Will the PS3 Community Go ‘Home’?

SAN FRANCISCO, 13 March 2007 — On Wednesday at the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC), Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) unveiled a 3D online user community service for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system. The service, known as “Home,” will enable users to create their own avatar (online representation) and explore a real-time virtual community, as if they are playing a 3D game for the PS3. The service will become available globally beginning in fall 2007.

Home will allow PS3 users to interact, communicate, join online games, shop, share private content and even build and show off their own personal spaces to others in real time. Home will be available as a free download from the PlayStation Store. Sony plans to have its business partners participate in the venture.

With an avatar uniquely customized according to each user’s preference, users can explore the 3D community that is Home — a modern environment featuring common areas; custom spaces dedicated to specific games; and personal apartments. Each user is assigned an apartment in Home where they can invite others to join them as they show off their own style in an area they can personalize themselves with furniture, art and other items — even a different view from their windows. They can also show their personal video, pictures and other digital media content found on their PS3 hard drives in their apartments. Rich interactive communication with others will be achieved through built in text, audio and video chat, along with sophisticated emotional animations for each character.

Sharing continues in the “Hall of Fame,” where users can display new 3D trophies that will be unlocked through in-game achievements, as well as real time score rankings in PS3 games. Home will go into a closed beta test this spring with a full launch targeted for later this year.

Many analysts have already criticized Sony for planning what seems to be a fairly limited imitation of Linden Lab’s Second Life, which already has around 4.5 million virtual residents. It appears that Sony will use Home to promote its videogames, music, movies and other Sony approved media downloads in a controlled environment, where at the end of the virtual day, Sony’s moderators will have the final say.