Sony bringing more social games to PlayStation Home

When people think of social gaming these days, they probably think of PC-based social networks like Facebook, or maybe mobile devices like the iPhone. One platform they almost definitely don't think about is the 3D virtual world of PlayStation Home. But Sony and partner Codename are hoping to change that with a new initiative focused on bringing independently developed social games to the service.

VentureBeat reports the first three games to come from the initiative will span an eclectic mix of genres -- from competitive platforming to fantasy role-playing to 3D spatial puzzles -- but all will take advantage of Home's social functions by letting multiple players play and chat together. It's likely the games will follow the freemium, virtual-goods-based revenue model that has already worked well for PlayStation Home games like Sodium One.

It's nice to see Sony slowly realizing that many of Home's millions of users want to use the service for more than just playing dress up and visiting cheesy promotional spaces. The question now is whether these new games will attract the millions of PS3 owners who don't currently use Home. Take it away, Sony marketing machine!