Yipes! Getting caught up in the Mid-term rush and Spring Break, I’ve fallen behind on the blogging. I’ll have to pull double-time this week.

Anyway, after reading the short article done by William Gibson about Playstation 3’s Home, I would have to agree and disagree with him at the same time as to whether or not Home is forming a Metaverse.

When I had first saw Home I thought it had looked pretty amazing and seemed to be the big kick start Playstation 3 has wanted. Virtual worlds have always been an idea that has captivated people in different ways like The Matrix, Second Life, Animal Crossing, etc. Home seems to try and make it the most realistic example of a universe within a universe. The people all move and react based on our own reality, there are no random samurai battles or leveling up. This gives it the sense of a “realistic” Metaverse. However, I see the people controlling these avatars are what are going to make it appear unrealistic.

Only a few will take full advantage of this virtual world by making microtransactions so that their avatar with have all the latest clothes, furniture, emotions, etc (Then again maybe that is a lot like real life). The rest of the Home universe will probably be sitting in the lobby screaming, “Who want’s to play Resistance with me?!” The only way I can imagine this kind of behavior could be combated is if Sony gives lots of options to everyone. But only time will tell whether Sony can fully develop its own Metaverse.

I’ve been playing Paper Mario for Gamecube in anticipation for the one coming out on Wii. The Wii Paper Mario looks to bring an interesting twist on 2D and 3D gaming at the same time. But that’s a blog for another time.