Little Big Planet To Sell Consoles

Much like Metal Gear Solid 4, Sony is looking for LittleBigPlanet to move consoles from the shelves because all types of gamers are going to want this title. Personally, the desire to want and the stronger feeling of need are two separate problems; everyone will want the game but many will need to buy a PlayStation 3 for MSRP.

Although the prices are slowly dropping for a PS3 unit, hardcore gamers are the ones that will rush out and spend a bundle of money for a console just to play one game. If not hardcore gamers, fans of the franchise (MGS4 for example) and LittleBigPlanet is still working on building a fan base for their new franchise.

The platformer LittleBigPlanet, for many, isn’t worth $399 plus the price of the game. That’s asking a lot, but Sony still thinks it can happen:

It’s going to be a hardware seller. Not only do you have the platforming experience that a lot of other games will have, you have this creativity that really is exclusive to LittleBigPlanet. (kotaku)

Would you run out and get a PS3 for LittleBigPlanet? I’m tempted, but that $399 barrier is truly a large obstacle to clear.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Post

Episode 288: Wii U-tiful PodcastEpisode 288: Wii U-tiful Podcast

This week’s episode is short due to Jonah Falcon’s impending trip to San Francisco to cover a preview event of Company of Heroes 2, while Paul Nowak gets irritated at the complaints coming out of the Wii U launch.

The news items include:

  • Wii U’s launch day update reportedly causing major problems
  • Nintendo DRM traps $400 of downloaded games
  • GTA: Vice Cityremoved from Steam over music licensing
  • Report: Next-gen Xbox TV device coming in 2013
  • Sony: Our iPhone and Galaxy S3 challenger is coming

The Question of the Week: “Do you play real-time strategy games. If so, what is your favorite. If not, why not?”

Episode 247: Paul Spews BullbleepEpisode 247: Paul Spews Bullbleep

Despite having multiple technical difficulties that were edited out of the podcast, Episode 247 is full of gaming discussion goodness, despite Paul’s constant declaration that companies are full of bullbleep.

This week’s gaming news includes:

  • Bioware confirms Mass Effect 3 is Origin-only
  • Electronic Arts passed $1B in digital sales in 2011
  • The Lund Report for the December 2011 NPD
  • Gaikai: Sony or Microsoft won’t have next-gen console
  • Thief 4 rumored to have multiplayer
  • Videogame industry companies shutting down to protest SOPA

This plus two reader mails and the Question of the Week, “What was the first multiplayer gaming you ever enjoyed?”

Are Game Controllers Too Complicated?Are Game Controllers Too Complicated?

The same company that brought us the NES Advantage has proven the Wii control scheme isn’t as bad as critics speculated. The beauty of adding the “waggle” technology is limiting your button count to a reasonable level without overwhelming gamers.

We’re seeing casual gaming on the rise both in the press and in the public. Yet, each “next generation” console brings new features and functionality to the consoles, games and accessories. Since NES birthed the SNES we’ve seen button count increase on controllers.

Nintendo has usually been conservative on buttons, trying to work “shape” over sheer volume of buttons, barring the C button count on the N64 controller. Nintendo controllers change shape with each generation and they’ve evolved, not innovated, their way around with the Wii control scheme. Each function of the controller exists, on its own, in other products but nobody has built a fully functional controller in such a way for a game console until now.

Sony took pieces of this concept in their PS3 controller and its ability to detect “tilt.” Xbox 360 stuck with the beefy controller with lots of buttons and analog sticks. Not just a D-Pad but two analog sticks and a ton of buttons to press, some pressure sensitive as well. What of our next-generation console? Maybe a few new buttons?

Or, maybe a few new motions? Wii evolved the control scheme and Sony validated their decision, what’s next? Are the controllers just too damn complicated in today’s world? Or, perhaps limiting the buttons brings in more gamers, like Grandma and Grandpa, to play your console as well.

(more…)