Taken from http://www.computerandvideogames.com

So, yesterday the LittleBigPlanet servers went live. People who managed to secure early copies of the game have been playing it without the community features for the past few weeks, but now they’re finally able to go online, publish their levels and play with other users. Brilliant. Or not. As with any online community, LBP is having some teething problems….

People stealing levels

Some of the most popular levels from the LBP beta - God Of War: Demon Skull, Metal Gear Solid: Return To Shadow Moses, Hollow Bastion - are being copied and republished by other users, and they’re taking all the credit for them. In some cases they have more hearts/plays than the originals. Sure, we can copy protect our levels, but we shouldn’t have to. Hopefully Media Molecule catch onto this and ban anyone who’s found copying other peoples’ levels. Seriously, what are these people thinking?

Trophy levels

There are dozens of these scattered across LBP’s thirteen pages of Cool Levels. They’re designed specifically to earn people Trophies; for example, supplying enough point bubbles to get all the score multiplier awards, or giving you enough boost to earn the incredible speed Trophy. We don’t think this is exactly what MM had in mind when they designed the game’s community features, and it’s simply a shameless way for the creators of these levels to get hearts/plays and up their play/share/create scores.

People uploading unfinished/broken/test levels

We’ve lost count of the amount of times we’ve played a level, only to find out that it’s an empty room with a single obstacle in the middle, a pile of random junk, or a level that’s impossible to complete thanks to bad design. Before anyone uploads a level they should test it to within an inch of its life, trying every possibility and making sure people won’t get trapped or stuck. Probably 50% of the levels online now are like this, and again, Media Molecule need to plough through the archives, moderating any levels that aren’t up to scratch.

People asking for the Kratos costume code ALL THE TIME

This is more of an internet problem than the actual game itself, but look at any LBP forum - GameFAQs, the official one, Gametrailers, anywhere - and you’ll see dozens of posts like ‘PLS GIVE ME KRATOS KODE PLS!!11′ or ‘WILL SWOP RESISTANCE BETA COEDE FOR KRATOTOSOS COSTUME EEE!!1′ Expect to see this making its way to the main game. Take our advice; if you have the costume (like us), don’t play online with it. If you do, expect dozens of desperate, begging PSN messages. “PPLLZLZLLZLZLZL!!!!11111!!”

The servers can’t cope

Last night, about the time when the Americans were waking up, the servers suddenly imploded. Nothing would load properly, the game would freeze and hang, and even checking your friends’ profiles or uploading a level was impossible. Hopefully they’ll add more heft to the LBP servers come the EU release, otherwise the game’s at risk of buckling under the weight of the millions of users trying to play it. It took us nine or ten attempts to upload our level last night, and multiplayer was lag-tastic.

But even with all of this, LBP is still incredible, and we had more fun last night than we’ve had with some entire games. When the servers are sorted out, the griefers are smashed with the banhammer and the game’s available to the general public, LBP will be perfect. Now it’s ‘merely’ brilliant.

Drew here again with yet another installment of my weekly gaming recap.

Well, as some of you may know, I got another 360 this week. I got an Arcade model for $199. Not a bad deal when you look at it; it comes with Sega Superstars Tennis and 5 Live Arcade games. The Tennis game is not that bad, it’s actually rather fun.

Of course, I had to play Rock Band 2. That game is still great. I put my headphones on and play until my my fingers ache. It feels like that game just keeps getting better and better each time I play it. I’m actually warming up to the set list in this one. Originally, I really wasn’t a fan, but now I’m starting to get into it.

Still staying terrified in Dead Space. Once again, that is the scariest game I have ever played. It’s getting super hard in the later chapters especially because I’m just using the Plasma Cutter(the first and weakest weapon in the game) in order to get a gold trophy. Even though I die a fair amount, I still can’t get enough of that game.

Finally, I got into the Resistance: Fall of Man 2 Beta. I played a few matches and leveled up a few times. It’s not bad, but I still can’t get used to a first person shooter with the PS3 controller, and this is coming from a major PS3 fan… I still wish Sony would release a cheap, but effective headset with the PS3. I know, you could be saying, “But that will just give these morons on PSN a way to curse and yell racist crap over the game.” That’s true, but there are still gamers out there that care about the match, people who want to communicate with their team in an effort to help them out. I’d like to have a few good people than absolute silence. You don’t like it, take you headset off.

All in all it’s been a good week. I’m back on Live and I’ve played some good games. Also, to reiterate, My Gamertag and PSN ID are both FrustratedFury. Feel free to send my a friend request. I turned 23 last Friday(yay!..not really…) Just another reminder that I’m getting older and less cooler everyday. Pretty soon I’m gonna be yelling out my font door at those damn kids on my front lawn.

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Yet another episode of Evolved Gaming for all your pleasure and still no JDB!  While he hard at work on 360Evolved.com and with real life, we wish him all the best and his co-host seat will be kept open.  Therefore happy to announce that we should be back to 4 hosts next week!  (can you feel the love?)

But in Episode 19 we discuss (thanks to Cory for taking notes):

• THQ picks up 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand.

Drew’s Discussion Topic: Wii.

Then the Shoutouts

and a little Ben Folds Five “the Last Polka” for your enjoyment…

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In what has become, lately, a money grab of limited edition consoles and/or accessories for those consoles, it is few and far between that a LE console is worth taking a look at.  While most just change the color or package in a game, over on bit-tech.net they take a little different approach and above was the result.

Yes!  There is a working PlayStation 3 in there!  I can barely pick out the disc loading spot and the general shape of the PS3, but it is there.  Added around it is:  AK47 clip, spent casings, machete, buried skull, and even some bugs to top it off.  I did not list everything so head on over to see every step in the process.

I may be moving to the UK because bit-tech.net is giving one away. Find out more details here. (For UK residents only!  If any UK reader happens to win and would like to give me this I would be willing to do just about anything for you.  This is one sweet modded console and would look great next to some other gaming paraphernalia I have!

Far Cry 2 was released last week and has been getting some good praise around the circles you want to listen to.  So if your in the UK, go win this for me.  Everyone else go rent, Gamefly and/or buy Far Cry 2!

Just wanted to give you some quick impressions of the Resistance 2 Beta that went public today…

Well after the hour and a half download of a 2122MB file I had the pleasure of the 7-10 minute install of the file. Sitting down in my new favorite recliner couch I was all ready to play the game I heard was, actually, pretty fun in co-op and ok in multiplayer. After just having completed the first and thinking it was just your basic FPS; I was ready for the story to continue. While this is only a multiplayer beta it would five some enlightenment on the single player also.

So I’m sitting down, controller in hand, Official Bluetooth headset charged and ready to go. Press play Resistance 2 Beta and… AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!

A patch! Now if your a 360 owner you may be used to day one patches on your retail games, but a day one patch on a public beta? Why not just include the new version in the first downloaded file? Well whatever, have to download a patch… That took another 20 minutes to download and install!

Now I’m two hours into playing the Resistance 2 Beta and I haven’t even fired a shot! Barely seen a screen image or logo. But now the patch in installed, the lights are low, the 5.1 is on and ready and…
“Game Is Full”
“Can’t connect”
“Game Is Full” (why does it say 20 slots are open?)
“Connecting… (PS3 freezes)” (reset)
“Game is Full”
(lets create our own room)
“Can’t create game at this time”
(as stated above, AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!)
(oh invite from Steve519)
“Game is Full”
(SOCOM TIME!)

Yup! Thats what I got for the next hour and now SOCOM is on and I’m writing you all this.
Yes its a beta, Yes I can’t expect anymore then… nothing (it was free, THANKS JAY900!) and I’m sure the servers are getting overloaded because of it going public today. It is a little disappointing though that companies haven’t come to expect the demand DAY ONE of release!

Even though we have perfectly good games, we paid $60 for (I have Dead Space and SOCOM to play), we take time away from those to play test your game FOR FREE and you can’t have them working for us to play! Bad Form! to Sony and Insomniac on this one!

Pick up Rock Band 2? See the back of the manual where it states that Harmonix will be giving away 20 FREE tracks SOON! Well the time is almost here to claim them but the track list did come out today and …

While this will push the total number of songs available for RB2 owners to (with disc contents) over 100 songs, and while many of the tracks on the disc are well known, the 20 Free Tracks are not. They are “up and coming” artists that I’ve never heard off. But I never heard of Coheed and Cambria before Rock Band 1 and now look at them.

Full List of 20 Free Tracks:

• The 88 - “Sons and Daughters”
• Authority Zero - “No Regrets”
• Between the Buried and Me - “Prequel To The Sequel”
• The Cab - “Bounce”
• The Chevelles - “Get It On”
• The Cocktail Slippers - “Give It To Me”
• Dealership - “Database Corrupted”
• Endeverafter - “I Wanna Be Your Man”
• The Ghost Hounds - “Ashes To Fire”
• Hollywood Undead - “Young”
• Kutless - “The Feeling”
• The Len Price 3 - “If I Ain’t Got You”
• Lesley Roy - “I’m Gone, I’m Going”
• Opiate for the Masses - “Burn You Down”
• Semi-Precious Weapons - “Magnetic Baby”
• Shaimus - “Like a Fool”
• Thenewno2″ - Crazy Tuesday”
• Tickle Me Pink - “The Time Is Wrong”
• Underoath - “Desperate Times, Desperate Measures”
• X Japan - “I.V.”

If you purchased Rock Band 2, or rented and have at the moment, then go over to the site listed on the back of your manual. Enter your code, on or around November 4th you should receive the XBLA code or PS3 code for your tracks. Enter code in your console and wait for the download, and install, to finish.

Once done; fire up Rock Band 2 and ROCK HARD!

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From the minds of 360Evolved.com and PS3Evolved.net is the next installment of the Evolved Gaming Podcast. This is Episode 18 and, no, JDB was again unable to make it but that didn’t stop Drew (Frustrated Fury), Cory (cory_grimes) and me, Zac (Infected…) from trying to offend and insult just about every group we could think of. Check out the show notes below and give it a listen. Let us know what you think be emailing: podcast@evolvedgaming.net

Cory was kind enough to take notes as we went along. So Topics Include

What we’re playing [w/ some talk of TV, Moives and the Max Payne movie.]

• LBP delay
• PS3 marketplace updates
• San Andreas coming to Xbox Originals October 20, $15
• Marvel vs. Capcom remake rumors
• Bioshock 2 teaser trailer
• Extra Life charity
• Yoda and Vader coming as DLC for Soul Calibur IV
• MGS4 coming to 360 rumor
• NPDs for September
• Nirvana 7-pack for Rock Band
• New Oasis album coming to GH:WT
• Facebreaker only sells 52k units
• Left 4 Dead pre-orders outpacing Orange Box, $5 off pre-orders now
• Portal: Still Alive coming to XBLA on Wednesday, $15
• PS3 version of RB2 coming out October 19

and a random picture that came up during the show

Then a bit of rambling w/ some talk of music, crappy old movie games, and the DeLorean & Shoutouts.

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From the minds of 360Evolved.com and PS3Evolved.net is the next installment of the Evolved Gaming Podcast. This is Episode 18 and, no, JDB was again unable to make it but that didn’t stop Drew (Frustrated Fury), Cory (cory_grimes) and me, Zac (Infected…) from trying to offend and insult just about every group we could think of. Check out the show notes below and give it a listen. Let us know what you think be emailing: podcast@evolvedgaming.net

Cory was kind enough to take notes as we went along. So Topics Include

What we’re playing [w/ some talk of TV, Moives and the Max Payne movie.]

• LBP delay
• PS3 marketplace updates
• San Andreas coming to Xbox Originals October 20, $15
• Marvel vs. Capcom remake rumors
• Bioshock 2 teaser trailer
• Extra Life charity
• Yoda and Vader coming as DLC for Soul Calibur IV
• MGS4 coming to 360 rumor
• NPDs for September
• Nirvana 7-pack for Rock Band
• New Oasis album coming to GH:WT
• Facebreaker only sells 52k units
• Left 4 Dead pre-orders outpacing Orange Box, $5 off pre-orders now
• Portal: Still Alive coming to XBLA on Wednesday, $15
• PS3 version of RB2 coming out October 19

and a random picture that came up during the show

Then a bit of rambling w/ some talk of music, crappy old movie games, and the DeLorean & Shoutouts.

Direct Download (right click. save as…)

Itunes Feed

Just announced by Capcom is the 2nd wave of DLC for Mega Man 9. This retro 8-bit classic was just reviewed by our own Drew (FrustratedFury) and pulled off some high marks. While no price was announced for this it shouldn’t take long to find out the cost as it is scheduled to hit the Wii TODAY October 20th, 2008; the 360 Tuesday the 21st and the PS3 on Thursday the 23rd. Now for the details I will let Capcom describe the content:

From Presser:

Hey everyone! Drew again with another weekend recap for you.

Starting off we have one of my most anticipated of the fall 08 line up, Dead Space. I LOVE horror games and I do have to say; this one takes the cake. Most definitely one of the scariest games I have ever played. I’m going through on normal with just the Plasma Cutter so I can get that gold trophy to put up on my make-believe mantel. It feels like every time a monster shows up, you’re genuinely scared. This is a must play for anyone who can handle jump moments.

Next on the list is Burnout Paradise. I’ll admit, when the demo came out for this game before its launch, I didn’t like it at all. Gamefly sent it to me, and besides playing through Dead Space, I can’t put this down. The trophies are a very nice touch as well. I really have to hand it to EA and Criterion Games, they have really put a lot into this game and for absolutely nothing. Great job fellas! My only gripe is the fact that you can’t freakin’ restart the race if you lose so you have to drive all the way back to the starting line and do it again. Honestly, this could be fixed with a simple patch.

Yet again, at my boring job, I’m finishing up with Time Hollow. Still stand by the game. Yeah, the game play is nothing to write home about, but the story is surprisingly compelling. I’m on the final chapter now, or they could be lying to me because it’s called “Chapter 6: The Final Chapter.” All in all, a very good time waster.

Last but not least more Super Stardust HD. God, I love that game. My eyes don’t, but my brain can’t get enough. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this surpasses Geometry Wars.

Not much here this week. One of the reasons is the fact that I still don’t own a 360, and to tell the truth, I don’t really know when I’m going to get another one. Microsoft has screwed me far too many times for me to fork out $200 for another system. I’ve already been through three! The warranty should have covered everything and not just the red rings of death. Cause, I know I didn’t do anything to it to make the video card go out, so I’d call that faulty hardware. I don’t know. I keep asking myself “Is Gears of War 2 really the only thing I’m getting on the 360?” If that’s so, I can really go without it. You know what? Screw it, I’M A PS3 FANBOY!!!…..who will probably pick up a 360 later in the year….don’t judge me.