This sort of techniverse has already played a minor part in the first book; Alternia is represented there as a sort of cross between Second Life and World of Warcraft. There’s more to come along these lines as the second book of the ongoing story takes shape. -jh
From Greg Vallentin at pro-g.co.uk:
Today, SCE Worldwide Studios president Phil Harrison announced Sony’s entry into the virtual world market with its new service, ‘Home’.
Accessible from the PS3’s XMB menu system, players will be able to jump into a virtual universe, not unlike Second Life, where they can customize their own personal avatar right down to the finer details such as eye colour and jaw shape, as well as purchase clothing from the Sony Store.
Additionally, players will be able to purchase their own condos and design them from scratch with the click of a button, adding chairs, tables, televisions (which can display HD quality video content from either the Internet or your HDD) and, in a neat twist, can place picture frames on their walls and upload their own family photos. Though your first apartment may not be the spacious suite you’ve dreamed of, you can upgrade to bigger and better, multi-level condos with theatre-sized screens and patio decks overlooking the ocean – ideal for throwing virtual parties.
