One of the wonderful trends of this fall for reporters has been the proliferation of games that have been completed and sent out well before their release date.
Usually I can't hope to receive a boxed copy of a new game more than a week prior to it hitting store shelves. But so far I've received "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed," "Fracture," "Dead Space," and, today, October 21's "Little Big Planet" all in their store-ready shrink-wrapped boxes well before their release dates.
I have a few tidbits to share based on the box and the manual, but, first, do I think this fall trend is good because I can brag about having the game before you?
No, I think it's good because... it suggests that these games aren't being developed down to the wire. Instead it seems they are getting completed under a more sensible schedule that allows them to get passed to the press in a finished form that provides ample time for informed reviews and impressions.
Reviews of "LBP" based on the boxed copies I and other reporters are receiving today are prohibited until October 14, but I can surely give you some impressions of.... well... the box. And the manual. (I'm in Manhattan but my PS3 is in Brooklyn, a subway ride away.)
What can I tell you from the box? That the game plays in 720P, supports 1-4 players online and requires 600MB of harddrive space. That's not terribly exciting.
Anything cool in the manual? No mention of the Solid Snake and "Final Fantasy VII" add-on content nor of there being a paid marketplace. But there is a nice note from the manual-writer about how to behave in this game when playing online:
We want to create a big, happy family -- and that means the we all need to respect each other's feelings. So, as tempting as it is, please refrain from being rude! No swearing, no rude drawings and nothing that would offend your granny.
One other thing. The letter that came with my copy of "LBP" notes that the game's servers won't go live until October 21, the game's official release date. So if you manage to get your own early copy, don't expect to be able to see and share other players' levels yet. Make your own. Or play the ones on the disc.
And, of course, make sure that the reviews you read on 10/14 either acknowledge that the game wasn't test online or show some sign that the reviewer used the online features that were available in the game's beta.
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