Media Molecule's just confirmed LittleBigPlanet 2 on Twitter. Apparently we'll be hearing much more on Monday. But for now, there's tons of information over on GAF taken from the latest issue of GameInformer -- and it all sounds ridiculously amazing.
 

Okay. Here we go:

LittleBigPlanet 2 Game Informer June 2010 Issue Information

Context about the first LittleBigPlanet

- The first LBP was never intended to be a simple platforming game
- Over 2 million levels available online
- About 56,000 new levels per week on average

LittleBigPlanet 2 Information Starts Here:

- LBP 2 has less of a focus on platforming altogether and it's more of a platform to actually create games with
- There is an all-new level creator and it is not just a tool to create platform games.
- As examples, the game 100% encourages the player to create game types and wants you to make a shooter, a racer, puzzle games, Space Invaders clones, even RPGs
- A player can even customize a HUD. The example given is a health bar for a fighting game.
- A Media Molecule developer has created a fully-functioning Command & Conquer Clone
- Media Molecule loves that a lot of user-created levels in LBP1 were homages to classic games and laments that so many manipulations of the creation tools were necessary to do them. Sackboy won't need to be "hidden behind the curtain" when you make games with LBP2.
- There is a new super-important creator tool called "direct control seats"
- (from previous point) In LBP1, lots of people made rudimentary "hold R1 to accelerate" vehicles. Mark Healy created a car out of rubber wheels and a bottle, then placed a direct control seat in it. He pulled up an interface that resembled a PS3 controller and assigned commands to buttons.
- Example given was assigning Sixaxis tilt for forward and reverse, horn on the X button.
- You are no longer limited to the game's stock sound effects. You can record your own sounds and voices, attaching them to characters or objects. Magic Mouth from the original LBP is gone
- Direct control seat's control scheme is instantly accessible and you can attach it only to the part of the vehicle you want it to control.
- Example was given about the 8/16-bit remakes/tributes having to use the signature gameplay mechanics of LBP. That is no longer true in LBP2. A creator can place a direct control seat on their own platforming protagonist and complete it with a customized control scheme.
- Example of the previous was Yoshi's Island. If a player creates the perfect recreation of the SNES-era jump they can share it with anyone in the community.
- There is an in-game microchip that functions as a calculator and it is a direct response/homage to PSN user Upsilandre (seriously, he's mentioned by name)
- Enemies in the original title could only be programmed with super-basic commands and most resembled marionettes.
- Users will be able to take a template for an enemy called a Sackbot, tweak the AI and dress it in any way they choose.
- Creators can choose the weak points on the Sackbot, determine if it is scared of heights, and even program acting routines.
- A disco scene was set up by Media Molecule and two employees recorded together on a single Sackbot. They moved its arms and bobbed its head in a dancing routine. JUST the AI was copied and pasted onto twenty different Sackbots. Each Sackbot was given its own unique look.
- There are now movie editing options as well.
- Every LBP2 player will receive their own profile on LBP.me. It will display your activity feed as well as previews of their own stages
- There will be user-created integration in QR codes as well. They can be printed on advertisements, business cards, and automatically load a level when held up to the PlayStation Eye. There is no special menu to do this. Any time the PS3 is turned on and running LBP 2, you can wave it in front of the Eye.
- If you are not near your PS3 you can take a quick photo with your smartphone to see an online preview of the level and add it directly to your level queue.
- For creators of multiple levels, you will be able to string your stages together so that they flow from one level to the next.
- Sackbots can be drastically increased or decreased in physical size.
- Sackbots can be controlled by direct control seats as well.
- There is a new gadget (like the MGS paintball gun). It is a big-ass grappling hook.
- Media Molecule says explicitly there are multiple more gadgets coming.
- All DLC from LBP1 transfers over to LBP2. Including downloaded content packs, costumes, etc.
- There is a major overhaul to the story level as well. There's the same 3-plane perspective for the story mode and the levels so far have a similar run-jump-grab platform style.
- Storyline is not country-based like last time, but is based in periods of time
- Here is a list of levels and summaries so far:


- Techno Renaissance: Whimsical alternative take of the Renaissance period. Leonardo da Vinci-like character to guide him through a technology-based twist level

- Steam & Cake: Steampunk-style level based on a fucked-up tea and cake party

- Neon Propaganda: Cold-war era posters line a factory environment where Sackboy is liberating oppressed workers. There is a grim nature to the level that is totally opposed to the neon lights and signs.

- Fluffy High-Tech: Various high-end technology equipments like video walls are mixed with bunnies and fluffy sheep. It is a cold, futuristic environment populated by adorable creatures

- Designer Organic: Eco-architecture comes together around a designed and controlled version of nature. Described as "art noveau". The closest to nature Sackboy gets in this game. Elaborate designs comprised of plants.

- Hand-Made Arcade: A super-tribute level to tons of arcade classics. Embraces the hand-made art from the first game. Pixels made of cardboard and wood.

- Circuit boards (like the calculator) can get extremely complicated and they have a very distinct interface

- Creators can make full-on cutscenes. Camera angles and voice-overs included. Creators can even make little five-minute short films. These levels are clearly marked on the stage select screen so you can tell whether you're watching or playing the level. 

It will be the first Playstation 3 game I buy in over a year. I had loads of fun with LBP.

I am excite.

want.

Fuck me - as someone that Platinumed and put far too many hours into the first LBP - i was somewhat gutte dat the news of a sequel, however this list ? man it sounds amazing

If they're not changing the floaty controls in singleplayer, it will still suck.

Wait... you can customize the controls? You can make the platforming tight and awesome, instead of floaty and annoying? 
 
I never bought the first LittleBigPlanet, but this might just be a day one purchase.

" If they're not changing the floaty controls in singleplayer, it will still suck. "

sounds like everything I wanted out of the first game... I wonder if MM was happy with their first game when they released it? All of this sounds like they went above and beyond.

" sounds like everything I wanted out of the first game... I wonder if MM was happy with their first game when they released it? All of this sounds like they went above and beyond. "

" @TurboMan said:

" sounds like everything I wanted out of the first game... I wonder if MM was happy with their first game when they released it? All of this sounds like they went above and beyond. "

This. "

Yeah, the first one was never intended to be a plattforming game, since all the physics and especially the "move back and in front of things"-concept kept it from being a good plattformer. I really hope they make the tools better, so that you can maybe adjust things like physics-behaviour and collision/hitboxes.

Holy ....!
 
I still need to play the first one.
 
All of these features and such makes this sound like the ultimate game making system/tool set with out needing to know C or C++ etc. But it also seems so many things can go wrong. So much potential for bugs.  Hopefully it goes well and I can make a crap-ton of Mario clones. 

Fuck me! WOW

" @TurboMan said:

" sounds like everything I wanted out of the first game... I wonder if MM was happy with their first game when they released it? All of this sounds like they went above and beyond. "

This. "

Yeah, all the stuff they said sounds just mind-blowing. I'm not sure about the legal copyright infringement of it all, but if they can get around that, then consider this game BOUGHT, son!!!

" @get2sammyb:  Yeah, and that part sounds great, but it doesn't sound like that will be possible in the singleplayer-campaign, and at the same time people has to do it themselves, and I could imagine a ton of people who wouldn't do it. "

" Yeah, all the stuff they said sounds just mind-blowing. I'm not sure about the legal copyright infringement of it all, but if they can get around that, then consider this game BOUGHT, son!!! "

Awesome. Direct control seat is the best idea they could ever include in this game!

Just an extra note, I read somewhere earlier (can't find the link though) that a Sony exec confirmed the game will support Playstation Move. Which sounds like a no-brainer really. Hopefully the implementation will allow drawing and stuff affecting creation.

I skipped LBP but that sounds crazy-good.

Cool, it sounds awesome.  
 
 
 
"It makes the first seem like a demo"  - people are saying the exact same thing about Galaxy 2

" Cool, it sounds awesome.     "It makes the first seem like a demo"  - people are saying the exact same thing about Galaxy 2 "

Sounds like one hell of a sequel.

The amount of variation sounds amazing, but I have to the imagine that the amount of bug-fixing it will take to keep this game from being a glitchy, quivering mess will be insane.

" @get2sammyb: Yeah, and I could totally see people straight up remaking Mario or Mega Man on there. What I would want to see though is an improvement on the UI for searching other people's work. It wasn't bad in the first one, but I felt like the search system could have been a little deeper, the comments tags could be changed so that you don't have to look at tons before you get to the one you want, and content was more organized instead of spread around a world. Saying that, though, it worked fine for what it did, I'm kinda just nitpicking really. "

If they can pull all of this off, then I'm on board.

@get2sammyb said:

Also, the customisable HUD etc makes it sound like this might be open to creation of some kind of four-player Smash Bros fighting game. If you could do that, it would be AMAZING. "

YES! with multiple characters from all over!
 
@Ramyun:
If you've played the original, you know the online levels are moderated.
 

Never really got into the first. Don't think I will get this.

looks like they followed the community very closely. they are making it so you don't have to glitch or break the game in order to do some of what the community did to make there levels work. and even expanding on that by letting you change the controls, hud, gametypes, camera angles, etc.

 - All DLC from LBP1 transfers over to LBP2. Including downloaded content packs, costumes, etc.

Probably my new most anticipated game. I have a level that I never finished making in LBP. It was looking real cool, but the time it takes to create levels really outweighs the satisfaction of the resulting product. This sounds so much more satisfying.

saying "makes the first seem like a demo!" 
is basically like saying 
"This will be More of the Same with some more features!"

If you can make a gun that shoots shurikens and lightning then it could be the best game ever made.

More fan made sex levels.

Considering LBP is tied as my favorite game of all time, this is making me EXTREMELY EXCITED!!!!
 
 
NDEWONDRIWFREF REFRFFREW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LITTLE BIG PLANET 2 NIUEWQDENIDE HOLY CRAP I CAN'T WAIT FRERWDNEWQDEOIQDEWQNJDEQNDEWQNDEQDEKNWDEQDKEWQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't freakin' wait! Is this all real info?

Good.  
 
LBP was great but I got bored of it pretty quick. Mm is a good developer and it's evident from this. 

I gotta get money saved for the insane number of DLC this game is going to have.

" looks like they followed the community very closely. they are making it so you don't have to glitch or break the game in order to do some of what the community did to make there levels work. and even expanding on that by letting you change the controls, hud, gametypes, camera angles, etc.

 - All DLC from LBP1 transfers over to LBP2. Including downloaded content packs, costumes, etc.

now this is how you do DLC. this may be asking to much but if that includes all LBP1 community levels that would be amazing. "

" saying "makes the first seem like a demo!" is basically like saying "This will be More of the Same with some more features!" "

" If you can make a gun that shoots shurikens and lightning then it could be the best game ever made. "

" Probably my new most anticipated game. I have a level that I never finished making in LBP. It was looking real cool, but the time it takes to create levels really outweighs the satisfaction of the resulting product. This sounds so much more satisfying. "

" I can't freakin' wait! Is this all real info? "

This all sounds amazing and incredibly exciting.  It's basically possible to do complete game creation like modders on the PC are able to.
 
Also, this is obviously going to be Move heavy and seeing how that all works will be really interesting.  Most exciting announcement of the year so far for my money though I want to see it first.

it'll be sweet
even more if you can make full multiplayer shooters and racing games

" This all sounds amazing and incredibly exciting.  It's basically possible to do complete game creation like modders on the PC are able to.  Also, this is obviously going to be Move heavy and seeing how that all works will be really interesting.  Most exciting announcement of the year so far for my money though I want to see it first. "

This sounds awesome for people who like to create content. Unfortunately that's not me because I hate doing all that... but I think it will be interesting seeing how others make games. Hopefully the games will have the depth to them! I'm excited to see what good RPGs people can make though.