 | |
| Developer | London Studio Loot Interactive (products) Outso (content) Heavy Water (content) Virtuos (content) |
|---|---|
| Type | Online community service Virtual world[1] |
| Launch date | 11 December 2008 |
| Current version | 1.87 |
| Last updated | 1 April 2015 (last update) |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 |
| Status | Closed (31 March 2015) |
| Members | 41 million (at time of closure) |
PlayStation Home was a virtual 3D social gaming platform developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) on the PlayStation Network (PSN). It was accessible from the PS3's XrossMediaBar (XMB). Membership was free but required a PSN account. Upon installation, users could choose how much hard disk space they wished to reserve for Home. Development of the service began in early 2005 and it launched as an open beta on 11 December 2008. Home remained as a perpetual beta until its closure on 31 March 2015.
Home allowed users to create a custom avatar, which could be groomed realistically. Each avatar was given a personal apartment that users could decorate with free, bought, or won items. Users could travel throughout the Home world, which was frequently updated by Sony and its partners. Public spaces were made for display, entertainment, advertising, and networking. Home's primary forms of advertising included spaces themselves, video screens, posters, and mini-games. Home also featured many single and multiplayer mini-games, and hosted a variety of special events, some of which provided prizes to players. Users could use items won to further customise their avatar or apartments.
- ^ "PlayStation Home Page". GamePro. Archived from the original on 17 March 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2008.