by ted2112, HSM team Writer

Can you believe another year has come and gone? 2013 has been a truly amazing time for Home. Never before have more resources, time and attention been given to us, and through it all, Home continues to inspire and evolve.  Perhaps this coming year, more than any previous year so far, will be truly be a watershed time for us in Home.

We are standing on the threshold of change. This year we have seen Home’s Japan and Asia regions stop new production, yet those regions live. We have seen the massively successful launch of the PS4. This successor to our beloved PS3 has given some pause, but I am one of those who think the best is yet to come in Home, no matter what the platform.

We have also seen major developers unlocking the true potential of Home, both technically and artistically.  Content has evolved to the point where most releases are sophisticated and worth a look at. This is a major shift from the days of quantity over quality.  We have also seen a dramatic shift in the core experience itself: Home didn’t exactly follow the grand concept that Sony had planned for it since the days of closed beta. Instead of continuing to fight to keep it confined in that narrow trajectory, Sony has let Home become what it was meant to become, via a rather organic process. We now enjoy a game that is  prosperous and thriving. Not my words — Sony’s.

Home today at this end of 2013 is more a social animal than a gaming center. Home has also become more focused on public social settings, and with it a new spin on making it a game itself with the creation of the daily Challenges as well as the introduction of the News Reader. I feel that 2013 has changed the concept of Home players into Home citizens, and the community has never been more focused and supportive. Finally — finally — it feels like Home is catering more to the people who “get” it rather than trying to chase after those who don’t.

2013 has brought about way too much for a top-ten list, but hey, who doesn’t love a top-ten list? Mine is sorted in no particular order; this is just my opinion, but I have pulled together ten of what I feel to be the top moments of Home 2013.

 

1.75 Update:  This event, perhaps more than anything, has changed the very fabric of Home.  The update moved Home off our consoles’ hard drives and onto the cloud. Home now digitally lives on Sony’s servers, and if Home is to migrate to the PS4 streaming service (Gaikai), this was a must-happen. Simply put, this expensive update brought Home to a point where it could be moved into the next console generation if the business decision is made to do so.

 

Pottermore: The world of Harry Potter has brought in a new clientele and infused younger blood into Home. Whether you play it or not, there is no denying that Pottermore was a grand slam for Home. The game also  continues the 2013 trend of linking Home with the outside world via major IPs. The many connected spaces and games in Pottermore were a massive undertaking and commitment by Sony, at a time when much of Home’s content is now coming exclusively from third-party developers.

 

E3 2013:  Once again we celebrated the biggest gaming expo in the world right inside Home.  Home’s E3 events were all the more powerful due to the limited TV coverage, with the absence of G4 TV very conspicuous. Not only could we watch the conference, but we also got to sample upcoming releases and complete challenges for rewards; Sony even threw in a free month of PlayStaion Plus!

 

Acorn Park/ Serenity Plaza: I lump thee two great public spaces together because they represent a fundamental shift in Home’s social aspects. Both spaces encourage mingling and togetherness. These type of spaces were once only the domain of Sony, but with the shift in Home content releases to third-party companies, they upped the ante of what can be done, and this has widened the scope of Home.

 

SeaClyff Retreat: Every once and a while a space comes along that raises the bar so high it actually changes what’s expected from developers — and Game Mechanics nailed it with this wonderful space. The attention to detail here is astounding. Everything from the interactive art to lighting and design was nothing but win.

 

Daily Challenges: This change has turned Home into a game itself.  Home has always been a game gateway, but now we can  earn points and prizes just for doing what we do in Home. The challenges also made Home more interactive and social in the process, helping to bring people together rather than segregate them by gaming style.

 

The News Reader: This is still not fully rolled out in SCEA Home yet (most of the content is promotional in nature), but the SCEE region has been enjoying this great media reader that greets you as when you log into Home. You can read articles and get the latest news and information, all in a very well done interface by the Home Platform Group. The only downside to the Media Reader is that it took five years of open beta to arrive; this one feature makes Home feel far more like a living, breathing, dynamic world.

 

 

Doctor Who: This classic BBC program seems to be more popular than ever, and having this IP in Home made 2013 a lot more fun. Doctor Who represented another mega franchise coming to Home in 2013.  Everything from  getting lost the TARDIS to the great outfits and media made Doctor Who a winner, just in time for the show’s fiftieth anniversary.

 

LOOT Hollywood Hills House — Night: This space represents how  developers can be truly committed to what they do. They not only changed the time of day, but threw in added animations and  items as well, plus a new swimming feature and RadioIO that plays throughout the whole estate, added retroactively to the daytime estate for free. This immersive and beautifully-rendered estate was my favorite personal space of 2013.

 

 

Xi Continuum: I know this was technically released at the end of December 2012, but its impact was perhaps  more strongly felt in 2013. This was the probably the largest game ever made for Home, and it was a blast. This alternate reality game (ARG) from nDreams encompassed social media, the World Wide Web and Home itself.

 

So, as we say goodbye to 2013 in just a couple of weeks, let’s remember just what a great year it was. Here’s to an equally impressive 2014!

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