The designer of the Habbo Hotel has said consoles are not a likely expansion venue for the teen-centered online game.
Lead Designer Sulka Haro said the cost of entry for consoles and the lack of widespread keyboard use on them made them poor candidates for Habbo.
“Habbo is really all about the roleplaying. If you can’t chat, you can’t roleplay,” he said.
Not particularly well-known in the U.S. but more popular in other parts of the world, Habbo Hotel is a cartoonish virtual world aimed at the 13- to 18-year-old demographic. Users can technically play in the world for free, but the “hotel’s” perks and games have to be purchased through a point system. Habbo netted $30 million in 2006.
Haro also noted that while the PS3 and 360 consoles could technically run the software, they appeal to older and more hardcore gamers. “Also, one thing you have to remember is that we are targeting young people,” said Haro. “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.”
Haro also dismissed Sony’s delayed Home as too “clean” and as “a world with a $600 entry ticket.”
The designer did not appear to address potential possibilities or problems in bringing the game onto the Wii, but Gamesindustry.biz has not yet released the full interview.
Source: Gamesindustry.biz. Crunchbase
Published: Sep 27, 2007 06:17 pm