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Media Molecule up there with Naughty Dog as the best of Sony's studios? Why no love?

Coulomb_Barrier

Coulomb_Barrier

Member
Just reading a Tearaway review the other day and I have been thinking in the run up to E3; there has barely been any hype or anticipation of Media Molecule's next project. Certainly not as much as other studios under the Sony Worldwide Studios banner.

Why is this? They are in exalted company based on their (I don't like using this but...) Metacritic ratings for their games:

Little Big Planet - 95%
LBP2 - 92%
Tearaway - 87%
Secret PS4 project - ??

MM is made up of former Lionhead guys who also worked on Rag Doll Kung Fu. Pedigree is top notch. Granted their output is not massive yet (only 50-odd employees iirc) but you can only judge them on what they have put out.

I'm personally really excited to see what they reveal for the PS4. They have been pumping out top, top quality stuff for years now. I feel they need to be given more of a centre-stage by Sony this gen. Their next title could be a game-changer.

Sucker Punch and GG's get a lot of the spotlight but neither has created a title as highly rated as LBP. Sony should get their damn priorities straight when it comes to the funding of their studios imo.
 
T

Takao

Banned
They don't make what this industry considers to be AAA experiences. Naughty Dog does.

Their weak showcase at the PS4 reveal probably dampened some hopes, though.
 
R

Ravek

Banned
Wait....how did LBP2 score lower than the original?!

I feel as if they are equal. Different experiences but always great IMO.
 
G

Gorillaz

Member
I like them from a more "creative" standpoint. Naughty Dog gets the "love" the most because of legacy and the fact they are one of the few studios that can handle cinematics and gameplay without fucking up. Yea LBP isn't "mario level" platforming but I liked what they were trying to go for in terms of connectivity. The are the guys that actually looked at vita and said "alright, you know what, lets just try something with it and see where it goes.

I'm interested in seeing what they would do with different types of hardware like project Morpheus. They will most likely be the guys that will show what Morpheus is capable of. That alone puts them up their with ND
 
Coulomb_Barrier

Coulomb_Barrier

Member
Takao said:
They don't make what this industry considers to be AAA experiences. Naughty Dog does.
Click to expand...

Yeah, not saying they are as good as ND.

I'm saying they are up there with them.

Titles are more highly critically acclaimed than what either Guerilla or Sucker Punch put out.
 
I

IAmRandom31

Banned
Coulomb_Barrier said:
Just reading a Tearaway review the other day and I have been thinking in the run up to E3; there has barely been any hype or anticipation of Media Molecule's next project. Certainly not as much as other studios under the Sony Worldwide Studios banner.

Why is this? They are in exalted company based on their (I don't like using this but...) Metacritic ratings for their games:

Little Big Planet - 95%
LBP2 - 92%
Tearaway - 87%
Secret PS4 project - ??

MM is made up of former Lionhead guys who also worked on Rag Doll Kung Fu. Pedigree is top notch. Granted their output is not massive yet (only 50-odd employees iirc) but you can only judge them on what they have put out.

I'm personally really excited to see what they reveal for the PS4. They have been pumping out top, top quality stuff for years now. I feel they need to be given more of a centre-stage by Sony this gen. Their next title could be a game-changer.

Sucker Punch and GG's get a lot of the spotlight but neither has created a title as highly rated as LBP. Sony should get their damn priorities straight when it comes to the funding of their studios imo.
Click to expand...

Early in this generation, with new hardware in hand and new possibilities, so far graphics have been center stage. But as the hardware is figured out and the potential is showcased, you will start to see that narrative switch a bit. Happens every generation. For awhile the new eye-candy is the talk of the town, but eventually it returns to the pure gameplay aspect of it all, mostly anyway.

Media Molecule gets their love no doubt. We just have no F'in clue, at all, what they could be working on for the PS4. LittleBigPlanet 3 I don't think has even been hinted. We did get a glimpse of something at the February reveal, but not heard a peep since. Perhaps the reception to what was shown was not what Sony wanted and they went back and had to change projects, who knows.

I can't wait to see what MM has in store though. I would not mind LittleBigPlanet 3 myself.
 
P

Prelude.

Member
MM is most likely going to define what Project Morpheus is going to be, I'm pretty sure Sony is funding them accordingly.
 
H

Hattori

Banned
They're an okay studio, but not really up there yet. They need more than a franchise and a half to even be considered in my opinion.
 
E

El-Pistolero

Member
Their weak showcase at the PS4 reveal probably dampened some hopes, though.
Click to expand...

They released Tearaway, a wondeful game. So they are on a postivie note...

They're an okay studio, but not really up there yet. They need more than a franchise and a half to even be considered in my opinion.
Click to expand...

By half you mean that only one tearaway game was released?
They produced 3 games, all of which launched to critical acclaim, from journalists and gamers alike. That is a strike.
 
T

The Lamp

Member
Ravek said:
Wait....how did LBP2 score lower than the original?!

I feel as if they are equal. Different experiences but always great IMO.
Click to expand...

I feel like sequels often score lower.

LBP2 was superior in every way though (from content, creation features, and better designed campaign and gameplay diversity), so whatever.
 
J

jabuseika

Member
Naughty Dog gets more love because of the history they have of making great games since the birth of the PlayStation.

Media Molecule will be the next Naughty Dog if they continue making excellent games, but they still have some way to go before they get close to Naughty Dog.
 
S

Silky

Banned
The majority of their games are floaty, unresponsive platformers with an emphasis on user interactivity which is used as a scapegoat to mask the developers' shitty sense of level design.

Thank god I played Tearaway. Otherwise I'd think they're not capable of proper level design.

They need to do more Tearaways. Less LBPs.

I'm glad Naughty Dog is capable of making a competent game like The Last of Us after two stinkers like Uncharted 2/3.
 
Y0j1mb0

Y0j1mb0

Member
I LOVED Little Big Planet 1 & 2. But if their new game is another entry in the series, I have ZERO interest in it. As for the lack of love for them, I respect them but next to Naughty Dog... that's another thing altogether.
 
F

FaintColt388301

Member
I'm excited to see what they have up their sleeve. After Tearaway they have my full attention. They've just been very secretive. It's had to be excited for something you have no idea about. Most of the other studios you know what you are getting. Media Molecule? No idea.
 
T

The Lamp

Member
Silky said:
The majority of their games are floaty, unresponsive platformers with an emphasis on user interactivity which is used as a scapegoat to mask the developers' shitty sense of level design.

Thank god I played Tearaway. Otherwise I'd think they're not capable of proper level design.

They need to do more Tearaways. Less LBPs.
Click to expand...

They're responsive. I never had a problem with them. They just respond differently because it's real world physics.
 
Coulomb_Barrier

Coulomb_Barrier

Member
IAmRandom31 said:
Early in this generation, with new hardware in hand and new possibilities, so far graphics have been center stage. But as the hardware is figured out and the potential is showcased, you will start to see that narrative switch a bit. Happens every generation. For awhile the new eye-candy is the talk of the town, but eventually it returns to the pure gameplay aspect of it all, mostly anyway.

Media Molecule gets their love no doubt. We just have no F'in clue, at all, what they could be working on for the PS4. LittleBigPlanet 3 I don't think has even been hinted. We did get a glimpse of something at the February reveal, but not heard a peep since. Perhaps the reception to what was shown was not what Sony wanted and they went back and had to change projects, who knows.

I can't wait to see what MM has in store though. I would not mind LittleBigPlanet 3 myself.
Click to expand...

I hope so.

Part of the reason why we don't know much is because it feels like not many people are as interested in what they are working on and no-one is digging around to find out!

Maybe that is being a little melodramatic but certainly, you can see the hype already for GG's new 'open-world RPG' that is just as far away as any Media Molecule PS4 project.
 
S

Silky

Banned
The Lamp said:
They're responsive. I never had a problem with them. They just respond differently because it's real world physics.
Click to expand...

You can have a competent, enjoyable platformer with floaty jump physics like DKC and Rayman Origins. LBP is definitely not that.
 
D

Deadstar

Member
Littlebigplanet is the best but wasn't a fan of lbp2 as a game maker rather than a platformer. It was just too crazy. Give me a LBP style game but for PS4 with a few new mechanics.
 
T

TheDarkKnight774

Member
Im guessing because of A floaty jump mechanic.

I love MM and I think tearaway was the best game they've made yet. Can't wait to see what they do next.
 
Z

Zia

Member
They're a way better studio than Naughty Dog, and as others have said they're plenty loved, it's just that they've been very quiet about what they're up to.
 
S

StoopKid

Member
EloquentM said:
They're actually overrated.
Click to expand...

comeon.png
 
H

Hugstable

Banned
I absolutely hated both Little Big Planet games. The floating jumps just turned me off from the game instantly.

That Said, Tearaway is one of the most fun and inventive platformers in years. This is what I want from Media Molecule games, and not stuff like Little Big Planet. I want a Tearaway style game on the PS4 that uses the touchpad in cool ways. Probably not as much as what they could do with Vita, but I'd like to see them continue working on Tearaway as a series instead of LBP, or atleast make their next game using what they learned from Tearaway.

<3 Tearaway.
 
P

ProfessorMoran

Member
Coulomb_Barrier said:
Just reading a Tearaway review the other day and I have been thinking in the run up to E3; there has barely been any hype or anticipation of Media Molecule's next project. Certainly not as much as other studios under the Sony Worldwide Studios banner.

Why is this? They are in exalted company based on their (I don't like using this but...) Metacritic ratings for their games:

Little Big Planet - 95%
LBP2 - 92%
Tearaway - 87%
Secret PS4 project - ??

MM is made up of former Lionhead guys who also worked on Rag Doll Kung Fu. Pedigree is top notch. Granted their output is not massive yet (only 50-odd employees iirc) but you can only judge them on what they have put out.

I'm personally really excited to see what they reveal for the PS4. They have been pumping out top, top quality stuff for years now. I feel they need to be given more of a centre-stage by Sony this gen. Their next title could be a game-changer.

Sucker Punch and GG's get a lot of the spotlight but neither has created a title as highly rated as LBP. Sony should get their damn priorities straight when it comes to the funding of their studios imo.
Click to expand...
Tearaway is awesome.
 
S

Salex_

Member
I hear a lot of praise about the studio whenever someone talks about them. The only complaint I ever hear about Media Molecule is the floaty jumps in Little Big Planet. I think people aren't really speculating about what their next project is because no one really has any idea what their next project is. The only thing we know is that it's a new IP.

I've always been curious. Can someone tell me why anyone doesn't complain about Rayman's floaty jumps?
 
P

Proponent

Banned
I played LBP, it was okay, it was cool, but I really didnt feel like I knew how to get the most from it. So I just didn't give a shit.
 
I

IAmRandom31

Banned
Coulomb_Barrier said:
I hope so.

Part of the reason why we don't know much is because it feels like not many people are as interested in what they are working on and no-one is digging around to find out!

Maybe that is being a little melodramatic but certainly, you can see the hype already for GG's new 'open-world RPG' that is just as far away as any Media Molecule PS4 project.
Click to expand...

True, but in GG's case we atleast know they are working on an open-world RPG! lol. So that gives us an idea, a vision. GG's amazing technical talents inside an open world RPG? Yes please!

MM though, we just don't know anything about their project. Even what kind of genre it is.
 
Coulomb_Barrier

Coulomb_Barrier

Member
Salex_ said:
I hear a lot of praise about the studio whenever someone talks about them. The only complaint I ever hear about Media Molecule is the floaty jumps in Little Big Planet. I think people aren't really speculating about what their next project is because no one really has any idea what their next project is. The only thing we know is that it's a new IP.

I've always been curious. Can someone tell me why anyone doesn't complain about Rayman's floaty jumps?
Click to expand...

If their output has been so good critically and commercially well received too (ok Tearaway wasn't. God) why have they only still got about 47 employees? Why doesn't Sony pour some funds into these talented Brits and let them shine on the PS4?
 
S

Snicky

Member
Gorillaz said:
I'm interested in seeing what they would do with different types of hardware like project Morpheus. They will most likely be the guys that will show what Morpheus is capable of. That alone puts them up their with ND
Click to expand...

I really hope they are working on a Morpheus project. That would be incredible, I am sold on Morpheus but I would be very excited to hear that Media Molecule would be putting out a title with VR.
 
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