nDreams Goes to War
by NorseGamer, HSM Editor-in-Chief
On a recent episode of The Upload, we asked the following question: when it comes to purchasing a personal estate, which trumps which — aesthetics or technological whizbangery?
Let’s use cars as an analogy. The new Acura NSX concept. Absolutely amazing. Packed with more technology than a Vorlon mothership. Undoubtedly capable of astonishing feats of automotive insanity.
And yet I don’t want one.
It’s not that it’s a bad car. Far from it. It’s just…soulless. It’s the sort of car Locutus of Borg would drive.
No, I’d much rather have a supercar with some personality. A Ferrari 612, for instance. Oh, I’m sure by now it’s no longer the bleeding edge of what’s technologically possible — even in its day it wasn’t considered the stuntcar of the lineup — but it has a presence about it that says you understand why Rolex and Omega will never, ever be in the same league as Patek Philippe. It says you wear Brioni when making a supermarket run. It says you know who Alain Delon is.
*This* is a watch.
So, yes, I have a bias in favor of aesthetics over technology. It’s why I’ll always have a fondness for Apple products, even though there are some very legitimate criticisms against them.
And this makes my endorsement of the nDreams “War Room” clubhouse that much more astonishing, because aesthetically it has about as much effect on me as my cat’s litterbox. But this is one case where the technology really does take center stage.
Consider. For three years of open beta, all we had to work with in Home was the Basic Clubhouse. Which is fairly akin to saying that for three years all you’ve had to eat are military MRE rations. Sure, it might be enough to get by, but you go through all the various stages of rage, despair and cold hatred before you dive back in for another go ’round.
Then the doors start to crack open. We get the Desert Haven clubhouse. And you didn’t have to be Edgar Cayce to figure out it would sell well and end up on one of Sony’s top-ten sales lists. The Desert Haven is as much of a jump from the Basic Clubhouse as a ’67 fastback is from a Model T. Sure, both were Fords that performed the same basic function, but that’s where all similarity ended.
I’ll admit I’m not a fan of the Desert Haven. I thoroughly dislike the setting, and the cheesy marketing did little to endear me to a space that feels like it should have Moe Greene in it. But it’s something other than the Basic Clubhouse, which is why it did so well. And, to be fair, it’s got some actual scenery and space to it. Go back into your old Basic Clubhouse after getting used to the Desert Haven; it’s like trying to wedge your adult posterior into one of those insanely tiny desk/chair combinations you labored in captivity and utter boredom with every day at school.
The question that everyone asked, of course, after getting used to Desert Haven: when will we see a clubhouse with some new functionality built into it?
Enter nDreams, and the War Room.
A description of the War Room, courtesy of Patrick O’Luanaigh, nDreams CEO: “A unique new PlayStation Home clubhouse set inside an underground bunker. The War Room is perfect for clan meetings, socialising and plotting world domination. You and your fellow warmongers can stand at the podium and address the other members, with your face and words appearing on huge video screens throughout this high tech facility.”
Oh, yeah. This is gonna be a hit. And it’s fairly easy to see why.
Let’s call a spade a spade. Home is populated predominantly by males, whether they choose to play it straight or put on a skirt. It’s a virtual reality with more testosterone poisoning than a Jacob’s Syndrome convention. Further, I’ll wager Home’s (predominantly male) audience skews younger than the average gamer. And, as we all know, young males in America enjoy three things: bad music, questionable internet browser bookmarks, and anything which makes them look tough and powerful.
I think you see where I’m going with this. The War Room’s party piece — the podium with the A/V functionality — is going to be co-opted by every bloody “fam” in Home. And since there are, at present, roughly 1,680,302,981,896 fams in Home, all of whom think they’re the perfect fusion of Michael Corleone with gangsta rap, that’s a lot of fevered egos who yearn to be fed.
(My apologies to those fams — both of them — who are actually mature and dedicated to peaceful, fun-loving activities. Think of yourselves as the best houses in a crummy neighborhood.)
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are other groups in Home which will have fun with this feature. The Homelings, for instance. Until a more thematically-appropriate clubhouse skin comes out, this is as close as they can get to have a clubhouse with a science-fiction setting, even if it doesn’t seem to quite fit their ethos. Various Star Wars clubs will undoubtedly have a blast here. Galactica fans will doubtlessly dress it up like a CIC. And, obviously, anyone who’s into Home machinima can easily see the potential for this new feature.
Aesthetically, what little of the War Room we’ve seen so far doesn’t hold a lot of appeal to me personally. Call me old-fashioned, but in terms of scenery, I prefer Tolkien’s Hobbiton to Terry Gilliam’s Brazil. And I’m sorry, but if you’re a clubhouse leader and you really, genuinely like the idea of reaching out to your members with that A/V podium (not in a funny-ha-ha sort of way, but in that Leni Riefenstahl sort of way), then you’re just a bit too Jonestown for my tastes.
Here’s the thing, though: that’s a criticism of the people who might end up using the space, not the space itself. And, in that regard, the A/V podium is a huge step forward for Home. It is no less significant than LOOT’s introduction of EOD and diurnal cycles to personal estates. Because it’s a social functionality improvement, which is what clubhouses desperately need. Clubhouses really are an integral vertebra in the backbone structure of Home’s social scene, and while Home’s games may be the flashy curbside attractions that bring new users in and keep the existing community engaged, the true long-term strength of Home is in its unique ability to market to gamers who want to socialize as well as just play.
Will I buy the War Room? Yes, but I’ll probably rarely use it. From a filmmaking standpoint, that A/V podium is absolutely worth the price. And, further, I believe that a purchase of the War Room is a vote in favor of more social functionality in our clubhouses. So I’m in the odd position of supporting something which aesthetically leaves me cold, simply because of the technological whizbangery packed into it.
Maybe that’s why I own a Droid instead of an iPhone. Go figure.
February 11th, 2012 by NorseGamer | 8 comments
NorseGamer is the product manager for LOOT Entertainment at Sony Pictures, as well as the founder and publisher of HomeStation Magazine. Born and raised in Silicon Valley, he holds a B.A. in English/Creative Writing from San Francisco State University and presently lives in Los Angeles. All opinions expressed in HSM are solely his and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sony DADC.
LinkedIn
Twitter
(*sigh) I guess I know where our next HSM staff meeting is going to be held…..
Nooooooooooo!
Yes, it’s true.
The Basic Clubhouse.
(NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!)
Your “populated predominately by males” comment made me think two things. One is that, this clubhouse skin should, indeed, be a huge seller. The other one is a remark I often make on Home, which is this: “It’s said that 85% of the people on Home are male. So look around and if half of the people you see are female… I’d say about 35% of them are lying.”
From the Video it looks really neat, I would be interested in taking a “test drive”
My other car is a Vette, a Chevette.
So woulda guessed Norse has such hairy wrists?
I would.
..did you not see all that hair on his body in those pics from Hawai’i..ugh….