Habbo designer doesn't see online communities on consoles

**Shrygue** · September 27th, 2007, 13:44

via Games Industry

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, the lead designer of Habbo Hotel has expressed his doubts about the viability of online communities on current generation consoles.

Despite the fact that consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have USB ports, allowing users to plug in a keyboard, people don't take advantage of that, Sulka Haro noted. Typing messages is central to the social aspect of online communities.

"Habbo is really all about the role-playing. If you can't chat, you can't role play," he said.

While it is certainly possible to port Habbo Hotel to home consoles from a technological standpoint, the company currently has no plans to move into that market.

"Also, one thing you have to remember is that we are targeting young people," said Haro, noting Habbo Hotel's popularity with teenagers. "Typically, those are not the people who have the latest consoles."

"PlayStation 3, Xbox 360...those are for people who are seriously into gaming. I don't know how many 13 year-olds have a PS3, but I bet it's not too many."

As for Sony's Home, Haro echoed Daniel James' comment that it is "a world with a USD 600 entry ticket." He isn't sure how many PlayStation 3 owners are the type of people who will be interested in this virtual community and, personally, it didn't appeal to him.

"At least in the demo I saw, it was this pretty clean Sony world," Haro remarked. "You're able to buy a virtual Bravia television that does not break. That's kind of funny, in some sense, but a bit too clean."

"It was too polished, somehow. I don't know. It didn't feel like I'd really call that place my home."

The complete interview with Sulka Haro can be read here.

**iniquitous_beast** · September 27th, 2007, 14:37

What a moron. True, we don't plug keyboards into our consoles. Why? Technological innovation! We use voice communication! This man seems totally ignorant of the console world.

**yaustar** · September 27th, 2007, 15:28

He has a point though. If you compare how many households have a PC/Mac that can connect to the Internet compared to the number of people that have PS3/360 that are connected to Home/Live. Then take a look at the age range, the difference should be huge.

Also, voice communication isn't viable in a MMO environment due to the huge bandwidth needed.

**Lars Vegas** · September 27th, 2007, 15:46

Who the f**k is Habbo, an do I have to know him.

**Cloudhunter** · September 27th, 2007, 15:58

He may have a slight point, but I think he's mainly jealous. His MMO is just as "clean" as he stated and much less advanced.

Cloudy

**DarthPaul** · September 27th, 2007, 16:14

I agree with iniquitous, we don't need a keyboard, we have head-sets.

I agree with yaustar too, I don't think that Xbox/PS3 users are more than PC users. But... financially it will benefit Habbo. If he ports it to Xbox/PS3, that doesn't mean that it won't be on PC's anymore, right? So yeah.

@Lars Vegas: Habbo Hotel is a game where you meet more people. It's like a virtual MySpace, but with lots of more features of course.[Say MySpace + PS3's Home.] I think Haboo Hotel is totally queer, annoying, non-sense. I don't know, once I played it, and this "girl" approach to me and ask me "Do you want a ****-job?" I was like "Oh Em Gee..." and left.

**Demibeard** · September 27th, 2007, 16:18

Um, has he heard of the virtual keyboard? It works fine for me!

Anyway my wireless USB keyboard only cost £14.99.

Whats wrong with a clean virtual world either? Maybe if people got used to less polution / litter / graffiti it might make them think more about the real world.

**sappo** · September 27th, 2007, 17:45

Originally Posted by YKB

As for Sony's Home, Haro echoed Daniel James' comment that it is "a world with a USD 600 entry ticket." He isn't sure how many PlayStation 3 owners are the type of people who will be interested in this virtual community and, personally, it didn't appeal to him.

Yeah. Everybody loves to pick on PS3.

**Demolition49** · September 27th, 2007, 20:39

uhh, what about the wii? Its the most selling console. Hmm forgot to mentiont hat did we. Online communities are thriving on consoles, its growing rapidly just give online capability time for the developers and watch and see what developers pull out the hat (we all hope)