PS3 LittleBigPlanet – not the instant hit it was meant to be
In the build-up to the release of LittleBigPlanet, a PS3 exclusive from Media Molecule, I talked the game up extensively. And I wasn’t alone, with Sony accepting how important a title it was, and anyone who played the pre-release beta also expecting great things. Why then are early sales so disappointing?
For those who have been living under a rock for the past few months, LittleBigPlanet is a game which puts you in control of a little character called Sackboy. At its heart, it’s a platformer, and a simple one at that, but thanks to a huge range of customization tools and the ability to share created levels online, the title has massive potential.
This potential lead me to describe the game as the first killer app for the PS3, and Sony to acknowledge how important the game is to their holiday plans for the Playstation 3. But despite these high expectations, LittleBigPlanet only sold 215,000 copies in the U.S. in October.
As Ripten so eloquently explains, some of this is due to the fact that the game was delayed because a song in the soundtrack referred to the Qur’an. Originally due to be released on Oct. 21, the game was recalled before being properly released on Oct. 27. That left just four days of the month for the game to rack up sales.
But, while that may be a part explanation, I still think 215,000 units sold is a disappointment for such a AAA title that was meant to appeal to everyone on the face of the planet. I doubt Sony is happy with the result so far, but it only has itself to blame by not marketing the game heavily enough.
A month or so before the game was released I saw a few promotions on a few different television stations but then it all went a bit quiet. I remember the days when the Playstation brand and the big games released on the Playstation and PS2 were advertised so heavily that you couldn’t help but notice, whether you were a gamer or not.
LittleBigPlanet is likely to be one of those games which sells well from now until the end of the PS3’s life due to its wide-ranging appeal and likelihood of being included in console bundles. But that won’t stop the early sales from being a disappointment to Sony and Playstation fanboys alike.
The bigger picture sees me asking questions over Sony’s marketing strategy. The PS3 is hardly doing brilliantly at the moment, and with no price cut forthcoming, I can’t see that changing anytime soon. Has Sony given up? Is it just playing the long game? Either way, something needs to happen fast or Sony will risk getting left far behind in the current generation console war.
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25 Responses to “PS3 LittleBigPlanet – not the instant hit it was meant to be”
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November 16th, 2008
It’s turned into ‘Little Big Letdown’
November 17th, 2008
Sales or no sales. Its still a fun game to create stuff with.
I’m not so sure if the platforming single player is super fun, and most levels out there are simple ‘rocket sleds’ or ‘Get 8 trophies in 3 seconds’ stuff.
But the physics and create mode and awesome
I’m still trying to create a walking humanoid…..
(That doesn’t have 60 foot feet)
November 17th, 2008
LBP probably does have universal appeal, unfortunately the PS3 doesn’t.
If it was on Wii it’d do great.
November 17th, 2008
I’ll agree with that point. The Wii would have made this game great. Wii people love gimics and LPB would be right up that alley.
November 17th, 2008
Harry, aside from disappointing sales the game is still awesome. I’ll be getting it as soon as i get enough money. I just spent it on COD5 WAW because it was on offer here at just £27
November 17th, 2008
The game was released in the last 4 days of October. I’m not sure it’s time to fly the white flag just yet. Due to the fact the game also appeals to a younger audience it should sell well in the next two months.
LBP would not be possible on last-gen hardware (ie: Wii).
November 17th, 2008
yes… its a shame that the sales for LBP is going down…
but this game couldnt do shit on the Wii… it would sell like hot cakes… but the online component of the Wii is not as good as the PSN (even though the PSN isnt good anyways)…
How would you save your created levels on your console???
This is just one of those games… that takes a genre we know to another level… I havent bought it yet… but this is number one on my list…
one of the biggest issues is the creation tools.. Ive heard it takes a while to make a level thats truely unique… also I dont know why I cant create a mario themed or zelda themed level for myself… whats the point of giving me tools if I cant make the stuff I want to?? its fucking retarded…
anyways… I hope more people buy this game… if LBP and Socom get their act straight… then I am not gonna have to dream about buying a 360 and playing Gears 2 everyday.. goddammit…
November 17th, 2008
…You’re judging these sales when the game was delayed and was released the last four days of October. I’m pretty sure it surpassed those sales already.
November 17th, 2008
@Darkwhitehair: The tools are easy to use. Creating a level does take some time though. The level of depth of the tools that you are given is amazing. You can build, create, and modify anything you can imagine. The tutorials do a good job of walking you through it, but it takes a little practice and patience to make it all come together. Once you get the hang of it though, the tools are actually very easy to use.
You can not make a Mario or Zelda level because Nintendo own those IPs. I had some spin off ideas also, but coming up with an original level is even more rewarding. Mine should be ready soon. I keep putting off finishing it to play Resistance though.
November 17th, 2008
I agree with Barnabe
He better be making a level that isn’t some kind of rocket sled tho
November 17th, 2008
Yeah those levels are a waste. I think people also just publish anything in order to get the trophies, which is pretty sad.
I am only about a quarter done or so. I spent a lot of time just fooling around with things and trying different things out. It still needs a lot of work. I’m trying to have it done weekend, but then again I said that last week. I’m hoping it turns out pretty good. I like the idea of having a lot of people playing and enjoying it.
November 17th, 2008
LittleBigPlanet is yet another game that only displays its content at 720p and *cannot* scale to 1080i or 1080p on its own.
Anyone with a rear projection TV will see this game displayed at only 480p, so most of them will pass on this game.
Sony released a PS3 update last year so developers can choose to support 1080, but many games, like this one unfortunately, choose not to.
I rarely buy PS3 games because of this but since I also own a 360 it’s no big deal.
November 17th, 2008
This is about fun, not resolution! LBP is fun.
People need to learn that gfx don’t make the game.
But if you want to talk about blistering graphical power! then -> Wii 480p is where its really at
(If you touch your tv, you can actually cut yourself on the jaggies 
)
November 18th, 2008
umm… I was wondering… lets make a level with themes from ALL the games we know… we can refer to them in an indirect way… like instead of Mario… make it a plumber man… and a story about one space marine saving the world from aliens with chainsaws and has a Halo on his head with a bad fungal infection and helping his fat russian cousin…
sigh… I can only dream…
November 18th, 2008
Now, would you want to play platform games designed by your friends? Not me! I have not much time playing games, let more, waste my much needed time on something that nobody would play anyway or let alone scour for games online! What at the chances that you would get to play a superbly designed game, my estimate!! Less than 10%-5%, so it is a complete waste of my time!!
Less than LBP are for people who don’t do much in their life. As for people who has two jobs, kids, and a wife like me, LBP doesn’t appeal!
November 18th, 2008
Damn jealously is a bitch and LittleBigPlanet has sold through the roof is a definite hit. Plus is addictive pure fun plus you can make money.
November 18th, 2008
@theliving: Someone correct me if I am wrong here…. But there are actually very few games that natively display in 1080P. MGS is the only one I can say for sure does… besides SW is right, resolution doesn’t necessarily ensure that a game will be fun. I have been really impressed with the game as a whole. And if graphics are your thing, the amount of details and textures in the game is very impressive and the art direction as a whole is amazing.
@ Antonidas:I will be the first to admit, that there are no shortage of crappy levels, but you would be very surprised at what people have come up with. There are some amazing levels that have over 20K plays on them. I have a job, girlfriend, famiy, etc. You can save your level and build it in short session. You don’t have to spend consecutive hours working on it.
November 18th, 2008
The Living,
My best friend has a rear projection HD television that displays 720p just fine. Actually, he’s been gaming in 720p on his Xbox and PS2 for years via component cables.
Am I just not understanding your post?
-Arvis
November 18th, 2008
HAHAHAAAHAHAAHAHAHAAH @ IVAN
November 19th, 2008
arvis – neither the xbox or ps2 had hidef graphics ability. the xbox was the closest with all games released in 480p.
the 360 was the first hidef console on the market. not the ps2.
component cables don’t magically turn 480p into 720p.
seriously arvis…c’mon…
November 19th, 2008
It pains me to say it… but kev is unfortunately right for once. A HD TV does not ensure that it will be displayed in 720 or higher. The source has to also be HD.
Seriously, can anyone else name any other games that were natively 1080P? Is MGS4 the only one?
November 19th, 2008
barn – i’ve always been right.. you fanboys are just too under informed to know it.
November 19th, 2008
*blushes*
My best friend is not so authoritative as I thought. He told me that and I was like “I didn’t know that was possible. THAT’S 720p?” Just thought his tv wasn’t very good… all I knew was that it looked way better than the crappy 480i I was getting through regular A/V…
(cough)
Well, anyways, now that we have established that I know nothing about TVs…. how about them Miami Dolphins??
-Arvis
November 20th, 2008
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is native 1080p. Even my Xbot friends are blown away by how beautiful it is. Polyphony Digital is claiming the full game will have improved graphics, but how much better it can look is beyond me: its already a photo-realistic game imo.
I can’t think of any others though. All other games I own that have 1080p listed on the case are native 720p, and you have to disable 720p output to force it to run 1080p. Some games (like GTAIV, CoD4 and Socom) actually do look better on my 46″ aquos in 1080p, but the difference is far less notable on my 42″.
I can’t imagine the difference between 720p and 1080p means anything at all the average consumer.
November 21st, 2008
JofaMang: GT5 right. I forgot about that. Did you see that they linked 4 PS3s to create GT5 in a 3840 by 2160 resolution? (drools) http://www.ps3daily.co.uk/20081120/gran-turismo-5-gt5-in-4-times-the-resolution-of-full-hd/
Anyway, 720P resolution does look amazing. I don’t think I would be able to notice the difference between 720 and 1080.