I haven’t tried PlayStation Home, which was launched today as an open beta on the PlayStation Network for the PS3. But Sony earns props for giving its new virtual community a realistic look.

Compare that with Microsoft’s recent cartoonish redesign of Xbox Live, whose avatars look suspiciously like Nintendo’s Miis for its Wii Channel (and games). Why did Xbox go all cutesy? Surely as a response to the Wii wresting away its title as the No. 1 home console with an approach aimed at families and casual gamers. Even the Xbox’s latest ad campaign emphasizes its new casual-gaming tack, with a low-priced arcade system that targets families.

Here are some screen shots of the Home avatars and environment:

A comparison shot of those in the new Xbox Live:

And Nintendo’s Miis:

Perhaps Sony’s distant third-place status for the PS3 and its admission that Home will appeal only to its current audience of hard-core gamers — rather than attracting new users — gives it the luxury of a more serious approach to its avatars. But I like the look of Home.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 11th, 2008 at 8:50 am and is filed under Video games. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.