Media Molecule on the Art of Little Big Planet

BRIGHTON, UK--Little Big Planet was one of last year's breakout successes, with a PSP version due out later this year and a sequel already rumored. In particular, the PlayStation 3-exclusive original was praised for its art style, and this was the topic that developer Media Molecule chose to explore in its Brighton Develop session today. Cofounders Kareem Ettouney and Mark Healey took to the stage to deliver the presentation and in the process revealed some previously unknown info about the game's development.

Players of Little Big Planet will remember the themes of the original game, which included Indian Temples, British Gardens, and Mexican Deserts. However, according to Healey, one theme--based around the seaside--was cut because it was deemed the weakest. That said, he went on to hint that the seaside theme may eventually appear sometime in the future.

Healey also revealed that the Media Molecule team was heavily split between giving Little Big Planet 3D or 2D graphics. (Eventually, 3D won out.) The developer's staff also originally wanted to make the game devoid of menu screens. Said Healey, "We initially didn't want a HUD. We put a lot of time and effort making these physical things in the world, like a paintbrush. But it was really annoying and too time consuming [to fetch them]."

The team also spoke about the game's massive community support and how pleased they were that more than 1 million levels are now available online. Healey showed the famous Little Big Computer calculator level (see below), demonstrating the incredible mechanics behind it, and joked, "I wouldn't like to meet that person." He also stated, "Forums can make you want to commit suicide sometimes, but we have a lot of things in the pipeline that will make the community happy."

For more on Little Big Planet, check out the GameSpot's video review of the original game. For a look at the portable version, read the preview of the PSP edition from last month's Electronic Entertainment Expo.