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New costumes, spaces are Home-ward bound

Sony's official Playstation blog has posted a rundown of what's new in Home this coming week, and it looks like you'll have a few different costumes, personal spaces, and even a couple of contests to pick from. First up, the costumes: Not only will the Bioshock suit finally be available, but there's a special edition Ezio costume from Assassin's Creed II as well. There's a brand new personal space named London Pub created by VEEMEE, complete with dart game, beer taps, and working restrooms. And there are new items for the Paris Clock Tower personal space, as well as Fantasy and Victorian clothing bundles to buy.

As for contests, they're currently running MAG contests in Central Plaza (where you can get free t-shirts of the game's factions), and Zombieland contests that ask you to answer trivia questions posted around the environment. Other than those promotions, new stuff ain't cheap: The London Pub is $5.99, and the other items and costumes will cost you, too. But what's the cost of one beer at a swanky authentic pub when you could buy a virtual copy of the whole place?

Heavy Rain detective puzzles coming to PlayStation Home

Finally! You can put your CSI knowledge to good use. Starting tomorrow, PlayStation Home will be updated with a brand new Space: The Backstage Pass. At first glance, it may not seem related to Heavy Rain, but keen minds will be able to find a way to unlock a secret adventure, the Heavy Rain "Evidence Analysis" mini-game.

The PlayStation.Blog is scant on details, but promises Home denizens "will receive a rather special reward" when completing the game. "This prize is definitely one you Heavy Rain fans won't want to be without." That certainly sounds like the most enticing reason to visit the PS3 online community in quite some time.

Become a Big Daddy in PlayStation Home via BioShock 2 pre-order

You can become a Big Daddy in PlayStation Home ... if you pre-order BioShock 2 on amazon.com. The online retailer is offering the game, $10 credit and exclusive access to this Home costume for $55. It's the perfect costume to wear if you feel like picking up chemically engineered underage girls in Sony's online community.

If that doesn't entice you, there's always GameStop's pre-order incentive of extra multiplayer characters.

[Via @amazongames]

Red Bull expands Home space with 'Flugtag' flying machine challenge

PlayStation Home's first branded space, Red Bull Beach, has added two new ... wings, if you will. The energy drink maker launched its Home presence with the Red Bull Air Race mini-game (and the unofficial "wait in line and spam 'X' to play" companion challenge) -- the new Flugtag (German for "flying day") mini-game trades high-performance stunt planes for human-powered contraptions taken from its annual "will it fly?" themed event.

The goal: Grab one of several "flying machines" -- try a banjo with wings, or, say, a completely counter-aerodynamic "flying pig" -- and attempt to glide as far as possible off of the space's launch structure. It's definitely ... interesting. So is the space's other new addition: the Red Bull illume exhibit, a virtual re-creation of a real-world art installation which features adventure sports photos projected onto the faces of translucent cubes. It's art, only ... extreme!

PlayStation Home catches a fishing game

Want to experience the excitement of sitting around all day? You're in luck! PlayStation Home is getting a brand new fishing mini-game in an upcoming premium personal space. The Waterfall Terrace, available this Thursday in the Estates store of the Home Mall, boasts a waterfall and an eternal sunset, as envisioned by Phil Harrison. Using various lures, you'll be able to reel in a variety of fish, all of which will appear on the walls of your virtual apartment.

Check out a video after the break.

Continued →

Final Fantasy XIII goes Home in Japan

To coincide with the launch of Final Fantasy XIII in Japan, PlayStation Home has been updated with a number of virtual Square Enix goods -- all of them terribly expensive. For 600 yen (about $6.66), Final Fantasy fans will be able to purchase an avatar costume of Snow, Lightning or Sazh. (The Baby Chocobo wig for Sazh will cost an additional 100 yen, though.) While these costumes may be pricey, the alternative (cosplaying in real life) exacts an even greater cost.

FF13-inspired furniture is also available at the Home Marketplace, ranging from 100 to 200 yen each. Perhaps you'll want a Cactaur for your apartment? Or a Final Fantasy XIII sofa? Certainly, there's no better way to relax after a lengthy FF13 grind than to sit down on your virtual couch.

Sony launches a salt on Home with 'Sodium One' social gaming space

Sony heard you liked games, so it put an MMO in your Home so you could socially game while you socially game. The company just announced the launch of Sodium One (yeah, we don't know either), a self-contained social MMO space within PlayStation Home.

By taking the Teleporter installed in the Central Plaza, Home users can receive in-game objectives from an AI called "VICKIE." Said objectives then task the player with playing various minigames, including "objective-based meta-games, full arcade-style games and community events." The first game accessible in the space: Salt Shooter, a game in which players use tanks to shoot robots. Only five levels of this minigame are available for free, with more levels and items unlockable through microtransactions.

Sony is giving away 1,050 free Salt Shooter unlocks to early Sodium One adopters, so be sure to go check that out soon if you're interested. More games, events, and virtual goods will be added over time.

Continued →

Assassin's Creed II costumes go on sale in LittleBigPlanet, Home


You may be nearing the end of your assassinating adventures with Ezio in Assassin's Creed II. But, what are you supposed to do as you agonizingly wait for the upcoming DLC? Make your own AC2 adventures in PlayStation Home and LittleBigPlanet, of course!

The LBP Ezio costume will be available today on the PlayStation Store worldwide for £1.59 / €1.99 / US $1.99 / AUS $ 3.45 / NZD $3.90. Unfortunately, this costume set doesn't include any hidden wrist blades, so you'll have to make do with slapping your friends silly.

PlayStation Home's offering is a little less adventurous. The virtual Mall will feature "Renaissance costumes pulled straight from 15th Century Italy." In other words, you can dress like a courtesan (essentially, a fancy way for saying "prostitute"). Once again, no lethal weapons will be included, so instead of killing, you'll have to make do with ... um, dancing.

Source - Assassin's Creed II Costume - LittleBigPlanet
Source - This Week in PlayStation Home - PlayStation.Blog

Santa Claus is coming to PlayStation Home

Santa has added a layover in PlayStation Home to an already-packed holiday itinerary. On December 10, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is opening up a new PlayStation Home space that allows you to see Santa's workshop through the unique Home filter -- by which we mean it's now kind of eerie. The new Winter Wonderland space will allow you to interact with a vaguely Shatner-esque Santa Claus and elves like Robin Williams here, as you help the crew get all its preparations for Christmas done. Which means minigames!

There will be presents, of course, and a Photo Elf who will take festively decorated pictures of your Home avatar. You know, so you can always remember the time you saved Christmas.

Red Bull Island Home space update coming Nov. 26

Tomorrow, you'll find some big additions coming to the Red Bull Island space in PlayStation Home. Don't worry, Sony isn't fiddling with your cherished Red Bull Air Race mini-game, but rather adding two new mini-games to the virtual tropical island. First is Red Bull Illume, an area for the sports and action photogs out there. Then there's the Redbull Flugtag mini-game, which will pretty much be a game adaptation of the real thing -- players can launch one of five pre-made flying contraptions off a 30-foot launch pad.

Starting on Monday, November 30 at 6pm PDT, you'll be able to see some real-life, behind-the-scenes footage of the Flugtag in the Home theater. There will also be trivia and, if you're one of the first five lucky individuals who send in a trivia answer here during the event, you could win yourself a PSP Go! How's that for incentive?

Happy 3rd birthday, PlayStation 3!

We can hardly believe that it's been three whole years since we first enjoyed the splendor of the PlayStation 3 in our own homes. Sure, there weren't a million fantastic games for the console right at launch, and there were a few issues at some stores with poor crowd management, but here we are three years later with a heap of great memories. Remember that nightmare inducing baby ad? How about Sony's response to PlayStation Home being leaked?

These days, we have hilarious commercials, a smattering of great exclusive games both on disc and through the PlayStation Network – hell, the system even lost some weight (and half its original price)! We're spending the day celebrating the PS3s lifespan by ... folding proteins like mad! If you're so inclined to join along, we've got this convenient 300 person strong team set up. It's a celebration foldathon, folks – ya dig?

Buzz! developer says PlayStation Home is starting to realize its potential

Andrew Eades, executive director of Buzz! developer Relentless Software, recently had a few nonplussed things to say to VideoGamer.com about Sony's virtual social hub, PlayStation Home. Specifically, he remarked, "Home doesn't appeal to me personally that much," adding that he doesn't know why the experience appeals to people. Though he might not be its biggest fan, Eades later added that Home still has room to grow, and that only now is it "realizing its potential."

Eades suggested that Sony focus on "[building] the tools to allow people to create content for it," mentioning that his studio has plans for "a game we're considering doing which only could work in Home." It's just a wild guess, but we're picturing a multiplayer trivia title with heavy crossdressing elements.

Final Fantasy XIII trailer coming Home tomorrow [Update]

While we're certainly happy to hear that a brand new Final Fantasy XIII trailer is coming to the theater in PlayStation Home tomorrow, we can't help but be a little put out too. Is this the announcement that had been hinted at on Sunday? Because we were honestly hoping for something a bit more ... announcementy.

On the bright side, maybe there's some real news coming and the trailer's just a nice compliment, or on the even brighter side, maybe there's big news nestled lovingly within the clip. On the double-triple bright side, the Home theaters are also showing a sneak preview of Steven Seagal: Lawman on Friday Wednesday, so there's no way you're not logging out of Home happier than when you logged in.

Update: We incorrectly reported the time for "Lawman." It will debut in Home on Wednesday, Nov 18 for one hour at 5pm PST/8pm EST.

SCEA files patent for interactive movie technology

"Interactive movie technology," you may find yourself asking, "isn't that just another word for video games?" Well, grandpa, yes and no. While this recently filed patent from Sony Computer Entertainment America will likely be implemented in some form of game -- our guess is PlayStation Home -- it doesn't really resemble anything we've ever seen from a ludological offering. Basically, SCEA is designing a framework for "avatars" to interact with a film in a number of different ways, such as tossing tomatoes at on-screen actors, or climbing into the film to deliver a swift kick to one of the characters' behinds.

The patent's illustrations resemble pencil-drawn versions of Mystery Science Theater 3000, where a player's avatar can be seen sitting in a chair in front of the interactive movie. These interactions can even be scored, granting bonus points for a well-aimed tomato toss. We have no idea how well this type of technology would work, but our deep, deep fondness for Mike and the 'Bots makes us more than a little interested in how SCEA is planning on using it.

[Via Siliconera]

Stay indoors and visit PlayStation Home for Halloween celebrations


Don't want to bother going outside with friends on Halloween? Good! PlayStation Home is hosting two different virtual events, one for Europe and one for America.

On Halloween Day, from 6-8PM GMT, SCEE will be hosting a virtual party in the Burn Zombie Burn space. Participants that purchase and wear appropriately undead attire will receive a special "treat" upon arriving. For more details, visit the EU PlayStation.blog.

SCEA is celebrating one day earlier, on Halloween Eve. At 11:59PM EST, the Central Plaza will feature a zombie rally that will put Hamsters vs Humans to shame (cough). Once again, virtual prizes will be handed out to all that participate -- and isn't that so much better than going outside, only to get tooth decay? For more details on America's festivities, visit the US PlayStation.blog.

Source - Halloween comes to PlayStation Home
Source - Celebrate Halloween PlayStation Home-Style at the Zombie Rally

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