PlayStation Home has been gaining a massive amount of hype recently. The PS3 application had it’s extensive new 1.3 update detailed during Gamescom, and people have not stopped clamoring about it since. Now, the people’s cries for the update can cease, as Home is getting the update, very, very, soon.
With PlayStation Home update 1.3, expect a lot of new features coming to the service, such as:
Universal Game Launching
Come this Thursday, you’ll be able to launch from Home into any game whose disc you have loaded into your PS3. This is how it works: Titles that fully support game launching (like Street Fighter IV, Resistance 2, MotorStorm, and Far Cry 2) will be identified by separate icons that appear over an avatar’s head and will have varying degrees of additional multiplayer functionality built in. Simplified game launching will take you from Home to the start menu of your favorite games with ease. Never again will you have to sign out of Home to play with (or against) your friends. Simply insert the disc of your choice while in Home and follow the on screen directions.
In-Store Item Previewing
This feature will allow you to preview items of clothing on your character in 3D (including the ability to check out multiple items simultaneously to see what combinations best suit your taste). You’ll be able to preview all furniture in 3D as well, complete with zoom and rotate options so you can check your potential purchases from all angles.
New Emotes and Actions
You can flip a coin with your friends to decide whose apartment to retreat to, or play the old “pick a number between 1 and 100” game to decide who is hosting the next party in Central Plaza. You will also be able to pose your avatar in a variety of ways, adding significantly to your ability to express yourself in-world. Heck, there are even new dances to hit the SingStar Rooms with.
More Item Types
Including limited use items (like the brand new Shrink Cake that lets you shrink your avatar to a tiny size) and portable objects (think: Bubble Machine). These will be available shortly after the launch of the client. This list of objects includes a free camera that you can use to snap pictures from either a 1st or 3rd person view. The photos will automatically be saved to the Photo section of the XMB, from which you can then upload to the picture frames you have hanging in your personal spaces. Dates for the camera and other items will be announced very soon, so stay tuned to this blog (and be sure to check the Latest Updates tab in your Menu Pad, under Community).
Tons of Improvements
We’ve added some new categories of clothing (composite and outfits) that will allow you to customize your avatar with greater ease. We’ve optimized the targeting system. We’ve fixed a bunch of the bugs you’ve been reporting on the official Home Support forum. We’re even giving you the option to determine your cache size (you can choose from 3, 5, 8, and 12 GB).
The update will also give a redesign to the Central Plaza. This includes a new World Map directly in the Central Plaza area, and directly beside this is the easy-to-use new and improved Listen@Home kiosk. Leaderboards and rewards have been added to the popular Saucer Pop game, plus a new kiosk to view rewards associated with events.
And that’s not even it. A new artistic personal space is coming to PlayStation Home, in the form of the Neptune Suite, in which a variety of built-in mini-games awaits. The space also comes with the first pet, which will definitely be appropriate for the new home. Finally, the long-awaited Hot Shots Golf Japanese space is coming to the North American PlayStation Home.
We know you’re excited, and you know we’re excited. Can’t you tell? Post your thoughts on this new update below!
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