Sony: LittleBigPlanet could have been #1 at a different point in the year

by Justin McElroy { Nov 23rd 2008 at 4:00PM }

You don't understand, the internet. LittleBigPlanet coulda had class. It coulda been a contender. It coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what it is, let's face it. It was you, other games released in the same release window. It was you.

OK, so Sony UK spokesperson David Wilson didn't put it exactly like that, and LittleBigPlanet is pretty far from a bum. But Wilson did say that the game would have been number one on the charts during a different time of year. He went on to say, "This is an incredibly volatile time of year and the chart reflects that - November 7 saw 47 titles released on that one day alone including many big hitters with Christmas number one aspirations."

We feel Wilson's pain. Why oh why won't science invent other months besides October and November? Are two months really enough?

Tags: littlebigplanet, sony

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

flameofdoom666 @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:06PM

There are too many good games!

Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:09PM

While LBP didn't seem to be the kill app Sony thought it would be, I think the sales of the game will continue steadily. It seems like one of those games that will age well.

Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:09PM

uhh... this was not meant as a reply

Sub Zero @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:33PM

You're damn right. LBP is one of them, but I think Sony's release strategy for their first-party titles has put the game in a bad spot.

Last year, for example, their "Big 3" of Heavenly Sword, WarHawk, and Lair were released before the holiday swarm. As a result, each sold well in their own right.

This year, their "Big 4" of Socom, Motorstorm 2, LBP, and Resistance 2 are a part of the massive bombardment that has obliterated my wallet.

Understandable to anyone else?

sk8monroe81 @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:51PM

sub- wheres MGS4 in that.. i would say big 5.
MGS4 did well this year for sony and the was the big release of them all this year.

heavenly sword, warhawk, and lair?
wow those were not the 3 big games of 2007 for sony...

tdrules @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:07PM

whilst reading this two songs came thru my mind:
reverand and the lovemakers- heavyweight champion of the world
metallica- sad but true :(

Osman @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:08PM

"Cry Me a River"??

Chris2306 @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:30PM

Lol reverend and the lovemakers? Something on your mind?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverend_and_the_Makers

xGeneral DEATHx (Mr ESC Welcome Back Party Ultimate Mega Action Force) @ Nov 24th 2008 10:04AM

Paging Dr. Freud.

YonGibbeynater @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:09PM

Somehow, I saw this one coming. I guess the "hardcore" market would rather play ANOTHER FPS, instead of LBP.

Gehodra @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:16PM

Yeah... you got us pegged.

BananaBoat @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:33PM

People realized too early (thanks to the beta) that the actual building of a level wasn't really fun in any way (it's work...so much work).

Honestly I don't know why the game didn't sell that well. All the hype was in place, with some video game journalists so far up LBP's ass that you couldn't even see their feet dangling any more, so it isn't as if there wasn't anticipation for the game (I was so psyched until the beta). I think this proves two things: Casual gamers don't have PS3's, and traditional gamers can spot a glorified level editor when they see one. If casual gamers had as many PS3's as they have Wii's, LBP would have been the smash hit of the year. Unfortunately for Sony, that isn't the case at all. With the price of a PS3 staying steady for the holiday season (in this horrible economic climate) I don't expect the sales of LBP to climb much higher than we've already seen them.

copa @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:45PM

Actually, I think the "hardcore" market would have responded better if:

- Sony hadn't pushed back the release date by issuing a mandatory recall for a content problem that was fixed by patch anyway

- The co-op online level design feature wasn't yanked at the last minute.

- The servers didn't go offline for most of the first week

- There weren't still lag problems with online to this day

- People didn't spend dozens of hours on designing levels, only to be informed after the fact that their level violated content guidelines and were deleted from the server.

- People didn't have their level deleted because they named it 'Failure To Launch', which happens to share the name with a completely unrelated romantic comedy.

So did I expect a Sony representative to say, "We had publishing rights to one of the most imaginative, exciting games in a decade, but we sabotaged the sales by completely fucking up the launch?"

Not really. "This game would have sold massively, except for the week we released it" sounds about right.

j.howlett @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:54PM

i think people are blowing the level deletion thing out of proportion. it doesn't just get deleted, from what i read from the guy who ran to sites like joystiq it's still on his moon. people griefed it so they moderated it. it sucks still but i don't see alot of it. just don't have a bunch of copyrighted pictures and blowing up or doing other things to harm a brand or misuse it

Markez @ Nov 23rd 2008 5:20PM

I'm with Boat here.

99.9% of gamers could absolutely not give less a shit about game customization or content creation. The key is in making user created content easily accessible and usable by the customer base. LBP certainly seems to be doing a good job of this, but the level deletion fiasco is pretty disappointing.

Too bad Boom Blox totally effed up on making user created content available to the masses, would've made a world of difference.

Also, why does Sony have to say stupid ass shit like this, such whiny twats there it's incredible.

Markez @ Nov 23rd 2008 5:21PM

So yeah, basically, I agree with everything Copa said.

tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 23rd 2008 5:26PM

Call me crazy, but after playing the beta to LBP I would admittedly rather be playing Killzone 2 right now than LBP. It may be innovative, but to me it was just another casual game that couldn't keep me awake for more than 30 minutes at a time.

Eh @ Nov 23rd 2008 5:27PM

The hardcore liked this game fine. The problem was Sony's handling of the release. The beta pissed a lot of people off and made them resent the game without even playing, people had to jump through hoops for 2 weeks straight trying to get a beta key all in vain. Then Sony's amazing delay of the game days before release without a future release date, people didnt know when they could buy the game, stores didnt know when they could sell the game, and sony didnt know anything about anything.

Sony built a ton of hype for the game then crushed it right before release. People simply lost interest after their hopes were dashed not once but twice.

FSK405K @ Nov 23rd 2008 6:39PM

So you're saying that a Wii port of LBP would be the greatest seller since Wii Fit?

BananaBoat @ Nov 23rd 2008 7:05PM

Wii LBP would have sold a ton more copies, I have no doubt about that. An advertising campaign on TV that emphasized the casual play (playing player made levels or media molecule levels) would have made it seem like the must have casual "child friendly" game of the year, even if the level creation mode is anything but casual.

According to the internet hype by hardcore gamers, LBP should have sold over a million copies. It's pretty clear now that hardcore gamers were turned off by LBP in the days leading to the failed launch (due to the lyrics they had to take out, the beta fiasco,etc) and then the game just sort of belly flopped onto retail shelves. I'm willing to bet that there is a ton of finger pointing going on internally at Sony right now, with everyone wondering what the hell went wrong with the launch.

water.and.sand @ Nov 24th 2008 3:44AM

I must have a different interpretation of the "hardcore" gamer, but I've been playing games since NES and LittleBigPlanet has stolen my heart far more than any recent FPS (Portal notwithstanding).

Honestly, I can't really consider the gamers that don't play anything other than FPSs as hardcore, because I don't think they quite get anything else. They aren't the ones grinding for Yxian Bear Sphincters or trying to master the most precise of jumps. In the land of games, those are the people that are hardcore.
People who stick to FPSs are a huge part of the gaming world, but they're similar to the Wii family-friendly audience, just in a different (more adult) vein.

Personally, since I've been playing games my entire life, it really takes something new to make me care. Even if it could be the 'casual' title of the year, it can be awesome as long as I haven't already been there and done that.

For me, LBP does just that.

embassy @ Nov 24th 2008 5:15AM

honestly,

i think this is the best proof that AAA-quality games shouldn't have a demo/beta.

there's no benefit...all you're doing is either:

a. keeping existing potential customers.
b. losing potential customers who were initially interested.

you rarely gain any new customers/fans with a beta or demo..especially with a super hyped AAA game like this.

t_m @ Nov 24th 2008 9:15AM

FPS players aren't hardcore gamers... thats like saying people who watch 2Fast2Furious and Saw V are movie-buffs.

FPS gamers are mostly whiny teens with no idea about gaming.

That said, LBP wouldn't have sold well on the Wii either... original, creative concepts don't sell as well as generic games in familiar settings/franchises.

Duke @ Nov 24th 2008 11:20AM

While I don't agree that FPS players are automatically whiney teens and such, I do agree that playing shooters is not what makes a hardcore gamer. A hardcore gamer to me is one who plays many games and tries as much as they can to experience all gaming has to offer.

Honestly, I play a lot of shooters (and I sure as hell am not a teen), but I look at everything that comes around and try new things whenever I can. This weekend I grabbed a copy of Boom Blox and I'll be damned if my wife and I didn't enjoyed playing that game all Saturday night. I also plan on getting LBP for us because it looks like a lot of fun.

A fun game is a fun game, and people shouldn't hate on it just for the sake of hating. I imagine that LBP will pick up in sales as some more time goes on, but they came out against too many big titles. Hell, I haven't been able to pick up a lot of great games that came out over the last 2 months.

Darayz @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:12PM

It didn't help that I saw a bajillion Gears of War 2 commercials and ZERO Little Big Planet ads.

Wiinterfang @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:14PM

I have saw more Little Big Planet adds than gears of wars, I guess I watch too much Cartoon Network.

FreakyJP @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:48PM

Funny, because here in Belgium I see 0 Gears of War 2 ads and like a LBP ad once an hour.

chispito @ Nov 23rd 2008 9:09PM

Who in the heck decides which game to buy based on commercials?

Ignatius @ Nov 23rd 2008 11:15PM

Mom and dad usually do. :P

Markusdragon @ Nov 24th 2008 5:58AM

I haven't seen commercials for either. It's because I've been playing too many games to watch any TV.

Wiinterfang @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:12PM

Sonic Unleashed>Little Big Planet.

Yes I have the balls to say that.

Jerk Face @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:15PM

Eww.

Lionbacker @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:18PM

I downvoted you, and was promptly rewarded with a black screen, due to the ads (I think).

Fucking ads...

Bagels @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:20PM

My goodness, your a feisty troll, aren't you. You didn't even care to say "Generic Brown Shooter released in last 2 months" > LBP.
LBP ROCKS.
My level is Care-verfield under my PSN name, WolfLogic

Wiinterfang @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:34PM

I downvoted you, and was promptly rewarded with a black screen.

^That's what you get for messing with Sonic Unleashed.

Sonic Unleashed: The crappy Sonic game that really wasn't.

mezzanine @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:13PM

It is #1.

In my heart.

Josh @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:16PM

McElroy, you're so right. Just release the stupid games during other months. Look at Capcom, for example.

Josh @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:16PM

Ugh, I probably shouldn't have said "stupid". I didn't mean it literally.

Gehodra @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:18PM

Did you just apologize to some games?

Josh @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:19PM

No, but I realized that my comment would be horribly misinterpreted, so I tried to prevent that.

GoldenS1104 @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:29PM

Well, you have to understand that they release these games so people will buy them for the holidays. It probably increases sales so much that it doesn't even matter that all of these good games are released at the same time. Personally, I don't care when a game is released since I can buy it whenever I have time (usually during the summer). The only thing that can be annoying is that there are more people playing multiplayer when a game is initially released, making waiting a bad idea for some games.

Jakka ( The Order of Haters of Balance) @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:40PM

@ Golden

That's why you should release major games in Q1,Q2 then re-release a Special Edition in Q3,Q4.

Everybody's happy. Gamers get their releases spaced out while Publishers hype a Special Edition on holidays which then give them a sales spike.

Josh @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:42PM

Noo, that's not good. I'd always wait for the special editions, then.

Jerk Face @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:17PM

Somebody better call the WAAAAAmbulance. We've got a CRYmergency!

Jerk Face @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:19PM

Jokes aside, LBP is probably a really great game. The problem, I'd imagine, is that the PS3's install base just isn't with the people who'd want to play it. It's a strange game in that it LOOKS like a little kids game but is very hardcore in its gameplay and customization ability. It's kind of confused on who its audience is, and the PS3 just seems like a bad choice for the game.

Wiinterfang @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:37PM

Scare of Some Sony fans? you don't have to apologize, the game didn't sell because it look like it will appeal more to a Graphic Designer than Casuals.

Maverick Saturn @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:56PM

Oh dear, the puns burn my eyes :S

Negativecool @ Nov 23rd 2008 11:45PM

Jerk Face-

I don't know if you've been gone or not, but I haven't seen you in a really long time.

Good to have you back.
Jerk.

Mr Khan @ Nov 23rd 2008 4:24PM

I would say that Sony has done this themselves, perhaps. Their focus on Microsoft has drawn them in to have the same problem of demographic restriction.

Sackolantern PSN ID: johnnynumber5 @ Nov 23rd 2008 7:33PM

The consoles cost of entry had more to do with it than demographic. There are really 3 classes of people that would buy a PS3 @ $400.00

1. Technology enthusiast
2. Hardcore Gamers
3. Blu-Ray entry

The game has not sold that bad for a new IP. The cost of the console is holding sales back more than the title not being hardcore enough.

I love the game and any gamer with a PS3 owes it to themselves to buy this game. It's a masterpiece. Haters be damned to hell.