Consoles have killer-apps — games which shove hardware units off the shelves and create a devoted following for both the title and the console. The Xbox had Halo. The PlayStation 2 had Grand Theft Auto. The Xbox 360 had Gears of War. The Wii had Twilight Princess.
The only console lacking a killer-ap is the PlayStation 3. Until now. According to The Age, when it comes to LittleBigPlanet, Sony may just have found an undisputable reason for fans to buy a PS3 console.
LittleBigPlanet is a unique twist on the 2D platform genre. Instead of giving gamers a character to progress through multiple levels with varying vistas and hardcore hopping, LittleBigPlanet challenges the gamer to make his own experience. The mantra of "play, create, and share," is central in LittleBigPlanet’s ultimate goal; to create a YouTube community where gamers can share their creative creations.
This is certainly a departure from Sony typically sticking to their established franchises to sell units. But Sony saw an area of the videogame market that has yet to be tapped on the console side of things and decided to spear head the effort.
Gamer created content has always been popular in the PC world, but has yet to catch on in the console arena. Microsoft touted the ability to create content on the Xbox 360 several years ago, but has yet to see this through thanks to the strict standards Xbox Live imposes. Sony is not restricted by a system in place since they are just now fully committing to the online arena and thus can integrate this experience.
This is where LittleBigPlanet comes in. It isn’t too complicated for the beginner, but has a wealth of depth for the people willing to devote the time. Luckily for Sony it has been generating a lot of buzz throughout the industry. Will it be the killer-ap Sony is waiting for? Only time will tell if a community crops up for this cute game. If so, Sony is going to be rolling in dough.
