Little Big Planet release rows continue
IF IT WAS NOT bad enough that the cutesy platform game Little Big Planet was delayed because a soundtrack might possibly offend a minority of hardline Muslims, it now seems that the Sony’s moderation has got players miffed.
The key selling point of the PlayStation 3 game is that punters can share their own levels over the PlayStation Network.
Users have spent days building custom worlds, including tributes to classic games and characters such as Final Fantasy, Pac-Man, Batman, Sonic The Hedgehog, God Of War, Super Mario Bros and Indiana Jones.
However Sony has been going around and blocking such levels because they
allegedly breach someone else's intellectual property.
Apparently the moderation is so heavy-handed that even references to characters
from other games are being censored without even telling users.
Levels are also being censored if there is any content that would be " unsuitable for users of all ages".
One user on the Sony forums said that his level was deleted because it included items related to Sonic The Hedgehog and Metal Gear Solid.
He couldn’t load load, copy, or move, his levels so lost all his will to play the game.
Another user had his level deleted because its name, Failure to Launch, was shared by a 2006 romantic comedy movie.
Game designer Media Molecule originally said players would be limited only by their imagination.
However, it has since said that it has had to become significantly more draconian, despite the fact that there does not seem to have been any word of legal threats from other game publishers.
Looks like there is proof that IP enforcement at this level really does stifle innovation. µ
L'Inq
AP
Share this:
ShareBusiness Intelligence Software
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Enterprise Accounting Software
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Enterprise Systems Management
"However, it has since said that it has had to become significantly more draconian, despite the fact that there does not seem to have been any word of legal threats from other game publishers."

This is Sony. I am not surprised.
The biggest problem is the servers seem to be down a lot and half the time the lag is so bad it is not possible to play online with friends. Considering it is fine to play COD4, the delays are down to the engine not the internet connection. Great game, but needs some work if it is to succeed. 

Regarding your point about players would only be limited by their imagination....how is copying another game their imagination? Surely copying an existing idea is nothing to do with imagination, just plain copying......
It must be tough to be a gang of whinging, babbling sissy gay boys in Japan. How about it, Sony? Can you let us know how it feels?

What a bunch of jerk-offs.
This is what happens when you don't have a competent Community Manager.
Companies like to whine about the credit crunch or not finding an ideal candidate, and then mistakes that enrage your customers keep on happening.

So who's more to blame, Media Molecule or Sony Computer Entertainment? Don't really know to be honest, but it's very likely that the right answer is "both".
I thought redoing (or 'covering' as it is called in the world of music) is perfectly legal? As long as they don't photocopy resources from other games it should be alright, eh?

Then again, I'm just JOE ORDINARY, the laws, they aren't meant to be understood by me, obviously.
....just adding to my list of things to further boycott you.
This story is nothing but Sony's attempt at damage control for their perceived cash cow.

I have spoken with other authors of levels and very few, including mine, had any chance of copyright infringement or being inappropriate.

Sony made the mistake on a mass deletion of levels based upon users Good Grief. Rather than take the time to contact the authors and do some honest evaluation, they have just deleted the levels.

Sam, the person from Sony/MM said that all that could be fixed in a morning that there were so few levels affected. Obviously that is not true by any means as they would have done that. 

I have been in direct email contact with Sam and it has been 4 days now and my level has not been undeleted - err re-moderated. No explanation, in fact he hasn't looked at my level.

So you can see this story is nothing but damage control attempt and the real story is that Sony isn't devoting manpower to helping determine whether levels are inappropriate or not - they are just performing mass deletions
I'm glad I read this. I was about to buy the game. Ha! Not anymore. I'm about one month away from putting my ps3 on craigslist for $100. Because that's all its worth.