PlayStation Home users "the most hardcore gamers"

Jack Buser, director of PlayStation Home, has explained why the users of the virtual world are some of the most dedicated gamers on the console.

“If you look at the average Home user, they are the most hardcore gamer on the PS3,” said Buser, speaking to GiantBomb.

"They buy more games than the average PS3 user, they play more games than the average PS3 user. They also watch more movies than the average PS3 user, who is already a highly self-selective consumer. We're talking about rabid consumers of media and hardcore gamers. That's who these people are."

Sony's Second Life style virtual world has over 17 million users, who can play over 200 free games or purchase 9000 virtual items, from costumes to furnishings for their virtual homes. Often these items are tied to specific game or film releases like Killzone, and Star Trek. But Buser wouldn't talk specific figures for those purchases.

"We don't comment on exact revenue for PlayStation Home," he said. "PlayStation Home is heavily reliant on the microtransactions business model. Microtransactions tend to be profitable due to the low cost of virtual item development and the high traffic on the platform."

Home launched in December 2008, after three years of development, but still carries its beta tag, and Buser is happy for it to stay that way.

"We're in open beta," he said. "We don't talk much about it. The reason why the tag is there is because we really want to drive home this message that Home is always evolving, it's always changing, that we're always working on it. [...] We don't have anything to announce at this time, but we do like the idea that that tag reinforces this always evolving message. But I can't say more than that."

The game's last major update was on June 16.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ardcore-gamers