Why?

#1) Because I frankly think the asking price for these (and indeed, for most Home items) is ridiculous considering it’s merely a virtual item with a limited lifespan (i.e., when Home eventually shuts for good, it’s permanently gone). For $0.25-$0.49, I’d pick up the flaming torch; but @ $2.99-$3.99…not a chance.

Overall virtual item pricing continually creeps ever higher, as Sony & Home devs bombard us with nearly non-stop pushes toward purchases. The innovation Home once strived for has given way to greed, and we’re being microtransactioned to near-death. I’d become so fed up with this trend, I no longer do ANY Home purchases (I’ve made only 1 purchase during the past two years…and that was a year ago. And no, before any of you ask, I’ve no objections how the rest of you spend your own quatloos.)

#2) I’m certain that by the weekend, I’ll be tired of seeing these appearing everywhere. And with so many identical-looking users roaming about, any appeal these once had for me will have forever evaporated. (It will be exactly like Granzella’s recent “Cat Lady” release in Japan.) What can I say, I like my individuality…

To those users who do decide to purchase these items, I hope you get much enjoyment out of them (really)! Just try not to run over us slower folk, ok? Please…?

‘Nuff said.

X2

Now what I would really love to see are shape-shifter add-ons: for instance, your normal avatar would turn into a wolf on command. Another command turns you back into a human. The alternate avatar would have all motions appropriate to its form. The wolf would run like a wolf, and make wolf-like gestures while idling. It would look like a Companion until it started talking, or stood up on its hind legs to do the Casual Dance.

Would this even be possible? Perhaps not yet — it would require storing the equivalent of a full second avatar in the Companion slot, plus the proper transitional animations as one form changed to the other. But I never expected Companions or custom animations either. Who knows what Home will come up with next?

(Damn, that should be a Wishlist Saturday article…)

The thing that worries me though is that I might become spoiled by my new space; being able to drop off a ledge and just start flying in Home is really cool. Not awesome, awesome implies something like the comprehension of the size of our sun, AWE-some, in AWE of its sheer size. To say that an emote is awesome is a bit like saying we should erect 50ft statues devoted to their monumental contribution to humanity, y’know, awesome! Sorry, not having a go at you here Bon, just the way the word has become a pathetic shadow of itself from over use.

Aaaaaaanyways, where was I? Oh yes! Being spoiled by Juggernauts new space; the problem here is that after being able to truly FLY in a space, these emotes are kind belittled to a kinda posey float. Like Superman on stabilizers. I’m not putting nDreams down here, I think they’ve done a great job with them (from what I’ve seen) but maybe something more grounded woulda been better, like a go-cart or roller-skates or something. Leave the flying till public spaces can properly accommodate them maybe.