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Sony Lays Out A LittleBigStatement

After pulling a bunch of levels off the servers left players bewildered, Sony has come through with some guidelines for level design.

Please stop working on your Three's Company level.
Please stop working on your Three's Company level.
Depending on who you talk to, the servers for LittleBigPlanet are either thriving places of pure wonderment or a graveyard filled with levels that fail to load because they've been banned and removed.

Sony, as you might expect, is focusing on the positive in the wake of some angry users complaining that their levels are being removed. ThreeSpeech, the might-as-well-be-official Sony blog out of the UK, posted a statement from SCEE that gets a bit more specific about what is and isn't allowed to be uploaded.

See for yourself!

Sony Computer Entertainment and Media Molecule would like to thank everyone in the LittleBigPlanet online community for an amazing start! So far a staggering 84,000 individual levels have been uploaded and more than 27 million level play throughs have been completed. We couldn’t be happier with the initial efforts from our community members; the variety and quality of some of the creations has been astounding. We’ve seen everything from great platform adventures, puzzles and quizzes through to stories and races. We have even had a wedding proposal created entirely in the game!

Sony Computer Entertainment and Media Molecule would also like to take this opportunity to praise the fantastic spirit that our online community has displayed. The vast majority of content uploaded to date has been fun and suitable for all of our community members. In a very few cases we have upheld complaints regarding unsuitable content or infringement of intellectual property, with less than 0.5% of levels actively moderated as a result of complaints from other users.

Sony Computer Entertainment are committed to continually improving our moderation procedure and the methods of communication we use, in particular regarding the reasons that user complaints are upheld. In the meantime, here are some suggestions for all of our creators:

Ensure that the content you share with other users is suitable for all ages - everybody has access to your level if you publish it. Please respect other people’s intellectual property rights. For example, don’t use images, brands or logos that you’re not entitled to use. If you come across any content that you feel the need to report, then please do it responsibly. Hoax reports will be considered inappropriate behaviour.

Thanks to everyone that has contributed to LittleBigPlanet so far. Keep enjoying yourselves!

So there you have it. Stop uploading your weirdo violence-porn levels and your levels based on popular '80s sitcoms and everything will be A-OK! I guess the question now becomes... is this game as interesting without all that potentially copyright-infringing stuff?
Jeff Gerstmann on Google+

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jeff

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Edited By jeff
Please stop working on your Three's Company level.
Please stop working on your Three's Company level.
Depending on who you talk to, the servers for LittleBigPlanet are either thriving places of pure wonderment or a graveyard filled with levels that fail to load because they've been banned and removed.

Sony, as you might expect, is focusing on the positive in the wake of some angry users complaining that their levels are being removed. ThreeSpeech, the might-as-well-be-official Sony blog out of the UK, posted a statement from SCEE that gets a bit more specific about what is and isn't allowed to be uploaded.

See for yourself!

Sony Computer Entertainment and Media Molecule would like to thank everyone in the LittleBigPlanet online community for an amazing start! So far a staggering 84,000 individual levels have been uploaded and more than 27 million level play throughs have been completed. We couldn’t be happier with the initial efforts from our community members; the variety and quality of some of the creations has been astounding. We’ve seen everything from great platform adventures, puzzles and quizzes through to stories and races. We have even had a wedding proposal created entirely in the game!

Sony Computer Entertainment and Media Molecule would also like to take this opportunity to praise the fantastic spirit that our online community has displayed. The vast majority of content uploaded to date has been fun and suitable for all of our community members. In a very few cases we have upheld complaints regarding unsuitable content or infringement of intellectual property, with less than 0.5% of levels actively moderated as a result of complaints from other users.

Sony Computer Entertainment are committed to continually improving our moderation procedure and the methods of communication we use, in particular regarding the reasons that user complaints are upheld. In the meantime, here are some suggestions for all of our creators:

Ensure that the content you share with other users is suitable for all ages - everybody has access to your level if you publish it. Please respect other people’s intellectual property rights. For example, don’t use images, brands or logos that you’re not entitled to use. If you come across any content that you feel the need to report, then please do it responsibly. Hoax reports will be considered inappropriate behaviour.

Thanks to everyone that has contributed to LittleBigPlanet so far. Keep enjoying yourselves!

So there you have it. Stop uploading your weirdo violence-porn levels and your levels based on popular '80s sitcoms and everything will be A-OK! I guess the question now becomes... is this game as interesting without all that potentially copyright-infringing stuff?
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deactivated-5884be30433ec

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I just hope they find a better way to deal with copyright infringing stuff. Instead of just deleting it without explanation.

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Geno

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Edited By Geno

Is it really practical to moderate things like Mario levels? Sure, it's copyrighted, but it's also so engrained in our culture I don't think the company of origin, Nintendo, would even care, especially if it's rendered as a homage.

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Scooper

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Edited By Scooper

The draw for me is the parody levels to be honest, because when all's said and done, the actual platforming isn't that good at all.

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dtran1212

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Edited By dtran1212

to answer your question Jeff: YES

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Yit

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Edited By Yit

I demand silly censorship!

Black out pictures of mario, so everything becomes a giant black mass!

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rateoforange

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Edited By rateoforange

LBP--overrated platformer coupled with a straight-jacketed content creation system. I think I'm going to be liquidating my copy.

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albedos_shadow

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Edited By albedos_shadow

I guess I'll have to halt work on my Sanford & Son level...

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deactivated-5e0e0ee2ea170

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This gme woulda been sooo much better on PC.

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TabooTongue

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Edited By TabooTongue

"...is this game as interesting without all that potentially copyright-infringing stuff?""
No.
This was one, if not the only PS3 game I felt like I may have been missing out on. They should turn the ownership of the levels over to the user. Would that not solve the problem? ...for Sony at least, if Nintendo wants to track down every fan like the RIAA then that's them.

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kraznor

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Edited By kraznor

Yeah its only 0.5% but its the BEST 0.5%. This really sucks.

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mordecaix7

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Edited By mordecaix7

I would say no.  I felt like I was missing out on something awesome not having a PS3 and was considering buying one just to play this game.  But all the attraction for me is also in the parody levels and things I recognize.  I don't really care that much about random levels unless they do something totally awesome, like a calculator.

Eh, maybe some other console generation.  Or if they do like Taboo said and put ownership in the user's hands.

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FesteringNeon

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Edited By FesteringNeon

So I have the "go-ahead" from Psyonix to make a Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket Powered Battle Car interpretation of their game on LBP. They actually encourage me to do it, and finish it. If I have the developer support, and they're willing to talk with SCE over the matter in the case it gets BONK'D.. do you think that they override Psyonix in what's allowed?

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TheJollyRajah

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Edited By TheJollyRajah

I will be extremely frustrated if my video game music levels are removed. I put at least 30 hours into them. One of my levels has over 10,000 views right now!

It's not copyright infringement if I arrange music from well known video games and publish them on LittleBigPlanet. If that was true, then all the members on Youtube who post themselves playing their favorite tunes on the piano would be deleted.

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RedactedProfile

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Edited By RedactedProfile

So any sonic/mario-like levels get deleted, lol. Is it now as interesting? Well, yes, but it does take a hit no doubt.

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DJ_Lae

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Edited By DJ_Lae

That's the sound of Sony stretching LittleBigPlanet out to goatse levels.

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Kohe321

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Edited By Kohe321

Hehe oh well XD

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Video_Tycoon

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Edited By Video_Tycoon

@Geno (and others):  Its Sony not wanting other companies to be advertised. >_>

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JoelTGM

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Edited By JoelTGM

That's lame. 

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Death_Burnout

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Edited By Death_Burnout

Well i only make original "platformer" levels (ones that dont require precise jumps) juicy juice!

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gimmysumcowbel

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Edited By gimmysumcowbel

im sorry but companies need to quit whining about the copywrite thing or whatever. if anything ppl will like the lvls and be compelled to go out and buy thier game.  free advertising

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diz

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Edited By diz

Sony are just providing more reasons for potential PS3 customers not to buy into the system here.

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Nettacki

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Edited By Nettacki

Of course it's still interesting. I'd like to see some more original, yet still creative, stuff coming out of this system.

How about making something inspired by famous franchises rather than taking their pictures, etc?

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BlazeHedgehog

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Edited By BlazeHedgehog
I guess the question now becomes... is this game as interesting without all that potentially copyright-infringing stuff?


Not to me it isn't. My Garry's Mod install is probably 95% content that was straight ripped from other games. Maps, models, weapons, etc. It's beautiful and fantastic when somebody makes awesome-looking original content, but people with the talent and the skill for that sort of stuff are few and far between. What keeps me in Garry's Mod in between the few tender morsels of original content is stuff like being able to download a gametype that replicates Halo's Slayer mode, complete with ripped guns and player models. Or being able to use Gears of War's Lancer to dismember HL2: Episode 2's Dr. Magnusson. Or downloading a pack of 40 cars, including the Warthog and the General Lee.

Sure, the content might be stolen, but they're stealing these things from quality sources, at least. I'd rather take a generic ripoff of Super Mario Bros. World 1-1 than I would a really awful original level - and it just so happens that there is almost always an abundance of "really awful original levels".
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StaticFalconar

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Edited By StaticFalconar

so what if we have the same mario level, but we take out all mario images?

I mean Level design is not copyrighted? right? only images and sound?

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lordofultima

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Edited By lordofultima

R.I.P. John Ritter.

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Afroman269

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Edited By Afroman269

Wow a proposal over a video game. Bet that marriage is set for failure.

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redeye1984

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Edited By redeye1984

What if I drew something that almost look like sonic the hedgehog and use my playstation eye to scanned it in my level? Will that make my level pulled?

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Edited By carolynp

Damn it, they nuked that Batman: Mission Arkham level?! Man, so lame. That level rocked, and really demonstrated the potential for people to create compelling levels based on familiar source material. If stuff like that isn't allowed, it will seriously hurt LBP's appeal for me.

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Media_Master

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Edited By Media_Master

...

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deactivated-6071c19eec72a

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Well the one level that was copyright banned that was truly amazing was the God of War level.  Other then that though, nothing ground breaking.  World of Color and Azure Palace are both non copyrighted and they are probably the 2 best levels in LBP so far.  Also a lot of those Mario 1-1 levels were pretty bad (no offense to the authors) but the game wasn't made to replicate mario, it was made to create crazy ass levels from your own ideas.  Thats not to say you can't take ideas from other platformers, you just can't do a 1-1 and put the name on it.

So to answer your question Jeff, no, LBP will be just fine without the copyright levels.
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PLWolf

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Edited By PLWolf

I bet that Batman level could be done still, but change all the characters to Sackboys and of course change the name. lol

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MattyFTM

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Edited By MattyFTM  Moderator

Damn, When I LittleBigClicked on this LittleBigArticle I was hoping for more LittleBigJokes.

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Edited By MrKlorox

If I owned a PS3, I would feel required to own this game by default. However I have little interest in making things that aren't essentially rip-offs of existing things, in a game like this. Mario Paint was all about remaking pixel art and soundtracks to classic Nintendo games for me.

EDIT: @dtran1212: I agree with diz. Say something to me now.

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Snail

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Edited By Snail

There is nothing to comment here, really... 

That happened and... people can't upload that stuff and.. the game is great.. 



yay?
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zitosilva

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Edited By zitosilva

I don't know... it feels like that part of what makes the game awesome is the liberty with which stuff like Mario levels or Gears of War could be used... this disappoints me.

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raikoh05

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Edited By raikoh05

not as interesting without it, no, but still way interesting, yes. has anyone even asked sony yet to take their stuff down? they need to chill out and let cool shit happen.

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Destroyeron

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Edited By Destroyeron

No.

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r3b3lr0b0t

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Edited By r3b3lr0b0t
Scooper 
on Nov. 13, 2008
The draw for me is the parody levels to be honest, because when all's said and done, the actual platforming isn't that good at all.

TRUE
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coakroach

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Edited By coakroach

A day may come,
A day may come.

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dtran1212

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Edited By dtran1212

i guess not all of us are imaginative as MM thought we would be

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am_dragon

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Edited By am_dragon

What most people don't realize is if the copyright holders don't express their right to protect their property they will lose the right to protect it.

TabooTongue -
"...is this game as interesting without all that potentially copyright-infringing stuff?  No."


Right because nobody ever has an original idea, no one could possibly come up with something new that's funny, intelligent or exciting.

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PhilSebben

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Edited By PhilSebben

I didn't care till they took the AIRMAN level off, only my favorite piece of work on there..

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dsplayer1010

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Edited By dsplayer1010

*Starts working on public domain children's' song levels*

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unclejohn0525

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Edited By unclejohn0525

I hope they don't take down my Tim and Eric level when I post it....

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LiquidPrince

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Edited By LiquidPrince

Interesting.

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Edited By The_Icon

Its a must for user-generated content. Its either that or no user-generated content. So... a man chooses...what do u choose?

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WholeFunShow

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Edited By WholeFunShow

Funny, I actually assumed the violence porn would be available... somewhere on LBP, but nows I think of it, I've no clue where Sony could allow it. Guess the internet has spoilt me (to say the very least...)