If PlayStation Home Failed, Why Will Metaverse Work?
Femi Omoluabi
3 replies
My experience with PlayStation Home is divided into two phases - Early excitement phase and Boring chore phase. And this is why I don't think Metaverse kind of design is compatible with human nature.
First time I saw Playstation Home I was wowed! I thought new play ground, let me meet new folks and do great things. Of course, like Mark Zuck's ad/explainer video, my excitement was mostly fueled by Playstation's earlier ads and explainers of all the wonderful things we could do in their "metaverse." It didn't end well.
Wasn't up to a few weeks running around in Playstation home, doing nothing but milling around other avatars who like me didn't care to meet anyone, before I became really bored with it. It became a chore I hated doing. And I couldn't be bothered with all the features or "cool" things PS had promised. I am sure millions around the world felt much the same way or worse, because PS Home was eventually scrapped.
You can only imagine my horror seeing Mark walk us through his own PS Home, sorry metaverse - It's the same thing! Graphically upgraded, maybe. But still the same basic idea. And it's that very idea - of people spending their days as avatars - that made PS Home fail. Because human beings aren't just wired to live as avatars.
Hey, but what do I know? And Mark Zuck created the world's most influential social media platform and company. So, I may be wrong. Most likely wrong. I wish Mark the best with Metaverse.
Replies
David J. Kim@between_team
It'll be moreso the AR/VR aspect of the "metaverse" that'll be more interesting.
Otherwise it won't be anything special. We already have Second Life, VRchat, etc.
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@between_team Hi David, pleasure meeting you. AR/VR is cool but will it stick for the long term? I honestly don't know - just wondering out loud. It would be interesting to see how it goes. I wish Meta success. Always happy to root for risk takers like myself. Cheers.