Habbo designer doesn't see online communities on consoles

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, the lead designer of Habbo Hotel has expressed his doubts about the viability of online communities on current generation consoles.

Despite the fact that consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have USB ports, allowing users to plug in a keyboard, people don't take advantage of that, Sulka Haro noted. Typing messages is central to the social aspect of online communities.

"Habbo is really all about the role-playing. If you can't chat, you can't role play," he said.

While it is certainly possible to port Habbo Hotel to home consoles from a technological standpoint, the company currently has no plans to move into that market.

"Also, one thing you have to remember is that we are targeting young people," said Haro, noting Habbo Hotel's popularity with teenagers. "Typically, those are not the people who have the latest consoles."

"PlayStation 3, Xbox 360...those are for people who are seriously into gaming. I don't know how many 13 year-olds have a PS3, but I bet it's not too many."

As for Sony's Home, Haro echoed Daniel James' comment that it is "a world with a USD 600 entry ticket." He isn't sure how many PlayStation 3 owners are the type of people who will be interested in this virtual community and, personally, it didn't appeal to him.

"At least in the demo I saw, it was this pretty clean Sony world," Haro remarked. "You're able to buy a virtual Bravia television that does not break. That's kind of funny, in some sense, but a bit too clean."

"It was too polished, somehow. I don't know. It didn't feel like I'd really call that place my home."

The complete interview with Sulka Haro can be read here.