14 DAY TRIAL // In case you have ever wanted to set foot on a tropical island and the price of property in Second Life was too steep for you, Sony's Home service, which is still set to be released before the end of 2008, could turn that dream into reality. Red Bull, the makers of the very popular energy drink, are partnering up with Sony to become the first major sponsor and they are planning to create a whole tropical island virtual space that users of the PlayStation 3 will gain access to once the whole Home concept launches. It seems that the Red Bull tropical island will feature a virtual counterpart to the flying machines contest the company sponsors in the real world.
A spokesperson for Red Bull said that the deal would allow the firm to deliver “memorable and rich content” to their customer base. While the same person stated that the company thought Home could “generate significant revenues,” the content offered would probably be free, at least initially. Sony had previously said it hoped to attract major brands to Home, so the Red Bull partnership might be the first of many.
Home was supposed to already be out, offering those who use a PlayStation 3 the chance to create a fully personalized virtual space, where Trophies gained in games could be prominently displayed. The new virtual world was expected to have a heavy social aspect, with residents being able to share content through their Home space, while also engaging in activities. Unfortunately for Sony, Home has seen significant delays and there are doubts that it can be implemented in 2008, even if selected users are enjoying it now in a closed beta stage.
The PlayStation 3 badly needs a new attractive service as it lags behind in sales when compared to the Microsoft made Xbox 360, which has had a price cut and already unveiled a fresh interface, the New Xbox Experience, designed to appeal to a wider range of users and encourage interactivity.