One thing about this game is it's played in sessions like a casual game, so you can play in sessions of 10 or 15 minutes at a time and not be required to play for very long to get the best out of the game. In that sense, it's built around a casual play schedule.
On the other hand, the meat of the game for core players comes in the level creation.
In this way, it is different from a game like Galaxy, who has the same "wonder" base casual appeal, but builds its core appeal around the collecting of stars, increasingly difficult stars to obtain, and nostalga, rather than a custom level creator.
That's why the game doesnt' appeal to me as heavily as it could. I know that being enthusiastic about the level creator could lead to all kinds of great rewarding self satisfaction...however I've always been an advocate of "buy the game not the engine." I think multiplayer and usercontent focused games are basically the wrong direction for the gaming industry, and certainly a different direction that it has ever headed in before, despite the success of online shooters and rts, via pc, to a certain extent.
I have less of a problem with the casual nature of the game, however it appears that the casual nature was necessary in a game where the content is largely dependant on the average person being able to develop an entertaining level.
I think a much more interesting idea would be....for instance....a DMC type action game where the user was able to make complex level design decisions(I could do a much better job than Lament of Innocence, lol).
It just appears to me, to be an odd combination, a game that mixes appeal to casual gamers, and appeal to their inner programmers, at the same time. I think that Sony will benefit, via sales, of people not realizing exactly what this game is. If they did present it in an easy to understand way, I think the target market for the game would significantly shift, and while it would certainly pick up new players(like maybe me), its total net gain would be red and in parenthesis. This game is similar to other platformers in a few ways, but overall, it is vastly different than any other games you've played before, and not necessarily better, but necessarily different. This isn't Super Sony Brothers 6 fortunately, and unfortunately.
Just food for thought.
I don't need your console war.
It feeds the rich while it buries the poor.
You're power hungry, spinnin' stories, and bein' graphics whores.
I don't need your console war.
NO NO, NO NO NO.
