No dressing up allowed in PS3's Home

by Peter Vrabel { Jun 6th 2007 at 11:30AM }

In an effort to keep Home "accessible to everyone," Peter Edwards told Bit-tech.net that there would be limitations on costumes for your avatar. "The idea is to keep it as accessible, mainstream and friendly as possible," says Edwards, the executive producer for Home. "If everyone's walking around dressed as orcs or stormtroopers or whatever, then you lose that welcoming, accessible element that means Mum, Dad and your sister might get involved as well." Really? The largest MMO in the world may not have stormtroopers, but they certainly have orcs and other strangely dressed characters and yet, they don't seem to have any problem pulling in over 8 million subscribers. Maybe it's not a fair comparison to Home, but it's a bit of a stretch to think that costumes on avatars would assuredly prevent Home's accessibility for all audiences. If the game was extremely buggy or just plain "not fun," well that would be more of a root cause against its widespread accessibility. At any rate, what do you think? Would Home be more or less accessible with fully customizable avatars?

Tags: accessibility, avatar, costumes, home, orcs, peter edwards, PeterEdwards, stormtroopers

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Kenneth H. @ Jun 6th 2007 11:46AM

can we just get sh**load of next-gen games already??? DAMN!!!

UltimateNinja9 @ Jun 6th 2007 11:48AM

I wish there was a PS3 version of WoW.

Flava @ Jun 6th 2007 11:55AM

Home is supposed to be a step close to reality - Orcs and stormtroopers do not exist. All these people are saying is that you won't be able to paint your skin green or anything - your character is suppose to represent yourself, not somebody else.

KillarClown @ Jun 6th 2007 12:25PM

If it were me I would avoid all stormtroopers and orcs in favour of skaters and slackers.. so I could see how this would segregate people and create groups and loners.. on the other hand if those troopers are forced to look "normal" and I walk up to them and get stuck in some kinda retarded han solo debate i'll be pretty pissed.

upz @ Jun 6th 2007 12:25PM

It's a question of the world you're trying to create. Home is about apartments, pool tables and super emo looking friends, not rolling hills, cottages and elven brides. Let's leave the fantasy elements for elsewhere. I want my Bravia TVs, leather couches and form-accentuating metrosexual jeans!

Mp3 @ Jun 6th 2007 12:27PM

I just hope there are belly shirts and thongs for the ladies.

Killer @ Jun 6th 2007 12:35PM

"Home is supposed to be a step close to reality..."

^That's not healthy.

Brian @ Jun 6th 2007 12:54PM

"I just hope there are belly shirts and thongs for the ladies."

Go OUTSIDE and find a real girlfriend instead of ogling polygons.

GRT @ Jun 6th 2007 12:57PM

I'm sure the thong issue is at the heart of the matter. They don't want night elf stripper-dancing on the living room tv where mom and dad will see it.

Popfrogs @ Jun 6th 2007 2:11PM

@killarclown:

Han shot first, there is no debate. ;)

pete @ Jun 6th 2007 2:25PM

@8 why do you assume mp3 doesnt have a real gf, i do go OUTSIDE and i do have a real gf and i still enjoy watching chicks in thongs whether they are on the street on tv or poligons in a game. naked is always better. my2cents

Brian Spence @ Jun 6th 2007 3:16PM

Letting the characters dress up would just put the whole "Home" thing one rung further down the immaturity scale. Since I only know one other person in the world with a PS3 (my brother, who got his on Sunday), I doubt it'll do much for me. Do people really care about these achievement things??

stacy @ Jun 6th 2007 3:17PM

when does this HOME start....?

ShaleX @ Jun 6th 2007 4:09PM

yeah, WoW ONLY has 8 million sub subscribers..... the PS3 is going for 50-100 million... okay.. yeah they are still shooting for 8 million... but in the end.. theyd like to get to 50 mill.

KiraXD @ Jun 6th 2007 5:31PM

can i put band logos on my t-shirts is all i wanna know.

djeet @ Jun 6th 2007 6:42PM

Couldn't Sony allow you to toggle between the 2, so I can disable the rendering of custom skins on my PS3 when I don't want to see other peoples custom skins/avatars? Kinda like a mute button except for customized avatars.

That way you could provide people the ability to customize their avatars, but if others find it objectionable/distracting they could just disable the rendering of that on their PSHome settings and see "normal" avatars.

Dustin2524 @ Jun 6th 2007 7:27PM

Its not a game!!! You people gotta understand that, cause if you don't you will be sadly disappointed. Its simply a thing you go to to met with your friends and go from there to play other games (like resistance, or whatever). Ya theres billiards and bowling but thats just for you too have more fun with your friends. You dont go on a quest to save little mis muppet from the great big nasty dragon and collect little tulips on your way. Its not an rpg, its not a platform, its not a strategy game, its an online virtual 3d chat room pretty much. It doesn't have a category because it hasn't been done exactly like this before.

Lets say someone goes up to you and says "dude you gotta download aol instant messenger so we can chat and set plan." If you think that thats a game then after you download it your gonna think its stupid and not use it. But if you understand what it is and then use it you'll prolly think that this is exactly what you thought it was.

KiraXD @ Jun 7th 2007 2:55AM

@17

But if i wanna fully cuztomizable Instant Messanger Program, where i can use an avatar i created then i can... so why not have a fuly customizable "3D" IM program that i can use an avatar i created (or clothing rather)?

Its not a game... its a hang out spot when youre bored or somthing... so what makes it less boring? Designing clothes that your avvy can wear of course!

James @ Jun 7th 2007 5:06PM

My enthusiasm for Home can be summed up as such: "Oh brother".

No dressing up allowed in PS3's Home