The Game Awards, through its official Twitter account, congratulated the gaming world for reaching the milestone of LittleBigPlanet 2’s 15th birthday. This event sparked a wave of nostalgia and made the players even more vocal about their desire for the game series to be rebooted. With this single post, the game was reminded of the time that had passed and thus players who had been with the game since the beginning and are now living in the era of the game’s disappearance from the present-day gaming world had their emotions triggered.
Fifteen years—wow! That’s the part that is really amazing, right? The Game Awards just casually throws this little fact my way, and the whole timeline just… dissolves. I mean, you register that number and your mind does a complete reboot. I was there, I can still see myself reaching for that case, touching the funny bubbly plastic wrapper of the PS3 game. And now it’s just a piece of history. Crazy!
The responses are a different mood altogether; they are a really authentic time capsule that showcases everybody’s feelings without restraint. A game player by the name of Cactus_DaNn_Jr really gets deep and shares his predominantly personal view of life: “the fact that this game was born on the same day i was born is wild.” Firstly, I would like to say happy birthday to 15-year-old you for the fact that there might be another one heading shortly, but secondly…ouch! That is a clear sign that the game is a legacy. It is not merely a product; it is a shared birthday with the entire generation.
And disbelief is everywhere. LUPASAN says, “15 fuckin what? Wow,” possibly while he is blankly looking at a wall. Someone else is posting a picture of a person who looks completely lost saying “There’s no way…” It is that moment which everyone goes through like “No, I am now old.” The game that already felt like yesterday has now been categorized as vintage. Someone even noted that Twisted Metal (2012) is going to turn 14. We all are old in the internet world.
However, under the surprise, there is still a strong feeling of loss. This is not just nostalgia for a game; it is mourning for an era. “My childhood… I’m just lost for words that might not get another game like this or another sequel…” Stone writes. That feeling is felt widely. “I can’t believe we don’t have games like this anymore,” says soulsph3re, adding that they keep their PS3 from the launch just to keep that world alive. It’s heavy!
People are saying it’s their “comfort game,” their “goat,” and even “the best game of all time.” But their love is mixed with frustration. “Before Sony killed the franchise,” says Blub Fox frankly. Others point out that the reality is painful: the servers are gone, and the games are off the market. “It’s a pity they closed all the games and delisted them along with the DLC,” observes ReflectiveRuby2. It’s like celebrating the birthday of a friend whom you are not allowed to see anymore.
But the togetherness aspect comes out more than anything else, and it shows that community was the most important thing. It was never just a solo experience. “best LBP game by far, one of the most special games i have played in my whole childhood, all those hours spent with my little sister were worth it,” reminisces about AdriSMASH. Rafael simply states, “I enjoyed playing with my wife.” It was a common place for creativity, a digital living room, where you created funny levels and laughed. That was not the case everywhere.
And then there is the question that no one can avoid answering, and it was the one that wertmqn shouted into the void: “WHERE IS HE!!!!!!!” The “he” refers to Sackboy, the plush mascot who seems like a ghost from the PlayStation days. “How I miss you sackboy,” “I miss him,” “Bring it back.” The demand is distinct, loud, and a little bit sad. Gamers see this anniversary as not only a chance to look back but also as a painful reminder of what is missing now. They are asking Sony and Media Molecule an uncomplicated yet loaded question: do you remember us?
LittleBigPlanet 2’s legacy is not only in its cutting-edge creation tools that allowed users to make complete other games beside it but also in the emotional footprint it left behind. It was not only a platform for the companies; it was the first contact of game design for millions and a social hub. The strong reaction to the anniversary of LBP 2 demonstrates that the need for that kind of joyful and countless creative experiences has not died out.
