Playstation Home: Another Virtual World
Enjoy Reading!
If you liked this story please show your support by subscribing to the What's Leet? RSS Feed.
Following Nintendo and Microsoft, Sony has now introduced gamers to a new virtual world on their Playstation 3 console with its “Home” platform. “Home” is a virtual world much like the very popular Second Life game where you register and create a digital representation of yourself (or anyone else I guess) and interact with other players from around the world.
This platform is much like what Nintendo and Microsoft currently have set up. You get to create an avatar to look like yourself, or it can be a completely made up person. This avatar is then placed in an environment with other players. You can interact with people through text messages, or by voice chat if you have a Bluetooth headset that works with the Playstation 3.
The area where Sony takes things to another level is that it gives players an environment that you can walk around and explore. Neither the Xbox 360, nor the Nintendo Wii allows you to interact with anything or even has any type of virtual world… let alone actually watch as your avatar interacts with others online. “Home” builds on what both of these online experiences has and utilizes a much more immersed world to go along with your digital representation.
Who put this ad here?
To top it off, “Home” is free. Microsoft’s Xbox Live service costs around $50/year to use, and you are only allowed one identity, or “gamertag” per account. Granted the money goes to a bunch of services such as dedicated servers and statistics, free is what gamers like the most. Anyone could attest to this.
Oh but hold on, how could this be free? Well, “Home” is ad supported. Much like the real world (Neo), there will be ads sprawled around the virtual world. You can also drop into a Diesel store, and buy some clothes for your avatar. One more idea to point out, is that Sony is hoping to sell you game content, and other stuff along with your avatars. New shirts, shoes, maybe a nice jacket because its cold in the virtual world — these items can cost you some real hard cash. Just like the Xbox 360′s themes and gamerpics, you’ll want to give up your money.
In the end, Playstation “Home” looks promising, and extremely addicting. Allowing real-world interaction with other players gives the Playstation some much needed social options. Without this platform, many Playstation gamers had to rely on getting in a game with someone that could become your friend at some point. Now, you’ll actually get to meet people just as you would if you were to go outside your home… wait…
On another note, “Home” will offer gamers a way to also do some awesome virtual things. You’ll be able to have a house, go out bowling with your friends or go to the movie theater to watch the latest Blu-Ray releases (at a price, of course). A whole bunch of things, too many to name, will be extended to the Playstation gamer. “Home” is limitless. Are the Xbox fanboys jealous yet?
All PS3 owners will be able to beta test “Home” today, and begin falling deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole (another Matrix reference). Keep updated by checking out the official Playstation Blog.
Thanks For Reading!
If you liked this story, please subscribe to the up-to-the-minute What's Leet? RSS Feed.
