LittleBigPlanet flourishes with a community of nearly two million users
The critically-acclaimed LittleBigPlanet for PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) has marked the coming of age of gaming as it moves into a new realm defined by creativity and community.
This best-selling title from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) allows players to build their own levels and share them via PlayStation Network. Nearly two million players worldwide have joined the LittleBigPlanet community since its launch in November 2008, where they, rather than developers, drive the experience by creating game content to share with others.
Each of LittleBigPlanet’s 725,000 user-generated levels is unique. Many are inspired by films, TV shows and games titles, including levels “LittleBigPlanet Takeshi’s Castle”, “LBP Jurassic Park” and “LBP-MotorStorm”, while others use in-game tools to show-off impressive engineering such as the “LittleBigCalculator”, circus-themed “Uncle Fritz’s Funhouse Frenzy” or LittleBigPlanet community favourite “Huge Pinball Machine”. Some players create music levels, requiring the player to push buttons to create a song, while Japanese rock-pop group the Beat Crusaders recently developed their music video for Phantom Planet with LittleBigPlanet. Others play tribute to family and friends, hobbies and passions, while levels like “Illumina Garden” come only from the most active imaginations.
The LittleBigPlanet community is growing rapidly day by day, and since launching, the game has been played more than 125 million times with players posting more than four million comments on game levels - many begging creators for sequels to their favourites.
Mark Hardy, European Marketing Director – Content and Platforms - at SCEE, says of the game’s success:
“LittleBigPlanet is giving people from every walk of life the opportunity to express themselves creatively. The game is just the start. This is Creative Gaming; never ending experiences that take on lives of their own through their players.
LittleBigPlanet appeals to a generation shaped by their networks and thirsty for great experiences to share with friends. Where LittleBigPlanet goes from here is up to its community; it is theirs to shape however they like. This makes it much more inclusive than gaming has ever been before.”
LittleBigPlanet teaches players to create as they play. Sackboy™ is your very own customisable character; a walking toolbox of building skills and materials that allows players to create new objects, landscapes, puzzles, characters, weapons, prizes, narratives and more. Players can also upload their own photos and media into levels straight from their PS3.
With so many different entertainment features, PS3 makes a strong case for pride of place in the home – storing photos, video and favourite TV shows via PlayTV™ – as well as offering Blu-ray Disc™ playback and the Internet access. It also supports a growing number of communities through its own PlayStation Network, including the SingStar® and Buzz! communities where people share their finest singing performances and create and share their own quizzes.