Let’s be honest. Jobs aren’t fun. If you could make money by sitting home and playing videogames all day, chances are, you would. Unfortunately, for most of us, this simply isn’t an option. It is a luxury reserved for the incredibly rich.
While playing videogames in your living room doesn’t look to be a fiscally profitable venture anytime soon, the folks over at Sony and Media Molecule might allow gamers to earn a little extra money from their favorite hobby.
Hit the jump for the details.
I think it is safe to assume that most core gamers have heard of “LittleBigPlanet.” You know, that adorable platformer featuring the lovable Sack Boy that allows gamers, among other things, to create their own levels. The sheer depth of customization has many gamers frothing at the mouth for the title’s vague October 2008 release date.
The title has received tons of attention from the media and was crowned by many as the best game shown at last week’s E3 in Los Angeles.
If the game wasn’t enticing enough for PS3 owners, David Reeves, the president of SCEE, recently revealed to eu.playstation.com that gamers might be able to earn money from the content they create for “LittleBigPlanet.”
According to Reeves:
What we’re trying to do with LittleBigPlanet is almost iTunes meets eBay in the sense that once an individual or a developer has qualified by producing certain levels, or certain add-ons, they will then be able in the future to exchange these and make money out of them. Even if you charge less than one euro, it doesn’t take many downloads if you’ve got a really strong LittleBigPlanet level for people to be able to make money.
Make money for creating content in “LBP?” Count me interested!
Reeves comments suggest quite a few things.
First, gamers will only be able to charge for content after becoming “qualified.” I don’t know if you have to create a certain number of levels, if your creations have to be of a certain quality, or if the content has to be downloaded by a certain number of individuals. However, based on the comment, it is unlikely that you will be able to earn money right out of the box.
Second, the creator, not Sony, will be able to set the price for the content.
Third, the eBay reference suggests that payments will be made through an online service similar to PayPal.
Interpreting comments made by a Sony executive is fun, but what will this mean for game? Personally, I think this will make it even better.
Find out why on page two.
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Just a comment, but if you have seen the quality of livery on cars for sale in the Forza 2 auction house (for in game credits only!) it’s hard to fathom what gamers could do for real currency. Wow, I’m with you on this, and am excited. Going to pre-order the game from the evil empire today.
Until I hear this from Media Molecule, I’m not sure I’m going to get too worked up over this…
But I have to say… once again, David Reeves opening his mouth and “hurtful” things come out. When that guy talks, people get pissed at “something” Sony…
@ Rothbart
Wasn’t Reeves the one that let it slip that the 60 GB PS3 was getting phased out last year?
if this feature is true to the game, then Im sold, imagine, playing games with the premise of making some cash. This is nice, as we will be seeing true masterpieces created by folks in need of revenue.
@ cell989
With all the games coming out this fall, I would say we could all use some extra revenue.
Yeah, this just got poo-poo’d… Reeves was “premature”… Cue Frawlz yelling “That’s what SHE said!”
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=200029
All content will be free, no announcements of for-fee or for-profit user-generated content. It’s a possibility, but it’s not a knee-jerk done deal like some thing.
Now how would this work if your content derived from something copyrighted? For instance, what if I made a series of levels recreating the story of the Star Wars series? Surely, they couldn’t sell that, I think. (I’ll still probably make a bunch of levels recreating Star Wars anyway, though, ’cause that would be awesome)
Well first you have to be qualified to sell stuff and stuff like Starwars would not be accepted by MM in the first place so you probably won’t even be able to sell it BUT if you made the level loosely based on Starwars I don’t see why not. Also you don’t have to charge for those Starwars levels
I am getting this game regardless and if I get paid to enjoy it that’ll make it even more awesome.