How I Spent My $20 PSN Card
by mnmsgin, HSM guest contributor
I know that when I see someone win money or gift cards, I’m curious how they spent their winnings. Here’s a look into how I spent mine, won from the recently-concluded HomeStation community writing contest.
First, I went to x7 to see what the latest previews were. To my amazement, they had some new outfits from Heavy Water — but the best thing is that this time you didn’t have to get one that changed the look of your avatar. This time they got it right: sell the clothes separate, so we get to keep our avatar’s face. Like many in Home, I’ve spent a lot of time getting my avatar’s face to look as close to the real me as possible, and when I see an outfit that takes that away, I tend not to buy it. I did that with the Secret Agent outfit from Konami, only to watch them come out with just the dresses soon thereafter. Don’t get me wrong: I like having the option to buy a costume that changes your avatar, but not all the time. There are some outfits I want my avatar to truly look different in. Plus, with October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, and seeing as I have a fondness for pink anyway, I had to the acquire the pink punk-rock bomber girl.
After x7, I went to the new and featured items store. I normally don’t shop in that store, so this was a first. I went looking for the Essence of the Seven Winds. Finally, I found it. This is a perfect item for every space on home. You can see your old estates, which do nothing more than collect dust, in a whole new light. I’ve put it in every one of my spaces. Juggernaut Games sure hit a home run with this item. I even have the Essence in my Novus Prime quarters. You can fly places where the Zero-Gravity Simulation doesn’t let you. Further, the Essence lets you fly faster and let you take pictures while you are flying. I know most Home users don’t fly around at the Novus Prime quarters, but for those of us who do the retention of the photography ability is a plus. Prior to this, we had to take pictures of our TV screens and load them onto our consoles; so while Hellfire rightfully deserves the credit for being the first Home developer to truly innovate movement physics in Home (with anti-gravity simulation), it is Juggernaut which has truly exploited this and elevated it.
I also wanted to see the new animated windows from Heavy Water. Of course, with my love of Halloween, I had to get the Stormy Window, the Flickering Candelabra, and the Flaming Skull Pets. These all make my Gothic Manor look like a truly spooky house from a Halloween movie. This Halloween will be spent at my Gothic Manor, made unique with its own trophy area complete with items won at Midway.
I’ve used old Halloween deco from last year mixed in the items I bought with this card. It turned out better than I had hoped for. The animated windows make a great add-on in the Gothic manor. I’m not sure which candelabra I am going to use; I like the Gothic candelabra we got last year at Lockwood, but the Flickering one has the slight look of a real candle.
Next up, I had to check out Hellfire Games to see their SpeedWings. They had a pair in my other favorite color, so I had to get the Dazzling Butterfly Wings. One cool note: the wings match the Pink Punk Rock Bomber girl outfit. I really love that the wings move like they are flapping; I have so many wings already, all of them purely ornamental, and they just sit there. And they will continue to sit there, as the SpeedWings blow them all away — particularly since they don’t take up a clothing slot (hands, specifically). I only wear the ring from Southern Island Hideaway, so not having to take that off is a huge plus with me.
I talked with Novus-Cooldown about the new SpeedWings: “We are really proud of them and we’ve got more on the way, including more styles and animations. We listened to the community feedback on the first wave of animations and immediately started working on upgraded animations for the next round of Speed Wings.”
Finally, I went to Home Tycoon. I bought two coin-packs; I thought I would only need one, but that first one went way too fast. And, of course, I had to get the Halloween expansion pack. I really love the sound effects and decorations that there are for the Halloween buildings. When I’m collecting workers I have my avatar parked by them so I can hear the sounds. Indeed, I made my own little spooky alleyway; it looks the best under nighttime lighting conditions, so I freeze time while I am there. Home Tycoon has received mixed feedback from HSM so far, but I personally am on board with whatever Hellfire comes up with next.
Personally, I think this will be a great Halloween in Home. And thanks again to HomeStation; without their recent writing contest, this article wouldn’t have been possible. The prize money won from that contest shall be applied to some wickedly fun parties at my Gothic Manor this year.
October 21st, 2012 by mnmsgin | 12 comments
mnmsgin is a member of Novus Prime's Black Hat Squad and a guest contributor to HomeStation Magazine. A mother of two, she presently resides in Wisconsin.
Congratulations on your winning the $20 card. I enjoyed reading of your spending account.
I won a $20 card awhile back (poem or song) but I don’t remember what I spent it on. On thinking it over, I decided just now I spent it after the fact on Tycoon cus the other stuff I spent it on at the time I would have bought anyway I’m sure of that. So now I figure I spent $30 on Tycoon.
I sure feel a lot better, I do indeed. Hope I’m not confusing anyone.
I got my typing write this time too.
Hey sweetie great read and yes congrats on winning the contest..You wrote a good story of how things really are on home and that is always a plus to see good things written about Home..I loved your accounting! lol good one hun.
Well it is clear why you are the winner
as i did not read your winning story,reading this made me see why you won. easy to read and even i got a little exited, as if i was the one spending money :)) So, congratulations. And to HSM: Hire this person! i`m sure i`m not the only one that wants to read more from her. (and thats from some1 who hates lenghty articles lol)
Hire her? You mean to say we get paid to do this??
WHY HAS NOBODY TOLD ME!
(Oh wait…)
*in Stewie Griffin’s voice*
WHERE’S MAH MONEY? *prepares baseball bat lathered in foam and spiked chocolate* D8<
I agree. You really neeed to hire this girl. Yes, she is my friend but, she really does have the talent. She made me feel like I spent the money. I look forward the the next.
To reiterate: “hire” may not be the right word, as HomeStation is an all-volunteer endeavor. It generates no revenue (indeed, it costs a fairly substantial chunk of change to keep in operation) and everyone contributes to it pro bono.
We’re always on the lookout for new voices who want to add to the HomeStation chorus; HSM is designed as a platform for mature and literate discussion, criticism and creative expression, and our editorial standards — though lax by any commercial measurement — ensure a level of product quality which is unusual to find in a community endeavor. We’re only too thrilled to publish mnmsgin’s writings, and we hope that others who were introduced to HomeStation via her work will themselves choose to contribute.
We tend to get an uptick in guest contributors every time we run a writing contest — and that’s intentional, since the best way to overcome fear of rejection is to throw money at it — but the real reward is knowing that your work will be read by thousands of people, including Home’s developers. In our own oblique way, we offer insightful feedback that helps shape the future of Home.
For a Home enthusiast, there can be no greater reward.
(Well, except for tdarb. He won one of our writing contests and was actually published by Lockwood *inside Home itself,* with the canonical backstory to VICKIE. Not too shabby!)
Spending your well earned card is so different from spending one you purchased, at least to me. I am always very careful what I buy, but when it is a gift or a reward for something it feels like it has more significance somehow, almost like a real paycheck, lol. I still have quite a bit left from mine, I am waiting to see what pops in the next few updates before deciding.
Nice read Gin, and I agree with Dutch, come and join us please!
I’m very careful with the cards I buy for myself. I check and re-check before I purchase. When I win a card or receive one as a gift, I spend more freely. I think the people who give me cards for my birthday or Christmas want me to have fun with their gift and I do!
Great read. I purchased some of what you’ve bought and I’m enjoying it. Congrats on the contest winnings.
I viewed that card as special too, like Burbie. I won as well and was extra careful with what I did with it. I wanted a special thing to remember it by, so I bought the Lockwood Dream Island so that everytime I go there I would remember that I got that with my winnings from the contest. When I buy a card,I tend to be a little more careless about what I buy, but with this card I won, I made sure it somewhere notable.
Ah Gin, been a while (im not counting when i saw u at the new beach in Home and “Poofed” before i got a sentence in) nice piece, and congrats.