We always knew Home was going to be heavy on advertising and corporate sponsorship. But this heavy this soon? It's a little unexpected.
Contained within the press release nailing down the service's launch were a number of sponsorship/marketing announcements. For games, for movies, for...contemporary French furniture.
Here's a rundown of Home's first batch of corporate tie-ins:
GAMES: We've seen a number of these before. But in addition to the Far Cry, Uncharted and Warhawk spaces there'll also be MotorStorm and SOCOM themed areas. And that's just the start. EA, Sega, Atari, Ubisoft and Midway will also be contributing "engaging environments" for Home in the near future
MEDIA: British tech site Hexus TV and gaming site Eurogamer will be part of the PAL launch, both outlets providing video content for Home's various theatres and screens. Paramount Pictures will do the same thing, but presumably on a more global level.
WATCHMEN: Specifically mentioned in the release is a bunch of Watchmen-themed tie-ins. Director Zack Snyder has recorded some kind of "video greeting" for new users, while your virtual avatars will in the new year be able to spend your real money on t-shirts, clocks and statues. Also mentioned is "an exclusive Q&A event", hosted by "cast and filmmakers", where press and fans can talk the movie/comic from within a Watchmen Home space.
MISC.: Can't think of any other way to classify this. Along with the already-announced Red Bull sponsorship (which, as you could probably guess, is a virtual Red Bull air race), Home will also launch with a virtual Diesel store, giving you the chance to dress your avatars in...well, virtual Diesel gear. Interestingly, Sony say the items will range from "free" to a maximum of €1.50.
A Diesel store's nothing compared to the last item on our agenda, however. And that's a custom store for...contemporary French furniture company Ligne Roset. I can't put this any better than the press release, so...
At the virtual store, people will be able to choose from a selection of the most popular Ligne Roset designs, including the iconic Togo and Facett upholstery collections. It will be possible to personalise furniture by selecting from a wide selection of fabrics and leathers allowing a unique and individual look. This is an opportunity to get acquainted with Ligne Roset’s cutting edge designs created by some of Europe’s most talented designers.
Yeah. The Ligne Roset fanboys in the house happy about this?