Sony introduces Home MMO Space
- Posted December 17th, 2009 at 15:56 EDT by Adam Dolge
- 6,493 views
- 34 Comments
If you are one of the many PlayStation 3 owners who thinks Home needs even more social gaming aspects, then you’ll want to try out the new Sodium One massively multiplayer online game space. This ground-breaking 3D gaming community offers Home users an assortment of mini-games to share with in-game friends. Sony dubs Sodium One as Home’s first MMO space.
All you have to do is step into the Sodium “Teleporter” in the Central Plaza to be transported to the futuristic, action-packed social gaming environment. Sodium provides a new technological era that brings about interstellar travel, rapid colonization of the galaxy, inexhaustible energy, advanced Artificial Intelligent, and the power to travel between quantum realities. The new age also makes players battle for harmony with their environment.
"The launch of PlayStation Home in 2008 pioneered new ground in interactive entertainment and, since then, increasing support and enthusiasm from our PS3 user and game publisher communities have helped to make this a tremendous first year for the platform," said Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing and PlayStation Network, SCEA. "Today we further push the envelope with the launch of PlayStation Home's Sodium -- an evolving space that leverages the incredible computing power of PS3 to deliver truly unique, and visually stunning social gaming experiences that you won't find on any other platform."
Sodium is developed by Outso and published by Lockwood Publishing. This space puts players in a social hub located in the Nevada desert. You must check in with “VICKIE,” the space’s A.I. life-force, to obtain objects, then battle through various levels to get on the leader board in several categories.
The space features objective-based meta-games, full arcade-style games and community events. The first section, “Salt Shooter,” requires players to hunt self-replacing robots with tanks to control their population. The first five levels of “Salt Shooter” is free, and you can unlock additional levels ranging from $0.99 USD to $4.99 USD.
Some of the more MMO aspects of the game include allowing players to communicate and share the experience. For instance, you can become a bartender and serve virtual drinks to friends, or you can compete with friends in the mini games. You can also further customize your Home avatar with Sodium gear.
See below for a video from the PlayStation Blog about this new feature.
Comments
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DiscoMcDisco |
DiscoMcDisco- 4:09pm GMT - December 17th, 2009
- 2
Now this is more like it... tried and tested events in home are finally becoming the potential we all saw in it...
I'm seriously excited to what this could offer... the bit i like is about being a bartender... this opens up a WHOLE NEW world of possibilities... i want to run my own shop in sodium.. selling my own custom t-shirts and stuff... maybe the money can go straight into my paypal merchant account... now THAT would be fun... limited spaces available so there's enough competition.... i could see little communities popping up across the desert, all focusing on a different game, at which point certain options open up (buy a clothes shop for £25 (one off) and sell your own stuff at your own pricing (+transaction fee to PSN)... where's my cafepress integration so i can sell REAL shirts through PShome ... /ponders...
Let's keep the doors wide open here... i love it.. :D
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GunTeng
- 4:36pm GMT - December 17th, 2009
- 6
As one of the people who always felt HOME lacked that hook to draw gamers in, I never once thought of treating it as an MMO space. This is a fantastic idea from SONY & could stand to fill the HOME space with content & more importantly, with gamers.
Now that SONY is on this path, I suggest they take measures to include all gaming tastes.
As an MMO space, allow changes is avatars to suit specific MMO tastes. Maybe a Sackboy avatars, Ratchet & clank,, Jak & DAxter, FF avatars, or even cuddly teddy avatars ( stuffed rabbits, lions, etc). This could very well open up HOME in a massive way.
Don't forget...this is just the start of what we all hoped it would be from the outset. I hope to see SONY build on this & make it something truly amazing. Great start.
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OneFlow
- 4:58pm GMT - December 17th, 2009
- 8
I hope this won't turn into a shopping experience. When the selling scheme is itembased it's usually the first step into the wrong direction. Reading that "levels" cost 1-5 bucks makes it seem likely that this will turn into a huge money-maker for Sony and a huge flop for the rest of the world.
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hillybilly |
apeh- 4:59pm GMT - December 17th, 2009
- 9
Guessing this is US only? Eu is alweays getting the scraps of content in home :(
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Petra_Kalbrain1
- 5:25pm GMT - December 17th, 2009
- 11
@8 -> You are partially correct. HOWEVER, the other side of the coin must also be considered. Being a free application, it's not like anyone is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to cough up any money. Heck, you don't even need to spend anything to get the actual MMO software. It is free of charge. It's only if you plan on getting more serious that you start seeing some incremental charges. And, on top of that, you are fully at your own disposal with regards to when those charges take place. Remember that all other good MMO titles charge you a monthly subscription access fee. So, even with these $1-$5 upgrade fees, you are probably still only looking at a fraction of the costs associated with something like World Of Warcraft.
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Arda82
- 6:09pm GMT - December 17th, 2009
- 14
I feel so unsure
as I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor
as the music dies, something in your eyes
calls to mind the silver screen
and all its sad good-byes
I'm never gonna dance again
guilty feet have got no rhythm
though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool -
SolidDrake86
- 6:16pm GMT - December 17th, 2009
- 15
Awesome ! Now they need to give us some more moves , so we can jump and climb and stuff in home. Maybe have special things in certain spaces, like you can fight people with your avatar in the SF4 space or get guns and run around shooting in the Uncharted or Far Cry spaces !
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PSX_Legend |
KillZone3000- 6:29pm GMT - December 17th, 2009
- 16
Now we need a MMO "grown ups" club place! and of course you must pay for each entrance ^^ where you play cool minigames xD nah! im kidding! there´s already stuff like that xD no need for that ;D
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Staticneuron |
Staticneuron- 7:10pm GMT - December 17th, 2009
- 18
I saw this comming. They had an ARG space, so naturally they would eventually get an MMO space. I am seriously pleased that it is a futuristic themed mmo. That make me happy.
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hemelskonijn
- 7:19pm GMT - December 17th, 2009
- 19
The only way home could be openend up to the masses is when advertisement content like in example t-shirts with prints of killzone become free.
I know there are a lot of people willing to pay for cool stuff but not a single person i know is willing to buy shirts like that to advertise that game. Now for a lot of stuff micro credit are in place like for furniture and skins however the gamer should not be botherd with micropayment in order to be able to advertise the game you love and thus already bought in most likelyness.
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PsychoMantis |
KuruptX- 7:50pm GMT - December 17th, 2009
- 20
Looks sweet but im still not a fan of HOME so ill pass. Besides once 2010 comes around I doubt people will be putting off games like GOW3 for this....
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hillybilly |
apeh- 8:33pm GMT - December 17th, 2009
- 23
Well been playing around with it (YES ITS ON EU HOME :D) and its pretty satisfying, there is this spaceship war like thing which is kinda fun but after level 5 you must pay £3.99 to carry but it seems worth it, very well laid out for a home game with upgrades and hidden weapons, also there is a scorpion stomping minigame which is pretty pointless tbh as well as a drink making game where people can order drinks while other people can work as emplyees making identical drinks which is also pretty fun :) - to top it off there are two locked areas which will probably have even more content
Also there is this pretty awesome idea (one I hope sony make more useful and across home) where you gain currency for sodium by getting achievement like awards by doing things such as killing 10 scorpions, sorta like a trophy feature but with no trophies earned and an amount of sodium cash from each achievement which can be spent on the sodium store (although the prices are ridiculously expensive, for example i have almost done all achievements and have about 7150 sodium points but the cheapest item costs about 25000 points for a shirt :/
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bobtheduck
- 3:41am GMT - December 18th, 2009
- 30
That's funny... Will this have PvP, because a friend and I were in home the other day, and said that's something home really needs.
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shooterMIKE17
- 4:55am GMT - December 22nd, 2009
- 33
playing that was intense. the fast paced high quality arcade style shooting was very fun. and just walking up to it and jumping in was a pleasent surprise. didn't think it would be this good at first, but it just keeps getting better and better.
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FoolsFolly
- 11:28pm GMT - December 30th, 2009
- 34
I got about 8 hours of fun out of the game, which is a very good ratio of fun:money at $5. Most $60 games only last 10-20 hours.
First 5 levels are free, so you can easily decide if you like it before you buy.
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