LittleBigPlanet is a great game; unfortunately, it hasn't turned out to be quite the system seller that Sony was hoping for. The game debuted at number 4 on the UK sales chart; meanwhile, it was the eighth best selling game in North America last month. And while these are respectable numbers, Sony's David Wilson has said that they would be even higher if it weren't for the glut of high-profile holiday releases.

"We are also pleased with its commercial performance," Wilson told GamesIndustry.Biz. "In other times of the year, it would be a clear number one—so you have to put the chart in context. This is an incredibly volatile time of year and the chart reflects that—November 7 saw 47 titles released on that one day alone, including many big hitters with Christmas number one aspirations. Look at the chart this week—the top four are all brand new entries."

Wilson also believes that LBP had a tougher time because it was going up against games in established franchises, while it was a new intellectual property. The game was launched alongside Fallout 3 and MotorStorm: Pacific Rift; meanwhile, the likes of Fable II, Gears of War 2, Resistance 2 and more were all released within a week of LBP. "LittleBigPlanet has also sold well given that this is a brand new IP," Wilson explained. "Our industry is littered with examples of brand new innovative titles that have been lauded by the critics but have sold dismally. But Sony is delighted and honored to be working with hugely talented developers who can create brilliantly creative original games."

But while the initial sales of the game may not have been as high as expected, the nature of LBP suggests that it could very well be a game with legs. "It is also a game that will benefit enormously from word of mouth and from people trying it out with friends or in store—it drips fun and charm in equal measure," Wilson said. "Also the bulk of our marketing, including our six-figure TV advertising campaign, doesn't roll out until December, so we genuinely believe that Sackboy hasn't even hit his stride yet."

Sony's spin on the numbers once again begs the question, why do publishers insist on releasing so many games in the fourth quarter? If LBP would have sold better at a different time of the year, why not release it earlier or hold on to it a little longer? Instead, a wonderful game gets much less attention then it deserves because it is going up against such stiff competition. Hopefully, time will show that the game does indeed have legs, as it would be a shame for PS3 owners to miss out on this experience.