When I read about the updated PlayStation Home coming this fall, I was in total agreement with director Jack Buser when he said a group of gamers needed “games to play” while in the service to allow socialization. Come to find out, he wasn’t just talking about another flying saucer game or bowling alley, Buser meant full fledged games. And they’re free-to-play too? Get out.
One of the first games out of the gate will be Bootleggers, a free-to-play FPS found in the updated ‘Action District.’ Even though the game seems to be a pretty bare bones shooter, allowing players to shoot up other people’s Home avatars sounds like a blast – no pun intended. Getting in the thick of the action is as simple as finding the game in the district and launching it. The best part, other than being free? No waiting in line. No matter how many people are playing, there will always be room to jump in.
Another game heading to Home as a free-to-play title is poker, which will be found in the ‘Sportswalk’ area of the redesigned service. This poker game, as with Bootleggers, will be ready to play without waiting in line like with previous Home games – I’m looking at you, Red Bull. While poker is essentially the same game no matter where you play, the version inside the sports hub offers something special: in-game televisions that update with the latest sports information.
If this push of increased quality in Home, the service might just shake off the bad feeling some players have. Might.
