Sony Home PS3 Home service

With all this talk about video games and the Playstation 3, we just couldn’t help ourselves with thinking about the Sony Home PS3 Home Service, which has also been marketed and referred to as being “Home.” If you have a Playstation 3, then the chances are, you are very familiar with the Home service, which we must add, is out of this world.

This is a community based service, which was developed by Sony Computer Entertainment’s Cambridge and London studios for the PS3 to be operated on the Playstation Network. Home will be available right from the PS3 XcrossMediaBar. Are you worried about membership fees? Well, you shouldn’t be, because there is no membership fee – that’s right, it is FREE. All you are required to have is a PS3 and a PSN account. Home has been up in development ever since early 2005 and it started going through beta tests on December 11, 2008.

So really, what is all this hype about with Home? Well, it allows you to create your own avatar, which you are able to customize in order to suit your liking. You are able to decorate your avatar’s apartment, which is called the HomeSpace. You can decorate it with bought, default or won items.

As you are on your avatar on PS3 Home, you will be able to travel around the world, which will constantly be updated by Sony and the partners. Each part of the world you have the opportunity to go through is called a space. Those public spaces could either be for fun, display or meeting people that are like you.

Many Mini Games with Home

When it comes to Home, you will find many different mini-games, which can be either multiplayer or single player. Users are able to shop for new items in order to express themselves with their avatars. Home play will be featuring many different events, which range from entertainment events to prize-giving events. As you are in the home environment, you will be able to interact with not only the Home environment, but with other users as well, which can be loads of fun.

Avatars for Home

When you are creating your avatar, you will be able to go through the Wardrobe straight from the Menu Pad at any location and time. You will be able to customize a number of characters that feature:

• Skin Tone

• Facial Structure

• Gender

• Hair

• Shape of the body

• Clothing

• Accessories

You will be able to save up to nine versions of avatars in order to gain quick access at any time.

Clubs and Personal Spaces

As you know, you will have a Personal Space that is known as a HomeSpace, which you will be able to change any time you are inside it. The Harbor Studio is the basic apartment and it is free. It offers options that are limited for personalization and customization. In the future, it has been speculated that Sony will be providing some tools that will allow the user to have a greater ability when it comes to creating their own Personal content and spaces. Users can invite other Home users, even those that are across the region, right into their Personal Space whenever they feel like it.

PS3 Home users can also purchase a Club. Take note that each one of these clubs has a leader, which will be the individual that purchased the club. That leader will be allowed to select up to four sub-leaders and will be able to have up to thirty two members in all. The clubs are similar to the Personal Spaces as the owner of the club will be able to decorate a private clubhouse to be a meeting point for the other club members. The clubhouse will also have a notice board, which is where the leader as well as the sub-leaders will be able to post announcements and messages to the other club members.

In time, we believe Home is going to have a Hall of Fame, which will have Trophy Rooms. The Trophy Room is going to be a Personal Space where the users of Home will be able to put their 3D representations of all the Playstation Network Trophies on display.

Operating Home

Home is known for being a third person, where users can jog and walk. As you enter Home, you will be greeted with a Message of the Day. This message contains administrative information including upcoming events, updates and even event winners. Take note that the Message of the Day will be frequently updated.

 Communication

With Home, you are able to communicate with other individuals in a number of different ways. You can write text messages to other users by using either a Bluetooth or a USB keyboard. You can also use the PS3 controller by going to the on-screen keyboard. The messages appear in speech bubbles over the head of the avatar, as well as the chat log – it’s like chatting in World of Warcraft in party mode. You will also be able to do voice chat, which can be done with either a Bluetooth or a USB headset, which can only be used when you’re making a phone call to a user or in personal spaces. You can perform some gestures, also known as e-motes, such as nodding, dancing or waving (again, like World of Warcraft)

Overall

Overall, we believe the Home for Playstation 3 is a full-fledged interactive Sims game. If you like Sims, then you will definitely like Home. When you purchase the PS3, you will automatically get to use Home. So, what are you waiting for? If you have a PS3, then you should start customizing your avatar and being the next cool kid on the block….or shall we say, next cool avatar on the block…