Lonesome People
by Godzprototype, HSM filmmaker
If there one singular truth to PlayStation Home, it’s that it’s populated by a lot of lonesome souls.
This is not an insult. People in general tend to be lonely, or have a deep dissatisfaction with the universe in general. This publication has said more than once that you have to be slightly damaged in some way to “get” Home, and that’s probably an accurate statement. Unfortunately, this has also given Home a decidedly un-cool street rep.
Here’s the problem with building a social network for gamers: the stereotypical image of a gamer is a lonely, socially-outcast male. While gaming is a huge industry, it really doesn’t have the same level of social acceptability, necessarily, as other forms of entertainment. This, I think, is why Sony has tried to turn Home into a gaming platform rather than a social network for gamers: to try to give it a certain “cool” factor that will broaden its consumer appeal and shed the image of a cesspool of arrested development.
Personally, I’d take it in the other direction: make it a phenomenally interactive social MMO, and it will become cool by being something worth visiting. This, to me, would be a far better investment of resources, because it plays to Home’s strengths instead of its weaknesses.
No matter, though. It is what it is.
Still, Home will always have at least some vestiges of that original concept in it: a social network for gamers. And there are those of us in Home — its core users, I would argue — who really are there primarily for the social scene, first and foremost. We want to make connections with others. We want to feel emotionally engaged. Humans are a communal species, and thanks to the sea of anonymity our modern-day interconnectedness has brought us, we’re trying even harder to find people to relate to. People who might actually care about us, in some small way.
Beyond basic necessities — food and shelter — perhaps the most universal human need is the need to feel relevant. The need to feel like what we do, and whom we are, matters to someone.
Put away the internet hipster cynicism for a moment. And admit that you actually want someone to care about you, whom you care about in return. This is, perhaps, the core emotional lure of Home. And it should be celebrated: Home brings people together.
August 12th, 2012 by Godzprototype | 5 comments
Godzprototype is learning the art of creating Machinima, and would like to share it with you. Hope you enjoy.
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WELL DONE! Great article and machinima.
Great article on that! Wasnt too sure where you were going when we done that one but it came out very nice.
Loved the way this turned out Godz it was fun to do as always! Keep up the great work, your variety of choices when you do these is wonderful.
I really like this one, Bill! To me. that’s what HSM is all about -- being surrounded by talented people I respect, admire, and genuinely like. And, yes, I do want them to care as much about me as I do about all of them. Because I am happily married, I can avoid falling into the trap of trying to find ONE person in Home to fill all those needs and instead just be deliriously happy that I found an entire group.
Thank you Granny!