• Sony Gets Second Life with 'Home'

    Sony Gets Second Life with 'Home'

    Techtree News Staff, Mar 09, 2007 1803 hrs IST

    Sony looks like it will follow in the footsteps of Linden Lab and other such - with the launch of 'Home', its 3D virtual world for the PS3.

    mail share

Sony looks like it will follow in the footsteps of Linden Lab and other such - with the launch of 'Home', its 3D virtual world exclusively designed for the PS3, and another 3D game, 'LittleBigPlanet'.

Showing off 'Home' at the Game Developers Conference this week, Sony Computer Entertainment's President of Worldwide Studios, Phil Harrison, explained how it gels with the PS3 ecosystem, and what Sony calls the 'Game 3.0' era, or the era in which power will be put back firmly into the hands of gamers.

Sony's 'Home' sounds almost like Linden Lab's Second Life, which has around 4.5 million residents. But 'Home' is said to be deeply scaled back.

Available for free to PS3 users, 'Home' offers a way to connect in multimedia space, and interact with various forms of media available on PS3.

Like in Second Life, 'Home' players can create animated proxies or avatars, and further customize them as they wish. A small private space is allocated to each member, which can again be customized as per individual tastes.

Players can buy clothing, furniture, and videos to play on virtual screens in their virtual apartments. They can meet each other in the main public area, and communicate with each other.

But unlike in Second Life, 'Home' offers video games, virtual arcades, music, movies, and a whole lot of Sony approved media downloads.

Also unlike Second Life - where users create nearly all of the content with almost no limits, 'Home' promises to be much more of a controlled environment.

For instance, users might be able to design their own avatars, clothing, and so on, but Sony would step in as moderator in case of public spaces.

To observers, 'Home' seems almost like a new reason being given to consumers to buy the PS3, which is lagging behind the other consoles.

The 'Home' beta version is slated for launch next month, and the official debut is scheduled during Fall this year.

'LittleBigPlanet', Sony's other 3D offering, allows players to build obstacle courses, puzzles, and other games for avatars who resemble beanbags or 'sack boys' as Sony calls them.

This game is slated to debut early next year. A sample version will likely be available during Fall. Sony remains incommunicado about pricing of both new offerings.

Also Read:
Second Life to Find Voice Soon

Follow Techtree on Twitter

Related Links
Diwali dhamaka: Phones under 10K
More Panels for Sony Ericsson Xperia
5K -12K: The Mad Mobile Market Segment
Tag keywords
Sony Linden Lab Second Life PS3



Discussion Board
(16) Comments
GURSIMRAN SINGH
,Amritsar, on Mar 01, 2008 09:59 PM
it is good but i want to know that it will come wih next update or by an any invitation in ps3. i dont wanna miss it.
Report abuse
sony
,mumbai,pune,Maharashtra, on Apr 19, 2007 12:58 PM
SONY GAMES CENTER IN MUMBAI (SPOT SERVICES ) FREE SERVICE 24HRS HOTLINES :- 9820440563/9821599244
Report abuse
sony
,mumbai,pune,Maharashtra, on Apr 19, 2007 12:57 PM
SONY GAMES CENTER IN MUMBAI (SPOT SERVICES ) FREE SERVICE 24HRS HOTLINES :- 9820440563/9821599244
Report abuse
sony
,mumbai,pune,Maharashtra, on Apr 19, 2007 12:55 PM
SONY GAMES CENTER IN MUMBAI (SPOT SERVICES ) FREE SERVICE 24HRS HOTLINES :- 9820440563/9821599244
Report abuse
sony
,mumbai,pune,Maharashtra, on Apr 19, 2007 12:54 PM
SONY GAMES CENTER IN MUMBAI (SPOT SERVICES ) FREE SERVICE 24HRS HOTLINES :- 9820440563/9821599244
Report abuse
Billy Shears
,Madison, on Mar 09, 2007 10:17 PM
Sony rocked GDC. For the minority that still hate Sony, you will always hate Sony no matter what they do and how well they do it. Home is no substitution to real life and it isn't trying to become one. It is just simply a next gen take on the currently traditional text chat room. Home = (XBL - cost) + Mii + PS3s own features. Home will seal the deal for the PS3. Sony has the best list of upcoming games, the most potential for the future and continues to offer more and more free content that is all at a higher quality than pay content on its comptetitors consoles.
Report abuse
archmedes
,richland, on Mar 10, 2007 12:12 PM
I'm sorry but what crack are you on? Consumers have ditched the PS3, and most third party developers have pratically cut all ties with Sony. The wii has sold 4 times as many consoles as the PS3, and the Wii is famous for it's amazing free software. Sony has been cought in continuous scandals that make them look even worse, Not to mention they are downgrading hardware and raising prices, in fact backwards compatibility is almost no existant and the PS3 is the only console with practically no games. The only one worth playing is resistance. The Wii also has a program almost exactly like home that was slated for development long before sony put up this nock-off. Look, you bought the wrong console, so instead of bitching to make yourself feel better, just admit defeat and buy a Wii.
Report abuse
john_gamer
,New York, on Mar 11, 2007 01:18 AM
@archmedes Your comments are untrue and you're just trying to make believe what is actually happening in the video game market. Truth is Nintendo has worse software out right now for the Wii than Sony has for the PlayStation 3. PS3 has just had multiple AAA titles released in the last couple of weeks and will continue to do so through the Spring into the Summer and consistently until the end of the PS3s life in 10 years. If you're unbiased, you can go to any gaming site and look for yourself at Nintendo's list of future games to be released and they have nothing. Personally I like the Wii but it doesn't come close to PS3. Xbox 360 on the other hand is proving to be a joke and is still being outsold by legacy consoles (GBA, PS2) outside of North America. In a full year from now Wii owners will realize their console is no PS3 substitute and in order to play real next gen games they'll have to invest elsewhere. Game developers will never flock in grand numbers to the Wii no matter how many consoles they currently sold, because it doesn't offer what the average developer needs in order to create a massive epic next gen blockbuster title. Releasing a disc full of mini games like shuffleboard and darts isn't exactly what every publisher or development team is striving for, sorry to say.
Report abuse
archmedes
,richland, on Mar 13, 2007 08:35 AM
"Truth is Nintendo has worse software out right now for the Wii than Sony has for the PlayStation 3. "d Wrong, and more wrong. Right now, sony has NOTHING. Literally it only has one good game out. Half of it's future games have been cancelled. No developers will support a console that has sold less than two million units, it's just unprofitable, not to mention that because of the blueray it costs more for them to manufacture games. The Wii is more affordable to work with, and there are 4 times more wiis than PS3s. The Wii also has more third party support than any other console release EVER. And I think you can fit more than minigames on an 8.5 gigabyte disk. Hell you could even use two disks. Look the PS3 has officially lost the console wars. IT CAN NOT RECOVER. There are PS3s sitting on the shelves at electronic stores, but the Wiis are always sold out. Sony Computer Entertainment lost 7 BILLION dollars with the release of the PS3. It is over for them my friend.
Report abuse
Cooper Shrieve
,Seattle, on Mar 12, 2007 03:09 PM
will it come pre-installed onthe ps3? if not how much IS it??
Report abuse
Anonymous
,jo, on Mar 11, 2007 10:07 PM
And thats not ALL xbox 360 is now coming with a new model which is 100gb and has HDMI xbox 360's new upgrade version lets all the 360's to now display Full HD ie 1080 i and p Xbox 360 is way superior coz it has Dirext X 9d (which is a hybrid of DX9 and DX10)unlike PS3 direct X 9c, so it will have better titled as they will be easier to make also Sony has failed to promise us with Quality, The European version of PS3 is scaled down with certain Technical specs, Flip NOw what will happen to the Official Indian Version. This time Sony has LOST the war ( evn if Bluray wins or HD DVD ) , it will be lik the Xbox ( superior in performance but will still fail ) hey and do u knw that we as a third world country or a developing country (to be politically correct) should welcome HD DVD coz toshiba plans to put in Dual layer HD DVD which can work on normal DVD players , when DVD came out most of the third world country's common man got it after 5 years and the duration for DVD's contract was 10 years, acceptin BLUray wud mean India's middleclass common man to wait again another 5 - 6 years to have a Bluray player as opposed to HD DVD which will work on a normal DVD player, Microsoft for the first time in its lif has used its head by supporting HD DVD so that its content will work on every ones PC coz now a DVD player is lik say - Wat 1000 buks thats it
Report abuse
csven
,shelton, on Mar 09, 2007 08:39 PM
"But unlike in Second Life, 'Home' offers video games, virtual arcades, music, movies, and a whole lot of Sony approved media downloads." Actually, those things are available in Second Life. People make their own simplistic casual videogames (one migrated to cell phones), the world is full of gambling arcades, movies - usually pirated - regularly screen in SL (e.g. "Sin City"), and anyone can stream music to their virtual "land" from an online station or straight from their PC. That's the problem with people comparing "Home" to "SL" - most don't really know what's going on inside Second Life. I think "Home" looks great - much better than SL (of course) and it's cool that it's free, but PS3 owners want kickass games... not a virtual world social space to hang around waiting for them.
Report abuse
RAHUL
,MUMBAI, on Mar 09, 2007 08:38 PM
THIS PS3 IS OUTRAGEOUSLY COSTLY EVEN THE PS2 IN ALL ITS HYPE AT A GIVEN POINT OF TIME COSTED 18K THE PS3 IS A BAD DEAL AT 44 K WHN WE GET XBOX 360 AT 19K AND REALLY GETTING A HDTV TO PLAY A GAME CONSOLE IS CERTAINLY NOT A THING MY FATHERS GONNA APPROVE OF EVEN IF HE GETS ME A PS3
Report abuse
The cadaver is
,Eau Claire, on Mar 09, 2007 08:09 PM
I dont hate my life that much that i want to start a new one on my PS3. hmmm. maybe it's just me... long live Metal
Report abuse
Napolean
,Montreal, on Mar 09, 2007 07:20 PM
Vote for Pedro!
Report abuse
Pedro
,Indianapolis, on Mar 09, 2007 06:34 PM
I love videogames, not virtual worlds. Until there is hype around a blockbuster GAME for the PS3, my money is staying in my pocket.
Report abuse

Opinion Poll