It might be hard to remember now, when Sony seems to be largely on top of the game when it comes to providing network services and infrastructure, but back in the early PS3 days, they were struggling. They were struggling so much that they tried all sorts of things to differentiate themselves from the obviously superior network services infrastructure that Microsoft had at the time with Xbox Live. And one of the many things that they tried was PlayStation Home, which was meant to be a sort of ‘Second Life’ virtual simulator where an avatar associated with your PSN account would hang out in a virtual space and be able to interact with other users.

Needless to say, it was a disaster and never took off, though Sony insists that it made them money. Still, though, it was never the network defining feature that Sony had hoped it would be, and with PSN finding its footing in later years, its closure was always a question of when, not if.

And now we have an answer to said question- as of this morning, the service has been closed. For good. It’s the end of an era, I suppose. An era of even more misguided attempts at network services differentiation than Nintendo’s.

That’s saying something.

GamingBolt spoke to Project Nebula director Joan Pons about Project Nebula, cross platform functionality between the PS4 and PC, the various free to play aspects of the social space (including details about micro-transactions) and development following the Kickstarter campaign.

"It is set on a cloud of space dust where the remains of ancient civilizations inform the game world. Different islands have different cities and will host different activities.

Rashid K. Sayed: You guys are apparently pushing Project Nebula as the new PlayStation Home for the PS4. What did Sony think about this idea when they certified it for the PlayStation 4?

Joan Pons: Project Nebula will only share the social side of PS Home. The world has a solid background, rather than being only a chat room with 3D avatars. For Sony it works like any other game, they are not against it.

Rashid K. Sayed: I saw a couple of videos of Project Nebula that showcases some of the mini-games and honestly I found them to be pretty intriguing. Racing against each other, the zombie mode and whatnot but how exactly do you plan to make them fit within the game’s context?

Joan Pons: We want these games to be more like fun activities to do inside the Nebula. All the mini-games are multiplayer to reinforce the social side of Project Nebula and all the games will be free to play!

Rashid K. Sayed: Can you let us know how the XP system works in Project Nebula?

Joan Pons: This is something we are still working on and will be subject to change. To summarize, all I can say is that players will earn XP by entering and interacting with the game and other players.

Rashid K. Sayed: Are there any plans to have in-game micro-transactions?

Joan Pons: Only for avatar aesthetics and extra content like personal spaces, pets, etc. Entering Nebula, interacting with others and playing the games will be 100% free of charge.

Rashid K. Sayed: Roughly speaking what is the world that you have envisioned for Project Nebula?

Joan Pons: It is set on a cloud of space dust where the remains of ancient civilizations inform the game world. Different islands have different cities and will host different activities.

"We are adapting the features of Project Nebula according to our funds which come from private investment and savings. There is a possibility to adjust and re-launch the campaign in the future.

Rashid K. Sayed: Was there any specific reason you didn’t have an Xbox One version planned for Project Nebula?

Joan Pons: We were PS Home developers and all our fans are PS3 owners. Releasing the game on PS4 is what feels more natural for us and it’s what our fans wanted.

Rashid K. Sayed: I find it interesting that there will be cross platform play between PC and PS4. Given that there are so many technical restrictions in place, how are you planning to achieve this?

Joan Pons: This is something that will require some time to happen. We are going to release Project Nebula first on PS4 and it will all depend on how well it’s received before we release it on other platforms. That wasn’t our initial intention but we’ve had to adjust the features of the game according to funding.

Rashid K. Sayed: I understand that adding Oculus Rift support is something that is a long ways off. But what kind of impact will it make to Project Nebula should it be added in the future?

Joan Pons: It will add a very immersive experience to the player, not only for Project Nebula but for any other game. I believe that Oculus Rift could be the beginning of a new era in video-game history.

Rashid K. Sayed: The Kickstarter funding did not meet its goal. How are you planning to tackle further development of Project Nebula? May be via a private investor?

Joan Pons: We are adapting the features of Project Nebula according to our funds which come from private investment and savings. There is a possibility to adjust and re-launch the campaign in the future.

Rashid K. Sayed: Will the original vision of Project Nebula be affected now that you guys have to look for other sources for funding?

Joan Pons: Yes, but we plan to add all of the features we proposed with time. We will constantly update the game with new content until we make it awesome!

Rashid K. Sayed: Is there anything else you want to tell us before we let you go?

Joan Pons: Of course! I invite everybody to follow us on our Facebook page and our Forums. Our fans are helping us to shape the game and you could be one of them. We do listen to the community!

After a bad start and just existing on the fringes since the PlayStation 3 era, Sony has finally announced that PlayStation Home will be closing down in March 2015. New content will cease from November onwards and Sony won’t be offering any refunds on content you’ve spent money.

“Due to a shifting landscape, PlayStation Home will cease publishing new content on November 12. Gamers in Europe, the US and Canada will be able to download content until December 3.

“As a token of our tremendous gratitude to the community, we will also be releasing a series of free content prior to the platform’s closure on March 31, 2015. Due to the progressive and innovative nature of the gaming industry, PlayStation is unable to refund on legacy platform or service experiences.”

What are your thoughts on PlayStation Home finally shutting down? Let us know in the comments along with your best experiences (if any at all) in Home.

Remember PlayStation Home? The weird Second Life/Sims-esque online space that was totally going to change how you and your friends interacted online, and would completely save the PS3? No? I don’t either (the PS3 was saved, and its online experience was ultimately great, and PlayStation Home had absolutely nothing to do with it).

In any case, it appears as though it will be getting an update soon, if this tweet is to be believed. This new update will add Trophies to the space, finally fulfilling a promise made to us seven years ago.

Of course, we don’t even know why Sony is bothering with it anymore- does anyone actually still use Home? Sony won’t say, and they remain frustratingly mum on the service’s future, refusing to even comment on whether it will come to PS Vita or PS4. Still, I guess, at least this update shows us Sony haven’t completely forgotten about it. That should come as a great relief to all those three Home fans out there.

However, the resume for an Environment and Prop Artist Jonathan Curiel revealed that Nihilistic was working on something else. Of all things, it was environments for a God of War PlayStation Home Space.

This never reached fruition and later, Nihilistic was tasked for creating a Ratchet & Clank Home Space before moving on to PlayStation Move: Heroes.

While this isn’t a bad thing to have on one’s resume, and Sony did create several other Home spaces for other games, it just feels a bit surreal to see which artist has worked on what obscure project in their lives. Goes with the territory, we suppose.

Would you still like to see a God of War space on PS Home any time soon?

Check out some screens from PlayStation Home:

Source: Siliconera

That’s of course not including combat against large ugly monster. Why would you allow them into your Home in the first place though (get it?)?

Mercia: Fractured Realms also promises a deep narrative unlike anything ever seen on the platform before. We’ll just have to see how well this translates for gamers accessing Playstation Home.

PlayStation 3 owners can now immerse themselves in a world of Hudson Soft as the company launches “Hudson Gate” for PlayStationHome. The portal lounge area will serve as a home-base for all things Hudson including games, virtual item shopping and product information. Within the lounge, there is also a racing match frequently conducted with “Dolphy” the virtual pet

As a central digital world within PlayStation^®Home, “Hudson Gate” will include the Dolphy racing mini-game, in which eight Dolphies compete. Players can watch, vote and participate in the races to obtain virtual rewards. Players can also purchase a “Dolphy Room” which enables them to breed their own Dolphy pets for them to race.

For more information on Hudson Gate, please visithttp://www.hudson.co.jp/home/eur/.

Detailing the ‘Wise Man in Home Square,’ Sony said:

“The Wise Man in Home Square has proven popular over the last week. We’ve seen a lot of discussion on the forums, and a few have come close to figuring him out. If you’ve shared philosophical discussions with him, check back this week for a couple of surprises and keep your eyes open for some competitive events we’ll be running in the Wise Man’s circle. Make sure to ‘Like’ our official SCEE PlayStation fan page on Facebook and keep your eyes open for a Wise Man giveaway commencing soon.”

Thoughts? Tell us in your comments!