Japan may orbit around LittleBigPlanet, says analyst

Analyst Michael Pachter thinks LittleBigPlanet could ignite PlayStation 3 hardware sales in Japan.

In a note to investors Monday, Wedbush Morgan analyst Pachter said he was particularly impressed with consumer reaction to Sony's LittleBigPlanet, Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4 and Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed at the recent Tokyo Game Show.

"Each game appears to be well positioned to resonate with the Japanese audience," he said of the three titles.

He added, "...We think that LittleBigPlanet will be a console seller in Japan."

The PS3 is currently lagging behind the Nintendo Wii in Japan. A new report from Famitsu publisher Enterbrain said that the less expensive Wii outsold the PS3 by more than four to one in Japan during the first fiscal half ending in September. Microsoft's Xbox 360 is performing well behind both consoles in the region.

LittleBigPlanet for PlayStation 3 is under development by UK-based Media Molecule, which was founded in 2006 by former Lionhead designer and Rag Doll Kung Fu developer Mark Healy. The game incorporates a charming yet technically impressive style, backed up with emergent gameplay and concepts taken from user-centric websites such as YouTube and MySpace.

The game is expected to release in early 2008 in the US.

Courtesy ofNext Generation