Diary of an Avatar - Enrty 1

Just as a quick note, future posts with the "Diary of an Avatar" title will only feature the article and not any form of comment. Just thought I'd let you know =]

I have just entered the newly-released Playstation Home© for the first time. As with any other online environment, I was first asked to create my avatar. There are various options to tweak when creating your virtual persona. The user can choose their avatar’s gender, and alter any aspects of the avatar’s face using pointer positions on a grid to adjust facial features (see photo). There is also the option to alter your avatar’s body shape; they can be tall, short, overweight, or thin depending on preference. I could also choose my avatar’s hair style, hair colour, facial hair, and skin tone. I personally chose a hairstyle and colour similar to my own (however I did encounter an avatar with a red afro later in my session), showing that not everyone likes to represent themselves accurately.

I was then asked to dress my avatar. To start with, there are a rather limited number of options to choose from concerning apparel. I had approximately five tops and five pairs of trousers to choose from. However, others are available via the Playstation Store©, and cost between 50p and £1 each. I could also choose accessories (such as hats, jewellery, and glasses) for my avatar. Below is an Image of my finished avatar.

After creation, my avatar was automatically placed in my “Harbour Studio,” my own personal property within Playstation Home©. Here I can host parties and invite other user’s avatars to come look around. The studio is completely customisable; I am able to change the wallpaper, furnishings, and colour scheme to suit my taste. Therefore, the space becomes an extension of the avatar, displaying the user’s personality and preference. As with the avatar itself, more objects can be purchased for the space for a small fee. Users can even buy a completely new space, the only option at the moment being the “Summer House.” Users can also purchase appliances such as TVs, Radios, and picture frames. These can be used to stream media from the PS3’s hard drive to the Home© space, allowing the user to further project his/her personality and identity by exhibiting their musical preference, favourite films, etc.

My "Harbour Studio."

After customising my space, I stepped into “Home Square,” one of the main areas for interaction with other avatars within Home©. I immediately noticed how many avatars where present in the area, with virtual people conversing in text, playing draughts by a small stream, and dancing in front of a big screen. There are also poster boards dotted around, advertising real-world products and games. This would be a great opportunity for businesses to incorporate “gamer-friendly” into their corporate identity. I wandered around for a few minutes, and interacted with an avatar representing a user named “Pete37.” We had a brief conversation about what games we liked, what our musical preference was, where we were from, etc (turns out “Pete37” is from Southampton).

Centre of "Home Square," with playable draughts and central stream.

In-game advertising for real-world products.