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The much delayed PlayStation Home is finally due to go into public beta tomorrow, so UK PS3 owners can get a look at this interesting 3D/social platform.

Although it caused quite a bit of interest from gamers when it was announced back in March 2007 it has since been delayed a number of times. The free application allows user to create a custom avatar and ‘pad’ and then explore communal 3D worlds where they can chat to other users, play game, watch videos and arrange groups to play PS3 game online. It’s kind of second life combined with an xbox live style service. The service is free although some content (like extra clothes for you avatar) will cost.

There are themed environments based on recent and upcoming game. Areas like Red Bull Island allow you to play a virtual flying challenge. Paramount Studios will be showing trailers and interviews for films like Watchmen in the Home Theatre. Fashion label Diesel will offer up some trendy togs for you avatar while furniture designer Ligne Roset has all sorts of upholstery collections to make your ‘pad’ stand out from the crowd.

PlayStation Home could end up being an interesting new place to promote your brands (admittedly to an 18-30 male bias audience) but the jury is very much out in my opinion. While it all sounds like fun to begin with, whether most people actually want to explore 3D environments on there PS3 on a regular basis is yet to be seen. One to keep an eye on then.

Kinset have released a virtual world shopping platform which allows an online or multi-channel retailer to display their products in a virtual shop, which they can build online. It then allows the users to download a custom web browser to walk around these online stores. The installation comes with two example stores, each one linking to Amazon products.

While impressive, I do not personally see any advantage of seeing these kinds of products in this way. You cannot flick through the book, or visually see how it looks in 3D (i.e the thickness, hard or soft-back). Its an interesting experiment, but I think shoppers online for this kind of product want to be able to find what they want and buy quickly.