Although LittleBigPlanet had a shaky start, what with a delay and server problems, the game is good to go now, which means that those gamers who did not participate in the beta can now get cracking on creating and uploading their own levels.

LittleBigPlanet’s biggest selling point, by far, lies in this user-generated content. The entire game is essentially a robust level creator and editor, with all the “story” levels made by the developers using these tools.

As extensive as the level creation tools are, though, the gaming industry may simply not quite be ready for user-generated content.

The problem? The user-created levels themselves. There’s no denying that the folks at Media Molecule have, minus a few odd choices here and there, created some incredible levels for the game. However, perusing the numerous levels posted by users mostly yields disappointment and sometimes anger at having wasted time playing through something stupid.

This isn’t a problem exclusive to LittleBigPlanet, though. YouTube has proven to be a haven for crappy videos. Just like on YouTube, LittleBigPlanet is populated by people seeking attention or a response. The spectrum is a wide one, ranging from the inevitable penis-themed levels to levels recreating the September 11 attacks – levels that are, on the whole, tasteless, offensive, and oftentimes boring.

That last one is the biggest issue. While people can make awe-inspiring, “how in the world did they do that?” levels in addition to the tasteless stuff, being amazed by the technical prowess and playing through the level are two completely different things. This is where user-generated content on gaming consoles flounders; on YouTube, the viewer is just that – a passive person watching events unfold.

In a game like LittleBigPlanet, though, the user is expected to actually do something by playing through the level. And while a level may feature incredible handiwork or great artistic design, if it isn’t fun to play, then what’s the point?

That’s not to say the game doesn’t have any potential, though. Having played through some incredibly innovative and fun levels, here’s hoping that people just need to get the hang of the level creation tools. Maybe a few more weeks of tinkering around will filter out more of the crap and bring forth more interesting creations. And, here’s hoping that the users are ready to make something intriguing and enjoyable – something that goes beyond the equivalent of a quick-fix YouTube video.