FIFA World Cup, BioShock 2 and Kekkaishi Hit PlayStation Home

155w ago - Online Community Specialist Locust_Star has announced today that the 2010 FIFA World Cup, BioShock 2, Kekkaishi and more are hitting Sony's PlayStation Home this week.

To quote: This week marks a truly monumental point in the history of PlayStation Home, as one of the world's biggest sporting events receives a dedicated space.

PlayStation Home's FevaArena - a virtual stadium devoted to the 2010 FIFA World Cup - will serve as the rallying point for soccer (err... futbol!) fans that want to play exclusive games, collect rewards and limited items, and indulge in their affinity for the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world.

Start at the FevaShoot mini-game, where you can hone your penalty kick skills and earn points that can be cashed in for special rewards. Then head over to the FevaSimulation Center, and track the simulated progress of your favorite teams throughout the World Cup (and cash in some of those points for exclusive furniture and clothing rewards).

Afterwards, you and your friends can hop into the Photo Booth or shop for exclusive virtual items (such as your favorite team's jersey) from the FEVA Arena's unique Mall area - all from the comfort of your console.

The FevaArena's doors will open this Thursday, June 3rd for North American soccer fanatics, but a "Global Lounge" will be introduced on Thursday, June 10th, allowing over 14 million users from 32 countries around the globe to converge in one space to play games together and attend special events.

PlayStation Home historians will recognize the FevaArena's Global Lounge as another first in the platform's ongoing evolution, informed directly by community feedback gathered from users across all regions of PlayStation Home.

BioShock 2 fans will have yet another reason to log in to PlayStation Home come this Thursday, when 2K Games releases their BioShock 2 Rapture Apartment. This visually dazzling personal space transports its inhabitants to the dystopian city of Rapture, in all its waterlogged, creepy glory.

And, in true BioShock 2 fashion, it has plenty of Easter Eggs that only the most ravenous players will unearth (hint: try to figure out how to get to the second floor!)

We've grabbed a few screenshots to whet your appetite, but trust me when I say these preview shots do not do this space justice. Pick one up later this week (or ask a friend for a tour), because you absolutely have to see this space up close for the full experience.

Anime fans will be treated to a full episode of Kekkaishi for one week, starting this Thursday. Watch the first episode for free in the PlayStation Home Theater, and then download it from the PlayStation Network by going to the PlayStation Store > TV Shows > Anime > Viz Media.

Follow the journey of the legitimate heirs of the Hazama clan, Yoshimori Sumimura and Tokine Yukimura, carry out their family tradition of the Kekkaishi and set out to exterminate the Ayakashi demons that appear within the Karasumori site. And while you are in the Theater, be sure to check out the Killzone 3 video, courtesy of our friends here at the PlayStation.Blog.

From our daily Featured Game parties (we'll be playing everything from LittleBigPlanet to multiplayer DLC from Dante's Inferno this week - check out the posters in the Gamer's Lounge or www.us.playstation.com/PSN/Home for more details) to our ongoing Top Avatar competition (this week is "Horror Week" - scary, eh? - check out the thread here), we have a new event waiting for you every day of this week (and every day that follows).

If you haven't been to one of our community events lately, we highly recommend that you log in this week and reacquaint yourself with the large and diverse group of gamers that make up the PlayStation Home community. You'll quickly find that there is something for every PS3 fanatic going on at all hours of the day and night.

I also want to give all you guys and gals a quick reminder that PlayStation Home v1.36 is now live (we deployed this patch early Tuesday morning instead of during our regular Thursday content/maintenance windows, so it bears repeating).

If you've not yet installed this patch, we recommend that you log in and download it today, as it will result in a more optimized in-world experience (specifically, you should notice that the loading times have been reduced even more).

Helpful hint: If you notice that the yellow HDD activity light on your PS3 is flashing when you are greeted with the 1.36 patch notification, please wait for it to stop and then press X to start the installation process (Note: If you press any buttons while the yellow HDD activity light is flashing you will automatically restart your PS3, which is not necessary to apply this patch.)