Helghast Invasion of PlayStation Home is Imminent
The PlayStation Home Central Plaza may be a common area for socializing, checking out the latest games, and seeing some questionable dance moves... but something wicked this way comes, and it's all in the name of cross-promotion.
Sony's PlayStation Home application serves multiple purposes. It's a place for PlayStation 3 owners to hang out in a social setting, meeting new people and communicating with friends. There are minigames to be played, and advertising for the latest games is everywhere. Publishers like Capcom, Konami, and Electronic Arts all have their own spaces within Home to showcase their wares, and it's all in the name of publicity.
Starting on January 27th, though, PlayStation Home is in for a huge change. The Helghast are coming, and it's not for vacation purposes.
Sony has announced that the Helghast will be invading the PlayStation Home Central Plaza in advance of Killzone 3, which is set to invade retail stores on February 22nd. Signs of destruction will be apparent, and it will be up to PlayStation Home users to fend off the hostile invasion by way of a first-person shooter game called Central Plaza Defender. The game will pit players against Helghast vehicles and infantry, and skilled defenders will be rewarded with exclusive PlayStation Home goodies. For players who manage to clear all three stages of Central Plaza Defender, Sony and Guerrilla Games have a special reward; three Unlock Points will be earned that carry over to Killzone 3 and can be used for new weapons and player abilities.
Sony has also partnered with Amazon to promote pre-orders for Killzone 3 through the popular online retailer. Players who preorder and purchase Killzone 3 through Amazon get some extras... including a jetpack item to be used for a PlayStation Home avatar, a Retro Map Pack with two maps pulled from Killzone 2, and an Unlock and Load Pack which adds three Unlock Points for weapons and abilities in Killzone 3. The Sony/Amazon partnership is an interesting one, and the appeal of two free DLC packs is valid.
Considering that PlayStation Home is a free application, and that Central Plaza Defender is also free, there aren't may reasons why PlayStation 3 owners shouldn't be logging into PlayStation Home later this week. If the Defender game plays as good as it looks-- especially for a free game-- then players will have plenty to keep them occupied until Killzone 3 debuts in a few short weeks.
