To be more specific, there are copies of the game showing up on Ebay selling for as much as $249 USD. Sounds crazy? Well it is, but many game collectors will go to great lengths in order to acquire that special, rare game even if it means selling the kids on the black market or donating a limb. That of course is an over exaggeration, but the point should be clear: rare games sell big.
As reported last week, Sony recalled its shipment of the PlayStation 3 exclusive title because one of its songs contains pulls two passages out of the Qur’an.
"We have taken immediate action to rectify this and we sincerely apologize for any offense that this may have caused. We will begin shipping LittleBigPlanet to retail in North America the week of October 27. Sorry for the delay, and rest assured, we are doing everything we can to get LittleBigPlanet to you as soon as possible," said Sony’s Director of Corporate Communications and Social Media Patrick Seybold.
Unfortunately, Sony’s efforts were too late, as many shops went on to sell the game before the company issued the recall. Thus, the "offending" version is in the consumer’s hands. Additionally, the gaming press and other media outlets possess the rare versions as well, and will no doubt end up on Ebay once reviews trickle onto websites.
Developer Media Molecule revealed that it would offer a day-one patch before Sony made its decision to recall the product entirely, however that could still be a possibility once the game hits the streets later this month, thus keeping all version on the same level. We contacted the Sony PR firm in regards to the online servers, and were told that they will not come online until the game hits retail. Until then, those who actually possess a copy will only be allowed to play the offline Story Mode, however an additional local player can join in as well.
As of now, it seems that the recalled version of LBP will join the ranks of other rare games such as Suikoden II, Tactics Ogre and even EA’s canceled fighting game, Thrill Kill. Look for a review of LBP over on Tom’s Games next week.
