No Place Like Home: All the Friends We Made Along the Way
For some of us that used PlayStation Home, it was an avenue of self-expression we couldn’t access in our “real” lives. It spoke to an underlying need, and for one user, it provided a safe environment for social interaction.
Our next Home story features Deja, who saw Home as an opportunity. Her Home experience started on a random school day after she gave the application a shot, and the rest is history.
Giving it a Whirl
“One day I decided to give it a try and was on pretty much every day after that!”
We asked Deja to tell us a little bit about that first experience. The first log-in and what thoughts went through her mind.
“At first, I wasn’t sure what to do. I spent time decorating my place with all the cool stuff I got from the games that I’ve played!”
Deja enjoyed personalizing her space and putting her library on display, so to speak. Her space represented the games she enjoyed, most notably the White Knight Chronicles where she owned a giant statue of the White Knight. Quite a sight to see standing in your living room!
The Friends We Made Along the Way
A daily player in high school, Deja enjoyed meeting people and experiencing the interactions found in various spaces, such as mini-games. When asked about what drew her to Home, she told us:
“It was really fun finding new friends and playing games and visiting the cute maps.”
Getting some friends together and participating in all that Home had to offer engaged Deja on a personal level. She and her friends would “link up and do random stuff together”, and these hangouts made the experience “addicting” for the group.
Deja met a lot of people on Home and made great connections with them. She briefly told us of one friend in particular, and where their relationship has ended up:
“One person actually became a long time friend for a while, and we had a relationship for a bit. Unfortunately, when PlayStation Network was compromised, I lost my account and lost touch with everyone.”
A PlayStation Network hack proved destructive for Deja’s account and the friendships she had built on Home. But, she doesn’t let that get in the way of her fondness for the game. In fact, she told us about her favorite aspects of Home and how they contributed to her comfort in an online social space.
“The good energy! The fun stuff you could do. It was a great way to socialize, seeing as I have severe anxiety. I was comfortable hanging out online with new people because it wasn’t TOO much for me.”
For the many people that struggle with anxiety, in-person group hangouts can be overwhelming but online platforms provide a more relaxing neutral space for everyone to exchange ideas and exist in. Home allowed users to leave their fears and struggles behind, and focus on the new possibilities of friendships and memories to come.
One of Deja’s Favorite Spaces
One such good memory of Deja’s is one of her favorite spots to visit: LocoRoco Island. If you don’t remember the space, it was a small island and, as confirmed by Deja, “sooooo adorable”. We happen to agree!
New Home, Who Dis?
We asked Deja what she would like to see in a new PlayStation Home present day. Her hopes are for a balance between innovation and nostalgia.
“Newer spaces would be awesome. And new things to do, etc. It would be fun if the classic spaces were still there too to relive my nostalgia!”
Nostalgia is a big draw to Home for many players, as memorable experiences were had and friendships began and matured within its spaces.
What Home Is to Deja
For Deja, Home was an opportunity to become more of a socializer.
“It pushed me out of my shell and made me more social. I wasn’t afraid to get on mic with my friends and have a great time.”
Home helped her feel more comfortable and create stronger relationships. It gave her a space to feel more free and able to connect with others.
While there’s a lot to love about Home, Deja’s favorite part is best summed up by her:
“The friends I made along the way!”
Follow Deja @DejaEntenduwu on Twitter!
In addition, if you’re interested in seeing tours of over one hundred PlayStation Home spaces, check out this YouTube channel!