Going into the PS3 generation, Sony found itself with an odd problem. Very few of its first-party games catered to a young audience, an inverse of the problem Nintendo had at the time. Graphics were pushing for more realism, and the first-person and third-person shooter genres were becoming overwhelmingly popular. Ratchet & Clank and an assortment of PSP games were still directed towards younger players, but the wide net Sony once cast had shrunk greatly. It needed to find a new avenue to compete for young gamers' attention. Fortunately, Media Molecule was ready in 2008 to introduce what would become its flagship franchise.