As many are already aware, PlayStation Home is an ever expanding virtual marketplace/social networking extravaganza trying to flourish in some harsh economic times—but according to Sony, business is actually pretty good.

1up.com even writes that Susan Panico, senior director of PlayStation Network at Sony, says the DLC for Home has been “selling like hotcakes.”

Items costing less than $4.99 seem to be gathering the greatest revenue as opposed to the movies and videos costing up to $14.99.  This, of course, was to be expected.

1up quotes Panico:

“It’s a classic 80/20 model, where 20 percent of your customers create 80 percent of your income.”

It’s also expected that Sony will be acquiring more sponsorship deals and that there will be plenty more corporate logo-branded goods available on Home early in 2009.  Goody!  It’s great to know I have more product placement to look forward to the next time I log on to Home (provided I ever play it again—and provided I ever get my PS3’s internet connection working again).

On a side note, Panico also mentioned some of Sony’s plans for the PSN, hoping that it will someday replace cable boxes.

“[Sony] look[s] aspirationally at HBO, the way they have Sex and the City and other shows.”

Quite frankly, I don’t see this as happening any time in the near future, if at all.  It’s pretty ambitious, and for the PSN to replace cable boxes, well, that would require a PS3 with a powerful internet connection in just about every household, wouldn’t it?  I think that’s a bit of a stretch.

Still, it’s nice to see Sony’s trying.  I’ll give them an E for Effort.

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