TARDIS Personal Space First Look: A Fan’s Dream Come True
by HearItWow, HSM Editor Emeritus
For long-time Doctor Who fans, the TARDIS has always been one of the great mysteries of the show. We know that it’s bigger on the inside, but just how big is it? We’ve seen glimpses of it through the years, a wardrobe here, a healing chamber there, an Eye of Harmony that can wipe out all of reality stuck over next to the laundry room, making non-Gallifreyans wonder why anyone would put something so dangerous in the equivalent of a recreational vehicle.
What we’ve never been able to do is explore the TARDIS, to get a sense of just how massive it is and what wonders it might contain. Thanks to LOOT and PlayStation Home, that dream is about to become a reality, and thanks to LOOT’s very kind Lindsey, I got a chance to go on a guided tour before the space was released.
If you’re short on time, I’ll leave it at this: Buy it now. You probably already have, and you’ve just traveled back a day to read this. If you’re not convinced, allow me to detail its numerous virtues.
Yes, you can go under the console, and that monitor happens to be a LOOT EOD.
Available as both a Clubhouse skin and a Personal Space, or a bundle with both, the TARDIS is the largest estate available in Home. For those of you already concerned with item limits, there are two things to know:
First, apart from the Eighth Doctor’s brief on-screen era, the interior of the TARDIS has always been spartan, so there’s no need to pile things everywhere. Second, the space is divided into a number of interior rooms connected by a web of corridors. There are, in fact, so many corridors and rooms that LOOT staff have managed to get themselves lost while giving tours.
Depending on how much of it you ultimately decide to use, Home’s 100-item limit may not be a serious issue. The endless corridors and rooms connected to rooms make this a particularly attractive option as a clubhouse for those who enjoy a good game of hide and seek, or for those who aren’t terribly fond of their friends, as twenty people could easily roam the space for an hour with little chance of bumping into each other.
The lights flicker as you wander these corridors, which are laid out more or less as a ring connecting a central hub. That bit of flicker adds some life and realism to the space, and also serves to remind travelers that this is not a current, top-of-the line TARDIS, but an old, discontinued model that The Doctor stole.
Upon entering the space, owners and guests will find themselves in a perfect replica of the console room from the Eleventh Doctor’s first season. Coral walls and archways form the boundaries of this split-level space, which includes details such as the typewriter on the console and the seats along the upper-level railings. If you’re in the mood for a quick bit of telly, you’ll be happy to know that the monitor above the console has a built-in LOOT EOD. Buyers obsessed with multimedia should note that due to the long development time for this space, the EOD does not include all of the RadioIO features that were recently added to the Hollywood Hills House, although these may be added in the future.
Take the upper staircase out of the control room and you’ll have your first experience with the winding corridors, an exact duplicate of those seen in “The Doctor’s Wife.” Continue straight ahead and you’ll find yourself in a spacious central hub decked in the bright white and brushed-metal of classic Doctor Who interiors.
Continue straight ahead and you’ll find the main EOD room, with a floor-to-ceiling screen. Directly across from the screen is a large open area bordered by a staircase that provides enough room to set out seating for everyone in a Club, making this the best personal space with a built-in EOD theatre in Home.
From here, you can wander the halls to access some smaller rooms that can easily be turned into cozy retreats. Eventually, you’ll find yourself in The White Room.
A simulation of what the white room looks like. Yes, it’s that blank.
The White Room is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist’s but that’s just peanuts to The White Room. It’s closest size comparison is the main hall of Konami’s Gothic Cathedral, and it’s entirely white, as in, you won’t see anything but your avatar, white and a bit of shadow on the ground when you’re in there, unless you rotate the camera to look at the entrance, in which case you’ll see a small black dot somewhere off in the distance.
It goes without saying that this room is a videographer’s dream, because you can now get that perfect white background without all that fiddling with lighting levels in the LOOT Modular Studio. You can also get a perfect 360 degree panorama entirely on white if you drop one of the white LOOT flats over the doorway. Note that you’ll be entirely on your own for finding your way out if you choose to do this.
There was mention of additional rooms during the tour, but I was unable to see them, as LOOT wanted to save a few surprises for launch day, or perhaps because Lindsey wasn’t sure which corridor led to them. Rest assured that you won’t be mapping out the confines of this space in a few minutes. The White Room alone will take some time to get your head around, and there are surprises waiting at the end of every corridor, including one that will make you wonder what’s up and what’s down.
One important note is that there is no exterior to this space. This is for your safety, as a look out the windows will reveal that you’re floating in the depths of space. Anyone who visits the Doctor Who-themed LOOT Space Station beginning on March 27 will be able to pick up a free TARDIS active item, which TARDIS space owners can place in any personal space to access the TARDIS interior.
LOOT has done an exceptional job bringing the TARDIS to life, packing it with details that any fan will appreciate and giving us the chance to explore its depths on our own for the very first time. Those looking to own the biggest personal space in PlayStation Home also will not be disappointed, and LMO owners will find that speed boost comes in handy when you’re navigating all those corridors.
- It's big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is.
- Two built-in Loot EODs, including one in a perfectly designed theater space for large groups.
- An all-white room with near 360-degree panoramas for machinimists.
- Attention to detail that fans will love.
- You may develop new levels of annoyance with Home's 100-item limit.
- Lots of travel time in corridors.
- Likely chance of getting lost your first few times through.
March 27th, 2013 by HearItWow | 9 comments
HearItWow is the former producer of HomeCast, which may have entertained some people as recently as 2012. He is currently attempting to reinvent talk radio and occasionally pokes his head up to write about really cool things happening in PlayStation Home. His weekly radio show can be heard live on wmfo.org from 7 to 9 PM Eastern on Wednesday nights.
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AH… That’s how they are doing the “bigger on the inside”. Fair enough.
Wicked! That’s what fell out my mouth as I read that they’ll use the warp-gate system for the Tardis. Fantastic idea LOOT! Can’t wait to see this place up close n’ personal now.
I love the fact they are releasing a built in EOD in a clubhouse for the first time. I will get the skin of this for sure for all of my club mates.
As a Gray Gamer, I simply say…BOOYA! Good call Burbie.
The new MotherShip XVI. Without a doubt.
Hello HearItWow my friend,
Great article!
Just a minor correction needed in the cons area. The RadioIO functionality will be the same across all LOOT spaces.
In addition, the space comes with an exclusive BBC channel. We noticed a minor issue on our EOD, which is missing those channels. We will have all things fixed before noon PST.
Thank you in advance,
Danilo -- LOOT
Thanks for the clarification on that, Danilo. Cons have been updated.
Just got back from the Tardis and I gotta say, that is a really well designed space!
The one room where all of the round white domes on the walls made me think of episodes I had seen.
The control panel is very detailed.
Thanks for the information on the Tardis Wow. Really would love to see your take on a story and film!
To be frank, I am not a Dr. Who fan. Never watched a single episode. This space though is amazing. I got to walk through it and I have to say that it is worth buying, and I am. Now to get my grubby paws on a PSN card. This is really a huge space. I know that it’s been said a few times, but one has to actually look in it and be there to realize just how massive it is. Re: the con about the 100 items, I do disagree. The rooms are made that they are big, but I can see decorating this place. The EOD that is built in is really cool looking too. This would be a place worth just sitting and watching quality programming, like the HSM channel(forgive shamless plug). I saw that this is a must for those that like cool places and want something as big as it gets. Good job on this place LOOT, no, great job. It’s definately on my buy list. I was just gifted a motorcycle, I’m gonna ride in in there.