Changes in the Neighborhood: More Spaces Leaving Home

by Phoenix, HSM team writer

The changing streets of your city can sometimes make you sad.  When some place or destination that’s always been there goes belly-up after years of business, or a Walmart of other retail giant takes over a neighborhood with new construction, these transformations can be, at times, difficult to deal with. Whatever it is that changes the map of your environment can cause you to wonder…what next?

I felt that way weeks ago when we lost Red Bull Beach. I didn’t go there regularly any more, but it was one of the places I was fond of. I made it by there once a month just to try to beat that airplane obstacle course. I needed a decent score.

I was at the final beach party for the space and made sure I owned the skateboard space before it too was gone for good.  I am very glad I did.  Before the party got underway I found myself just meandering about the space remembering…the first time I went there. Who I was with there, that time and the times after. I remember the excitement and the fun I had. Though in the beginning there wasn’t much to do there, the space itself was beautiful and I enjoyed every time I was there. I will and do miss Red Bull Beach.

Then, last week, we lost Diesel Island. I must admit this place was not on my remember-to-stop-by list. But when I did drop in, there were always people there, so someone liked the place. I can just imagine how they felt to hear it was about to leave Home. I can sympathize with how they will miss their hangout spot.  We all have some spot that we like above the rest, and for someone it was Diesel Island.

Now it seems we will be losing two more spaces from the Home navigator. The Gamer’s Lounge and Ratchet and Clank.

When I first came to Home these spaces were always full. Gamer’s Lounge was standing room only. At any given time, day or night something was happening there. Then, after the PlayStation Network went offline and came back, the lounge had a lot of issues; for instance, the game there worked…sometimes. The gaming information board worked…sometimes.  Yet it was still a cool place to hang out, and we did. The Ford music quest was even played there.

Then the November update came…the lounge seemed to keep a steady stream of visitor for a while. But that slowly trickled out to a small few except when something was held there, like Bookepride’s Friday night gig.  Before I knew about that I had only been to the lounge a few times in months myself. I felt nostalgic and went ’round to the places I used to go. It, like some others, were virtual ghost towns. It made me sad. All the happy memories I had in those places…I will admit to a watery swell in my eyes even now.

I had hoped our Gamer’s Lounge would be revamped like that in the EU space. It looks classy as the Vita lounge. I thought maybe that would liven things up there for awhile anyway, but alas it is not to be. We will be saying goodbye to the Gamer’s Lounge soon.

Last for this article but not least, we will see Rachet and Clank leaving Home as well. What can I say about this space? I’ve played the games there. I’ve hung out there and have fond memories there as well. It has a place in my early Home memory. All of the older places here in Home I shared my first experiences with someone that was very close to me. I don’t have that person in my life anymore. That in itself has saddened me, so to lose the spaces where I experience my first months on Home is rather emotional for me. Its almost like losing that person again, each time one of the spaces leaves.

I know change comes to everything. Home is no exception, it seems. I watch, and it’s cool most of the time, particularly when a new space opens. Yet I forget that with new spaces, some of the old ones will eventually be lost. It’s like the real world. The streets of your town change through the years. You grow up with that corner market and one day you look around and there’s a pet store there or a fast food restaurant.

You think to yourself, when did that happen?

Or you take a drive and see all the new construction in a part of town you use to frequent. The old houses are gone, or that big lot with the trees and grass is gone.  All that’s there now is an empty lot. Everything has been cleared away — no tress, no grass. The worst feeling ever, sometimes, is the helpless feeling you get watching change come to some place you had special memories for.

No, you don’t lose the memories — but you can’t go by there and relive them anymore. One day you’ll be thinking, I remember when we used to… and it will all come back.

I remember the old Home plaza and the way the bowling ally sign stuck up over the tree tops. I remember the way the mall used to look inside and out. The way the plaza was always filled with groups of people. I remember going through my door in my Harbour apartment for the first time and ending up there…on the plaza.

If you’re like me and really miss the plaza you can get a little smile by going to the Yetis vs Hunters spot. Its pretty much the old plaza there, under all the snow. At one point you will wander around to the spot where there’s music coming out of the snow. Pretty easy to see the old dance spot that was on the plaza.

Or even the Killzone space…still the plaza. It’s in ruins, of course, but it at least got another life here on Home. The other spaces won’t, it appears.

That’s all I have to say on the subject. I am more then a little sad to see these spaces go. My old Home neighborhood will never be the same. The streets will have another vacant lot, in my mind. Whatever comes to replace it won’t really do the job. I have the comfort of photographs, as I’m sure we all do. So, some day, when I’m passing that corner in the virtual streets of Home, I’ll pass by that spot. I’ll have the photo in my heart, memory, and PS3 hard disk of the place that was there once.

May 2nd, 2012 by | 7 comments
Phoenix writes poetry and is a photography enthusiast, along with writing for HomeStation Magazine. She is currently studying for a BFA in Creative Writing and BA with concentration in Photography. psn ID phoenixstorm21 youtube.com/user/phoenixstorm21

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7 Responses to “Changes in the Neighborhood: More Spaces Leaving Home”

  1. I liked the EA Sports complex. I didn’t do much there except try to race the karts which was a bit of fun. I never played Texas Holdem and I doubt I ever will but others did and enjoyed it. Tried my hand at the golf game too.

    What I liked best was just walking around observing people playing cards. One time something funny (I thought) happened when I was there which I shall not forget.

    The most fun was looking at the stadiums off in the distance wondering if we’d ever get to go there.
    Despite EA’s troubles a space like they had made me give them the benefit of the doubt as to problems with some of their games. It was good public relations.

    I miss the walks though the EA complex and regret not being able to go to the stadiums and watch the construction of the new baseball stadium. I’m sure they were going to build one. Aren’t you?

    • Phoenix says:

      I never got to see EA Sports Complex. I came along after it left. But I did visit quite a few of the games spaces that have disappeared since my arrival here in Home. I frequented Imfamous space, never did get that phone number right,lol. I use to visit SOCOM and the Conspiracy spaces as well. They all seemed to be broken after Home was off line last year. Seems no one got around to fixing them. Like an abandoned building,tear it down, instead of repairing I guess. Less work involved. :(

  2. FEMAELSTROM says:

    Phoenix, great article, I mean that. It’s very touching as I too have many of the same feelings about losing some of the places. I too had a special somebody I hung out with , at Irem square. I miss that friend and I miss Irem. I could go on, but let’s just say I agree with everything you just wrote…and there might even be a lump in my throat. Great write.

    • Phoenix says:

      Thank You FEMALESTROM,
      I do understand. :)

      • FEMAELSTROM says:

        Just a quick p.s. Last night I went to the Gamer’s Lounge. A place I had really loved for a long time and I understand that that is going to be closed. I took a ton of pictures because the place was absolutely vacant. It was sad, real sad to see not another person there. I sat for a while and thought on times past, but the empty space just closed in on me and I felt sad that it was a victim of the points you made in your article. This all just came to mind.

  3. Burbie52 says:

    As Home evolves and places come and go we all get a nostalgic bent about them and the memories they held for us, much as you said about the old neighborhoods we frequented growing up. The fields I used to play in as a kid are long gone now, bordering a major street, the property was too valuable to lay dormant forever.
    Plaza held good and bad times for me, I met my first friends there, one of whom is still my best friend in Home, so it will always hold those memories. But we can’t live in the past and we need to build new memories to take their place as Home grows up with us.
    I look forward to the future here as Home expands and changes and all of the good times ahead of us all. Nice article Phoenix.

    • Phoenix says:

      Thanks Burbie,
      I am glad to see home evolving, it means more adventures lay ahead. With more adventures will come more to write about…I can’t wait. :)

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