LittleBigPlanet Cleans Up at AIAS Awards

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Media Molecule's innovative platformer LittleBigPlanet (PS3) took top honors at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awards, held last night at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas.

The title took Overall Game of the Year, in addition to Console Game of the Year, Family Game of the Year, and achievements in Game Direction, Art Direction, Visual Engineering, Character Performance and Innovation in Gaming. The Sackboy himself took home the award for Outstanding Character Performance. Valve's Left 4 Dead also did well, winning the Computer Game of the Year category and being recognized for its achievements in Online Game Play.

The full list of categories and winners follows:

Overall Game of the Year:
LittleBigPlanet

Console Game of the Year:
LittleBigPlanet

Computer Game of the Year:
Left 4 Dead

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction:
LittleBigPlanet

Casual Game of the Year:
Braid

Fighting Game of the Year:
Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Handheld Game of the Year:
God of War: Chains of Olympus

Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year:
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

Cellular Game of the Year:
Spore Origins

Role-Playing Game of the Year:
Fallout 3

Racing Game of the Year:
Burnout Paradise

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design:
World of Goo

Adventure Game of the Year:
Mirror's Edge

Sports Game of the Year:
NHL 09

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year:
Command & Conquer 3: Red Alert

Action Game of the Year:
Dead Space

Family Game of the Year:
LittleBigPlanet

Outstanding Achievement in Animation:
Prince of Persia

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction:
LittleBigPlanet

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering:
LittleBigPlanet

Outstanding Character Performance:
Sackboy in LittleBigPlanet

Outstanding Achievement in Story - Adapted:
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Outstanding Achievement in Story - Original:
Fallout 3

Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play:
Left 4 Dead

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming:
LittleBigPlanet

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition:
Metal Gear Solid 4

Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack:
Rock Band 2

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design:
Dead Space

From The Chatty
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    February 20, 2009 12:44 PM

    It's weird. I was dying to play this game when it released. Now that I own it, I played it probably for no more than 8 hours total. It's collecting dust on my shelf.

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      February 20, 2009 12:49 PM

      Opposite for me, I have put in tons of hours both alone and with various groups of friends/family. I love this little game, not that it doesn't have issues (platforming needs to be tightened up) but I really enjoy going through the user created content and trying to unlock everything in the career. It's also a blast making something with 1-3 friends in the editor, even if you're all just tossing together random shit and watching it go.

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        February 20, 2009 1:23 PM

        Same here- I think i've been every level of the single player at least twice if not more trying to figure out all the unlockables. Playing the user-generated content can be time-consuming since so many levels are just mediocre, but its worth it when you find something that someone really put some effort into.

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        February 20, 2009 2:10 PM

        "platforming needs to be tightened up"

        Problem is... it's a platform game. :-/

        A very pretty one where people can make neat-yet-pointless contraptions, I admit, but it's still a platform game. With poor controls and irritating, slippery movement physics and fairly boring gameplay.

        It does seem more fun with other people but, even then, I really don't get the love for the game beyond the presentation and some of the concepts (which while neat did not result in a game that was actually fun to play, IMO).

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          February 20, 2009 7:45 PM

          I don't play user levels for a challenge and few people do. It's about creativity, not nailing the perfect jump sequence.

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        February 21, 2009 4:05 PM

        I've played the game a ton of hours, mainly with my girlfriend. And some other friends online too. The game is fantastic and probably one of the best games ever made. That been said I play Battlefield Bad Company and TF2 (on PC) the most still. Until Killzone 2 comes out that is.

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      February 20, 2009 12:50 PM

      Try co-op with non gamer friends. So much fun I had like that. Never play by myself

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      February 20, 2009 12:55 PM

      Ditto, I thought it looked awesome, I played it for about 4 hours and haven't touched it since, and have absolutely no desire to ever load it back up.

      I imagine it would be more fun with more people though.

      Also the UI in your little TV box thing is really super confusing for me, I can't figure out how to do pretty much anything with it.

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      February 20, 2009 1:00 PM

      Same here. I think I just couldn't get past how imprecise the platforming was. The split-second delay in jumping definitely hampered my enjoyment of the game.

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