The great things about video games is that it is perhaps the only creative art form that continues to push the boundaries that define it.

At the Sony press conference today the firm unveiled a title being developed by a new company called Media Molecule.

Its first proper title LittleBigPlanet is perhaps one of the most dazzling demos I’ve seen in the last 10 years.

The concept is simple - build your own levels/worlds with a very simple tool set and with extremely cute characters and then play in that world and share it with others online.

It has been done before but never with such panache, never with such charisma and such ingenuity.

The game has a visceral feel - thanks to a great physics engine - and it also has an abundance of character.

Sony has a huge hit on its hands here although frustratingly it won’t be available until the Autumn - and then only in demo form on the PlayStation network.

I’m guessing that Sony wanted to get something of the game into the hands of users as soon as possible.

The response to the game in the conference hall was ecstatic - this is an industry that has “seen it all before” but many left with the sense that LittleBigPlanet was something special.

The community aspect of the game is also interesting - users can comment, favourite and play other gamers’ levels.

It taps into the vision Sony has of community experiences through gaming - a service they are calling Home.

Essentially it is Second Life meets video games - but more importantly it differentiates Sony’s online offering from Microsoft’s.

It is three dimensional, interactive and incorporates social networking functionality.

After seeing a demo of Home, I have to say that Xbox Live now looks a little last generation.

Has Sony pulled a rabbit out of its hat?

Possibly. Now if only they could make the machine more affordable.

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