No Place Like Home: “Come Back. I Miss You!”
There’s no shortage of Homesick PlayStation users, and we gathered some thoughts from another player hoping for Home’s return on the upcoming PlayStation 5.
Down the Rabbit Hole
DriftingOrbit‘s first experience with Home is like many others, starting with a casual discovery of the app on a brand new console.
“I found out about Home when I got a PlayStation 3 for Christmas 2008.” Christmas 2008 was an important milestone in Orbit’s life, and this gift set them on a path of growth and self-discovery.
The first experience captivated Orbit. From the first encounter, Orbit felt a sense of familiarity which helped Home feel a little more like, well, home.
“My first experience with it was incredible. I was curious about it, so I decided to click on the application. I was looking around and thinking to myself ‘This is just like The Sims!’”
What began as a quick peek into an unfamiliar application turned into a deep exploration of a new world, new people, and PlayStation itself. Orbit isn’t the first Home user to mention its similarity to The Sims. Creating your own unique avatar, customizing your living space, and watching your avatar interact with the creations of other players are all aspects that are loved in The Sims and included in PlayStation Home. It was an outlet of creativity and a symbol of possibility.
This first impression led to Orbit using Home fairly frequently.
“I don’t think there was a day I didn’t go on it.”
Sound familiar? Social media channels today attract millions of daily users with many people checking their socials once an hour if not more! Home was treated as a social network, housing various needs for players and drawing them back in every day. It was a whole other world accessible at the press of a button.
PlayStation Home’s Pull
Orbit most enjoyed the different IP’s represented in PlayStation Home. When asked about what kept them coming back, Orbit said:
“I think it was the “In-game” stuff, like all the different IP’s they had to offer. For example: The Uncharted spaces, the LOOT Doctor Who space, the BUZZ space…”
Experiencing themed areas in a different capacity than their game/media counterparts was an interesting addition for Orbit.
However, Orbit’s favorite part was just appreciating Home for what it was and “taking it all in”. “Logging in and relaxing,” Orbit said. “There was something incredibly special and unique about Home.”
You can say that again.
Orbit’s Favorite Memory
Orbit shared a couple memories of Home with us.
“I remember the E3 2009 space. I think they were handing out PSP go t-shirts for everyone who logged in if I remember correctly.”
A fun memory of interacting with the gaming community at large and acquiring some respectable drip for their avatar, what’s not to love? Orbit continued.
“But that’s just one of the memories. My best memory would be the Winter Wonderland space in 2009. Logging in each day doing the daily tasks (visiting Santa, chopping wood, finding the music notes, etc.). It brought joy to a boy at Christmas time.”
Visiting Santa. Chopping wood. Finding music notes. The holidays were celebrated in Home with cool events, giving PlayStation users the ability to celebrate together. Spending the holidays surrounded by friends, awesome mini-games, and a community of passionate Homesters (Homies?) brought joy to many users, including Orbit. At this point, Home was more than a game to Orbit.
Some of Orbit’s Favorite Spaces
Aside from the E3 2009 Space and the Winter Wonderland space, Orbit shared a couple more favorite spots to spend time in, and it’s certainly hard for us to pick a favorite.
The BioShock Apartment
The first space mentioned was this awesome BioShock apartment. Visuals from the game, leaking water, automatic doors, multiple interactive pieces, and absolute banging old-fashioned music are all over this apartment. It’s a little slice of life from a loved franchise and if you ever owned this space, we’re just a little jealous.
The Doctor Who TARDIS Personal Space
The Doctor Who space included cool tech, super bright rooms, and a theater! Any Whovian is bound to make a home out of this space (and show off to all their friends).
Home Square
Home Square, similar to a quaint town, featured an assortment of shops filled with the latest content each week and various other locations including a beach where players could go swimming. In addition, the views at Home Square aren’t too bad!
Winter Wonderland
Last but certainly not least, the Winter Wonderland space, again. This space holds a special place in Orbit’s heart. Players could interact with elves, take photos at a photo booth, and celebrate as a community. The daily objectives enticed Orbit to log on every day and “brought joy to a boy at Christmas time”.
What Home Is to Orbit
Like we said before, Home is more than a game. But what is it to Orbit?
“Home meant a lot to me. It became part of my life growing up. It turned me into the person who I am now. It was like a way of life for me.”
There you have it. Home was a way of life for Orbit and had a profound impact on their character. It is a treasured childhood experience.
So, if Home was a way of life, what about it would Orbit like to see if it came back? If it were around today, what would maintain that way of life for Orbit?
“I don’t think I would change anything (except maybe the graphics). Back then they were acceptable, but now? Not so much. Been looking at some of the spaces on YouTube. Graphics still hold up but you can clearly see some fuzziness when zooming in on stuff (avatars mainly). I would make it PlayStation VR compatible (both 1st and 3rd person).”
Aside from graphical updates (naturally), there’s nothing that Orbit would change. In addition, PlayStation VR compatibility would help in modernizing Home and allowing players to experience it in an entirely new way.
Dear PlayStation: A Message from Orbit
Finally, we asked Orbit what they would tell PlayStation if they could.
“I would say that tons of people miss home and Sony are missing a MASSIVE opportunity to not bring it back. We’re all “Homeless” here. It would be THE “Killer App” for PSVR. Meeting up with one of your friends in VR? Think of the potential!”
Follow Orbit @DriftingOrbit on Twitter!
In addition, if you’re interested in seeing tours of over one hundred PlayStation Home spaces, check out this YouTube channel!