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PlayStation Home wasn’t a commercial failure, says key dev

nDreams CEO Patrick O’ Luanaigh has said that Sony’s PlayStation Home service proved to be quite profitable for the studio.

Speaking in a blog post on GI.biz, O’ Luanaigh revealed that the online social hub, which was made available exclusively for PlayStation 3 users in 2008, wasn’t the commercial flop that its detractors would have you believe.

“People say that Home was a commercial failure," he said. "But we generated seven-figure revenues for several years from Home, and other studios did as well. Try telling us that it wasn’t successful."

Sony announced last week that PS Home is closing its doors for good in March 2015. Unsurprisingly, O’ Luanaigh is saddened by the news.

"Not because Home is closing, but because Sony doesn’t appear to appreciate what an incredible experiment PlayStation Home was," he said 

"Sure, there were many fundamental things wrong with the design of Home. But there was also so much that was right about it. Players loved to spend money on virtual items.

"But above all, it was the passion – the loyalty generated by Home – that will be long remembered by anyone involved with the platform. The community loved Home. Some people met on Home, then married in real life. For several people it was a refuge from the real world – a place where they felt safe and secure."

Sony has promised that it will launch a vast array of content for Home users prior to its closure. However, it noted that you will not be able to download content beyond December 3, 2014.