Play, Create and Share became the trademark phrase to describe LittleBigPlanet, a wildly successful and quirky platformer, developed by Media Molecule. The goal was to create an accessible system, allowing any type of user to create simple or complex levels to share. For many, the tools learning curve was to steep, leading many to believe the idea was a failure. It only takes one visit into LittleBigPlanet to realize that the idea itself is incredibly successful. ModNation Racers is another title sporting the title Play, Create and Share, however this time it's set it's sight on dethroning Mario Kart. ModNation Racers, like LittleBigPlanet offers an almost infinite amount of tools and resources to create the level or track of your dreams. Early previews have been generally well-received, and if they are any indication, ModNation Racers will add further depth to this new genre.

Sony has been animated about the future of Play, Create and Share, but also quite reserved. Not much information has been released about their plans for the future of this genre. With Sony's inability to stop leaked information, it's only a matter of time before the next game leaks onto the internet. What is Sony planning? In 2010, Sony plans to launch their version of the motion controller. During 2009's E3 conference Sony showcased a short demo, allowing the controller of the wand to move blocks. Of course this wasn't the whole tech demo, however it gave the audience a brief moment to think about the possibilities. At first glance, I'm sure the audience didn't think much of the block demo, and why would they, the archer demo was more interesting. However, I want the readers to think of the possibility between the motion controller, and a game like LittleBigPlanet or ModNation Racers. These type of possibilities lead to an interesting and bright future for the Motion Controller, as well as the future of Play, Create and Share. These instances give the user full control over what they want to create. Could this be the future of user generated content? Does that prevent the motion controller from becoming a gimmick?

That's just one of the many paths Play, Create and Share could take. For many hardcore gamers, they feel alienated from these games. Another possible route is including Play, Create and Share as a tool-set in every first party game. Killzone 3 and Resistance 3 are two games that immediately come to mind. Including this type of feature could completely demolish many of the other offerings seen on PC, as well as other consoles. To Bungie's credit, they made a fantastic start in the first-person genre with forge. With many games living or dieing with content, this could ignite the spark that cements the life-cycle of a product. LittleBigPlanet proves that any game can have creation tools, as well as a healthy supply of DLC. Including this type of tool-set allows the developer to work on more interesting types of DLC, rather than strictly maps. It's important to realize that online cooperative creation would have to be a feature to this tool-set. How does a tool-set for LittleBigPlanet work for first-person shooters? It doesn't, a new tool-set would have to be created, and supported for each genre Sony deemed important. But could you imagine the possibilities with a tool-set in your favorite genre? To many this could seem like a lot of work, however the idea is there and once the framework is complete, it's much easier to add on features.

Another application in dire need of a similar feature to LittleBigPlanet is Home. Home in theory is a good idea, but lacks an identity. While the amount of content it's been receiving is a nice gesture, it simply doesn't have the identity it needs. Adding a system similar to LittleBigPlanet into Home could give it the boost it needs. Obvious problems arise, like how to censor unwanted content. Where do they create it? Allowing users to buy their own spaces is a simple remedy to this problem. From there, users can rate each-others spaces similar to a system seen in LittleBigPlanet. Again this serves a crucial purpose, it allows the development team to focus more on important features, rather than spaces.

It's important for the tool-set to be accessible first and foremost, but also complex enough to keep the interest of more avid creators. It also needs to have a distinct personality, when firing up a game it should be a recognizable feature to the user. Like so many things this generation for the PlayStation brand it needs identity. The potential this type of system holds cannot be squandered, it cannot afford to stall like Home. However this is merely all theory, what would you like to see? Do you think Sony is attempting something similar? Tell us what you think in our comment section.