LittleBigPlanet Preview

Media Molecule's first-party PlayStation 3 game, LittleBigPlanet, which was announced today during Phil Harrison's GDC keynote speech, could possibly take the award, if there ever was one, for 'coolest game demo ever'.

In LittleBigPlanet players are encouraged to customize and build their own games and environments. This is possible thanks to an intuitive tool set that allows players to manipulate objects and photos, which can then be placed in the game world.

"We're confident that PS3 would be the platform to lead the way in creative gaming, and LittleBigPlanet brings the concept to life spectacularly," said Harrison, president of Sony's Worldwide Studios.

The demo shown to the audience began with its producers manipulating an orange and adding in artwork to the foreground. The demo eventually moved on to a created game, where four characters (played by the producers and Phil) worked as a team to solve various puzzles, including scaling a soccer ball, using jet packs to lift large boulders and helping each other hold on to a bright red star (complete with dynamic lighting) for dear life as it lifted them to higher levels. The demo ended with all four characters jumping on a skateboard and racing down to the end of the level as cheers from the crowd erupted.

With stunning stylized visuals and excellent rag-doll physics, the wait to play the full version in 2008 may be a long one. But fear not, a demo of the game is planned to make an appearance on Sony's PlayStation Network sometime this autumn.

For a closer look at what LittleBigPlanet will offer, check out the first footage on Pro-G TV.