pm PT

    Here's an idea, why don't Xbox fanboys stay on their own section of gamespot? that way we ps3 owners cane talk about our games and you 360 fanboys can talk about the 4-5 decent exclusives you have. Seems fair.

  • shentonio

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 2:06 pm PT

    How can these people bash LBP when none of them actually own a copy of the game, or even a PS3 for that matter? Same ol bitter comments methinks. I agree that the original LBP will be ever green for some time, there's already over half a million user created levels and that number is growing all the time. I would like to see a new title, but keep the add ons coming for the original LBP! : )

  • brendanhunt1

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 1:27 pm PT

    its a shame that David Reeves retired

  • brendanhunt1

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 1:26 pm PT

    i ment the same time frame after launch, i think it was 100 weeks

  • SalarianChemist posted Jun 25, 2009 11:17 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    SalarianChemist

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 11:17 am PT (hide)

    @brendanhunt1

    You are a good guy who I respect. It seems as though we have a little bit of a difference of opinion on this matter, but that's fine because I respect you and your opinion.

    I agree with you that PS2 is doing very well all over the world, even after all this time. I also think it's interesting the way that Sony is marketing the PS3 in parts of Europe that Microsoft still does not have access to. It's like this in parts of South America, too. This is an advantage that Sony acquired over the last 15 years because it takes time to figure out how to get a product like a game system into some of the smaller countries.

    I believe Microsoft is making a very big mistake by ignoring those smaller regions. Like the saying goes "Quantity is a quality all its own." Those smaller geograhic regions may not be important on their own, but they eventually add up to something that counts.

  • nerd_assassin

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 10:37 am PT

    @brendanhunt1

    Continue the fight. I'm shutting my mouth(and taping my hands). I love Media Molecule. I hope for more of these play-create-share thing that makes players experience what other players want them to. ModNation racers is good, and I want more.

  • brendanhunt1

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 7:46 am PT

    SalarianChemist
    1.3 million unique users playing LittleBigPlanet. 1.4 million shipped.

  • brendanhunt1

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 7:37 am PT

    SalarianChemist
    actually its achieved sales goals in europe, in april this year it sold any many as ps2 did in the same time frame. its also helped blu ray to become more recognised in the market

  • nerd_assassin

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 6:57 am PT

    @hassy94

    Including a not-so-hard-to-work-out full 3d level creator would help.
    Expanding on LBP might work out, but for the game mentioned on this article I hope they make a new IP.

  • Chrysus

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 3:12 am PT

    ***Take (not sell) the PS3 user base to 25,000,000

  • Chrysus

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 3:07 am PT

    The PS3 is a sales failure? David Reeves told us their goal last financial year was to sell 25,000,000 (million) PlayStation 3's worldwide which they acheived. No games platform can compete with Sony for upcoming exclusives.
    Gran Turismo 5, God of War 3, The Last Guardian, Uncharted 2, Demon's Souls, White Knight, MAG, Heavy Rain, Ratchet, DC Universe all coming between now & March next year. There's already people selling their current gen consoles & coming to the PlayStation.

  • OmegaGear

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 2:14 am PT

    Tetris isn't a genre, it is a game in the puzzle genre, which the PS3 has in the form of Lumines, Super Puzzle Fighter 2, and many other PSN titles.

  • Sechu

    Posted Jun 25, 2009 2:10 am PT

    A ground-breaking, AAA, PS3 title from Media Molecule sounds just great. Definitely a day 1 purchase as Midnightshade29 wrote.

  • Midnightshade29

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 10:35 pm PT

    DAy 1 purchase! This GT Portable, FF: Dissdia, Disgaea 2 portable, Tekken 6, Motorstorm artic edge, GTA: chinatown wars, and the PSP GO ...day 1 purchases and MGS peacewalker later

  • Midnightshade29

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 9:40 pm PT

    SalarianChemist you got 32 thumbs down stop trying to cause a console war and stop trolling...95% of everyone in this thread likes lbp and ps3 so go back to your no games 2 franchise milked to hell halo box...or did you get rrod and have nothing better to do than bash ps3 games and ps3 in general.

  • Midnightshade29

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 9:29 pm PT

    SalarianChemist why do you bash the ps3 in every comment you make...it's getting tiring man... Do you own stock in Micro$oft or something? Serious you need to get out... Why are you commenting on the ps3 news when it's clear you don't own one and you hate them with a vengance...so why are you on here posting pessimistic BS?

  • GhostfaceL94

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 8:00 pm PT

    @ SalarianChemist
    Everytime theres a topic something good about the Ps3 theres always you causing trouble. You gotta get a life bro and get laid instead of wasting your time typing those long paragraphs. *Sniff* *sniff* I smell fanboyism coming out of your mouth.

  • SalarianChemist posted Jun 24, 2009 7:46 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    SalarianChemist

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 7:46 pm PT (hide)

    @brendanhunt

    3. I agree with you that adding more to a game can help improve its business. You are correct that each time a Halo or GTA game is release, it is more popular than ever.

    However, in order to build an impressive level of success, you need to have a foundation to build upon.

    For example, when games like Halo, GTA, Call of Duty, and Mass Effect build upon the success of earlier games, they are doing so because a solid foundation had already been put into place.

    Little Big Planet is very different, because it didn't sell nearly as well. The negative publicity LBP received as a result of poor NPD sales show that the game isn't popular. Releasing a sequel to Little Big Planet and hoping for greater sales numbers is like trying to raise the number of 1 to the power of 10, 100, 1000 or anything else -- it just won't matter due to the fact that 1 will always be 1.

    In that same way, Little Big Planet will never be a popular game. The fact is, one Little Big Planet is enough in that genre. Sony needs to concentrate on other genres that are still empty for PS3. For example, would PS3 be better off with two Little Big Planet games and zero Tetris games, or one Little Big Planet game and one Tetris game.

    A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so it's obvious that PS3 needs to fill in blank genres such as Tetris and others before trying to create sequels to games that sold poorly according to foolproof NPD sales records.

  • SalarianChemist posted Jun 24, 2009 7:44 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    SalarianChemist

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 7:44 pm PT (hide)

    @brendanhunt

    Playstation 3 is definitely a failure from a business point of view -- it has not achieved any of Sony's sales goals, and it will finish in a very distant last place in terms of hardware sales this generation.

    I want to reply to the the three comments you made:

    1. Playstation 3 does not "make money."

    There is no doubt that the Playstation 3 does "generate revenue." However, the term "make money" implies that a Net Profit is being earned. The Playstation 3 does not even come close to generating a Net Profit. If you look at Sony's accounting records, you will see that the Playstation 3 does so poorly that produces both a Gross and Net Loss.

    2. LBP has "sold" 1.4 Million units according to Sony's definition of the word "sold," which we have already confirmed was changed in spring of 2007. "Sold" at Sony no longer means the same thing as "Sold" at Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony prior to 2007.

    There is no doubt that Sony "produced" 1.4 Million units of Little Big Planet. However, there is no doubt that the NPD sales records prove that Little Big Planet never came close to achieving those numbers in terms of how many consumers actually "own" the product.

  • Beetroot502

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 5:50 pm PT

    Sony takes alot of time with their games, (they don't rush to get things out just to be first...cough Microsoft...) but they are worth it in the end. I don't care if its LBP2 or not, it's going to be a great game seeing how much success LBP1 has.

  • brendanhunt1

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 2:42 pm PT

    SalarianChemist
    1.ps3 is not a failure, it makes money and has a big install base(22 million)
    2.lbp has sold over 1.4 million units and has won numerous awards
    3.Adding more series to a game can help improve business, its worked from GTA to Halo

  • Raykuza

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 2:10 pm PT

    I hope they can follow up the first LBP. I would honestly rather see them do an original title.

  • BalramRules

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 1:21 pm PT

    The 2nd will probably be better because know that they've made their 1st game, they've more experience, Sony franchises are always successful!

  • hassy94

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 1:01 pm PT

    While it was a very good, even great game, it wasn't REALLY that innovative. Come on, it was a 2D platformer (with a very nice charm and art style to it) that had an underdeveloped level creator. It was a good level creator, but it wasn't enough to set it apart THAT much from a normal 2D platformer.

    People hyped its "innovation" too much, and Media Molecule knew it wasn't as ground breaking as they said.

    I hope they really innovate on LBP2, but I'm not holding my breath.

    Even still, it will be a great game like the first.

  • rht992

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 12:09 pm PT

    apparently sucker punch are hiring for infamous 2 as well

  • dannymeegan

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 12:01 pm PT

    @melty123
    its awesome. you must buy it.

  • Melty123

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 11:54 am PT

    I hear Little Big Planet is good but I have never played it so can't judge.

  • ASG_

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 11:39 am PT

    @SalarianChemist
    So they should stop making unique and fun games when they can make yet another stale alien shooter?
    Yeah, right.

  • izmickey

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 11:39 am PT

    What i love about little big planet is that it never gets boring to me. Its a game with crazy replay value, all thanks to the players who make new stages to play. New stages are added very often so the game at least to me never gets old. Would welcome a sequel.

  • UFO2012

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 11:31 am PT

    I bet they are making LMP, Little Manhunt Planet.

  • crazzyrey29

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 10:57 am PT

    @Salarian Chemist, pleeeeeeeeease don't fuel a fanboy war...LBP and Killzone 2 are some of the best games I've ever played and would love to see sequels for both

  • OmegaGear

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 10:55 am PT

    I like to play video games.

  • SalarianChemist posted Jun 24, 2009 10:38 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    SalarianChemist

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 10:38 am PT (hide)

    Wasting resources on an unpopular game series like Little Big Planet is the entire reason why the Playstation 3 is a business failure.

    Sony just never seemed to understand that it is not a good idea to make sequels to games that don't sell well or games that receive poor reviews.

    For example, Killzone was a game that did not receive good reviews from trustworthy sources such as Gamespot and IGN. And Killzone did not sell relatively well on the PS2 considering it launched when there were over 100 Million PS2 owners. Yet, Sony insisted on releasing a sequel to Killzone. As a result, Killzone 2 ended up being a huge sales failure that did not achieve any of Sony's sales goals.

    Little Big Planet is the same thing; it sold very poorly, yet Sony is insisting on developing a sequel. Sure, Little Big Planet may have received higher reviews than Killzone, but it was not popular with gamers. Sony needs to let the series die and work on a new series.That would be the smart business decision to make in order to help the PS3 close the gap between the Wii and Xbox 360.

  • AJ-2K7

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 10:23 am PT

    @anik786

    in what universe do you think a sackboy (or sackperson as the correct term) would be a good character for an fps. seriously, think about it.

  • anik786

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 9:43 am PT

    i something like lbp, but a more serious version of it (possibly in a fps game), so it will appeal to a more mature aduience

  • queen_valentine

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 9:30 am PT

    Awesome! I friggin love MediaMolecule.

  • Itsthetruth

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 9:17 am PT

    ok, so they made LBP and now they'll try making a AAA game, i think they have a good team, the know-how and the funds to do it.

    I'm curious about what kind of game it will be.

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