Unbelievable.  Scribblenauts tops my list of most disappointing games of the decade.  I wanted to love it, but the horrible controls and objects not reacting like you think they should ruined it for me.

I hope strong sales will lead to an improved sequel.

I got bored of it for the same reason.

I assume the demographics who bought this game are mostly hardtime longcore. What about it captured such interest?

Unique, dynamic gameplay and blind faith

It was a good game flawed by bad controls, weird item interactions and repetitive item useage.

like vudu said though, I look forward to a much improved sequel since the groundwork has already been laid.

I loved it. 
It is a shame when looking around at different websites that the internet hardcorez can't get over a minor problem.  I see nothing but whining on message boards but when I see real people play the game they generally deal with the problem and keep going.  It is kind of the bizarro hardcore in videogame land where people don't overlook anything regardless of how unique or special a game is, they are far more likely to overlook a problem in a standard franchise.

It is obvious why it sold.  The main idea is so appealing.  All it takes is a person to try it or show it to a friend and they will want to buy it.

Add one to that sales count. My younger brother stole my copy for his girlfriend before I ever got to play it. I'll need to pick up a replacement sometime...

Besides the terrible controls (way too easy to input something wrong) I just find the game extremely boring.

I picked it back up based on this thread to give it another go. I'm only on world 1, but why is it when i put on wings and try to fly he sometimes stops flying mid-air (and then falls into the water and dies).

And then it took me half a dozen attempts to finish that same level because it wouldn't behave as expected and wou ld do deliberately odd things like not swim to avoid the shark or jump off the ledge when he has wings on and should fly, or my personal favourite:

On World 1-11, create handcuffs and then connect one to the star and the other to the door. The star falls through the door. Should that really happen?

Wings don't let you fly forever.  After 6 or 7 flaps you fall back down.  Use something like a certain flying dinosaur if you want to stay up forever.  Experiment.

I just tried a jetpack and he flew up, got stuck on the ceiling and then crashed back into the ocean.