My general point is...

If the average "casual" as I think it's beign defined here doesn't finish most of their games. How is the option to get more levels going to be a draw?

What makes this game any different then say... Viva Piniata?

It's the creator that has to be the focus. Which is tough since casual aren't going to know much beyond commercials, and they aren't really going to get creation aspects unless explained to them...

and who knows if that's an appeal to them.

To me this is just going to apply more to platform fans and failed/lazy programmers.

I think it will be a fairly big game... but the whole casual arguement seems to ride on the fact that sackboys are cute and that people have been nagging their friends and girlfriends about the game for a while.

I mean my girlfriend thinks it's cool, but only after i walked her through like 2-3 videos and explained the game to her... and she plays games ranging from casual to hardcore.

It seems like a game that's going to need legwork to explain to people. Money may be better spent on kiosks and big posters drawing people in to play the game then things like advertising.

Hiring people to demo it etc.

A game like this needes the right marketing strategy.  Not just a bunch of money thrown at it.

In my opinion, Little Big Planet has always seemed to have a fairly confused design ...

You have a 2D platformer which is a (mostly) dead genre outside of handheld systems, where its main 'hooks' is that it is a large scale realistic physics simulation and that it has a large quantity of downloadable user generated content (which seem to appeal mostly to core gamers), and it has a graphical style which is so cute that 99% of PS3 fans would call it "Kiddy Crap" if it was on the Wii or Nintendo DS.

At the same time it seems to be the complete opposite of what has been successful on the PS3 to date (which is probably a good thing) but that has to make you wonder whether the PS3 audience wants this game, or whether many people are willing to buy a $400 console just to play one game.

I care about the quailty of the game not sales because I'm a gamer not a businessman

I love how people try to turn the things they like about a game into being the "Hardcore" aspects of it.

1. IF LBP is a platformer, is there an underlying goal? Meaning, would there be an incentive to keep playing the game besides little prizes in the game that are at the finish line? I mean, in SMG for example, it has the most simple story: rescue the princess. But the game pushed you on; get at least 60 stars to beat the game. That was enough for the casuals. For the hardcore, you played the harder levels to get all 120 stars to beat the game, then to unlock Luigi. What is the goal for this one? Just beat as many levels as possible? Marvel at the physics of each level? If I am wrong, please correct me because even I can't believe this is the only incentive casual gamers need to fork over $460 for.

2. I understand that POV, seeing that I loved to play with LEGO's during my childhood. But are LEGO's $400 worth? The argument here isn't that the game will be bad, but will it be that good to entice the casuals to pay big money for? Maybe for some who are on the fence for this game, but not for everyone.

If this game was grouped with other worthy casual games then, but it is hard to see the casuals who don't own the PS3 to get this game. If there are any casuals who do have a PS3, then absolutely they will buy it. Heck, I reckon this might be the PS3 game that might entice casuals to save up their money for with the system for Christmas, given the right amount of advertising and such. Of course, there is also Animal Crossing to watch out for, followed by Wii Music.....Oh and also gotta watch out for MS, seeing as how they are also after the casual market.

Let's just hope for the best for LBP, seeing how it is a really unique game and we gamers must encourage such games to be made or risk seeing an onslaught of FPS and TPS games.

@jman8 Thanks for the info.....it seemed like the obvious course though but its good if there were no prices for levels.

@Soriku

That is my argument all along. I really doubt the casual gamers are going to pay that much for one cute game when there are hundreds of that on the Wii and DS.

If everybody makes fun of the Wii and DS for having all of these casual games, at least recognize that the casuals are going to be interested more on the Wii and DS and not be that enthused over one game on the PS3 or 360.

Sorry if you misunderstood me, but I was saying that I agree with you. It is the LBP fans that are arguing that is the fun levels that will get the casuals to get more levels, which I believe will fail because you have to first get them to buy the system and the game. If the PS3 was as marketable as the PS2 was, there would have been no problem. Times have changed though and this game isn't going to get the casuals back to the system. Not with money being the main issue.

Yet it is in fact being put out as a PS3 exclusive.  The diversity of upcoming PS3 games, including LBP and PSN games like Fat Princess, along with Home, and lots of Playstation Eye projects, none of which need teh Cell so to speak, is exciting.  Is Media Molecule 2nd party?  Dunno. 

Ironic only if your assumption was that Sony is some one-trick pony putting out only power-intensive FPSs games and the  propaganda to go along with it.  See PS1 and PS2 for a refutation of the assumption.  MS more fits that bill, if you minus the RPGs they've bought recently.

Yeah, the vast majority will just play the user-created levels, not create them (or at least they won't spend the time to create good levels).  No, LBP doesn't somehow "beat the Wii" or whatever.  But LBP could in fact turn out to be a modern-day side-scrolling platforming monster.  Boom Blox isn't a platformer giving you control of humanoid characters, like Mario and LBP, and the latter seem to have more chance to catch on huge (but see Tetris, whose success Boom Blox hasn't repeated).

I think LBP may be a colossal hit.  I'd be surprised if it sells under 3 million copies, and I wouldn't be surprised if it sells over 6-8 million, lifetime.  However, as you said, the most important thing is whether it is a fun game.  The websites who've played it (thinking of IGN especially) have had really positive words on that subject.

I believe that LBP will take its time to get its sales. If Sony leaves advertises the game well. I don't know if it will get systems sold but it may sell well within its own userbase. Of course, I'm willing to eat crow if it does sell a lot of systems with this game.

Now would that be propaganda from the MS camp or the Sony camp? Cause Sony's jumped on the FPS bandwagon and left RPG's behind.

And it still ironic that its games such as you mentioned that might save the Cell powered PS3 this Holiday..