Way back when I was a kid in elementary school, I was a doodler. Still am actually. What I would doodle were these intricate mazes…they had tunnels and spikes all around it, with a start and the finish. I’d write down on the piece of paper how many lives you had, maybe add some 1ups on the page, then I’d give the piece of paper to someone and stand behind them. You had to be precise and draw a line from start to finish…without hitting the spikes or walls.

My friends really liked them…oh how we were easily entertained back then in a private Episcopalian elementary school…and I made hundreds. I even had my own little logo for each of them (seen in the lower right, called MazE).

I had no real idea at the time, but I was essentially making games in concept. And it was a fun little diversion. I was always tinkering with stuff…making Lego contraptions (nothing amazing, just…things, I guess), playing in my sandbox, creating things out of seemingly nothing and having fun. Unlike others though, I never really grew out of that. I still look at Legos and find myself wanting to dig in and build away, but what for? The purpose now isn’t so much to satisfy my needs, but to satisfy my needs that would satisfy others too…maybe like, hey, why ISN’T there a game like this? Someone should make that!

Game Maker 3 was out about the time I was in Junior High, and I was finally able to make games. I was still limited by my art and programming skills, of which I have none, but I was actually creating. No, I couldn’t do everything I wanted to, but I was still able to make games that others would be able to enjoy. I fed off the criticism and comments…I still have a printing of some choice comments way back in 2002 that made me feel good. I don’t think this was a way of feeding my ego; it was a way of confirming that my hours of work weren’t just for my benefit…they would be for others too. And it kept me going.

I’ve dabbled in a few other areas. Journalism was fun, as I wrote a few articles for IGN and was the official UMD reviewer for a few sites. Animation was interesting, as it got me a college scholarship and gave me the drive to make about three eight minute shorts, but I came to realize I was working for months on something that a person might slightly enjoy for a few minutes, then not come back to. I kept coming back to game making.

Oddly enough, I’m not much of a game player. My Xbox gamerscore was laughable, I rarely play online, and much of the games I buy (Half-Life 2 eps, Shadow of the Colossus, God of War PSP and many others) go unfinished. And yet I can’t imagine not making games for a living.

Game making is a culmination of everything I love; making things out of nothing, having other people enjoying it, getting feedback and comments, and maybe even make a few bucks off of it. It’s a long process, but in the end it can be worth it, and I want to make it a career. But it’s far from easy.

LittleBigPlanet makes it easy. During these last few days that I’ve been beta testing the game, I’ve gobsmacked, awestruck, stupefied, everything you can think of, I’m it. As a game, I was anticipating it but not really hyped all that much. But then I got the beta, and went through a few hours of tutorials. Then I set out to create.

I had some wild ideas a few weeks ago…say, what would happen if I was flying around and had to rescue people from a burning mine? That’d be cool. But even with Game Maker, which cuts down the game making process about 75%, I’d need the art, the engine, the audience, the sounds, and the time. So, it would just be that…an idea.

Unbelievably…no, wait. UNBELIEVABLY, LittleBigPlanet is a door to dreams I never thought I’d be able to conceive. I was able to draw some sketches at work, fire up the PS3 in the evening, put in a good twelve to fourteen hours, and be out not only with a finished product, but the feedback and comments to go along with it. I’m able to watch others play my level, even play with them myself. I can create nearly anything, do anything. I’m no longer tied down by my limitations as an artist or programmer…because LBP has all that ready to go. I’m free.
















I don’t think I’m the best LBP creator out there…far from it judging from some of the levels I’ve seen…but I can safely say I’ll be among the most passionate out there once it’s released. I simply shake my head in disbelief that I finally have no limits to my creativity, aside from what little creativity I have currently, heh. This game is the tool I’ve been waiting for, and I didn’t even realize it until a few hours ago.

I don’t know how review outlets will score LBP, or if it’ll sell thousands, or if it’ll die down by next year, or if everyone will enjoy the title as much as others do. What I do know is that LBP is the most finely crafted piece of game making I’ve ever played, and that this game marks the first time in history where the line of game making and game playing has been blurred forever.

This is the best title I’ve played in my life.

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But, of course, LBP doesn’t pay the bills does it? Unfortunately my LittleBigPlanet beta key has kept me a bit occupied these last three days and I wasn’t able to finish the beta by today as I thought I would. I’ve deleted my LBP save and am refocusing my attention to Spirits now, as well as some other projects. So, sorry about that folks. Beta will be here this week. Oh, and if you have a PS3, you better buy LBP so we can play together (PSN ID: chubigans). Woo!