Lost Planet versionD

Lost Planet versionD theme by Deemy

Download: LostPlanet_versionD.p3t

Lost Planet versionD Theme
(6 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Elfen Lied

Elfen Lied theme by Tony

Download: ElfenLied.p3t

Elfen Lied Theme
(3 backgrounds)

Elfen Lied
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Nyu
エルフェンリート
(Erufen Rīto)
Genre
Manga
Written byLynn Okamoto
Published byShueisha
English publisher
ImprintYoung Jump Comics
MagazineWeekly Young Jump
DemographicSeinen
Original runJune 6, 2002August 25, 2005
Volumes12 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed byMamoru Kanbe
Produced by
  • Kazuaki Morijiri
  • Manabu Tamura
  • Osamu Koshinaka
Written byTakao Yoshioka
Music by
  • Kayō Konishi
  • Yukio Kondō
Studio
Licensed by
Original networkAT-X
English network
Original run July 25, 2004 October 17, 2004
Episodes13 + OVA (List of episodes)

Elfen Lied (Japanese: エルフェンリート, Hepburn: Erufen Rīto) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Lynn Okamoto. It was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Jump from June 2002 to August 2005, with its 107 chapters collected into twelve tankōbon volumes. Elfen Lied revolves around the interactions, views, emotions, and differences between human beings and the Diclonii, a mutant species similar to humans in build but distinguishable by two horns on their heads and "vectors", transparent telekinetically controlled arms that have the power to manipulate and cut objects within their reach. The series is centered on the teenage Diclonius girl "Lucy" who was rejected by human beings and subsequently wants revenge.

The series takes its name from the song "Elfenlied", German for "song of the fairies", which is featured in the story. Elfen Lied involves themes of discrimination, social alienation, identity, prejudice, revenge, abuse, jealousy, regret, and the value of humanity. It is also noted for the graphic violence, emotional themes of how the characters change through, and the overall transgressive subject matter of the whole story.

A 13-episode anime television series adaptation was produced by the studio Arms and broadcast on AT-X from July to October 2004. The anime finished airing before the manga was complete; as a result, the plot differed between the two, especially the ending. The manga is licensed in North America by Dark Horse Comics. The anime series has been licensed in North America by ADV Films and in Australia by Madman Entertainment.

Plot and characters[edit]

Elfen Lied takes place in Kamakura and Kanagawa, and focuses on the "Diclonius", a newly mutated species. Their appearance is similar to humans, but with several differences, namely horn-like protrusions on the forehead, the presence of telekinetic invisible arms called "vectors" and unconventional hair colour. One such Diclonius, Lucy, is the main character of the series: Initially held in a facility built for experimentation, located off the coast of Kamakura, she manages to escape and wreak havoc, but is injured in the process, an event which causes her to develop a secondary, childlike personality known as Nyu.

Lucy is found by two locals, Kouta and his cousin Yuka, who study at the local university. They take her in and become involved with the numerous, often brutal, attempts to recapture her by a Special Assault Team and a number of other Diclonius, who shift frequently from oblivious to murderous.

Diclonius[edit]

Much of the plot of Elfen Lied revolves around the Diclonii species, which strongly resemble humans; the only obvious difference is the two horn-like protrusions extending from the temporal bone and parietal bone regions of the skull.

Diclonii powers involve the use of invisible arms, known as "vectors", that can grasp and impact things as if they are solid, but also become insubstantial and pass through objects. They can slice objects as well, which is how Diclonii usually kill their victims. Vectors usually have a limited range of a few meters, but the length varies among each Diclonius. Diclonii also demonstrate the ability to sense one another.

A key point of debate throughout the series is the Diclonius propensity towards violence. Many have a vendetta against humans, and have ambitions to wipe out the human race and populate the world with their own species. It is disputed and contradicted during the series as to how Diclonii develop their violent behavior, whether it is part of their genetic code or whether it stems from abuse by humans.

If a Diclonius vector penetrates or even so much as touches a human male body, the "vector virus" is transferred to the human, causing their children to be born as Diclonii (when born from infected humans, they are called "Silpelits"). An incident involving the escape of a child Diclonius during Kurama's early years, where the Diclonius' vectors penetrated him without causing him pain, resulted in Mariko being born a Diclonius and Kurama taking precautions against a recurrence by urging Bando to be sterilized.[6] All Silpelits are sterile, female and age rapidly. There's only one Diclonius that is actually capable of reproducing: Lucy, the "queen".

Production[edit]

Anime[edit]

When Elfen Lied was being adapted into an anime series, director Mamoru Kanbe was recommended to work on the series by the series composer, Takao Yoshioka. Yoshioka believed that Kanbe's general drawing style and composition would be ideal to adapt the manga, still in publication at the time, into an anime series. Kanbe himself, originally reluctant about joining the production, gained interest in it upon reading the manga.

While the manga was still ongoing at the time, Kanbe and the production team were forced to condense the plot of the series into thirteen episodes, even though they felt it was necessary to make more as several significant plot details in the manga which Kanbe felt he could have used to make the series more emotive were left out.[7]

According to Kanbe, he considered Elfen Lied as a "love story," and he wanted to "bring viewers to tears."[7] Thus, he made attempts throughout the series to provide a contrast of emotions, commenting that he could make the violence exemplify this throughout the series. The production team were originally surprised by Okamoto's choice of Kamakura as a setting for the series; however, after several visits to the area, Kanbe commented that the setting in Kamakura was, according to the production team, ideal for the poignant and reflective drama in the series to unfold, as its general tranquility and geography made for a reflective and yet eerie, deep-meaning backdrop to the series.[8] This can be seen in several examples, such as on top of a set of steps overlooking the coastline, where many of the interactions between characters take place. This is used as an important device in conveying the ideas of memory and emotional association, such as the contrast between Kohta and Lucy's conversation when they were ten years old in comparison with their conversation in the final episode.

Style and themes[edit]

A segment from Lucy's escape scene in the first episode of the anime, which is notorious for featuring nudity, graphic violence and transgressive themes. Here, Lucy is using the beheaded body of a secretary she killed as a shield.

In comments made by director Mamoru Kanbe on the Elfen Lied website, he stated that he intended for the anime to question and discuss values relating to the way in which humans divide each other by difference, as well as the belief that atrocities such as those committed by Lucy in the series are strongly influenced by the way in which people are treated by their fellow beings. The series frequently discusses the events and treatment which define the human character in such a way, and the problems which arise from discrimination, as well as the wild contrasts between compassion and vengeance between fellow humans, through the strong vengeance of Lucy compared with her past memory of Kohta. Many of the themes are mentioned at the teasers at the ends of episodes.

Themes such as genocide and the attempts to "purify" the earth from each other also appear in the anime. Both Diclonius and the human species feel the need to populate the earth with their own and wipe the other out. Kanbe quoted this in relation to the desire of humans to cast each other out and segregate one another.[9]

Throughout the series, there is a great deal of blood and gore, graphic violence as well as psychological violence. One of the most prevalent motifs of the series is the humanity of the Diclonius, especially contrasted against the inhumanity of ordinary people. One reviewer described the series as "devoted to quite a few of the darker, more callous factors of human nature."[10] Throughout the series there are various incidences of casual beatings, cruel experimentation, and outright killing. Also, animal cruelty is present when three young boys mercilessly beat Lucy's puppy until it dies; though the act is off-screen, a copious amount of blood is shown; which drives Lucy to murder the bullies out of revenge and insanity.

The introduction scenes of the Elfen Lied anime are a reference to Gustav Klimt's artwork such as his Stoclet Frieze paintings.

Most of the episodes contain graphic violence, including instances of torture and at one point the series addresses consequences of the rape of a child. The series also includes scenes that present female nudity and strong language (specifically in the English dub). The series juxtaposes many different tones and genres and was described by Bamboo Dong of Anime News Network as "mixing insane amounts of violence with a heavy dose of ultracuteness."[11] The series balances its darker themes with romantic sub-plots as well as many comic moments. Elfen Lied has been described as similar to, or borrowing elements from Chobits, 3x3 Eyes[12] and Gunslinger Girl.[11]

Cultural references[edit]

The opening and ending sequences feature artistic drawings of the principal characters. These characters are drawn in a style based on Gustav Klimt's paintings, including The Kiss, Adele Bloch-Bauer I, and others with similar imitating poses, colors, and patterns.[12] In promotional art as well as in the series itself, characters make use of a famous El Greco hand symbol of outstretched fingers with the middle and ring fingers connected. The song Elfenlied ("Elf Song") appears in the manga[13] and is credited to the composer Hugo Wolf. A poem by Eduard Mörike is the basis for Wolf's version. It is taught to Nyu by the manga-only protagonist Nozomi. In the manga, the Diclonius are kept in a grotto called the Lebensborn Cave, a reference to the Nazi eugenics program.[14]

Media[edit]

Manga[edit]

Written and illustrated by Lynn Okamoto, Elfen Lied was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Jump from June 6, 2002, to August 25, 2005.[c] Shueisha collected its 107 chapters in twelve tankōbon volumes, released from October 18, 2002,[18] to November 18, 2005.[19]

In North America, the manga was licensed for English release by Dark Horse Comics.[20] They released it in a four-volume omnibus edition from May 22, 2019,[21] to September 9, 2020.[22]

Anime[edit]

A 13-episode anime television series adaptation was directed by Mamoru Kanbe, animated by Arms and produced by Genco and VAP. Author Lynn Okamoto has a brief cameo appearance in episode 12. Elfen Lied first aired on TV Tokyo's AT-X satellite channel from July 25 to October 17, 2004, and was broadcast again in 2005. A single twenty-four-minute original video animation (OVA) episode was released by VAP on April 21, 2005. It takes place somewhere within the timespan of the series' eleventh episode.

The anime's opening theme song is "Lilium", performed by opera singer Kumiko Noma, sung in Latin, with lyrics extracted from biblical passages and Christian sources, including the Book of Psalms, the Epistle of James, the Kyrie prayer, and the hymn "Ave mundi spes Maria".[23][24][25][26] The ending theme song is "Be Your Girl" by Chieko Kawabe.

Home media and distribution

The series was released on Blu-ray in Japan on December 19, 2012.[27]

The anime was licensed by ADV Films in the United States in 2004 and released on DVD in 2005. ADV said the series was one of their bestselling and "most notorious" releases of 2005.[28][29] During the Anime Boston 2006[30] convention, ADV announced the distribution rights of the OVA in the United States. However, the OVA was never released on television and was not included with the box set released by ADV Films in November 2006 or in the "Complete Collection" DVDs released in June 2009 and December 2011. When ADV divided their assets, Elfen Lied was remained with them and in-print. A Blu-ray box set (as well as a new DVD set) was released on September 3, 2013, by ADV and Section23 Films, making it the only Blu-ray release under the ADV brand, and contains the previously released OVA.[31][32] In Australia, the series was licensed by Madman Entertainment.[33]

The series aired in the United Kingdom on Propeller TV (Sky) as part of Anime Network's short-lived launch in the United Kingdom. The series also aired uncut despite a stricter censorship standard imposed by OFCOM on UK cable TV. The Anime Network is streaming the series On Demand in English, German and French.[4] The ADV DVD box set confirms a rating of TV-MA SV; the Canadian rating is 14A.

In a post to the now defunct official Adult Swim message board in April 2006, programming director Kim Manning revealed that despite the series' high level of controversial content, the network inquired into the possibility of airing, as Manning was an avid fan herself and watched the entire series in one sitting. However, the channel's Broadcast Standards and Practices department would have required the series to be so extensively edited ("it would have been cut to shreds", she described in the post) in order to air that it would have been "unintelligible". Ultimately, Adult Swim decided not to air it to preserve and respect the series' original quality.[34]

Reception[edit]

Reviewing the first English omnibus volume of Elfen Lied, Anime UK News gave it an 8 out of 10 rating and noted that it is much more detailed than the anime adaptation by explaining what Diclonius are and showing more of the characters' inner thoughts. Although, they stated that the beginning of the anime had "more punch." Anime UK News criticized Okamoto's art as poor throughout the book, but enjoyed the extra unrelated stories included at the end.[35] Comic Buzz gave a 9/10 score, calling it a "great read from start to finish". They felt the art style changed with the characters' emotions and said it reminded them variously of Neon Genesis Evangelion and the work of Junji Ito.[36] Rai of TheOASG gave the omnibus a 3 out of 5 star rating, criticizing the art and fan service, and overall preferred the anime which she acknowledged having bias for.[37]

Reception for the anime was generally mixed to positive. Reviewers such as Tasha Robinson of Sci Fi Weekly and Theron Martin of Anime News Network praised Elfen Lied for its story and technical excellence in production quality, animation and color.[12][3][38][39] Due to the many scenes of nudity and gore, Dominic Laeno of THEM Anime Reviews criticized the series as being "overly blatant."[40] Martin criticized the anime for having "sub-par voice acting" in both the original Japanese audio track and the English dub, although he gave an "A−" rating for both language dubs.[3] Martin also said that the series "ends abruptly with some loose ends to the story that could leave viewers unsatisfied," but also called it "a horror series of exceptional merit."[41] Laeno called the series "a genuinely good watch."[40] Stig Høgset, also of THEM Anime Reviews, called Elfen Lied "a very special show, good and bad parts taken into consideration."[10]

On June 12, 2015, the now-defunct Chinese Ministry of Culture listed Elfen Lied among 38 anime and manga titles banned in China.[42]

Legacy[edit]

Matt and Ross Duffer have cited Elfen Lied as an influence on their 2016 Netflix series Stranger Things. They said that Elfen Lied was like an "ultraviolent E.T." and noted that the character Eleven was inspired by the anime. Another cited influence was the 1988 anime film Akira, which they felt had in turn influenced Elfen Lied.[43]

The anime opening theme "Lilium", with its Latin lyrics extracted from biblical sources, is sometimes sung as a hymn in churches around the world, including in countries such as Ukraine, Sweden, Brazil, and Chile.[44][45]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Production studio and main animation studio for episodes 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10.5 (OVA), 11 and 13.
  2. ^ Main animation studio for episodes 2, 5, 7, 10 and 12.
  3. ^ It was serialized in the magazine from the 27th issue of 2002 to the 39th issue of 2005,[15] released on June 6, 2002,[16] and August 25, 2005, respectively.[17]

References[edit]

  1. ^ ダークファンタジーまとめ. Akiba Souken (in Japanese). Kakaku.com. March 20, 2019. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  2. ^ "Anime UK News – Our Favourite Halloween Specials". Anime UK News. October 29, 2018. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2019. Elfen Lied is a dark fantasy series that will rip your heart out both emotionally, and literally.
  3. ^ a b c Martin, Theron (May 16, 2005). "Elfen Lied DVD 1 - Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  4. ^ a b SOber (November 22, 2013). "Elfen Lied (German and French) Now Available!". Anime Network. Archived from the original on August 24, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  5. ^ "Elfen Lied South Africa Animax". Animax. July 25, 2004. Archived from the original on July 27, 2009. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  6. ^ "Deep Feelings ~ Im Innersten". Elfen Lied. Season 1. Episode 3. August 8, 2004. AT-X.
  7. ^ a b Exclusive Mamoru Kanbe interview, DVD Extra – Elfen Lied DVD 1 (Vector One). Released by Madman Entertainment and ADV Films.
  8. ^ "Production Note". Elfen Lied (in Japanese). VAP. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
  9. ^ "Backstage – Official Elfen Lied website" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on November 1, 2013. Retrieved December 1, 2007.
  10. ^ a b<

Earth #3

Earth theme by Tony

Download: Earth_3.p3t

Earth Theme 3
(3 backgrounds)

Earth
Photograph of Earth taken by the Apollo 17 mission. The Arabian peninsula, Africa and Madagascar lie in the upper half of the disc, whereas Antarctica is at the bottom.
The Blue Marble, Apollo 17, December 1972
Designations
The world, the globe, Sol III, Terra, Tellus, Gaia, Mother Earth
AdjectivesEarthly, terrestrial, terran, tellurian
Symbol

Fields

Fields theme by Tony

Download: Fields.p3t

Fields Theme
(3 backgrounds)

Fields may refer to:

Music[edit]

Businesses[edit]

Places in the United States[edit]

Other uses[edit]

See also[edit]

Animals

Animals theme by Tony

Download: Animals.p3t

Animals Theme
(3 backgrounds)

Redirect to:

LittleBigPlanet #3 Edited

LittleBigPlanet theme by Tony

Download: LBP_3Edited.p3t

LittleBigPlanet Theme 3 Edited
(3 backgrounds)

LittleBigPlanet
Genre(s)Platform, endless running
Developer(s)Media Molecule (2008-2014)
SCE Studio Cambridge (2009)
Supermassive Games (2010)
XDev (2010-2012)
Double Eleven (2012)
Tarsier Studios (2012)
United Front Games (2012)
San Diego Studio (2012)
Firesprite (2014)
Sumo Digital (2014-2020)
Exient Entertainment (2023)
Publisher(s)Sony Interactive Entertainment
PlayStation Mobile (2014)
Platform(s)PlayStation 3
PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Vita
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Windows
First releaseLittleBigPlanet
27 October 2008
Latest releaseUltimate Sackboy
March 3, 2023

LittleBigPlanet (LBP - stylised as LittleBIGPlanet) is a puzzle platform video game series created and produced by British developer Media Molecule and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Most games in the series put a strong emphasis on user-generated content and are based on the series' tagline "Play, Create, Share". The tagline represents the three core elements of the series: playing alone or with others locally (on the same console) or online, creating new content using the in-game creation tools, and sharing creations and discoveries online with other players.

Tarsier Studios, Fireproof Games and Supermassive Games also contribute to the development of the PlayStation 3 games, creating in-game assets (downloadable content) including costumes, backgrounds, objects, and stickers. Some of these assets will also provide the player more tools and gadgets to use in the level editor.[1]

The series comprises six games across five gaming platforms. The series was launched in 2008 with the PlayStation 3 game LittleBigPlanet, which was followed in 2009 by a PlayStation Portable version of the same name, initially developed by Studio Liverpool[2] and later handed to SCE Studio Cambridge. The sequel to the PlayStation 3 version, LittleBigPlanet 2, was released in January 2011 alongside a smaller spin-off title called Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves. LittleBigPlanet PS Vita was developed by Tarsier Studios and Double Eleven, released in September 2012 for the PlayStation Vita. At E3 2014, Sony announced LittleBigPlanet 3, a PlayStation 4 instalment that was developed by Sumo Digital and released in November 2014.[3] The games are all published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The latest instalment for the LittleBigPlanet franchise titled Sackboy: A Big Adventure was revealed during the PS5 live event and released on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in November 2020. A Windows version was released on 27 October 2022.[4]

On 17 January 2015, it was announced that all LittleBigPlanet servers in Japan would shut down on 31 July, along with the PlayStation Portable version and LittleBigPlanet Karting in late August in all regions. Due to attacks on the online servers, all LittleBigPlanet servers were taken down in May 2021 (the Vita version had remained closed since March).[5] The servers for the PS4 version of LittleBigPlanet 3 were brought back up on 13 September 2021, however, in the same announcement, it mentioned that the servers for LittleBigPlanet, LittleBigPlanet 2, LittleBigPlanet PS Vita and the PS3 version of LittleBigPlanet 3 will remain closed permanently.[6] On 8 January, 2024, it was announced that, presumably due to more attacks on the online servers, the servers for the PS4 version of LittleBigPlanet 3 were being temporarily closed while they investigate them.[7][8][9]

On 19 April 2024, the servers for the PlayStation 4 version of LittleBigPlanet 3 were permanently shut down due to ongoing technical issues.[10]

Gameplay[edit]

The core mechanics of the series revolve around its tagline, "Play, Create, Share".[11]

Play[edit]

In the first two instalments of the series, gameplay consist primarily of traditional two-dimensional look in a three-dimensional style platforming like jumping and avoiding obstacles to successfully navigate to the end of a level to win.[12] Since LittleBigPlanet 2, the series has included mini-games, including ones that do not follow the platformer genre. Most LittleBigPlanet games involve a player playing solo or co-operatively with friends to navigate through a level whilst collecting various "bubbles" along the way, which can take the form of either points or collectibles. In-game collectibles can be used in level creation or to customize Sackboy, the player character. There are also numerous co-operative parts of levels whereby certain prize bubbles can be earned. In LittleBigPlanet 3 and Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Collectables are also present, being used in various shops to purchase more costumes.

Create[edit]

The Create component primarily refers to level creation in the game, along with other features like character customisation. Players can create their own levels with the built-in level creator. Many items that are collected while playing through the story mode and from LittleBigPlanet's community can be used to help with level creation.[13] These levels can remain as the original LittleBigPlanet platforming gameplay, or they can include other game types, such as racing, fighting, shooting and sports.[12] The player can also make non-gaming creations such as music and films (commonly known in-game as cut-scenes).[14] In LittleBigPlanet 2, Sackbots were introduced to give players more control over non-player characters in their levels as well as make the levels in their entirety more intelligent. The creation technique introduced on the game gave the possibility for logic, and it gave the ability to build sets of machines and complex contraptions.[14]

Share[edit]

Lastly, the Share component relates to sharing creations with the game's community by uploading levels to the PlayStation Network. To-date there were an excess of ten million user-created levels available to play on the LittleBigPlanet server in the PlayStation 3 games.[15] After the release of LittleBigPlanet 2 and the LBP.me community website, the Share component also had a strong emphasis sharing discoveries. Players were encouraged to share levels they found with other players by writing reviews and comments in-game and by sharing links to creations' LBP.me pages via social networks.

Overview[edit]

The series takes place in a world known as LittleBigPlanet. Each curator is in charge of a part of LittleBigPlanet and they govern them independently. LittleBigPlanet has geography inspired by the real-life Earth. All games in the series follow the main protagonist Sackboy, a small anthropomorphic creature made of brown fabric with a zip fastener and button eyes. He can be customized to the player's liking using costumes that are either unlocked in the game or bought as downloadable content from the PlayStation Store. The player can control Sackboy's four emotions; happiness, sadness, worry and anger, each of which has three levels of intensity. The English language version of each game is narrated by Stephen Fry and in all formats Fry's scripts are written by Dean Wilkinson.

Games[edit]

Release timeline
2008LittleBigPlanet
2009LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
2010Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves
2011LittleBigPlanet 2
2012LittleBigPlanet PS Vita
LittleBigPlanet Karting
2013
2014Run Sackboy! Run!
LittleBigPlanet 3
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020Sackboy: A Big Adventure
2021
2022
2023Ultimate Sackboy

Main series[edit]

LittleBigPlanet[edit]

The first game in the series was released on the PlayStation 3 platform in 2008 and was the first title developed by Media Molecule, under the name The Next Big Thing. The player controls Sackboy as he travels around the titular LittleBigPlanet, helping the eight creator curators of LittleBigPlanet with their problems in their own respective realms. Throughout the story, Sackboy tries to stop The Collector, one of the eight creator curators who has gone rogue, kidnapping the creations of LittleBigPlanet.[16] The game received widespread acclaim for its design, gameplay, and customization afforded to the player, particularly the built-in level editor. After its release, it received numerous industry awards.[17]

LittleBigPlanet 2[edit]

The second game in the series is a direct sequel to the first LittleBigPlanet and was developed by Media Molecule for the PlayStation 3 for a release in 2011. The sequel saw a major shift in the direction of the series, going from a primarily traditional platform game in the first two entries to a more varied style of gameplay called a "platform for games". The second game gave players a wider variety of options when it came to level design, which saw the creation of levels other than platforming such as racing, puzzles, and fighting games.[18] Following the events of the first two entries in the series, the game takes place when an antagonist known as the Negativitron invades LittleBigPlanet and begins to suck up all its inhabitants. Sackboy must team up with a secret organization known as "The Alliance", led by Larry Da Vinci, to save LittleBigPlanet from the Negativitron.[19] The game also supported the PlayStation Move, with an update post-launch.

LittleBigPlanet 3[edit]

LittleBigPlanet 3 is a game for the PlayStation 3[20][21][22] and PlayStation 4. Announced at E3 2014, it was developed by Sumo Digital and was released in November 2014. In the game, Sackboy is transported to another world, Bunkum, where he has to awaken its three missing heroes, OddSock, Toggle and Swoop, who are new playable characters. Sackboy travels through different worlds in order to free the 3 new characters and stop Newton.[23]

Handheld[edit]

LittleBigPlanet (PlayStation Portable)[edit]

A portable entry of the series was developed primarily by SCE Studio Cambridge in association with Media Molecule for the PlayStation Portable. The game, released in 2009, shared the same name as the original game; however, it was not a port of the PlayStation 3 game, but rather a new entry in the series. It has a story-mode with levels and features many of the same mechanics of its PlayStation 3 counterpart, such as customizations, albeit without the multiplayer component of the game. The game takes place after the events of the PlayStation 3 version of LittleBigPlanet, in which The Collector has been defeated. A carnival is being held and Sackboy decides to go around the world to invite the eight curators of LittleBigPlanet to the carnival whilst finding materials for his own carnival float.[24]

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita[edit]

The fourth game in the series was developed by Tarsier Studios, Double Eleven, and XDev for the PlayStation Vita handheld and had a 2012 release.[25] The game features the same core mechanics from LittleBigPlanet 2, with the focus being on a "platform for games" rather than a platformer like previous entries in the series before LittleBigPlanet 2. The game utilizes the unique controls of the PlayStation Vita by using its multi-touch touchscreen and its rear touchpad to navigate through various obstacles in stages as well as for level creation by users.[26] The game supports cross-buy of DLC costume packs between LittleBigPlanet 2, as well as LittleBigPlanet Karting.

Spinoff games[edit]

LittleBigPlanet Karting[edit]

LittleBigPlanet Karting is a kart racing game developed by United Front and San Diego Studio in conjunction with series creator Media Molecule for the PlayStation 3.[27] In its story mode, the player ventures through worlds including: LittleBigPlanet, Monster Islands, Victoria's Laboratory, The Progress Emporium, Eve's Asylum, The Space Bass, and Hoard, Sweet Hoard, to put an end to the Hoard racers, who snatch many pieces of the different planets to stash them in the Garage at the End of the Universe. Sony Entertainment America shut down the North American LittleBigPlanet Karting online servers on 31 August 2016.[28]

Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves[edit]

The game was developed by XDev as a spin-off from the LittleBigPlanet series utilizing the PlayStation Move on the PlayStation 3. It was released in December 2010, as a downloadable title from the PlayStation Store and was later bundled with LittleBigPlanet 2. The game was described as a "demo" and featured 10 prehistoric inspired story levels. In the game, Sackboy must save Little Big Planet from the T-Rex. Unlike the main games, which can be played as a single-player experience, the game required a minimum of two players to work.[29] This was due to the main mechanics of the spin-off whereby one player would control Sackboy traditionally using the gamepad for platforming while a second player had to use a PlayStation Move similar to a pointer to move obstacles and objects out of the way in order to successfully navigate a level.[30]

Run Sackboy! Run![edit]

Run Sackboy! Run! is a free-to-play endless running game developed by Firesprite and published by PlayStation Mobile that was released on iOS on 30 October 2014,[31] Android on 17 December 2014[32] and PlayStation Vita on 31 March 2015.[33] The game has no real plot, except for Sackboy running through Craftworld from the Negativitron. The game awarded players with exclusive costumes for LittleBigPlanet 3 (which was released at a similar time) by reaching point goals and collecting stickers.[34]

LittleBigPlanet Hub[edit]

LittleBigPlanet Hub is an unreleased free-to-play game for the PlayStation 3.[35] It was planned to be a downloadable title from the PlayStation Store which would have allowed players to create levels and play a curated selection of community levels from LittleBigPlanet and LittleBigPlanet 2 as well as 16 levels from the games' story modes. LittleBigPlanet Hub would also have contained weekly challenges, not found in other LittleBigPlanet games. Downloadable content purchased in other games were to be compatible with LittleBigPlanet Hub, and users were rumoured to be also able to access additional content from the PlayStation Store.[citation needed]

Since its announcement in August 2013, no further details about LittleBigPlanet Hub were revealed.[36] In February 2024, a beta tester posted a video showing gameplay from a beta build onto YouTube, and shortly afterwards, with assistance, dumped it online for download. This makes the build playable through unofficial means, such as emulations like RPCS3 or PlayStation 3 homebrew.[37]

Sackboy: A Big Adventure[edit]

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a 2020 platform game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5 and the PlayStation 4. It was announced at the PlayStation 5 reveal event on June 11, 2020, and was released on November 12, 2020; a version for Windows was released on October 27, 2022, marking the series's first release on PCs. Unlike previous LittleBigPlanet entries with 2.5D platforming, A Big Adventure features a range of perspectives and 3D movement.

Ultimate Sackboy[edit]

Ultimate Sackboy is a free-to-play endless running game developed by Exient Entertainment and released on mobile on 21 February 2023. It is the first LittleBigPlanet game to feature limited-time paid subscriptions known as "Marathons." In contrast to Run Sackboy! Run!, it adopts the style from Sackboy: A Big Adventure and is played in 3D.

Reception[edit]

Aggregate review scores
Game Metacritic
LittleBigPlanet (PlayStation 3) 95/100[38]
LittleBigPlanet (PlayStation Portable) 87/100[39]
Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves 66/100[40]
LittleBigPlanet 2 91/100[41]
LittleBigPlanet PS Vita 88/100[42]
LittleBigPlanet Karting 74/100[43]
LittleBigPlanet 3 79/100[44]
Run Sackboy! Run! 65/100[45]
Sackboy: A Big Adventure 80/100[46]
Ultimate Sackboy 57/100[47]

Most of the games in the series have been well received by critics with the LittleBigPlanet on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable gaining Metacritic scores of 95/100[38] and 87/100[39] respectively. LittleBigPlanet 2 garnered nearly as much acclaim as the first game, with an average score of 91/100.[48] LittleBigPlanet PS Vita also received very positive reviews and was the highest-ranked PS Vita game at the time of its release with an average score of 88/100.[49] However, the release of LittleBigPlanet 3 did not receive critical acclaim, garnering a mostly positive average of 79/100.[50] Critically, LittleBigPlanet Karting is the worst-performing major game in the series so far but still gained a "mixed or average" Metacritic score of 74/100.[51] However, the mobile game Run Sackboy! Run! performed worse, with a Metacritic score of 65/100.[52] Additionally, the character of Sackboy is often seen as a PlayStation mascot.[53] In 2011, readers of Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition voted Sackboy as the 50th-top video game character of all time.[54]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Introducing the Extended LittleBigPlanet Family - Media Molecule - We make games". Media Molecule. Archived from the original on 21 February 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  2. ^ "LittleBigPlanet coming to PSP - CVG". Computerandvideogames.com. 8 April 2008. Archived from the original on 15 April 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  3. ^ "LittleBigPlanet 3 coming to PS4 this November". 10 June 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  4. ^ "Sackboy: A Big Adventure coming to PC on October 27". Gematsu. 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  5. ^ "LittleBigPlanet Servers Taken Down After Hackers Post Hate Speech". PlayStation LifeStyle. 24 May 2021. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  6. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (13 September 2021). "Sony shuts down online for older LittleBigPlanet games "to protect the community"". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2021.

    Seattle Mariners

    Seattle Mariners theme by CpDude

    Download: SeattleMariners.p3t

    Seattle Mariners Theme
    (1 background)

    Seattle Mariners
    2024 Seattle Mariners season
    Team logoCap insignia
    Major league affiliations
    Current uniform
    Retired numbers
    Colors
    • Navy blue, metallic silver, Northwest green, royal blue, yellow, cream[1][2][3]
                 
    Name
    • Seattle Mariners (1977–present)
    Other nicknames
    • The M's
    Ballpark
    Major league titles
    World Series titles (0)None
    AL Pennants (0)None
    West Division titles (3)
    Wild card berths (2)
    Front office
    Principal owner(s)John Stanton
    President of baseball operationsJerry Dipoto
    General managerJustin Hollander[4]
    ManagerScott Servais
    Websitemlb.com/mariners

    The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team in 1977 playing their home games in the Kingdome. Since July 1999, the Mariners' home ballpark has been T-Mobile Park, located in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle.

    The "Mariners" name originates from the prominence of marine culture in the city of Seattle. They are nicknamed the M's, a title featured in their primary logo from 1987 to 1992. They adopted their current team colors – navy blue, northwest green (teal), and silver – prior to the 1993 season, after having been royal blue and gold since the team's inception; the original colors continue to be used in alternate uniforms.[3] Their mascot is the Mariner Moose.

    The franchise did not field a winning team until 1991 and further success eluded them until the late-90s, which saw the most successful period in franchise history. Led by Hall of Fame players Edgar Martinez, Ken Griffey Jr., and Randy Johnson, the Mariners clinched their first playoff berth in 1995 when they won their first division championship and defeated the New York Yankees in the ALDS. Martinez's walk-off double in Game 5 drove Griffey in from first base to win the game in the 11th inning, clinched a series win for the Mariners, served as a powerful impetus to preserve baseball in Seattle, and has since become an iconic moment in team history. They would later win their second division title in 1997.

    After Griffey, Johnson, and Alex Rodriguez all left the team, the Mariners, bolstered by the signing of Ichiro Suzuki, won 116 games in 2001, which set the American League record for most wins in a single season and tied the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the Major League record for most wins in a single season. The team would not make the postseason again until 2022, which was the longest active drought in the four major North American sports.[5][6]

    As of 2023, the franchise has finished with a losing record in 30 of 47 seasons. The Mariners are the only active MLB franchise never to have appeared in the World Series, and currently hold the longest active World Series appearance drought in MLB.

    As of 2023, the Mariners' all-time win–loss record is 3,514–3,873–2 (.482).[7]

    History[edit]

    The Mariners were created as a result of a lawsuit. In 1970, in the aftermath of the Seattle Pilots' purchase and relocation to Milwaukee as the Milwaukee Brewers by Bud Selig, the city of Seattle, King County, and the state of Washington (represented by then-state Attorney General and future U.S. Senator Slade Gorton) sued the American League for breach of contract.[8] Confident that Major League Baseball would return to Seattle within a few years, King County built the multi-purpose Kingdome, which would become home to the National Football League's expansion Seattle Seahawks in 1976. The name "Mariners" was chosen by club officials in August 1976 from over 600 names submitted by 15,000 entrants in a name-the-team contest.[9] The name was submitted by Roger Szmodis of Bellevue, Washington. However, when the Mariners attempted to reach Szmodis about the prize he had won as a result of his entry being chosen, they were unable to make contact with him, with all efforts to track the man down for years being unsuccessful.[10]

    Ken Griffey Jr. holds six single-season batting records and an individual career record for the Mariners franchise.

    The first home run in team history was hit on April 10, 1977, by designated hitter Juan Bernhardt.[11]

    That year, star pitcher Diego Seguí, in his last major league season, became the only player to play for both the Pilots and the Mariners. The Mariners finished with a 64–98 record, echoing the record the 1969 Pilots once held; however, the team was able to avoid last place in the AL West by half a game. In 1979, Seattle hosted the 50th Major League Baseball All-Star Game. After the 1981 season, the Mariners were sold to California businessman George Argyros,[12] who in turn sold the team to Jeff Smulyan in 1989, and then to Nintendo of America in 1992. Nintendo CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi, who would hold a 49 percent share, had never been to a baseball game but sought to thank the city for their role in the company's success.[13][14]

    Mariners logo, 1977–1979
    Mariners logo, 1980–1986. Created for the 1979 MLB All-Star Game; was featured on the team's batting helmets for the first time that year.
    Mariners logo, 1987–1992

    During the 1992–93 offseason, the Mariners hired manager Lou Piniella, who had led the Cincinnati Reds to victory in the 1990 World Series. Mariner fans embraced Piniella,[15] and he would helm the team from 1993 through 2002, winning two American League Manager of the Year Awards along the way. Piniella also had the distinction of being selected by the Seattle Pilots in the 1968 expansion draft and being on their roster from November 1968 to April 1969 when he was traded to the Kansas City Royals, where he earned rookie of the Year honors for 1969.

    The 2001 Mariners club finished with a record of 116–46, leading all of Major League Baseball in winning percentage for the duration of the season and easily winning the American League West division championship. In doing so, the team broke the 1998 Yankees American League single-season record of 114 wins and matched the all-time MLB single-season record for wins set by the 1906 Chicago Cubs. At the end of the season, Ichiro Suzuki won the AL MVP, AL Rookie of the Year, and one of three outfield Gold Glove Awards, becoming the first player since the 1975 Boston Red Sox's Fred Lynn to win all three in the same season. The celebration wouldn't last, however, as the Mariners lost to the New York Yankees in the 2001 ALCS.

    On October 22, 2008 the Mariners announced the hiring of Jack Zduriencik, formerly scouting director of the Milwaukee Brewers, as their general manager.[16] Weeks later, on November 18, the team named Oakland Athletics bench coach Don Wakamatsu as its new field manager. Wakamatsu and Zduriencik hired an entirely new coaching staff for 2009, which included former World Series MVP John Wetteland as bullpen coach. The off-season also saw a litany of roster moves, headlined by a 12-player, 3-team trade that included sending All-Star closer J. J. Putz to the New York Mets and brought 5 players—including prospect Mike Carp and outfielder Endy Chávez from New York and outfielder Franklin Gutiérrez from the Cleveland Indians—to Seattle. Many of the moves, like the free-agent signing of Mike Sweeney, were made in part with the hope of squelching the clubhouse infighting that plagued the Mariners in 2008. It also saw the return of Seattle favorite Griffey Jr. The 2009–10 offseason was highlighted by the trade for 2008 American League Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee from the Philadelphia Phillies, the signing of third baseman Chone Figgins and the contract extension of star pitcher "King" Félix Hernández.

    Griffey Jr. announced his retirement on June 2, 2010, after 22 MLB seasons.[17]

    Inside the Kingdome (1977–June 1999)

    The Mariners fired field manager Don Wakamatsu along with bench coach Ty Van Burkleo, pitching coach Rick Adair and performance coach Steve Hecht on August 9, 2010. Daren Brown, the manager of the AAA affiliate Tacoma Rainiers, took over as interim field manager. Roger Hansen, the former Minor League catching coordinator, was promoted to bench coach. Carl Willis, the former Minor League pitching coordinator, was promoted to pitching coach.[18]

    The Mariners hired former Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge as their new manager on October 19, 2010.[19]

    Dave Niehaus, the Mariners' play-by-play announcer since the team's inception, died of a heart attack on November 10, 2010, at the age of 75.[20] In memory of Niehaus, Seattle rapper Macklemore wrote a tribute song called "My Oh My" in December 2010. He performed the song at the Mariners' Opening Day game on April 8, 2011.

    On April 21, 2012, Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox threw the third perfect game in Chicago White Sox history against the Mariners at Safeco Field in Seattle. It was the 21st perfect game in MLB history.[21] Mariners starting pitcher Kevin Millwood and five other pitchers combined to throw the tenth combined no-hitter in MLB history and the first in team history on June 8, 2012. The last combined one occurred in 2003, when six Houston Astros no-hit the New York Yankees in New York. The six pitchers used in a no-hitter is a major league record. Félix Hernández pitched the first perfect game in team history, shutting down the Tampa Bay Rays 1–0 at Safeco Field on August 15, 2012. It was the 23rd perfect game in Major League Baseball history.[22] The Mariners became the first team in Major League Baseball to be involved in two perfect games in one season.[23]

    General manager Jack Zduriencik was relieved of his position by the team on August 28, 2015. Jerry Dipoto, who formerly served as general manager of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, was hired as the new general manager of the Mariners one month later.[24] On October 9, 2015, manager Lloyd McClendon was fired, and the search for a new manager was begun.[25] Scott Servais was named the new Mariners' manager on October 23, 2015.[26]

    Nintendo of America issued a press release on April 27, 2016, stating it would sell most shares it held of Seattle Mariners ownership to First Avenue Entertainment limited partnership, led by John W. Stanton. Nintendo retained a 10% ownership share of the team after the sale was completed in August 2016.[27]

    The Stanton/Dipoto/Servais era has been characterized by two phases. In the first phase, the organization tried to contend for a championship by building around the then-present core of Robinson Cano, Felix Hernandez, Nelson Cruz, and Kyle Seager. The team came close but ultimately missed the playoffs each year from 2016 to 2018. Following the 2018 season, the organization pivoted to a rebuild, trading off their most valuable players in return for prospects. Following a fallow period of 2019–20, the team returned to contention in 2021, winning 90 games but falling short of the playoffs. In 2022, with a new core of Julio Rodriguez, J. P. Crawford, Cal Raleigh, Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert, the team reached the postseason for the first time since 2001. This broke what was at the time the longest playoff drought of any team in the big 4 North American sports. Rodriguez also won the American League Rookie of the Year Award. In 2023, the team won 88 games but finished one game out of a playoff spot.

    Uniforms[edit]

    1977–1980[edit]

    Uniform design from 1977 to 1980

    The Mariners' original colors were blue and gold, the color scheme previously used by the Seattle Pilots and its successor Milwaukee Brewers. For the first four seasons, they wore white pullover jerseys at home with the team name in front and numbers on the left chest. The "M" in "Mariners" was shaped to resemble a trident. On the road, they wore baby blue pullover jerseys with the city name in front and numbers on the left chest. The lettering colors were blue with gold trim, though in the 1977 season the trim on the road jersey was white and the "Seattle" wordmark appeared smaller. The trident logo was added to the left sleeve prior to the 1979 season.

    The cap was all-blue and featured the gold trident logo with white trim.

    1981–1986[edit]

    The Mariners made some subtle changes to the uniform in 1981. The trident logo was replaced by blue and gold racing stripes on the shoulders, and the lettering received an extra blue outline. The number font also changed from rounded to block style. In 1985, the road jersey color was changed to grey.

    The cap logo also featured a slight update of the trident logo, changing its color to blue, along with additional outlines and a white star background.

    1987–1992[edit]

    Uniform design from 1987 to 1992

    In 1987, the Mariners changed its uniform style to traditional buttoned tops and belted pants. Both uniforms incorporated blue piping and a block "Mariners" wordmark in blue with gold and blue outlines. The numbers remained blue, but eliminated the trim outlines.

    The cap logo was changed to a gold "S".

    1993–present[edit]

    The Mariners donned their current uniforms in 1993. The white home uniform originally featured "Mariners" in navy with Northwest Green trim and featured the "compass" logo atop the "M". The grey road uniform originally featured "Seattle" in navy with Northwest Green and white trim; in 2001, the "compass" logo was added in the middle of the "S". In 2015, a silver inline was added to the wordmark of both uniforms, which was also applied to the block letters and numbers. The primary logo is applied to the left sleeve.[28]

    From 1997 to 2000, the Mariners also wore sleeveless versions of their primary uniforms, accompanied with a navy undershirt.

    The Mariners have also worn Northwest Green alternate uniforms at some points in their history. The original version was unveiled in 1994 and had "Mariners" in silver with navy and white trim. The next season, the white trim was removed to improve visibility. The Mariners did not wear these uniforms from 1997 to 2010, after which it became a regular part of their uniform rotation. Formerly worn on Friday home games, the Northwest Green alternates are currently worn on select Saturday home games and on road games in which the home team wears either navy or black uniforms.[29][30]

    Current uniform designs

    The navy alternate uniform originally replaced the Northwest Green alternate in 1997 and featured the team name in silver with Northwest Green and navy trim. In 1999, the alternates were updated to feature the city name with the "S" behind the "compass" logo and silver piping; this became their road alternate the following season after a corresponding home navy alternate was introduced. In 2003, the silver piping was removed and the letter and number fonts were changed to match the wordmark. In 2012, after the Northwest Green home alternates were brought back, the navy uniforms were tweaked anew, this time with the city name in front and stylized serifed letters instead of the normal block letters. In 2024, the names were changed to block lettering. It is now worn on most road games, though they have also donned them at home on occasion.

    A navy blue cap that features a ball and compass "S" logo is paired with the home white, road gray, and navy blue jerseys. A variation of this cap with a Northwest Green brim is worn with the home alternate jersey. The Mariners also wore Northwest Green caps with navy brims, but only in the 1994 season, and a navy "compass" cap with grey brims in the 1997 season.

    In January 2015, the team announced a new alternate uniform to be worn for Sunday home games. This cream-colored "fauxback" uniform features the current logo and lettering style in a royal blue and gold color scheme, a throwback to the original team colors. Unlike the rest of the uniform set, the back of the jersey does not display the player name.[29][1] The cap features the current cap logo in the throwback colors.[1][31]

    In January 2019, the Mariners announced a new home and away uniform to be worn during spring training. The jersey has a design similar to their home white jerseys but features a powder blue throwback to the team colors during the 1980s. The cap has the usual navy blue color, but with a logo that features the signature compass rose and with a large M in the center.

    For the 2023 season, MLB and Nike have instituted a "four plus one" model for team uniforms, consisting of a home uniform, away uniform, two alternate uniforms, and a "City Connect" uniform featuring "color schemes and logos that pay homage to a team’s city."[32] The Mariners confirmed that they will replace the gray jerseys with the navy blue jerseys as their standard away uniforms for the 2023 season.[33][34] The team will also stop using the powder blue jerseys during spring training.[33] The choice to remove the gray and powder blue jerseys was based on feedback from players and fans, according to Kevin Martinez, the Mariners senior vice president of marketing and communications.[34]

    The Mariners' City Connect uniform was visual nod to Seattle's baseball history. The uniform featured a patch on the jersey sleeve featuring Mount Rainier, as well as the letters "PNW", an acronym for Pacific Northwest. The uniform also features the colors of Amarillo, Rush Blue and Sundown, representing the inaugural colors of the team, as well as the word "Seattle" across the chest in the lettering style of the city's first Major League Baseball team, the Seattle Pilots. This uniform is currently worn during Friday home games.[35]

Ginnifer Goodwin

Ginnifer Goodwin theme by Daniel Keen

Download: GinniferGoodwin.p3t

Ginnifer Goodwin Theme
(6 backgrounds)

Ginnifer Goodwin
Goodwin in 2012
Born
Jennifer Michelle Goodwin

(1978-05-22) May 22, 1978 (age 46)
EducationHanover College
Boston University (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1996–present
Known forBig Love
He's Just Not That Into You
Once Upon a Time
Zootopia
Spouse
(m. 2014)
Children2

Jennifer Michelle "Ginnifer" Goodwin[1] (born May 22, 1978)[1] is an American actress. She starred as Margene Heffman in the HBO drama series Big Love (2006–2011), Snow White / Mary Margaret Blanchard in the ABC fantasy series Once Upon a Time (2011–2018), Judy Hopps in Zootopia (2016) and Beth Ann Stanton in Why Women Kill (2019).

Goodwin appeared in films, including the drama Mona Lisa Smile (2003), the musical biopic Walk the Line (2005), the romantic comedy He's Just Not That Into You (2009), the family comedy Ramona and Beezus (2010), the romantic comedy Something Borrowed (2011), and the biopic Killing Kennedy (2013). She also voiced the lead role of Fawn in the Disney animated fantasy film Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast (2014).

Early life and education[edit]

Goodwin was born in Memphis, Tennessee.[2] Her mother, Linda Kantor Goodwin, is a former teacher who also worked for FedEx.[3] Her father, Tim Goodwin, formerly owned and operated a recording studio.[4] Goodwin changed the spelling of her name from "Jennifer" to "Ginnifer" to distinguish her name, and to assist in pronunciation of her name in her regional dialect.[5] Her younger sister, Melissa Goodwin, is a stop-motion animator on shows such as Robot Chicken.

Goodwin's mother is Jewish.[6] Goodwin was raised attending First Unitarian Church and Temple Israel.[4][7]

As a child, she attended the Henry S. Jacobs Camp, a summer camp for Reform Jewish children in Utica, Mississippi.[citation needed] She was both baptized and had a bat mitzvah service.[8][9]

In her youth, Goodwin was affiliated with the North American Federation of Temple Youth, and was active in BBYO at the Jewish Community Center in Memphis.[10] She went to school at St. Mary's Episcopal School in Memphis, Tennessee. She then graduated from Lausanne Collegiate School in 1996, then attended Hanover College (majoring in theater) for one year before moving on to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Boston University. While a student at BU, she performed in numerous student short films, as well as several college and local stage productions. Goodwin was given the "Excellence in Acting: Professional Promise Award" by the Bette Davis Foundation, and graduated with honors. After her time at Boston University, she lived for a time in England and studied at Stratford on Avon's Shakespeare Institute, in conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company. The following year, she earned an Acting Shakespeare Certificate from London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[11]

Career[edit]

Goodwin in 2007

Goodwin first had roles in the NBC television programs Law & Order and Ed before appearing in the Comedy Central television movie Porn 'n Chicken. She later had substantial roles in the films Mona Lisa Smile, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, Walk the Line—in which she portrayed Vivian Liberto, Johnny Cash's first wife—and Birds of America. She also played Dori Dumchovic in the dark comedy Love Comes to the Executioner.[citation needed] Goodwin played a leading role as Margene Heffman, the third wife in a polygamous family, on the HBO original series Big Love, which concluded on March 20, 2011. Goodwin has done voice work in the Adult Swim series Robot Chicken, where her younger sister Melissa works as an animator.

In 2008, Max Mara honored Goodwin with a "Face of the Future" award, an award recognizing up-and-coming women in film.[12]

Goodwin played Gigi in He's Just Not That Into You, which was released in February 2009. For this role, she received a nomination for the People's Choice Award for Breakout Movie Actress.[13] In April 2009 she began filming Ramona and Beezus, playing "Aunt Bea".[14] The film was released on July 23, 2010.

From 2011 to 2017, Goodwin played a leading role in the ABC fantasy drama series Once Upon a Time. She played both the fairy tale heroine Snow White and her real-world counterpart, schoolteacher Mary Margaret Blanchard.[15] Goodwin and husband Josh Dallas exited the show at the end of its sixth season to move back to Los Angeles with their family.[16] They both returned to the series for its finale at the end of the seventh season.[17]

Goodwin voiced Judy Hopps, the protagonist rabbit police officer in Disney's Zootopia, as well as Fawn in Disney's animated film Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast.[18] She also voiced Gwen, a kitchen maid who wants to be an inventor, in the animated series Sofia The First.

In January 2017, Goodwin was cast as Marianne in the Los Angeles production of Constellations.[19] The play ran from June 14 to July 23, 2017, at the Geffen Playhouse.[20]

In 2019, Goodwin appeared in episodes of the anthology series The Twilight Zone[21] and Heartstrings.[22] Also in 2019, she starred as Beth Ann in the first season of the CBS All Access dark comedy-drama series Why Women Kill.[23]

Goodwin played Jodie in the Fox comedy series Pivoting,[24] which premiered on January 9, 2022. The show was cancelled after one season.[25]

Personal life[edit]

Goodwin with her husband Josh Dallas in 2012

Goodwin dated actor Joey Kern and they became engaged in December 2010.[26] They ended the engagement in May 2011.[27] Goodwin subsequently began dating her Once Upon a Time co-star Josh Dallas in late 2011.[28] They got engaged in October 2013[29] and married on April 12, 2014, in California.[30] They have two sons, born in May 2014[31] and June 2016.[32]

In 2013, Goodwin said that after leaving Memphis, she "up and left Judaism for a very long time," and that "for 10 years, there was nothing. No ritual. No tradition. No community." She later reconnected with her faith, and has said, "I was a Jew by birth, and now I'm a Jew by choice."[7]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Zelda: An Extrospective Journey Zelda Short film
2003 Mona Lisa Smile Constance Baker
2004 Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! Cathy Feely
2005 Walk the Line Vivian Cash
2006 Love Comes to the Executioner Dori Dumchovic
2007 In the Land of Women Janey
Day Zero Molly Rifkin
2008 Birds of America Ida Tanager
2009 He's Just Not That Into You Gigi Phillips
A Single Man Mrs. Strunk
2010 Ramona and Beezus Aunt Beatrice
2011 Take Me Home Tonight Banky
Something Borrowed Rachel White
2014 Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast Fawn Voice
2016 Zootopia Judy Hopps
2023 Buddy Games: Spring Awakening Celia
Once Upon a Studio Judy Hopps Voice
2025 Zootopia 2 Voice; in production

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2001 Law & Order Erica Episode: "Myth of Fingerprints"
2001–2003 Ed Diane Snyder Main role (seasons 2–3), 25 episodes
2002 Porn 'n Chicken Maya Television film
2005 Robot Chicken Various voices Recurring voice role, 7 episodes
2006–2011 Big Love Margene Heffman Main role
2007 Big Love: In the Beginning Margene Heffman 2 episodes
2009 Crappy Holidays Presents... N/A Episode: "Crappy Easter"
2011 SpongeBob SquarePants Purple Haired Mermaid Voice role; episode: "Welcome to the Bikini Bottom Triangle"
Margene's Blog Margene Henrickson Episode: "Crush Story"
Five Charlotte Television film
2011–2018 Once Upon a Time Mary Margaret Blanchard / Snow White Main role (seasons 1–6), Special Guest Star (Season 7)
2012 Electric City Jean Marie St. Cloud Voice role
2013 Killing Kennedy Jacqueline Kennedy Television film
2014 Sofia the First Gwen Voice role; episode: "Gizmo Gwen"
2015 Who Do You Think You Are? Herself Episode: "Ginnifer Goodwin"
2019 I Am Somebody's Child: The Regina Louise Story Jeanne Kerr Television film; also Executive producer
The Twilight Zone Eve Martin Episode: "Point of Origin"[21]
Heartstrings Genevieve Episode: "These Old Bones"[22]
Why Women Kill Beth Ann Stanton Lead role (season 1)[33]
2021 Earth to Ned Herself Episode: "Dream a Little Dream of Ned"
2022 Pivoting Jodie[34] Main role
Zootopia+ Judy Hopps Voice role; archival recordings

Video games[edit]

Theater[edit]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award Category Production Result
2010 People's Choice Award Favorite Breakout Movie Actress Herself Nominated
2011 Teen Choice Award Choice Movie Actress: Romantic Comedy Something Borrowed Nominated
2012 Choice TV Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Once Upon a Time Nominated
2013 Nominated
People's Choice Award Favorite TV Drama Actress Nominated
2014 Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress Nominated
Teen Choice Award Choice TV Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Nominated
2015 People's Choice Awards Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Actress Nominated
Favorite TV Duo (along with Josh Dallas) Nominated
2016 Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Actress Nominated
2016 Voice Arts™ Awards Outstanding Motion Picture Animation, Best Voiceover[36] Zootopia Won
2016 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Animated Female[a][37] Won
2017 People's Choice Awards Favorite Animated Movie Voice Nominated
2017 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Frenemies (shared with Jason Bateman)[38] Won

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Tied with Auliʻi Cravalho for Moana

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Ginnifer Goodwin". TV Guide. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  2. ^ "Ginnifer Goodwin Biography – Yahoo! Movies". Yahoo!. May 22, 1978. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
  3. ^ Pellettieri, Courtney (May 2010). "Meals My Mother Taught Me". InStyle. 17 (5): 324–325.
  4. ^ a b Bloom, Nate (July 3, 2013). "Ginnifer Goodwin Re-Discovers her Faith". InterfaithFamily. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  5. ^ Stated by Goodwin on the Late Show with David Letterman, Wednesday, March 18, 2009
  6. ^ Stein, Danielle (June 1, 2009). "Not So Goodwin". W magazine. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Waters, David (May 25, 2013). "Ginnifer Goodwin comes 'home' to Jewish faith". Faith in Memphis. Archived from the original on November 19, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  8. ^ Ghert-Zand, Renee (April 28, 2014). "Ginnifer Goodwin's ketubah caper". The Times of Israel. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  9. ^ Ginnifer Goodwin Archived December 25, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. W Magazine. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  10. ^ "Jews in the Limelight". Generationj.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  11. ^ "Ginnifer Goodwin Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  12. ^ Leisa Barnett (June 19, 2008). "Ginnifer Goodwin wins MaxMara award (Vogue.com UK)". Vogue. UK. Archived from the original on November 29, 2009. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
  13. ^ "2010 People's Choice Award Nominees Revealed; Neil Patrick Harris, Hugh Jackman & Green Day Honored". BWW News Desk. November 10, 2009.
  14. ^ Lucas, Anthony J. (March 4, 2009). "Today's new movie announcements". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2009.
  15. ^

Simple

Simple theme by original_copycat

Download: Simple.p3t

Simple Theme
(4 backgrounds)

Simple or SIMPLE may refer to:

Arts and entertainment[edit]

Businesses and organisations[edit]

People[edit]

Places[edit]

Science, and technology and mathematics[edit]

Other uses[edit]

  • Simple (philosophy), a thing that has no proper parts
  • Simple aspect or simple tenses, verb forms in English
  • SIMPLE IRA (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees Individual Retirement Account), a retirement plan

See also[edit]

Space Invaders

Space Invaders theme by stealthassassin

Download: SpaceInvaders.p3t

Space Invaders Theme
(1 background)

Space Invaders
A flyer for Space Invaders: An arcade display on the bottom-right corner is shown over a laser cannon surrounded by aliens and saucers; The background contains the screen against a background of a canyon and a block mountain; The Space Invaders and Taito logos are displayed on the top of the poster.
Arcade flyer
Developer(s)Taito
Publisher(s)
Atari, Inc. (home)
Designer(s)Tomohiro Nishikado
SeriesSpace Invaders
Platform(s)Arcade, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit, MSX, handheld, tabletop, watch, calculator,[9] NES,[10] SG-1000,[11] WonderSwan,[12] VG Pocket,[13] mobile,[14] iOS[15]
ReleaseArcade
Genre(s)Fixed shooter
Mode(s)1–2 players alternating turns

Space Invaders[b] is a 1978 shoot 'em up arcade video game, developed and released by Taito in Japan and licensed to Midway Manufacturing for overseas distribution. Commonly considered to be one of the most influential video games of all time, Space Invaders was the first fixed shooter and the first video game with endless gameplay (meaning there was no final level or endscreen) and set the template for the genre. The goal is to defeat wave after wave of descending aliens with a horizontally moving laser cannon to earn as many points as possible.

Designer Tomohiro Nishikado drew inspiration from North American target shooting games like Breakout (1976) and Gun Fight (1975), as well as science fiction narratives such as the novel The War of the Worlds (1897), the anime Space Battleship Yamato (1974), and the film Star Wars (1977). To complete development, he had to design custom hardware and development tools. Upon release, Space Invaders was an immediate commercial success; by 1982, it had grossed $3.8 billion ($14 billion in 2023-adjusted terms),[16] with a net profit of $450 million ($1.7 billion in 2023 terms). This made it the best-selling video game and highest-grossing entertainment product at the time, and the highest-grossing video game of all time.

Space Invaders is considered one of the most influential video games ever made, having ushered in the golden age of arcade video games. It was the inspiration for numerous video games and game designers across different genres, and has been ported and re-released in various forms. The 1980 Atari VCS version quadrupled sales of the VCS, thereby becoming the first killer app for video game consoles. More broadly, the pixelated enemy alien has become a pop culture icon, often representing video games as a whole.

Gameplay[edit]

A vertical rectangular video game screenshot that is a digital representation of a battle between aliens and a laser cannon. The white aliens hover above four green, inverted U-shaped blocks. Below the blocks is a smaller horizontal block with a triangle on its top.
The player-controlled laser cannon shoots the aliens as they descend.

Space Invaders is a fixed shooter in which the player moves a laser cannon horizontally across the bottom of the screen and fires at aliens overhead. The aliens begin as five rows of eleven that move left and right as a group, shifting downward (advancing on the shooter) each time they reach a screen edge. The goal is to eliminate all of the aliens by shooting them. While the player has three lives, the game ends immediately if the invaders reach the bottom of the screen.[17][18][10][19] The aliens attempt to destroy the player's cannon by firing projectiles. The laser cannon is partially protected by stationary defense bunkers which are gradually destroyed from the top by the aliens and, if the player fires when beneath one, the bottom gets destroyed.

As aliens are defeated, their movement and the music both speed up. Defeating all the aliens brings another wave which starts lower, a loop which can continue endlessly.[17][18][10][19] A special "mystery ship" will occasionally move across the top of the screen and award bonus points if destroyed.

Development[edit]

Space Invaders was developed by Japanese designer Tomohiro Nishikado, who spent a year designing it and developing the necessary hardware to produce it.[20] The game was a response to Atari's arcade game Breakout (1976). Nishikado wanted to adapt the same sense of achievement and tension from destroying targets one at a time, combining it with elements of target shooting games.[20][21][22] The game uses a similar layout to that of Breakout but with different game mechanics; rather than bounce a ball to attack static objects, players are given the ability to fire projectiles at moving enemies.[23]

Nishikado added several interactive elements that he found lacking in earlier video games, such as the ability for enemies to react to the player's movement and fire back, and a game over triggered by the enemies killing the player (either by getting hit or enemies reaching the bottom of the screen) rather than simply a timer running out.[21] He replaced the timer, typical of arcade games at the time, with descending aliens who effectively served a similar function, where the closer they came, the less time the player had left.[22]

Early enemy designs included tanks, combat planes, and battleships.[20] Nishikado, however, was not satisfied with the enemy movements; technical limitations made it difficult to simulate flying.[20][24] Humans would have been easier to simulate, but the designer considered shooting them immoral.[24][25] After seeing the release of the 1974 anime Space Battleship Yamato in Japan,[26][27] and seeing a magazine feature about Star Wars (1977), he thought of using a space theme.[20][21] Nishikado drew inspiration for the aliens from a novel by H. G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, and created initial bitmap images after the octopus-like aliens.[20][21][24] Other alien designs were modeled after squids and crabs.[20][24] The game was originally titled Space Monsters after a popular song in Japan at the time, "Monster", but was changed to Space Invaders by the designer's superiors.[20][21]

Hardware[edit]

A modified Space Invaders arcade cabinet

Nishikado designed his own custom hardware and development tools for Space Invaders.[20][24] It uses an Intel 8080 central processing unit (CPU), displays raster graphics on a CRT monitor using a bitmapped framebuffer, and uses monaural sound hosted by a combination of analog circuitry and a Texas Instruments SN76477 sound chip.[28][25][29] The adoption of a microprocessor was inspired by Gun Fight (1975), Midway's microprocessor adaptation of Nishikado's earlier discrete logic game Western Gun, after the designer was impressed by the improved graphics and smoother animation of Midway's version.[30] Space Invaders also adopted the multi-chip barrel shifter circuit first developed by Midway for Gun Fight, which had been a key part of that game's smoother animation. This circuit allowed the 8080 CPU to shift pictures in the graphics framebuffer faster than it could using only its own native instructions.[31]

Despite the specially developed hardware, Nishikado was unable to program the game as he wanted—the Control Program board was not powerful enough to display the graphics in color or move the enemies faster—and considered the development of the hardware the most difficult part of the process.[20][24] While programming, Nishikado discovered that the processor was able to render each frame of the alien's animation graphics faster when there were fewer aliens on the screen. Since the alien's positions updated after each frame, this caused the aliens to move across the screen at an increasing speed as more and more were destroyed. Rather than design a compensation for the speed increase, he decided that it was a feature, not a bug, and kept it as a challenging gameplay mechanism.[21]

Taito released Space Invaders in July 1978.[5] They released both an upright arcade cabinet and a so-called "cocktail-table" cabinet; following its usual practice, Taito named the cocktail version T.T. Space Invaders ("T.T." for "table-top"). Midway released its upright version a few months later and its cocktail version several months after that. The cabinet artwork featured large humanoid monsters not present in the game; Nishikado attributes this to the artist basing the designs on the original title of "Space Monsters", rather than referring to the actual in-game graphics.[20] In the upright cabinets, the graphics are generated on a hidden CRT monitor and reflected toward the player using a semi-transparent mirror, behind which is mounted a plastic cutout of a moon bolted against a painted starry background. The backdrop is visible through the mirror and thus appears "behind" the graphics.[10] Both Taito's and Midway's first Space Invaders versions had black-and-white graphics with a transparent colored overlay using strips of orange and green cellophane over certain portions of the screen to add color to the image. Later Japanese releases used a rainbow-colored cellophane overlay,[10] and these were eventually followed by versions with a color monitor and an electronically generated color overlay.[10]

Music[edit]

Despite its simplicity, the music to Space Invaders was revolutionary for the gaming industry of the time. Video game scholar Andrew Schartmann identifies three aspects of the music that had a significant impact on the development of game music:

  1. Whereas video game music prior to Space Invaders was restricted to the extremities (i.e., a short introductory theme with game-over counterpart), the alien-inspired hit featured continuous musicthe well-known four-note loop, consisting of the first four notes of the descending D minor natural scalethroughout, uninterrupted by sound effects: "It was thus the first time that sound effects and music were superimposed to form a rich sonic landscape. Not only do players receive feedback related directly to their actions through sound effects; they also receive stimulus in a more subtle, non-interactive fashion through music."[32]
  2. The music interacts with on-screen animation to influence the emotions of the player: "That seemingly pedestrian four-note loop might stir us in the most primitive of ways, but that it stirs us at all is worthy of note. By demonstrating that game sound could be more than a simple tune to fill the silence, Space Invaders moved video game music closer to the realm of art."[32]
  3. The music for Space Invaders popularized the notion of variability—the idea that music can change in accordance with the ongoing on-screen narrative. The variable in Space Invaders, the tempo, is admittedly simple, but its implications are not to be underestimated. "Over the years, analogous strategies of variation would be applied to pitch, rhythm, dynamics, form, and a host of other parameters, all with the goal of accommodating the nonlinear aspect of video games."[32]

At the deepest of conceptual levels, one would be hard-pressed to find an arcade game as influential to the early history of video game music as Space Invaders. Its role as a harbinger of the fundamental techniques that would come to shape the industry remains more or less unchallenged. And its blockbuster success ensured the adoption of those innovations by the industry at large.

— Andrew Schartmann, Thought Catalog (2013)

Next Generation editor Neil West also cited the Space Invaders music as an example of great video game art, commenting on how the simple melody's increasing tempo and synchronization with the enemies' movement chills and excites the player.[33]

Reception and versions[edit]

Arcade version[edit]

Space Invaders initially received mixed responses from within Taito and amusement arcade owners. Nishikado's colleagues praised it, applauding his achievement while queuing up to play, whereas his bosses predicted low sales as games often ended more quickly than other timer-based arcade games at the time. A number of amusement arcade owners initially rejected it, but some pachinko parlors and bowling alleys adopted it; it quickly caught on, with many parlors and alleys clearing space for more Space Invaders cabinets.[41] In the first few months following its release in Japan, Space Invaders became popular,[25] and specialty video arcades opened with nothing but Space Invaders cabinets.[20][25]

By the end of 1978, Taito had installed over 100,000 machines and grossed $670 million ($3.1 billion adjusted for inflation) in Japan alone.[9][42] By June 1979, Taito had manufactured about 200,000–300,000 Space Invaders machines in Japan, with each unit earning an average of ¥10,000 or $46 (equivalent to $193 in 2023) in 100 yen coins per day. However, this was not enough to meet the high demand, leading to Taito increasing production to 25,000–30,000 units per month and raising projections to 400,000 manufactured in Japan by the end of 1979.[5] In order to cope with the demand, Taito licensed the overseas rights to Midway for distribution outside of Japan. By the end of 1979, an estimated 750,000 Space Invaders machines were installed worldwide, including 400,000 in Japan, 85,000 in the United Kingdom,[6] and 60,000 within a year in the United States[43][44][45] (where prices ranged from $2,000 to $3,000 for each machine);[46] the game eventually sold 72,000 units in the United States by 1982.[47] By 1979, it had become the arcade game industry's all-time best-seller.[48]

Space Invaders had about 8 million daily players in Japan, with daily revenue peaking at ¥2.6 billion or $12,000,000 (equivalent to $56,000,000 in 2023).[49] Space Invaders machines had grossed more than four billion US quarters ($1 billion at the time, or $4.7 billion adjusted for inflation) by 1979.[50] It remained the top arcade game for three years through 1980.[9] In 1981, several years after its release, it still had weekly earnings of $7.7 million in the United States, second only to Pac-Man.[51] By 1982, it had crossed $2 billion in quarters[52][53] (equivalent to $9.34 billion adjusted for inflation),[54] with a net profit of $450 million[53] (equivalent to $2.1 billion adjusted for inflation).[54] This made it the best-selling video game and highest-grossing "entertainment product" of its time,[52] with comparisons made to the then highest-grossing film Star Wars,[52][55] which had grossed $486 million,[55] with a net profit of $175 million.[55] By 1982, it had grossed $3.8 billion, equivalent to over $13 billion as of 2016.[16] Space Invaders earned Taito profits of over $500,000,000 (equivalent to $2,300,000,000 in 2023).[20][56]

Home versions[edit]

The 1980 Atari VCS (Atari 2600) version was the first official licensing of an arcade game for consoles and became the first "killer app" for video game consoles after quadrupling the system's sales.[10][57] It sold over one million units in its first year on sale as a home console game, then over 4.2 million copies by the end of 1981, and over 5.6 million by 1982; it was the

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