LBP has been to be things like "A casual gamer's game" and "A kiddie's game".  However, I am curious how anyone can argue the game isn't a hardcore gamer's game.  Sure, it is cute, and has a lot of charm to it.  There isn't a bucketload of blood and gore.  But, not hardcore and a kiddie's game?  Anyone care to explain this?  As I see it, this is the case for LBP NOT being a casual gamer or a kiddie game:

1. The life system harkens back to old school retro.  You have 3 or 6 lives and if you die, you start the level over.  Oh, there are checkpoints, but they reset lives.  You run out of lives, you start over, however.

2. The game is a 2D platformer, which is a genre almost completely ignored.  It harkens back to retro days.

3. There are some HARD levels in it.  Yes, HARD.  Places where you can die a lot.  Not sure I could see a kiddie (unless they are a videogame wiz) get past all the levels.  And casual gamers?   I don't see that either.

4. Let's talk also about the level editor:

a. To be able to use it, you either have to import images (I believe this is possible) or play through the game, to find items you can use in your game.

b. The level editor isn't simple pick up and play.  It requires work to create levels.  In the hands of a skilled person, you can design some cool stuff.  Tetrin.jp is proof of ths.

c. The game has a detailed physics engine you need to understand to effectively design levels, and also play.

I am curious who would argue that Little Big Planet isn't a hardcore gamer's game.  Outside of the lack of gore, I am hard pressed to see any reason why anyone would consider it to NOT be a hardcore title.

I really don't understand this "hardcore" labeling of games :/ I've been gaming since the Spectrum days, and for a long time hardcore was given to those people who would play games nonstop, all kind of games.
It seems nowadays the significance is only given to a specific type of games that are quite recent, completely shutting off genres that have been around since the beginning of the industry

LBO us a kiddies game on the outside, but when you get into it, its hardcore as hell!

The game itself actually is hard in some parts. The timing on some jumps is very tight, kinda reminds me the Megaman of old, where you had less than a milimeter of platform to jump unto, and usually there was some enemy lying in wait there to nab you yet another life XDDDD

It's hardcore the same way Mario Galaxy is hardcore. Problem is some people don't want to include games like Mario Galaxy into their hardcore lexicon.

In my opinion, that's their own problem. Hardcore is what you make of it. If you play the hell out of a game, then that's hardcore regardless of the games content.

Sackboy, cute?

Sackboy is a hideous monstrosity of a video game character. Cute is completely out the question. I'd burn that horrid thing with an orgasmic passion.

Cute? Not to everyone.

Voodoo dolls...

 Hot Orgy?!?! Where?

Ontopic: The reason LBP isn't considered Hardcore by everyone is because it's not rated M and it's not full of headshots, hookers beatings, blood, and adult themes.

It's the gamers who make the game hardcore, not the games themselves.

Yeah, I went there.

 This post wins so much.