This is depressing news. LittleBigPlanet is so fantastic! :(

My guess: People don't understand what exactly the game is, PS3 users and others alike. And a lot of those who do are already tied to another console or PC and, despite seeing the promise in the title, aren't willing to take the full plunge. I'm one of the former, although admittedly I've been putting this game off as a Gmod for the console masses, that's essentially what makes this game so great. Still havn't had a chance to play it myself but I'm looking forward to it.

LATER, I meant LATER. Of course I know what the game is, that's why I'm posting about it :)

When they first announced this game, everybody said, "I'm surprised; this looks like something that'd come out for the Wii." And indeed, if it had, I bet it would be selling fives times as much.

Still, several hundred thousand copies sold in the first two months is not bad, it's just not the smash hit they were betting on.

The way I see it, LittleBigPlanet's problem is that its essentially just a giant level editor and not much of a game.The game's amount of content, good graphics and charming art style and music just isn't enough to interest gamers beyond those who are interested in these kinds of games where you can create your own level design. It also hurts that the actual platforming is floaty and just not that fun.

Sony is in real need of system-seller titles in my opinion. Microsoft has Halo and Gears of War while Nintendo has even more system-sellers including Wii Sports, Wii Play, Wii Fit, Mario Galaxy, Smash Bros. and Mario Kart.


Unfortunately, Every exclusive Sony has hyped just hasn't performed well in terms of boosting hardware sales including games such as MGS4 and Resistence 2 as well as multiplatform titles such as GTAIV and DMC4. I expect that Final Fantasy will clearly give the PS3 a signicant boost in hardware sales especially in Japan. However, potential concern is will that boost in hardware sales be short-lived or will it have long legs like some of Nintendo's first-party titles.

After being in the beta for a week or so I decided that I would be able to wait a few months to pick it up. I enjoyed it but do feel it was a tad overhyped.

It's not a bad game by any means it's just 1 hour romps is all I can handle before I need to switch it up.

maybe they minimized sales to prevent recreations of intellectual properties.

oh yeah, FAIL.

this just looks more like a wii title - but with better graphics - still kinda kiddie. a little to casual with all of the excellent recent releases to bother looking into at the moment.

Dexter said: "
When they first announced this game, everybody said, "I'm surprised; this looks like something that'd come out for the Wii." And indeed, if it had, I bet it would be selling fives times as much. "

I totally agree. Little Big Planet on the Wii would be BANANAS.

Conceptually.

Correct me if I'm wrong but hasn't this game passed the one million mark sold worldwide? It may not be orgasmic shattering sales but passing million sold isn't anything to sneeze at.

Also to me, this is the kind of game that will sell well throughout the PS3's lifetime.

* It´s a Wii game and the most cool levels, like Demon Skull, was "moderate". So, the hardcore gamer don´t brought.

@TrailerParkJesus:

Definitely. I have no idea why they made this single platform. It would have sold a lot more if it was released on all three, especially the Wii.

Yeah this is an excellent game. Sure its not perfect, but the levels are so kool and original, especially the user created stuff. I think the lack of PS3's out there and the price of the system are what are keeping this and many other great games from being 'system sellers'. Oh well hopefully the rumour is true and that Sony will drop the price next year.

I own a PS3, but not LBP. I was in the beta and the controls were horrid. That fact alone kept me from buying it, but I also don't think I'd ever have the time to make my own levels, which was a point of emphasis in the marketing.

That's a damn shame.

I mean, the detractors will complain about the "horrible controls" which I find to be adequate, but this game isn't solely about that. I wish people would embrace the game for what it is, and respect that. LBP is not Mario.

And honestly, the beta levels people played don't do the game justice. There are some immensely creative levels right out of the box.

I didn't even talk about co-op. Local co-op on this game is incredible. I had a lot more fun with it than I did Castle Crashers.

Also, the soundtrack rules.

@boxmyth

Who says you ever have to make your own levels? I have fun by playing other people's creations. I haven't even begun to dig into the creation aspect of it.

And like I said, the disc comes with it's own set of fantastically creative levels.

I don't see Valve dropping an $80 price tag on Garry's Mod and pushing it as the best thing since sliced bread - why should LBP be any different?

It's a fancy level editor for a game with little or no content.

I don't have anything against the game or the PS3 personally, but the absolute fanlove for this game is really puzzling.

Recycled garbage like CoD5 sells millions, while innovative stuff like LBP flounders. Guess I can't really blame Activision and EA for milking the shit out of their franchises, and being hesitant to try new things.

I blame the jump mechanics. And terrorists.

Such a shame, but things might pick up later.

LBP is a fine game/game creator, the real problems began when Sony started tearing into level that many gamers put their heart and soul into creating, then stomping their jackboots all over them.

LBP is a bold first step, for wider user created content for consoles (beyond shoot em up and rpg makers). I really think that once many big wigs like Sony get over their fear of users breaching copyright, such games will thrive on console, just as they do on PC. They need a chilled Valve approach and create a good community. So far, there's no chance of this if they moderate levels and piss off users, with no reason or warning.

Now if MM were to produce a mod engine, that lets users create any kind of game on console, that's when things would get really interesting.

Apart from sales picking up later, my kindest advice to Sony, get to work on a PSP version. If we could create and upload/download levels for PSP, and potentially play them via wifi, this could give PSP a big boost.

As a PS3 owner, I never reall cared much about LBP.

I completely agree with viralhunter and TrailerParkJesus. People (the general public) just don't know what this game is or what it does, and the ads don't really give a good impression of the game. The commercials I've seen on TV for LBP make it look like some shitty, childish Wii game.

Sony really needs to start re-thinking their marketing strategies. Their console commercials don't make any sense, and they're just not advertising their game library like they should be. They've been badly marketing their products from the beginning. Sony has a lot of work to do if they want to catch up with the 360's success, if that's even possible now.

If anything, I think the delay/recall messed things up. There were a ton of games coming then and a week's delay put it right next to R2 and Gears 2, and Fable 2 and the less well recieved Spider-man game. I think Dead Space had just come out the week before. It wasn't a time when they could be wishywashy about releasing the game and they did a too-PC recall and quietly shipped the game to stores that Saturday.

@everyone – Awesome discussion guys. You’ve all made perfectly valid points. Let me ask this, though: Do you think that a continual stream of downloadable content will help push up sales or convince others who are on the fence to buy the title? Could new levels, creation items, or costumes help in any way?

"Could new levels, creation items, or costumes help in any way?"

I'd really hope not - unless they're provided for free. The game is fully centered around the idea of sharing user created assets, yet so many great levels are "moderated" in a mentally deficient manner and every bit of DLC with a pricetag is far overpriced.

People are and have created levels and some great ones are no longer around, even though levels created through the game should clearly fall under the fair-use umbrella.

Yeah.. 4th best on the platform is SUCH a terrible spot to be at and 100k one month is so low.

Get real, reviews have never translated to sales. Not before, not now and this day and age what typically sells is the 10th sequel of a series. Bioshock was a refreshing change to that but then again it still was a first person shooter.

I kind of predicted this and wondered about why Sony thought this title was going to be so huge when it obviously was a little problematic one to translate into actual sales. Maybe they believed in it because of the example Bioshock set and I'm sure similar things can and will happen to those who are willing to take risks.

But still to put it all in perspective, while LBP doesn't seem like it is going to sell millions it will still move a respectable number of units by the looks of it so failure it is not. Maybe 0.5-1 million, maybe even more if the user created content keeps pushing sales in the long run.