by Phoenix, HSM team writer

I can’t believe all the screaming and crying over Home’s closure. Everyone knew it was coming. Why would anyone think SCEE and SCEA Home regions were going to survive when Sony never spoke a word one way or the other?

And now the calls for refunds? People, you all know that is not going to happen. Everything purchased in Home came with a disclosure statement. Sony doesn’t owe you squat. They were on the up and up with you. Sony told us all the items were not ours up front. They said they could remove them at any time, and if you didn’t agree, don’t purchase it. Plain and simple.

Be honest: it isn’t the money you’re upset about. It’s about losing Home. That I can understand. Home has been a part of my life for three years. For some of you it has been there for you even longer. Someplace to go and feel whatever experience you were open to.

I’ve had good and bad experiences in Home. I will miss it, but I have missed it for months now. Home hasn’t been the way it used to be. In its present state there were more complaints than anything else from the users. Spaces were mostly empty nowadays. Hackers took their toll on the population, with freezing and account raiding.

Then there was this: most of us outgrew Home as it is today.

Home grew only as much as it could, not getting past its own limitations. It was hobbled from Sony’s lack of decisiveness with what Home was and could have been. But many of us grew up, really grew up, and forged friendships and relationships that will outlast Home and its closing. Your friends will remain on your friends list; text and video chat will still be there to hang out together.

This day had to come, yet reading all the seemingly surprised posts when the news came from Sony officially astounded me. I find it hard to believe there were so many users who still doubted Home would one day close. I don’t know if it was wishful thinking or just plain denial. Now that it has been said and accepted, I wonder why it took Sony so long to make some kind of statement one way or other.

Frankly, I feel it was a disservice to its users. It may be harsh on my part to say, but I feel it was not properly done. There may be no good way to break bad news, but Sony sure as hell didn’t do much to cushion the blow.

Contrary to popular belief amongst its users, Home was never the linchpin of the PS3 experience, though it was initially envisioned as such. Sure, it made some money for the devs and Sony, but even with the whales and outspoken buyers it’s safe to say it was a drop in the profit bucket compared to SCE’s overall gaming revenue. Sure, it was fun for us users most of the time, but I don’t think it was for Sony; so maybe that’s why there were no comments. For me, there is no real need to know the reason for the closure of Home. It will not change the circumstances. Home in this state will still close March 31, 2015.

That said, I will not list all the things I’ll miss with Home’s demise. I will simply say Home was where I walked, danced and flew, among other things. I will remember it well, as a place never found on a map, a place much like Never Never Land, or Cockaigne; a place where I lived another part of my life.

Home has no equal, and though it is bittersweet having to say goodbye, it is better than not having the chance to do so. As it is, we have six months to party and play. Sony could have announced a shutdown with no lead time at all. It would have been nice to have had as long a time to get ready for the close of SCEA and SCEE Homes as Japan and Asia had, but let’s face it: when those announcements came, it was in the air for the bigger regions as well. No matter how much notice Sony gave, it wouldn’t be enough for some of us Home users.

My advice: enjoy the time you have in Home and cherish the memories, both good and bad.

Goodbye, Home. Goodbye, HSM. And thank you, Sony.

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One Response to “Countdown”

1. Dr_Do-Little says:

   October 9, 2014 at 9:25 pm

   To me Home will always have a bitter “could had been” after taste.
   Lack of proper moderation forced me to abandon my favorite game/place. Members of our once migthy Black Hats, Novus International Elite Force, left for more enjoyable environnements.
   But hey! Nothing’s perfect. Not even me
   I loved my time on Home and will cherish the memories. Heck, I found a wife there. Hard to ask for more.
   As for the people ripping their shirt about Home closure I’m not surprised. Of course it was obvious the end was comming… and that there will be an end! It’s an emotional reaction and only show how attached we were to our secret underworld.

   Reply