Ben-DutkaPlan on screwing around and messing things up for other users in Sony's new online service, PlayStation Home? Well, it's probably not a good idea; Sony isn't about to tolerate such adolescent behavior.
Speaking at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2007, Peter Edward, director of the Home Platform Group, explained that unlike other social online services, Home would be "safe." He didn't go into specifics regarding any other service, but he probably had something like Second Life in mind, which is a controversial – yet popular – online virtual "socializing" program (kinda like an MMO without being an actual game). But nevertheless, Edward clarified that these other services were "anarchistic," and Sony wasn't going to put up with that kind of thing.
"It's a safe place for companies to promote their brand," he said. "There's no danger of damage to the brand through anarchistic actions." In regards to dealing with troublesome users, he stated- "Ultimately, and we don't broadcast this, but we know the machine details, and we know where they live…So you can be disconnected and have to move house and buy a new PS3 before you could get online again…Although obviously, we don't want to do that too much."
Obviously, given the freedom that Home provides, users may approach their interaction with this virtual world in any number of ways. So the future is relatively up in the air – a fact Edward did admit to – but it seems abundantly clear that Sony will enforce the rules. In short, play nice!