Sony has released additional screenshots and details about PlayStation Home, Seeking Alpha has reported. An application free to all PS3 owners, it will be a virtual community, much like Linden Labs' Second Life, as you’ll be able to create avatars, chat with other users and own real estate.

Unlike Second Life, which can be lacking in terms of graphics and online games, Home leverages PS3's gorgeous graphics and multiplayer game playing abilities. This will be a great push for the console, as MMORPG’s are becoming evermore popular in the gaming realm these days.

Although free, Sony plans to use Home to generate sales of premium content that can only be accessed by paying or by submitting PS3 points. In addition, the expansive Home landscape will be an easy way to make a profit from ‘in-game’ advertising, which will probably have the top bods chuckling all the way to the bank.

Rumors abound that Sony is positioning itself through Home to challenge products like Apple TV, as well as Amazon and TiVo's unbox. After all, Sony Home has movie theaters that are capable of streaming movie previews and other content right onto one's TV. For those who are eager to start playing, you’ve got a bit of a wait, as the Sony Home full launch date looks set to be this autumn.

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