LittleBigPlanet is a franchise that has been dormant ever since the release of the third instalment in 2014, and despite the lukewarm reception of the game, the community surrounding has been relatively alive. This weekend, a group of fans (or development team) announced that they will be creating a LittleBigPlanet fan-game to revive the series – on PC.

As a fan of the franchise since the first game, I am surprised to how much progress the team has made with the development of their project. In the trailer, it appears Trixel Creative have a lot of the basics nailed down – but they’ve made one critical flaw in their development process. What is that flaw? Announcing it at all before release.

Every time a fan project or fan game, whether it be P.T, Mario, Red Dead Redemption or LittleBigPlanet, they all seem to make the same mistake. Announcing that you are developing a fan game or ambitious mod using other companies IP before release gives the rights holder ample time to throw over a quick DMCA – stopping you dead in your tracks.

The ones that actually see the light of day are the ones that announce and release their projects at the same time. Giving enough time for those interested to download it and redistribute it should you be asked to take the original down.

I’m sure Media Molecule, the original developers, are intrigued to see where this project will go – as am I. Fans have always wanted the option to play and create levels on PC – but the reality of the situation is that Sony owns the rights to the LittleBigPlanet IP and it will be no surprise when this project gets shut down. It sucks but they are well within their right to do so. They have to protect their intellectual property or they may weaken their stance on other cases in future.

What’s my suggestion? When the DMCA from Sony inevitably comes through, I recommend Trixel Creative removes any naming or visuals that relate it to LittleBigPlanet and create a spiritual successor to the franchise using original characters. That way, they will be able to keep developing their project without fear of legal repercussions. They clearly have a lot of talent and passion behind them so I would love to see what they eventually do come out with – And who knows, maybe it will be better because of it…