Media Molecule is eyeing its next project.

In an annual director's report, uncovered by Develop, the company indicated that its main business risks came "largely as a result of the company's heavy reliance on the one LittleBigPlanet brand name".

As such, the company spent big in 2011, ploughing a whopping £4.1 million into research and development. The company made just £3.4 million profit in return.

"It is vital for Media Molecule to focus a high proportion of its resources on R&D to allow it to maintain its world leading position as a developer of innovative games," stated the report.

The report continued that it must "remain at the forefront of technological advances, and must bring new and often risky innovations to market in products of the highest quality".

In response, the studio made investments in "leading edge physics and dynamics, rapid world creation from laser data, innovative routes to market via web based interfaces, 3D stereo-optics for advanced simulation, and use of 'hi-def' data capture and processing techniques".

Media Molecule confirmed last year that it intends to take a step away from the LittleBigPlanet franchise. It's unclear, at present, what the studio's got in the pipeline — but all we know is that we can't wait to see it.

[source eurogamer.net]