Playstation Home goes open beta

Playstation Home goes Open Beta today. This event is widely covered in the mainstream and gaming media. The BBC news website has a good introductory article on this games console-based virtual world.

From the article:

PlayStation Home will let gamers create their own avatar -a virtual representation of themselves – and then interact with other users in a 3D environment. Players can chat to other users, invite them into their own “home”, and stream music and videos via virtual Sony TV’s.

VWW has, though not currently in possession of a PS3, had a look at an earlier incarnation of PH. The environment does look good, with lush graphics and backdrops. However, options for building or manipulating content seem either very limited or non-existant, which will be of concern to practitioners in the education sector. Another Google Lively from a functional (or lack of) point of view won’t help the education sector much.

The Wikipedia entry hints at future customer optimisation options:

Every user has a private apartment space that they can modify and change over time. The basic apartment is free and will offer users lots of options for customisation and personalisation. In the future, Sony will provide tools that will enable users to have an even greater ability to create their own Home spaces and content.

And this statement in the same article is, well, kind of vague:

In the future areas can be developed by major companies outside of gaming. The then Executive Vice President of SCEE, Phil Harrison, stated that locations built around famous coffee companies, famous drinks companies, clothing companies, record companies, major retailers and so on could feature depending on whether these companies felt it worthwhile to create something for Home.

(Basically saying “Well, Starbucks might have a presence in Home. Or they might not.”)

Facial detail on avatars does look impressive:

Is it worth experimenting with Playstation Home? Unsure. The PS3 is the most expensive of the three games consoles on the market, and it is very unlikely that every student in a class (even of games programmers) will possess one. Kitting out an academic laboratory with PS3s will be difficult to justify.

Having said that, it may be worth exploring Playstation Home to see what is currently technically possible from a high-end, closed technology, virtual world.

Has anyone in the UK HE/FE community experimented with Playstation Home from the perspective of learning, teaching or education? Or are thinking of doing so? Please do let us know if you are. Thanks.