Finding a Home for PS3 owners

Moving day has been delayed again, as Sony has announced that Playstation Home is still not ready. Perhaps there are bugs (cockroaches? termites?) that still need to be eliminated, or maybe Sony executives think users will appreciate it more if they have to wait for it. This isn’t even a case where there is some good news to to go with the bad news. Its more like bad news with a side dish of more bad news and a glass of mediocrity.

So first the bad news: the closed beta for Home is being extended. Things aren’t ready just yet, so just sit tight and trust that Sony knows what its doing. This also means that the open beta start date has been pushed back to Fall 2008. A specific date isn’t given, probably so Sony can release Home sometime in early November.

Then there’s the mediocre news so blaséthat it probably isn’t even worth mentioning: some additional PS3 users who registered for the beta will be allowed into the closed beta. Sony did’t indicate how many people will be allowed in, just that some will be allowed in.

If you’re desperate for some kind of virtual life and social gaming, let’s look over your options PS3 users. I’m sure that there is something we can find for you to play for free that will somewhat simulate the Home experience. Don’t worry, only free programs will be suggested. After spending $400 on a console, you probably don’t want to go spending any more on nonessential games.

Mabinogi (Windows PC)
Home Similarities: You can create a custom avatar to roam around an imaginary world making friends. You can interact with other users to make friends. You can also visit a variety of different locations.
Home Differences: You don’t have your own apartment in Mabinogi, and in Home you do. If you’re willing to pay monthly fees for Mabinogi, then you can have a personal tent filled with furniture and such, but that is a premium perk and not available to free users. Free users can go enter premium users tents to visit though, so you could always just make a friend who pays for the game and share his/her tent. Also Mabinogi focuses more on living an actual, imaginary life – you can tend livestock, battle monsters, farm, make clothes, fish, play music and more. It also has a whole medieval theme going on. Home‘s mainly for social networking. Home will also have games you can play with other users, something Mabinogi lacks. You also can’t watch your movies or listen to your music in Mabinogi – but since Mabinogi runs on a computer, you can always just quit and watch or listen to your media.
Download Size: 858MB

Second Life (PC)
Home Similarities: There are quite a few. You can make friends and interact with others. If you’re willing to become a premium user (actually pay for the program), you can own land and build homes. You can visit locations. You can play games with friends. There are music performances and plays. If anything, it almost seems like Sony’s goal with Home is to try and create a console version of Second Life.
Home Differences: Second Life is far more intricate and complex. There are actual governments and economic systems at play in the simulation. Plus there are so many different locations to visit. It really almost feels like Second Life is its own individual world, rather than just some computer program.
Download Size: Windows: 35MB, Mac: 72MB, Linux: 55MB

Alter Ego (PC)
Home Similarities: Well, Alter Ego does give you the opportunity to engage in a virtual life.
Home Differences You can’t interact with other people, watch videos, listen to music, own and decorate a living space or customize an avatar in Alter Ego. Give Alter Ego a break though – its an online version of a game which was originally released in 1986.
Download Size: N/A

Read [PS3 Fanboy] Site [Home Beta Trial] Site [Mabinogi] Site [Second Life] Site [Alter Ego]