A fantastic social experiment with almost limitless potential despite not really knowing how to use it yet
The Good:
-Lush, vibrant and incredibly detailed graphics
-Extensive character creator
-Fantastic use of physics
-Rich and soothing environments you'd actually want to visit
-Game and Events Spaces add a real sense of occasion
-Items for trophy achievements in games such as Resident Evil 5 is an exciting prospect
The Bad:
-Appaulingly priced 'micro transactions' for new clothes, items and personal spaces
-Still too much classic PSN region division in respect of some features and services
-Quing to use some games is frustrating
-Despite having potential the Game and Events Spaces end up squandering it with everything on them regarding their promotion is visable online for weeks at least beforehand
-Some times refuses to play any sound at all into game spaces
As has become a custom to almost every PlayStation 3 exclusive we must get hounded by constant delays and this service was no exception. The only game that has surpassed this thus far is the eternally delayed Gran Turismo Forever, Gran Turismo 5 sorry.
I do feel some sympathy for the hard working fellows at London Studio and Sony, it is after all a free service but you do feel as though they incurred the wrath of system owners due to promising it for a Christmas release then putting it back to the following Christmas, then promising the following Spring before finally releasing it the Christmas season after that. It was a service that was attracting a lot of attention and demand there was no need to lie or give a ridiculous speculation that had as much hope of being true as Gordon Brown not being a one eyed Jock trying to send England up the swanny for 'that' 2-0 win at Wembley in 1996 (he's still got Judi Dench and her double-0 agents trying to take down Gazza) just to keep the hype high.
A little known fact is that Home started off life as The Getaway Online, whether this was the same game as seen on the screen shots that were released along with the PS3 unveiling remains to be known with Sony dropping the franchise for the time being.
Upon starting up Home you create your profile. Despite a limited selection of clothes to chose from there is an extensive range of facial customisation. You have a pre selection of faces to stick with or make minor alterations to trying to get every last detail from your acne ridden face (deal with the stereotype if you are actually that anal to go into that much detail) and even pretend to be a 'hot' female as you roam the game world. It is incredible how in depth it can be as well as how well it all blends it all together to give a natural look and dwarfs pretty much every other game that has the same feature.
Once the creation process is gotten out of the way you are dropped into your Marina view apartment which acts as your 'Home' and are taken through the decoration tutorial and shown how to change the pattern and colour of your walls and how to place items around your living space. It feels a lot like The Sims to be honest but not as smooth, what is fantastic however is watching the games physics in full effect as if you raise a chair (for example) as high as the ceiling and place it you will see it fall to the floor but the most weighted areas will tip the object as it falls and make it react as you would expect when it hit's the floor. The vast majority of gamers this generation have a massive demand for physics but aren't entirely sure what they actually are as in a lot of games there is never that many visible effects of the systems, at least with something simple like the decorating and throwing items about you can see they are here and among the very best.
There is a promise of photo frames, televisions and music players that you can store with your own content to add your own personality to the space and make it more entertaining for those who visit. This isn't an empty promise, there is videos showing them in action but as to when they are available to the users remain unknown.
Now from the off-ski you can see the graphics in the service are good but you are in a pretty bland environment to start off with but one you get out onto the balcony of your apartment under the beaming sun and the tranquil ambience of seagulls and look out at the sun reflecting off the subtley rippling water and the dinghy to luxury yatchs and the sea front is incredible.
Not only are the graphics beautifully vibrant with colour but they are so incredibly sharp with a lot an immense amount of detail exerted into the textures. The textures don't just look as though they are smooth and painted but the way the light reflects differently off them is a joy to look at.
If you aren't agoraphobic online and leave the four digital walls of your digital appartment you are first taken to Home Square. The square acts as the central hub to the world and links all areas together.
What is apparent at this point just how mind bogglingly good the architecture is and how it remains a solid constant through out the entire game. It does go for the futuristic or over the top approach but a ultra modern contemporary approach with a tiny touch of minimalism to create relaxing and comfortable environments for all your home endevours. The use of tricking water and shallow ponds is a master stroke especially when you take into consideration how good it looks.
The relaxing experience is enchanced even further when you take in the ambient noises in the game. As I mentioned earlier the sea gulls in your Home Space create a magnificent effect but it is also the other simple things like the sound of trickling water and a gentle music that can be heard in the back ground.
There is absolutely nothing that can intrude on your R&R in game unless you want it to. Conversations via text or voice only have a small radius so they don't protrude on others and advertising screens that play videos get louder the closer you get to them. All players are easily gotten away from, just ignore them and walk away, invite your friends to your Home Space by invitation only or simply mute them.
You do have a range of communication to you, either by the on screen keyboard, keyboard or via voice chat and for added effect there is a wide range of emotes that range from dancing to display your mood and other random acts that can be selected when the occasion calls for it, such as celebrating in a unconstrained fashion.
The other 'Home Spaces' that are present are Sony made and are the main limbs of the world.
One is a bowling alley with pool tables and arcade machines at your disposal. It drives you up the wall having to wait to get a game but it can be fun just watching your friends competing on a game you can't join and being able to mock or praise them during the course of the game.
To the North of Home Square is a cinema that shows latest movie and game trailers as well as behind the scenes clips which are only stuff that can be viewed easily on You Tube (see below for a bit more detail about this) and it doesn't help the fact that it is a very remote feeling as no one can join you. I can't imagine how good the service would be if Columbia or another big name movie studio or producer let them play full movies. For example, The Terminator. With the build up to the release of Terminator Salvation at theatres they showed Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines for free and for one showing only. I accept that may never be possible in the era of piracy we have got to.
The Mall is the last of them and is the area that comes under such strong criticism. Sony and their high five to six figure annual pay cheques have sarcastically called the purchase of new clothing, items, decorations for your space and new living spaces 'micro transactions'. Three to four pound for a pair of virtual trousers?? Three to four pound for a new couch for our home?? Five to Fifteen pound for a new room to decorate?? I'm well aware that they are significant amounts of money but for what they buy it's a farce. I would expect such a thing of Activision but never Sony.
Game Spaces (and the upcoming Commercial spaces like Red Bull and Audi) are a permanent area and play a central roll in Home. They are an environment designed to look like the game world of the title they are promoting and are littered with games and leader boards along with forms of advertising like game trailers. The real magic here which is largely going missed is the ability to hook up with people who have that game (such as Infamous and compare trophies and hints as well as tips for that particular game in the corresponding games room and to meet with strangers (in the SOCOM room for example) and set up online matches before launching them from the Home Space and diving straight into the action with them.
The high graphical and quality standard Sony has set for its own spaces is very closely mirrored by third party investors.
My absolute favourite aspect of the service is the Events Space. The events room is only a temporary area to visit and used to promote new titles (such as Fat Princess earlier this summer). Bluntly it is a pre set environment that just gets decorated with character models, game information and such around the enivroment in almost the exact same fashion you decorate your real home to celebrate Christmas and Birthdays at home. Sure it is just a few objects littered around and a different trailer playing on the big screen television and different music through the speakers but it does create a fantastic occasion and a lot of excitement.
The best use of game/ event spaces I have yet to see on the service is without a doubt or a moments hesitation the Gamescom press conference. In a nutshell it was a huge screen in a performance stage with a glass roof and plantation around the room to freshen it up and add tranquillity and offered a huge floor or a balcony to congrigate with others while watching the stream and discussing it with others while it is happening but what is the point in it really? It was only open to European resident PSN users and was recorded footage that was already on the internet and instead acted as a glorified live forum. And this brings me on to two of the biggest gripes of the service.
The PSN regions are still segregated in some areas as one country such as America gets the Guitar Hero game space whilst Europe does not and everything available in these promotional spaces have already been viewable on the internet for weeks. Surely the real potential here is announcing world exlcusive previews and trailers as well as information being shown/ told in order to get people to the space to fulfil their need for information on their favourite titles.
Can you imagine how much excitement and visitors would be generated if Sony were to say 'World exclusive, never before seen God of War III/ Gran Turismo 5 trailer showing in the events space this Thursday at 9.00pm'. Exactly.
Home is a fantasticly made service and despite feeling years old is still very much in its infancy. The true potential of the experience does feel as though it hasn't yet been realised and too much reliance on the so called micro transactions needs to be overhauled.
For me this service is fantastic, I have many real friends on the PSN as well as many acquired through mutual respect for gaming ability through the years and diving into Home and seeing a digital representation of them with a range of emotes at their disposal to add emotion and personality always topples the XMB chat room and text mailing one at a time. The experience is propelled even further when you and your friends can play competetative games on the service and being able to jump straight into online competition on some of your favourite titles whilst recruiting strangers to fill in player slots.