Sony Computer Entertainment is pinning a lot on a rag doll called Sackboy in an effort to boost sales of their PS3 games console. However a song on the new DVD that included lines from the Koran has resulted in the launch being delayed in an effort to avoid Muslims being offended.
Developed in the UK “Sackboy” is the hero of Little Big Planet, a game which Sony says will be the biggest in the history of the Sony Playstation.
Developed in a room above a bathroom shop in Guildford in the UK by British games designer Media Molecule the game allows players to customise their Sackboy and then control it to run and jump through a vivid world straight out of a child’s imagination.
Sony executives believe that the simple concept is the next big idea in gaming because the product has an added twist – players can design their own levels in rich detail, and share it over the internet.
Sony are investing millions in the games roll out in the hope that it will be their big saviour this Xmas. They have even elevated Sackboy to become the company’s first poster boy up against the likes of Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog from their arch rival Nintendo.
A PlayStation official told The Times “We’ve never really had an icon before. That was a deliberate policy of the early days because we did not want to be pigeonholed. It’s psychologically telling that this, arguably our first mascot, is fully customisable. You can make him anything you want him to be.”
PlayStation needs the game to be a big hit, as the console has been comprehensively outsold by rivals.
Critics have described Sony’s strategy of making Little Big Planet its major release as brave but risky say the Times. Though early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, there remains debate as to whether it can gather a following among hard-core gamers, who have become used to shooting numerous foes or battling demons.
