Comments on: Personal Estates: Have We Reached the Saturation Point?

By: The Masked Developer

The Masked Developer — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:47:12 +0000

Personal spaces need to go in the direction of video game levels, with different zones that can be loaded and unloaded. You could have a very large space with two zones that are separated by a couple seconds of loading time, allowing Home to unload the area you are coming from, to load the next area. Even though the previous area is unloaded, your furniture layout is still saved, so it’ll all appear properly when you return. You’d also have a chat channel that covers the entire space, so guests can be in a different zone and still chat with you.

By: riff

riff — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 22:04:31 +0000

Another great idea!

By: riff

riff — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:53:44 +0000

Ooooo nice idea!

By: LostRainbow

LostRainbow — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 05:18:47 +0000

Great article! I think an interactive garden would be really cool. Imagine the possiblities and creative ways you could design them. I own several spaces but mainly use like 2 or 3 of them. I appreciate when Home gives a preview of a space because then you can tell if this is something you may like. A few times I got burned by a space that looked really cool and it really wasn’t so great. Since I own so many spaces, if a new space was to come out it would have to be spectacular and blow my mind just because I have spent a ton of money. I would totally be into a space that had a creative garden.

By: CheekyGuy

CheekyGuy — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 03:58:03 +0000

Developers now are really going to have to ‘up’ their game if they are going to bring something special as a private space on Home.

By: CheekyGuy

CheekyGuy — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 03:56:33 +0000

In Rival world SecondLife, I was fortunate enough to come across a sort of ‘Private Space’ (Though it is a public one) It was a recreation of a ‘Beatles’ Recording Studio. Painstakingly recreated by a German Player. (On SL, their world is shaped by other players and not developers, although the developers give them the land of which to build on and the tools) The ‘House’ features the authentic art deco of the time. And three floors of which to explore. A classic Beatles soundtrack plays in the background as you walk, room to room, one room features an entire wall full of classic album cover art. While other rooms feature intimate photographs of Band members throughout the years and the famous white piano from which John Lennon sang the emotional message ‘Imagine’ sits in a lonely corner of the room.

It did make me think..Why can’t HOME have something like this.
There is an educational value in it as well as being a collectors item for hardcore fans. I’m sure there are lots of ‘Beatles’ fans who are gamers

By: MsLiZa

MsLiZa — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 00:56:32 +0000

I’ve mentioned the wallpaper idea in the past. Along with the on/off light switches, the wallpaper menu makes the Harbour Studio one of the most customisable spaces on Home. And that’s pretty sad when you think about it.

The days of buying personal apartments because they have nice scenery are over. As the article mentions, there are simply too many spaces that offer lovely scenery and nothing else. I’m not sure that I’ll buy another personal space unless it offered some functionality that appealed to me.

Others have mentioned reviving retired public spaces as personal apartments. That concept could be a goldmine. What Home veteran wouldn’t buy their own Central Plaza? I’d snap up Feva Arena in a second, especially if it included a football-themed game or two.

By: Godzprototype

Godzprototype — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 21:30:04 +0000

That would be cool.

By: Kassadee Marie

Kassadee Marie — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 16:34:11 +0000

How I would love to wallpaper or paint over some of that gray cement Sony loves to put into spaces! I might buy more than the one (City Penthouse) that I own.

By: KrazyFace

KrazyFace — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 12:38:42 +0000

Indeed they do, and I distinctly remember seeing game-themed wallpaper in the Studio apartment when it was being shown by its (kind of) creator Phil Harrison way back in 2007. This is why I’m so confused over its non-existence! True that glass or wood effect walls would have to be left out of the loop but just imagine the personal touches we could make with that kind of thing. In fact Burbie, you just gave me an idea!

What if we could use pictures from our HDD to use as wallpaper like we do with picture frames? Now that would be total personal freedom of decoration in our personal spaces!

By: Burbie52

Burbie52 — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 12:37:28 +0000

Active soil is interesting, they have already done that as an unlockable in the Loco Island space where you grow a plant to harvest and have to water it, so we know it is possible. Perhaps they could build in areas of the space near the house like flower beds that were like that, or even flower boxes that hung under the windows. It would keep people coming back to make it grow, just like the dolphy space did with the dolphins. Maybe they could even have the plants die if you didn’t come at least once a week after they grew to water them, lol. There are so many ideas and possibilities here.

By: Burbie52

Burbie52 — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 12:30:25 +0000

Actually the wallpaper idea is kind of interesting. Being able to change the colors of walls is a good one, though some spaces have glass or wood walls where it wouldn’t work. I like the themed wall paper idea though, hey they give us that to redo our XMB don’t they?

By: KrazyFace

KrazyFace — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 07:41:52 +0000

Some nice ideas in there Burbie, as always. I can’t sayId be too bothered with a garden myself but then, I’ve recently noticed how much plantlife I use in my general interiors only lately. So who knows, I could end up really liking it! What baffles me is why they’ve still not given us the basic choices that the original Studio does -- wallpaper. I’m pretty sure all the companies that do spaces are missing out on this one fundamental (might seem trivial) thing. But imagine, how much money could be made from Killzone wallpaper, Uncharted wallpaper, Wipeout, Flower, flOw, Modern Warfare, GoW, Tomb Raider… I could go on and on really, but just think for a second about how many cool images that would lend themselves so perfectly to wallpaper in that tiny list. Not only would that bring in plenty of pretty pennies for the organisations attatched to each of these examples, but it could be a great (and subconcious) way of advertising new IPs and games within personal spaces. I know a lot of people would claim they are very happy about the escape of Home advertising when going personal, but it could be done in a rather less intrusive way than a giant BUY ME sign slapped across your walls.

Oh, and carpets too! Sorry if I’m taking this un the wrong direction Burbie, it’s a bad habit of mine. Umm, so yeah, back to plants people! Go!

By: Dr_Do-Little

Dr_Do-Little — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 00:57:19 +0000

$500 in private places… when your aware that the deco itself will probably cost you a couple times the cost of the space…

I have around a dozen places. I use 3 or 4 max. I would love to have them all. Dont we all? But theres a point where an empty box is an empty box. No matter how good looking is the box. Nice suggestion about the exterior and garden. Not sure i’ll spend a fortune on that but i can surely see a couple hours of fun. We’ll need more floor item. Stone walkway of different type. or dirt. Why not an active item soil? Feed it, water it and with time see it changes, grow.
Maybe Tycoon can give us that? Who knows!