A new benchmark for social gaming in PlayStation Home, Sodium One will launch with an explosive game known as Salt Shooter – a 50 level combat challenge where players can collect items to level up gameplay and strategically customize hovertanks with weapons, armor, and countermeasures. These level-ups can be obtained in a variety of ways, including meeting in-game objectives, trading resources collected in the Sodium world, and purchasing items that unlock upgrades in the Sodium environment (such as the tank pilot jackets, which grant access to additional levels of the game, leaderboards, and the pilots’ VIP lounge). All of this is built upon an MMO framework that includes additional games like Desert Quench and Scorpion Stomp, associated rewards and collectibles, and personal questing adventures, all of which are tracked by the Sodium AI Information Android known as VICKIE. The above games make for a truly next-level PlayStation Home space that centers on the concept of offering persistent objectives and long-term rewards to the PlayStation Home community, so users may work together to reach score targets and unlock future content and continuously upgrade their personal gaming experiences.

A dynamic and immersive gaming environment that will continue to expand over time by offering new games, community events, and virtual items, Sodium One is an experience unique to the PlayStation Home platform. By leveraging the computing power of the PS3, Outso Ltd. has succeeded in creating a graphically-rich, community-based game that is leaps ahead of anything offered on other consoles. To celebrate this momentous event, we will be making a limited number of unique voucher codes – good for a full unlock of the entire Salt Shooter combat game – available to 1,050 PlayStation Home community members that explore the space during the first 7 days (150 users per day). All you have to do is log in to PlayStation Home, enter the Sodium One space and interact with VICKIE for your chance to unlock the full game.

We are proud to join you, the PlayStation Home community, as we embark on a journey to the next level of social gaming on the PS3. So make sure you log into PlayStation Home today to take part in all that this amazing new gaming world known as Sodium One has to offer. And, as always, stay tuned to the official PlayStation.Blog for updates regarding the Sodium One space and all other events and content scheduled to appear in PlayStation Home throughout what is sure to be an incredibly exciting new year.

We’re proud to announce another major core space update. The Movie Theater brings you ten times as much exciting content [including from the PS.Blog! -Jeff] with a brand-new 10-screen layout, a new lobby, and the ability to unlock rewards in select screening rooms. Be sure to check out the screening rooms often – you never know when one of them will be giving something away. Stay tuned for lots of exclusive new videos over the coming months, including the future possibility of full-length TV shows or movies, with new features debuting on a regular basis.

But that’s not all! The Burn Zombie Burn space brings its classic cartoony graveyard style to PlayStation Home with a crypt for lounging in while you watch Burn Zombie Burn videos, a zombie-infested maze mini-game where you’ll be challenged to find your way out before you get zombified, and as always, an exclusive reward. Don’t get lost in the graveyard!

Next, the first wave of MotorStorm content will be swerving into PlayStation Home with MotorStorm Pacific Rift Game Launching functionality topping the bill. If you’re new to Game Launching, click here for more info on how this great functionality works.

There will be more MotorStorm news coming your way very soon; in the meantime, check out the screenshots below for a tantalizing snippet of some of the great MotorStorm content coming to PlayStation Home over the coming weeks.

Next (and this is very exciting) as of tomorrow, we will be launching a new event in PlayStation Home – the Fat Princess “Quest for Cake.” Based upon the brilliant PSN title which launches today, all you have to do is click on the PlayStation Events Space chip on your World Map to join in this very special confectionary quest.

In the fully redecorated space you will find eight pieces of cake, locked away in cages. To unlock the cake and feed your Princess you need to search the space high and low for clues. If you do manage to unlock all eight pieces of cake, and feed the Princess, a special reward will be yours – the Fat Princess’ very own throne for your personal apartment. Here are a few screenshots of the space to whet your appetite…

Finally, be sure to cruise through the Mall to check out still more updates to our lovely new stores…sources say there will be some cool new items to pick up to show your friends, both free and for sale!

See you in Home!

~CydoniaX, PlayStation Home Community Manager

Greetings, Homies. Fasten your seatbelts, because we have the most exciting news to hit PlayStation Home since Open Beta! We know you loyal Home fans have been asking for media sharing since the get-go, and we’re very happy to tell you that the first stage is here!

Photo sharing, the first feature to support user-generated content, is finally coming to PlayStation Home! Starting today, Thursday, June 4th, you’ll be able to purchase picture frames in the Mall, upload photos from your hard drive or select from a gallery of default pictures, and then display them in your personal apartments. So if you’ve got photos from your latest game tournament that you want to share, all you have to do is upload them, choose the angle and size options for display, and then invite your friends back to your Home pad for your viewing party. Awesome!

But that’s not all! As usual, we have more exciting content updates coming today, including the highly-anticipated launch of the brand-new Buzz! game space. Get ready to strain your brain and freak your mind with this fast-paced, interactive quiz game. You’ll have to work with your friends and fellow community members to answer the questions lickety-split (hint: some organized sprinting may be necessary). Join the Home Community Management team in the Buzz! Space throughout the day where we’ll be challenging you to a game or three. Be sure to visit the MyBuzz website to discover what it takes to get your own quizzes into the Buzz! game space for future challenges.

When you need a break from thinking, be sure to visit the Mall for some retail therapy. It will be packing brand-new Ghostbusters costumes, designer duds for dandified men and women, and still more Street Fighter IV costumes.

Last but not least…word on the street is that everyone’s favorite ARG, Xi, will be revealing new spaces, ornaments, and mini-games.. Keep on playing, because it’s not over til the last butterfly flutters.

Veilcorp claims that ‘Xi’ – whatever it is – belongs to them, and anyone hunting for it is in violation of Veilcorp’s rights.

What’s more, they’re recruiting. Anyone in the US is invited to apply for an interview through the Veilcorp website. Are they for real? In this story, it’s hard to tell…

In the game, players have been finding dozens of clues to piece together the story. So far, the puzzles have all been in PlayStation Home or online in a series of websites. But now, clues are also appearing on billboards around the world.

Thousands of players are now working together, across borders and languages, to share information and solve this latest puzzle.

To join in the fun and maybe help solve the mystery, visit XiJess.com.

Called Xi , the adventure takes place in a series of secret areas in Home – and beyond – changing day by day, week by week, in real time. Anyone with a PLAYSTATION 3 can join in the fun for free.

To discover the mystery of Xi, simply log on to PlayStation Home and look for the graffiti on the wall in the main square. Find that, and all will be revealed….

And as we continue to expand upon existing content with PlayStation Home spaces, we’ve introduced a leaderboard for the Red Bull Air Race in the Red Bull space. We recently made the most of these new leaderboards with a contest to see who could get the highest scores. Shopaholics rejoice too, you’ll find some cool new virtual items at the mall, including ninja and pirate costumes.

As you may have heard, Capcom is set to expand its blockbuster franchises globally with Street Fighter and Resident Evil within PlayStation Home. Resident Evil 5 fans can launch straight from PlayStation Home into the game. And for the Street Fighter fans, Capcom is bringing Street Fighter IV costumes and additional themed content to PlayStation Home, much of which will be unlocked through in-game actions.

I know that is a lot to digest, but that’s not all … in the next few months, gamers will find even more clothing, furniture and events taking place throughout PlayStation Home, including the launch of the Warhawk space (complete with game launching), SOCOM space, and the recently announced Gamer’s Lounge. This will be another hang-out space for the community to mix and mingle, just like you would at a real lounge. We will also hold special events here such as developer talks and parties. Along with the spaces, you can bet you’ll find even more impromptu promotions and giveaways taking place.

And as for the ninjas …. On February 12th, sweet ninja outfits will be available for purchase at the Mall to dress your PlayStation Home avatar up in. Yeah, ninja outfits! And to celebrate their arrival, we’re holding a contest: On February 13th, we’ll be holding an event called “I Love Ninjas.” The first instance of the brand-new community-named Home hang-out space, the Gamer’s Lounge, to be completely filled with people in ninja costumes (or a reasonable facsimile using all-black clothing items in your inventory) that we see will win vouchers for SOCOM and Warhawk to celebrate the upcoming spaces.

What events would you like to see?

First, the Red Bull space is going live! You’ll be able to access it through your World Map by clicking on the Red Bull Air Race map tile. From there you can explore this tropical island and take part in different Red Bull events. This week you’ll be able to get inside the cockpit of a Red Bull Air Race plane and compete against other flyers on the Red Bull Air Race course. This is just the start of what we are working on for Red Bull Island with more to come in the next few months.

Ligne Roset and Diesel will now have their own storefronts in the PlayStation Home Mall, so that you will be able to locate these brands more easily.

For the SCEA region, if you pre-order “Killzone 2” for PS3 through Amazon you’ll get an exclusive PlayStation Home costume for your Home avatar. With costume pieces for your head, torso, legs, hands and feet, you can customize your Home avatar to look like an ISA Soldier, a Helghast Assault Trooper, or something in between. Codes to access your bonus costumes will be sent to you after Killzone 2 launches on 02/27/09. Check out this link for more details.

And last but not least, SCEA is adding Resident Evil: Degeneration themed T-shirts for all fans of the movie we showed a sneak peek of over the holiday break. Please check back here in the next few days to find out when we go live with this update.