LittleBigPlanet PSP loses multiplayer, and maybe its soul
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Aug 19th 2009 at 2:30PM } 
"The one thing we've lost is multiplayer," senior producer Mark Green explained of LBP PSP to Eurogamer at GamesCom this week. "The system is physically capable of doing multiplayer, but perhaps not with the full physics system. On the technical side of things you lose a third of the processing power or a third of the system memory just to do multiplayer at all. With those limitations we couldn't achieve it." Couldn't achieve what? Joy?
Green did clarify that the PSP game will feature "full" level creation and sharing (online/ad-hoc) modes. Additionally, further tweaks to LBP PSP include downsizing the game field to one 2D plane (no foreground and background planes) and so-called improvement upon the original's floaty jump mechanic. Did we also mention there's ... no multiplayer?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
ThatPCgameryouhate @ Aug 19th 2009 2:32PM
Wow.... that sucks.
Dartmerc @ Aug 19th 2009 7:18PM
+1
FOXHOUND @ Aug 20th 2009 1:52AM
No multiplayer = no purchase
CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Aug 19th 2009 2:33PM
And there goes my interest in this...The fun times I had in LBP on PS3 were running around with complete strangers doing stupid stuff. Running around alone sounds boring.
WINterfang @ Aug 19th 2009 2:42PM
For some reason I keep confusing your Avatar with a Trojan Helmet.
Seishino @ Aug 19th 2009 4:53PM
I definitely would have preferred a simpler 2D representation / world with 4 player support, than a beautiful 3D world with 1 player. It seems like they wanted to as faithfully recreate the look of the original as possible, but if that is at the expense of the feel then... why bother?
Of course, the real reason is probably "because it would have been too expensive to implement and Sony wanted this out the door in 6 months." And that's a line of reasoning that no developer can win against.
I just hope it is still a fun, charming little game.
Dartmerc @ Aug 19th 2009 7:19PM
+1
NaeemTHM @ Aug 19th 2009 2:33PM
That does feel like a big loss, but personally...I know like 1 other dude with a PSP and he never plays it. As long as I can still download custom levels, I'm good.
CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Aug 19th 2009 2:34PM
True, I don't really know many people with PSP's. Playing with total strangers was fun though, nothing was better then leaving people behind while getting on a rocket propelled skateboard.
Roto13 @ Aug 19th 2009 5:55PM
I actually didn't play very much LBP with other people, so I'm not particularly bothered by this.
Metayoshi @ Aug 20th 2009 3:06AM
Haha. is EXACTLY where I'm standing. Ok, maybe I know, like, 3 guys with a PSP (and I'm getting one for Dissidia: Final Fantasy next week), but what definitely hooked me to the PS3 LBP was the custom levels you could download over the internet. I liked the wide variety of levels from the insanely hard but satisfying levels to the hold R1 and watch Sackboy go through a roller coaster type levels.
I played LBP online a few times, and I hated when random people joined me midlevel or even at the end where I'd have to wait for them to finish in order to get out of there. I also joined a couple others in a super hard level where one of the other guys kept dying, and we couldn't get very far! I'm not saying multiplayer is bad by any means, but it surely was not why I played LBP on PS3.
EncodedNybble @ Aug 19th 2009 2:34PM
Was gonna buy this, but now, probably not.
While SP seemed ok, it's just a decent platformer.
MP was where it is at for LBP.
Oh well. MM, you've lost a sale.
Courtney @ Aug 19th 2009 2:34PM
Without multi, what's the point?
No Kill Tayler @ Aug 19th 2009 2:35PM
I never did co-op anyway.
Maybe playing with people around you rather than across the world?
Heavytoka @ Aug 19th 2009 2:35PM
Damn, that's no good.
ripslymemc @ Aug 19th 2009 2:36PM
Then it's just like masturbating...
WINterfang @ Aug 19th 2009 2:38PM
Except Masturbation can still be multiplayer.
Anonymouse @ Aug 19th 2009 2:39PM
Hey, masturbation is just sex with the one you truly love.
Shagittarius @ Aug 19th 2009 2:39PM
Ookie Cookie?
Anonymouse @ Aug 19th 2009 2:38PM
It seems Sony has sold their souls to the devil... First, creating the PSP Go, then getting rid of the buttons on the PS3, and now this?!
Shagittarius @ Aug 19th 2009 2:38PM
How does one lose what it never had in the first place?
WINterfang @ Aug 19th 2009 2:39PM
That's just announcing Pokemon without Multiplayer, is still fun but not near as addictive.
ThatPCgameryouhate @ Aug 19th 2009 4:07PM
I think Pokemon should have multiplayer, that is where you don't have to enter A FUCKING FRIEND CODE! Please Nintendo, get rid of FCs.
Mattchewie @ Aug 19th 2009 2:40PM
I don't think its as bad as most think personally. You still can create and share so it keeps content fresh.
Doghunt00 @ Aug 19th 2009 6:43PM
All and all its probably going to be one of ur best time eaters on a plane,boat,train ride ...that is unless if you are told to put it away by security
SpaceFox @ Aug 19th 2009 2:40PM
.....They just ripped the stuffing out of Sackboy with this. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!? D:
Mr Khan @ Aug 19th 2009 2:41PM
Seems an odd choice. Forget about online multiplayer, with ad-hoc local multiplayer, they could have made this into a bona-fide hit in Japan, and it doesn't seem like this is the kind of game that is beyond PSP's capacity for online multiplayer
But then again, such limitations are strange, and sometimes more information is needed
Hyams @ Aug 19th 2009 5:01PM
"The system is physically capable of doing multiplayer, but perhaps not with the full physics system. On the technical side of things you lose a third of the processing power or a third of the system memory just to do multiplayer at all. With those limitations we couldn't achieve it."
It was multiplayer or physic. Both can't happen at the same time. And given that the gameplay revolves around the use of physics, that basically translates into a choice between mutliplayer or gameplay.
Longhorn Slim @ Aug 19th 2009 2:41PM
Its official Im never getting a PSP
charlie b. @ Aug 19th 2009 4:55PM
it's official. no one cares.
LAZoftheTamarinds @ Aug 19th 2009 7:39PM
@charlie b.
LOL seriously.
Also to Longhorn. WTF are you doing with a Sackboy avatar? If you're a true LBP fan you probably would be a bit disappointed but you'd still want to get a PSP for this game.
Marty @ Aug 19th 2009 2:41PM
The PSP is powerful, but you knew some cuts had to be made. I'm still amazed at how similar the two games are shaping up to be, overall. User-constructed environments aren't a simple matter with the limited resources of a handheld.
captainprotonx @ Aug 19th 2009 2:41PM
PSP owners have friends?
captainprotonx @ Aug 19th 2009 2:56PM
Why am I being downgraded? Sony is the one saying it.
Kizzle @ Aug 19th 2009 3:30PM
You are correct. I sold my PSP and immediately became more popular.
samfish (uses the Joystiq Comment-Kill filter!) @ Aug 19th 2009 2:43PM
Makes it seem kinda pointless then.
Killjebus...PSN Killjebus @ Aug 19th 2009 2:44PM
So a single player Mario game is fine. But a single player LBP...not fine. I love the double standard Joystiq.
I assumed this would be single player when we saw videos of only ONE sackboy. I thought that was a dead giveaway. I also assumed that to add multiplayer would tax the system too much.
CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Aug 19th 2009 2:47PM
Is the draw to a Mario game multiplayer? No. The draw to LBP for me was multiplayer, I never even bothered to play through the campain, it sucked.
captainprotonx @ Aug 19th 2009 2:48PM
Mario is a platformer. LBP is a user-content driven game that was designed to share content.
The sharing concept is shot dead unless you are one lonely person in a dark corner and ad-hoc connection keeps timing out.
Paul @ Aug 19th 2009 2:49PM
well no, the draw to LBP is to create and share levels...which they've kept.
CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Aug 19th 2009 2:52PM
Maybe that's what made you want to play it. I enjoyed playing through custom levels with random people. It made the horrible levels fun to laugh at. I won't be picking this up now.
WINterfang @ Aug 19th 2009 2:56PM
Except Mario is Mario and LBP is LBP.
Paul @ Aug 19th 2009 2:59PM
cry me a river
CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Aug 19th 2009 3:02PM
Why would anyone be crying? I'll just put the money towards another game and hope they get it right if they make a PSP sequel. Grow up Paul, you're acting like a douche.
CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Aug 19th 2009 3:02PM
Why would anyone be crying? I'll just put the money towards another game and hope they get it right if they make a PSP sequel. Grow up Paul, you're acting like a douche.
samfish (uses the Joystiq Comment-Kill filter!) @ Aug 19th 2009 3:10PM
There's no double standard. LBP was sold on two things — co-op multiplayer and it's level editor. They effectively just ripped out 50% of the original game.
Until about 2 months ago, the draw of a Mario game was never co-op or multiplayer.
OR!
Maybe Nintendoliterally STOLE Sony's multiplayer! Yes, that MUST be it! Miyamoto & Co. ganked it, so Sony can't use it in LBP now. Those wagglishious bastards.
Paul @ Aug 19th 2009 3:11PM
how about they take out the physics and the a good chunk of the editing tools to fit multiplayer in? Would that be better? you'd be playing with your friends but I'll tell you what....you wouldn't be playing little big planet. Plus I would bet money that most people that use their PSP have never once played a game online!
and anyway it's a portable, that will be going on a disc that holds 1/40th the amount of the PS3 counterpart, give the devs a break. they made the right decision, you sound like a little brat.
Now if you'll excuse me....I'm gonna make like a douche... and get out of this bloody hole!
Peace!
CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw @ Aug 19th 2009 3:14PM
Yes Paul, that would be better.
seamonkey420 @ Aug 19th 2009 3:15PM
@CTC XBL-supapaypamawio PSN-ctclaw
ok, no offense or anything but do you not understand the limitations of a handheld console vs a home console??
first, screen size, no way you can fit that much on screen w/o having a horrible experience.
second, the compaign in LBP was great! wtf were you playing?
third, LBP IS A PLATFORMER BY DEFINITION OF PLATFORMING!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platform_game
so yea.. the psp is powerful but not that powerful. and to think otherwise is just naive.. oh.. wait.. i won't go there..
:P
Killjebus...PSN Killjebus @ Aug 19th 2009 3:21PM
Good point seamonkey.
The size of the sackboys in a multiplayer PSP LBP would make it hard to see what you are doing on the level and your sackboy.
It's the American way....find something to bitch and complain about if it has to do with Sony, no matter how small or how insignificant.
Where is the NO HDMI OR COMPONENT CABLES in the new lower priced elite story Joystiq? You constantly bitch and moan about Sony not including the cables, yet when MS follows suit and nixes theirs?
NOT A PEEP