Inspired by what I've been reading about Will Wright's Spore, Peter Molyneux's game tool of "digital clay". both of which have clay like stuff that can be shaped and stuck together. also, Grand Theft Auto has been described as a Sandpit or a box of toys. Garry's Mod for Half-Life 2 allows you to pose and create weird machines by sticking things together with physics. These games give you the ability to create your own things (okay GTA doesn't), and to play with them in different ways. I wonder if this user created content and attitude of playfulness will be a new style of game? Can we allow the player to create their own toys? I can't see why not. Give them a number of points and attributes that they can attach to something and then let them free in the gameworld to interact with. Let them make their own devious traps, than test them out with their hand-made creatures and see as their clay Worm gets split into two and each half walks in a different direction. Let them cannibalise their childhood toys and make super toys. Let them Morph and distort their favourite characters into different sized bodies. Let them design their own skins for their creations, or use a ready made set. Allow users to set their creations against each other. Ie. Trying out the "matchbox racers" loop-the-loop with a turbo powered batmobile.