Seaclyff Retreat: A Mansion Done Right
by Kassadee Marie, HSM team writer
People that enjoy Home and buy personal estates do so for a variety of reasons. A few people are estate collectors and buy them all, regardless of their interest in a specific estate. They may not even decorate them or spend much time in these places, but they may offer tours to people who would like to have a firsthand experience there. Some people are interested in playing the game(s) that is/are built into an estate; they want their own access to them and the ability to invite friends to share and enjoy the gaming experience with them. Many people buy estates for other built-in features, such as rewards for themselves and their guests (we Home users are gift-givers!). There are also those who buy estates for their aesthetic qualities. They enjoy the beauty of the scenery and/or the interiors of the space and what to call it their own. A lot of people like to decorate their spaces, and when they see possibilities in an estate, they purchase it to see their vision realized.
There are even proponents of the Sony Mansion spaces – the older Gold Mansion and the newer Diamond Mansion. I think of them as the bling-bling gangsta Mansion and the Over-the-top But Still Unfinished Yacht-club Mansion. (I may need to work on shortening that name in my thoughts.) You are probably aware that these mansions each come in four separate pieces, and it costs $35.00 to buy either set in total. The Gold Mansion allows for 100 furniture slots in each section, while the Diamond Mansion shares the 100 slots between three of its sections, which allows for a smoother transition – so it’s said. If you haven’t seen either of these estates, be sure to ask for a full tour before considering a purchase. I leave it up to each person to decide if they want to spend this much money on these spaces. After all, it’s their money. My money has not and will not be spent on either of these four-part estates; I just don’t see the value in them that others seem to.
With regard to prices, there are those who feel every estate should be priced at $4.99, as most of the original estates were. (And by the way, approximately half of all of the personal spaces on Home are priced at $4.99 or less.) Most people are probably realistic enough to realize that estates which offer more are going to cost more. For instance, an estate with a small game and a reward or two will usually cost $5.99 or $6.99 (about one quarter of the estates are at these prices). An estate that offers a full set of furniture (when furniture packs can usually cost at least $4.99 or even more) should easily be accepted at a price of $9.99. This is especially true if the space is large and beautiful, as most of the seven estates priced at this amount are (as of this writing). Simply said, the more features an estate has, the more development time it will take and so the more it will cost.
So, when is a personal estate worth $20.00? When it’s done right.
An estate that offers a beautiful seaside setting; a well-designed interior; features such as working fixtures, including the 12-person hot tub; doors that open automatically as you approach them, even the shower door; wallpaper that can be changed individually in several rooms; music that can be controlled in a variety of ways, including the volume and location; and games to play, including a game of Solitaire that can be won by guests, is a mansion worth buying. This is especially true when it also has other rewards to be received, some as owner-exclusive; a mural that can be changed or left blank; a large wood-paneled basement as one of the four floors; drop-down stairs to the top floor; a working clock; and unusually large mirrors in several of the rooms.
This isn’t even all of the features of the Seaclyff Retreat, but I want to leave some discoveries for each of you when own or visit this soon-to-be arriving estate. My recommendation is that you purchase this estate as soon as it arrives on Home from Game Mechanics. I know I will be, because finally a mansion is going to be offered that I can approve of and believe in and happily recommend to others.
September 25th, 2013 by Kassadee Marie | 4 comments
Home is endlessly entertaining to this California girl. Kassadee has been in Home for about four years, and loves almost everything about it (with a few notable exceptions). She spends way too much money there, and perhaps too much time... Someday she will travel the world and write about the people she meets and the places she sees.
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I will say this with clarity and comprehension without any care at all who I offend…
The definitive Mansion of Playstation Home that will make the Diamond Beach (and others like it) obsolete. In fact, they will be ruins once this release.
I am pretty excited about the release of this space! It is extremely well done.
Given this particular developer, Game Mechanics has worked at making this space a full featured and tailored experience, it should be amazing!
Game Mechanics really does listen.
This new space has been long anticipated by me and several others I know. I will be getting it and the clubhouse as well as soon as it hits Home. John knows what he is doing and more than that he loves Home and its people. This space is a work of love, he worked very hard to give it as much as he could in the matter of features we have long asked for. I agree with Jin, this is the new bar by which all other personal spaces in Home will be judged by. Great job Game Mechanics!
I bought it before I read the article. I haven’t had a chance to explore it completely but I like it and expect to be happy with it. As well as the interior features, I like the “life” outside: boats, balloons, and I think I heard an aircraft. I may even break down and buy a swim locomotion so I can swim in the pool/hot tub. Did they assume everyone already has one? : )