Following Sony's announcement of its new online community software, PS Home, Nintendo has gone on the offensive, deeming the service "an example of Sony's 'Mii-too' approach."
When asked of the company's thoughts on Sony's online plans, Nintendo said: "This is an example of Sony's "Mii-too" approach. But as Mr. Miyamoto states, Nintendo years ago considered and rejected the type of approach Sony is now taking," presumably referring to creating a virtual online world.
Just in case you missed it, PS3 Home allows players to create their own character, like a 3D avatar, and take it into a realistic online virtual world to interact with PS3 gamers from around the globe.
Nintendo's equivalent avatar system, the Mii Channel, lets gamers make simple cartoon-style characters and save them onto the Wii's internal memory. These Miis can then be imported into games for gameplay, or sent to other Wii consoles via the internet.
Nintendo has clearly opted for a simpler approach - although some say the lack of customization options make it a bit too basic.
But Nintendo is pleased with it's avatar system, saying: "Miis have become a cultural phenomenon in their own right, appealing well beyond the traditional core gamer audience, and the process of populating them across the Wii universe is just beginning."
3D avatars and real time interaction could become a huge aspect of gaming with the current generation of consoles. But will Microsoft join the party with their own PS3 Home or Mii equivalent?
Xbox Live subscribers have been interacting with each other since the online gaming service launched almost five years ago. Have Sony and Nintendo seen the success the platform achieved and now want a piece of the action?
We're speaking to some very important people at Microsoft later today at GDC and we'll certainly be asking.
Sony has created some really exciting stuff with PS3 Home. If you haven't seen the impressive PS3 Home software in action, check outthe teaser trailernow, then have a read of ourfirst hands-on preview.
March 8, 2007
