Media Molecule Blog

New Tearaway Trailer unveiled at E3

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:54 GMT

As is customary at this time of year, a squadron of highly trained Molecules has been sent forth from the safety of Mm Towers in the UK, to the familiar walls of the L.A Convention center where E3 is held each year.  

 Yes, the Molecules are in town for E3, and we’ve brought Tearaway with us so we can show it to as many people as we possibly can.  
With a bit of luck, and some big smiles, those people will go on to share their experiences with the rest of the world, so you should see some previews across the internet over the next few days. We were also lucky to be included in this year’s press conference, so look out for Rex playing Tearaway - he’s been practising all week, bless. 

 If you can’t wait that long and need a Tearaway pick-me-up right this very second, then stay put, ready your eyes and ears, and prepare for your mouth to fall agape - We’ve got exactly what you need: A brand new trailer for Tearaway!    

We’re also running a new creative challenge! A contest to build a papercraft squirrel where you can win some signed artwork from the Tearaway team. Follow this link to find out how to enter!

We have to get back to E3 things now, but please send us your squirrels, we’re really looking forward to seeing them!

Creative Challenge - Make a Squirrel, and winny win win

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:39 GMT

As you know, the entire world of Tearaway can be crafted from paper in the real world, and as you travel through the game you’ll collect plans to make some of the creatures and wildlife that you spot.    At the end of the latest Tearaway trailer you’ll spot one of our resident papercraft experts, Tom, making a Squirrel at warp speed. Whilst you might not yet have the ability to craft at such speed, you can download the squirrel plan to make your own cool looking squirrel guy at a quite normal speed.

We are also running a squirrel making contest, in which you can win some signed artwork from the Tearaway team. To enter, all you need to do is make a squirrel, and then either

Tweet a picture of your squirrel to @tearawaygame with the hashtag #tearawaysquirrel.
You should also follow @tearawaygame on twitter, as we will DM the winners!
Post the photo to our Facebook wall
Keep your eye on on your post as we’ll use it to contact you if you win!

We’ll be judging the squirrels on their originality, how good they look, the photographic scene they are in, and also on how big you make Rex’s smile when he looks at them!
We’ll have multiple winners, and it doesn’t matter which country you’re in! Contest close date Monday 24th June 2013.
 
We took a bit of time off working our lil’ booties off to make some squirrels ourselves, check them out, perhaps they’ll inspire you to customise your own…

And again - here’s the link to the squirrel plan, have fun!

Play Tearaway at the UEFA Festival this weekend

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:19 GMT

You read that correctly m’hearties, if you want to play Tearaway THIS WEEKEND then get yourself down to the UEFA Festival in London. The festival runs from today for the next four days, and at the PlayStation area, you’ll be able to get your hands on (and in) some great new and unreleased games, including Sly Cooper, Puppeteer, and Tearaway!

Would you like to read some Tearaway Previews?

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:37 GMT

We were over in Los Angeles again last week, to show people more of Tearaway. Judging by the smiles and nice comments, everyone seemed to be really interested in our newest game, and those smiles have carried themselves over into some previews. Would you like to read them? They include some shiny new screenshots too!

Tearaway wallpapers of all shapes and sizes will make you squeal, puns will make you cry.

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:49 GMT

OK, so it turns out wallpapers only come in rectangles, but those other promises will hold true, for behold!

Your phone, your computer, your Vita - they’re all sick. It’s not swine-flu, but these devices are in desperate need of help.
But it’s ok folks, there’s no need to call a Hambulance. Allow us to trot out these Tearaway wallpapers, which are sure to cure a computer or computery device of any ailment!
Apply the wallpaper to the sick device like an oikment, and stand back to admire your Ham-dy work…. The Pigment will soon return to their pale complexion.

Just pork your desired size:

OK that’s enough of the puns, they’re such a boar.

Did you know that you’ll soon be able to pre-order Tearaway, and if you do you’ll be bestowed with even greater gifts than these fine wallpapers, oh yes.

Pre-order treasures for Tearaway!

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:51 GMT

We’re excited to announce details on the magnificent and exclusive bonus content you’ll get for pre-ordering your copy of Tearaway! Participating retailers will offer two options, each with a different set of treasures.

The Jukebox Pack, which contains:

Splendiferous iota and atoi Avatars for use on the PlayStation®Network
Resplendent PlayStation®Vita Wallpaper
Audiolicious Tearaway Soundtrack with bonus track

and The Special Delivery Pack, which includes:

Oppulent iota and atoi costumes for LittleBigPlanet™
Exclusive skin for the in-game rideable pig, and printable papercraft plan to match

Yes, that’s right, there’s an in-game rideable pig. Look at it, just look at it…

We’ll be making that into a wallpaper for sure, so stay tuned for that! Tearaway itself will be available on shelves and in the PSN Store this October.
Now tell us, which pack will you be pre ordering, and why? Because we can’t make our minds up!

From Bedrooms to Billions, a Kickstarter

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:13 GMT

A group of independent film makers hope to tell the story of the Britsh video games industry, from the bedrooms of 1979 to the huge, global, billion dollar industry it’s grown into today. Their new film - Bedrooms to Billions - will feature interviews with “virtually every major UK contributor in game development, art, music, publishing and journalism over the last 30 years” including a nice long interview with our very own Mark Healey, and the story of LittleBigPlanet.

The film is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter, and whilst they have reached their initial goal, they are now hoping to reach their stretch goals so the can make the film even better!

‘From Bedrooms to Billions’ is a two hour feature length documentary film telling the remarkable, true story of the British Video Games Industry from 1979 to the present day and how the creativity and vision of a relatively small number of individuals allowed the UK to play a key, pioneering role in the shaping of the billion dollar video games industry which today, dominates the modern world’s entertainment landscape.

If you want to hear the rest of the interview with Mark, and learn the story of the British video games industry, then check out the Bedrooms to Billions Kickstarter.

We need a: Web Designer!

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:15 GMT

Media Molecule are seeking an experienced web designer, to help us build the web experiences for our in-house web projects and our upcoming games and services.

We’re looking for someone with strong visual design ability and the level of technical ability you’d expect from years of experience working on the web. The traditional Web Designer: Part front-end designer, part front-end developer.
As a web designer, you’ll have many loves. Primarily, you’ll love creating visually stunning, thoroughly enjoyable experiences on the web. The web is a passion for you, it’s massive potential and constantly evolving limits help drive you, and because of that you’re in tune with what’s happening in the bleeding edge of web technology – knowing what else you can play with excites you!

Read the full job description on our jobs page...

Tearaway’s Reversible Box Art and Release Date!

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:33 GMT

We’re proud to announce that you’ll be able to get your hands on, and indeed in, our new game Tearaway at the end of this year! Tearaway will be available on shelves and in the PSN Store on:

October 22: USA
October 23: Europe, Australia and New Zealand
~~October 24: Australia and New Zealand~~
October 25: UK and Ireland

In Tearaway you’ll journey through a vibrant, living papery world, with a plucky messenger who has a unique message to deliver - to you! As the papery world of Tearaway unfolds in your hands, you’ll be able to use your god-like powers to help your new messenger friend, iota or atoi, complete their very special delivery.

You’ll uncover a magical dimension inspired by folklore, and built realistically from paper that unfolds and comes alive before your very eyes. As you explore this world you’ll meet the papercraft creatures that live within it, help out strange new friends and encounter dangerous challenges.

We’ve designed the world of Tearaway to blend with our own through the unique features of the PlayStation®Vita, which allow you to help your messenger buddy to solve puzzles using the power of touch, literally breathe new life into this papercraft land, and reach up into the world using the rear-touch panel to see your fingertips appear inside the game! We think this is an adventure unlike anything you’ve played before.

Here’s a little more backstory on how Tearaway came to be from our very own doodle-meister and lead designer, Rex Crowle.

Normally a game has just one piece of box art, but we have two main characters for you to choose from - iota and atoi. Who should go on the front of the box then? It was an impossible choice for us to make, so instead of making it, we made a reversible double sided inlay, so you can decide for yourself!

So finally, and without further ado, allow us to present the box art that you’ll be seeing on shelves this October.

Reversible Inlay:

We’ll be back with more Tearaway news soon!

Jobface: We still need a Gameplay Programmer

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:12 GMT

Hey everyone, we *really* need to hire for a very specific role here at Mm Towers; a gameplay programmer - someone who can code, but is also a designer. and can code gameplay that feels great to play!

To better explain what we’re looking for in this role, we asked one of our existing gameplay programer, and also technical director, Dave to talk about it into a video camera, so we could spread the word!

If this sounds like you then you should apply for a job! If it sounds like someone you know, then please can you share it with them? In fact, could you please share it around for us just in case someone sees it and is the exact person we are looking for? Thank you, you’re the best!