LittleBigPlanet 2 trounces LBP records

By Robert Purchese Published 21 January, 2011

"Massively outstripped" - Media Molecule.

Most Brits won't play LittleBigPlanet 2 until later - but already Media Molecule says the sequel has "massively outstripped" the number of concurrent online users managed by LittleBigPlanet 1.

"Because we had the awesome beta, fan reaction we know about and we've had time to respond to. Now we're just excited to see how big it gets - how many people we're going to get," Media Molecule co-founder and technical director David Smith told Eurogamer.

"The user count is actually quite crazy - we've already massively outstripped our LBP1 record for total users online at once. And that's just with North America and a few other territories.

"I think some people [at Sony] would be waving certain things at me if I gave the actual numbers, but it's significantly higher.

"In the next few days we might even double the number of users online at once," he added. "Perhaps - let's see how it goes.

"That's pretty major. It's not a stealth launch: there's a lot of people out there that seem to be waiting for it."

Not that there weren't people waiting for LittleBigPlanet 1. That game shot to nearly 2 million online users just four months after its November 2008 launch. And it didn't end there.

"LittleBigPlanet 1 does have this huge lifecycle and the concurrent play-count is just continually increasing," Smith revealed. "You expect these things to spike and then boil down to almost nothing, but it's been quite the reverse."

All of which bodes incredibly well for the rip-roaring start LittleBigPlanet 2 has gotten off to.

Simon Parkin picked up the pen to review LittleBigPlanet 2 for Eurogamer. What did he think? "As a package, as a concept, as an unfinished story, LittleBigPlanet 2 is a world apart."

The first 15 minutes of LittleBigPlanet 2.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (26) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • JBlokeUK #1 1 year ago

    If money grew on trees, I'd be getting this tomorrow.

  • Mkwone #2 1 year ago

    I'm glad it seems to be getting some commercial success. I'm a big fan of LBP, but i'm also aware that it's a niche title.

    hopefully we'll see this reflected in the charts come Monday.

  • Roarster #3 1 year ago

    Loved the first game but I've got an enormous backlog so I'm trying to resist picking this up right now. Lets see if I have the willpower to walk past HMV at lunchtime or if I'll be drawn right in as usual...

  • roquey Verified Lead Quality Assurance Tester and Compliance Specialist, Universally Speaking #4 1 year ago

    Worked on the first, wanted to scoop my eyes out before release. Cant see 2 being any different in that sense.

  • cianchristopher #5 1 year ago

    I still feel that this game, and Rock Band 1, didn't really need a sequel, per se. They were orignally pitched to us, the gaming community, as never-ending games, that could be continued indefinitely through updates (almost like an MMO).

    But, I guess for boxed products that don't require an ongoing subscription, a sequel will always get made. The need for further money is always there.

    I hope this goes well for them, they're a talented and creative bunch (even though I still hate the floaty physics).

  • maxb #6 1 year ago

    good luck to them.im still in two minds whether im gunna get it or not.

  • des #7 1 year ago

    I think that sales charts and unique users are not exactly going to match;)
    not because of multiple accounts...

  • monkey500 #8 1 year ago

    Like the first one, LBP2 is pure genius. A refreshing change from the serious FPS that dominate the market. Buy it.

  • Steroyd #9 1 year ago

    I still feel that this game, and Rock Band 1, didn't really need a sequel, per se.

    I thought this to, but after watching a few trailers, it's nowhere near the game the first one was, and it genuinely feels too big an update for it to merely be patched in, in that respect I'm impressed few games make me feel this way.

  • captain_Carl #10 1 year ago

    @Cian

    At first i was totally thinking along the same lines. I didn't see why the game needed a sequel, and certainly didn't want to support it, as i felt that a sequel would bring us nothing that couldn't be done with a patch or DLC.

    However, the beta really showed me what this game can do and just how different it is from LBP. It really is a massive improvement over the first in almost every way, in my opinion, and definitely worth a look
    Edited by captain_Carl at 21/01/11 @ 12:45

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #11 1 year ago

    When i got this yesterday i thought it might be alot more of the same with a few new additions, but the amount of additions is massive, the overhaul to the graphics is also a big bonus.

    If you had any enjoyment from the first you shouldn't be hesitant at all about picking this one up, its truly a sequel that's had lots of additions and tweaks that all seem for the better, LBP2 is alot more than just a few new levels and a lick of paint that's something most sequels these days cant brag.

  • drxym #12 1 year ago

    Bought RDR and LBP2. Should see me busy for a while.
    Edited by drxym at 21/01/11 @ 14:56

  • Beano #13 1 year ago

    "Like the first one, LBP2 is pure genius. A refreshing change from the serious FPS that dominate the market. Buy it. "

    Agreed - people who hate this franchise, must hate having fun.

    I'm amazed how great the story levels in LBP2 are compared to the ones in LBP1 - MM really used the new tools to create something entertaining and beautiful without falling back to platforming clichés.
    Can't wait to see what the community will do with all the new tools, gadgets, materials, effects, etc. - and when the Move expansion comes out.

  • King_Edward #14 1 year ago

    Good to hear.

  • Augmentation #15 1 year ago

    To put this in perspective, this morning (my time; it would probably have been around midnight in the UK) I saw around 1000 players on a single [story] level. I don't recall seeing that many people online for the first game. So no, I don't think that this is a PR-bloated article at all.

  • PixelPirate #16 1 year ago

    Woooo been saving my Gamestation credit for a while now and have enough to get this *and* ME2 next week.

    Best games for trade-ins ever!

  • Fab4 #17 1 year ago

    I want to make something like this, once I've finished the story :)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRlz44n7Vx4

  • jtodroc #18 1 year ago

    Have this since Wednesday but still haven't gotten around to playin it yet!

    Loved the 1st game but never actually got round to making a level myself. I'll definitely try with this.
    Edited by jtodroc at 21/01/11 @ 13:17

  • jabberscript #19 1 year ago

    I think some people [at Sony] would be waving certain things at me...

    I am interested and would like to know more.

  • JohnnyWashnGo #20 1 year ago

    Game looks good and I will pick it up eventually but right now I have too many books to read and with Dead Space 2 out soon, I cannot spare time for LBP2.

    Plus it'll be cheap as chips in a few weeks ;)

  • captain_Carl #21 1 year ago

    @Jabber

    Penises

  • joelstinton #22 1 year ago

    i cancelled my pre-order on the basis of that it be cheap in a month or so... don't think im gonna be able to hold out that long. GAH!

  • Dave52 #23 1 year ago

    Purchased this morning along with ME2. I want to leave work now....

  • Chufty #24 1 year ago

    Mine turned up on Wednesday, so not all brits will not have played it yet!

    Great game by the way, I'm really impressed.

  • Davemanz #25 1 year ago

    I'm in the US and when I went to pick it up yesterday it was almost entirely sold out. Good to see the sequel is selling better than the original, as it deserves it. There's potential for so much more stuff in this one, with how many different tools there are.

  • Arwin #26 1 year ago

    Have been playing this into the second world, and tried some other stuff, and I have to say, this is something else. The level of polish was already good in LBP1, but this is outstanding. Everything works so well, so beautiful, and it is such a polished and smooth experience. Fantastic. Already looking strong for being my goty 2011.

    You can only feel that this game didn't need a sequel if you haven't played it. The number of gameplay improvements are insane, with all those new powers and ways to interact. Hugely impressive and great fun. The grabbinator and cakinator are really fantastic, and the grapple hook of course not bad either, and they are used in the game in very clever ways already in the story mode. And the way other characters can walk around and interact in your world is a big change too. And that's just the first small bit. Second world looks really lovely too. And then all those effects like the way stuff dissolves, etc.

    And then the lbp.me stuff is really something else too - If you're logged into PSN, and you go to this link, just one button puts it into your queue, and if you login to lbp afterwards, it'll tell you that you have levels in your queue and if you want to play them now, accessible with just one button. Awesome.

    http://lbp.me/v/w-328s