by Jin Lovelace, HSM team writer & filmmaker

I will never forget my first Christmas purchase in Home, back in 2009. At that time I was just settling in my new house and adjusting to my comfort zone in Home. As a huge fighting game fan, I was happy with the release of the Tekken 5 costumes; around that time, costumes were more tuned to the rave scene than mainstream fashion on Home. I’ve managed to snag the whole female section of the store and about three male costumes, and spent my whole entire time wearing them until I went out for Christmas dinner with my family.

The joy I had, though, was when half the Bowling Alley’s populace, myself included, gathered around, all wore the Tekken costumes and had a blast. It was memorable and absolutely fun. Now, as we end 2013, there are a lot of items to go for in PlayStation Home that I’m sure will give you great memorable moments. I think nothing is better than to actually buy an item you’ve always had your eye on and just celebrating it with friends and family (or in my case at the time, with random users).

Without further ado, here are five Home items I personally think you should purchase before this year is up.

1. SeaClyff Retreat  (by Game Mechanics)

To be honest, I’d never imagine having a festive cheer at a space that’s so vividly lit and with such a breezy atmosphere — but, then again, if you’ve been looking into purchasing this space, I’ll tell you from my point of view: it’s worthy of the $19.99 premium price tag. For starters, Game Mechanics has done an outstanding job with the details in this massive abode, from changing the color of your wallpaper, playing music on three different levels of the house, to featuring real-life murals from the Home community. The developers, John Ardussi and Mike Gehri, really listened to their fans and poured in a hefty amount of hard labor to create something that officially made spending your $20 on a mansion worth it.

This is definitely a space to treat yourself with for this season.

2. The Venue (by Lockwood)

For entertainment and a great place to set up your photo shoots (or to express your fashion talents), I suggest that you look into Lockwood’s “The Venue” space. Upon entry of this epic space, you’re greeted with Lockwood’s signature tunes that you can configure to your liking with eight other different music scores that were featured in their promotional videos. With the addition of customization options for every single section of The Venue, this space also leaves room for you to decorate with your own furniture. And for the obvious, it’s definitely an ideal abode for hangouts and strutting your stuff on the catwalk.

I recommend this personal space if you’re looking into having some glorious fun with friends and share fashion ideas.

3. The Observer (by Juggernaut)

I was asked not too long ago by a friend to produce some photos and a short film for their small get-together, to which I obliged. I inquired the type of photos and their mini-video presentation to be and they told me in great detail how they wanted it. So you can somewhat imagine my surprise when I asked them if they had the Observer, and they didn’t know what it was. After showing them my video machinima featuring the handy item, they went on to purchase the Observer and managed to finish the project.

Let me be clear on this item here: if you want quality photos and mobility to expand a bit beyond LOOT’s Active Camera, then I highly suggest this bugger here. It has been my requirement for anyone who should choose me as their option to produce anything revolving around film or fashion shoots.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Both the LOOT Active Camera and Juggernaut Observer are only capable of filming in standard definition, due to the limitations of Home’s architecture. If you want to capture Home in its native HD resolution of 720p, you’ll need an external capture device such as a Hauppauge PVR 1212 or an El Gato.)

The Observer functions as a lovely tool for mobility and complex shots that you couldn’t achieve with your default camera or any commodity similar to it. Another great reason: it’s only $1.99. So those Home Christmas photos you so desire can now be achieved for nearly as much as a personal space. Speaking of which…

4. Snow Globe (by JAM Games)

JAM Games have a reputation for quirky and fun commodities, with Gingerbread Man costumes and Snow Globe helmets that you can parade around Home in to bring a festive cheer. The recent release of the Jam Jar space saw the developer dabbling into creating a unique estate that established a luxury boutique with a reemerging motif that’s left up to the buyer’s desire. Here, the Snow Globe is perhaps from what may be the first in Home (thanks to a friend that gave me this perspective) a personal space within a personal space. The Snow Globe Apartment is a charming abode that is in JAM Games’ own Snow Globe ornament that rests in The Jam Jar boutique, with its own festive decor.

Beyond cute? Heavily and then some. I recommend this space if you’re looking to spend Christmas in a festive surrounding.

5. Drey VIP Room by Lockwood

Oh, come on, something would be wrong if I didn’t recommend fashion in this list!

And I pose this question to you: do you want to see a friend’s face light up like a Christmas tree this year? Gift them the Drey VIP Room by Lockwood and I’ll guarantee you that it’ll happen. Be it your choice of either male or female, the VIP Room features twenty-two Drey clothing items that exist in the Gift Machine and twelve exclusive fashions for receiving the space. I see this more as a gift for anyone who’s starting off in Home.

2013 may be almost over, but there’s quite a lot of it to go back and enjoy.

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