PlayStation Home Launches, Still Beta

As of today, December 11, 2008, PlayStation 3 owners will be able to take part in the PlayStation Home Open Beta and see what all the whispers are about. Talk of PlayStation Home and the ever-delayed open beta led many gamers to believe that Home would eventually be shelved. But now, all the PS3 owners who were waiting in desperation will be able to take part.

The focus of PS Home is to become an online social community for PS3 users. In short, Home is another venue where Sony and its advertising partners can display products for consumption while bringing in “community.” Early coverage showed that users would have their own personal space along with their avatar and be able to design their “apartments” with furniture and other objects. With trophy support finally available in some games and the requirement next year to have trophies in all games, it won’t be long until the walls are covered with Bronze trophies.

According to the press release, themed environments for games and publishers will be available for browsing. It is possible that PS Home could replace the PSN, having the player walk to a certain publisher’s space and download the demo or DLC of a game there instead of through on-screen menus. Among the early advertisers in Home are Diesel and Ligne Roset, a furniture designer. If Sony has a furniture designer in Home, obviously there will obviously be furniture in Home; the question is, how much will it cost?

Sony has a good idea with PS Home, and allowing an open beta will accumulate a lot more information than the closed beta previously. Since microtransactions are common with DLC, it’s only a matter of time before avatars are wearing more than just Diesel brand clothes. Also, since technically PlayStation Home will still be in beta, Sony can just shift blame for issues that Home may incur, on the fact that it is not a final release. I am a PlayStation 3 supporter, but Sony should be focusing on releasing games for the holiday season and beyond, rather than this application.