Playstation Home Thread

[Hereward]

I'm happy they did what they did regarding the cut of point for Qore subscription and the time the notifications went out. OK if you missed out it's a killer but Sony avoided Qore cashing in on the Home exclusive if people were buying 12 subscriptions just to get on the home beta. OK people would be happy to do it but I think it shows some good ractice by sony to not be "seen" as exploiting the wallets of there customers.

Power to the people
Wolfie Smith
(English Joke Sorry NA/JPN)

 

[Robin]

News about Home, apparently the open beta starts after the Qore people get thier invites in the 6th epsiode.

I dont know how reliable a person called 'ted the dog' can be but anywho...

PlayStation Home Open Beta: Invites once v1.0 is live

The PlayStation Home Open Beta will be released after Qore 6, Ted The Dog the Home Community Manager posted some great news over on the European Home Forums; he said a few things that are quite interesting.

They will be sending out their invites once v1.0 is live, Ted The Dog also said that people must understand that SCEA’s motivation to reward annual subscribers to QORE is a little different to our motivation to do a load test before Open Beta. You should not worry at all because SCEE have many invites to send and Open Beta will be along within weeks of that as well.

Ted The Dog also said “We’re picking people from across the SCEE territories too. Right now Home is English only but that will come to an end when the invites go out. It won’t be all languages straight away, probably the main 5, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Your next question is “How do you decide who gets picked?” and we had a couple of plans on how that was going to be done and my boss is away so I cant ask him which one he chose (yes, we’ve picked the names already and no, I’m not going to reveal the list). I’ll let you know what I can, once I find out, but both were broadly based on the concept of loyalty. That’s VERY vague I know, I’ll firm up what I can but don’t expect too much detail, it was really complicated last time.” For everyone else threes Open Beta which wont be far behind.

And these are the leaked release dates for each of the stages...

We found some good information if all true, what we saw was PlayStation Home release dates. They are as follows, (Closed beta: 2007 - November 18, 2008), (Open Beta: November 19, 2008 - December, 2008) and (Final release: December, 2008 - Quarter 1, 2009).

So basically is Qore first, then people Sony pick, then anyone who wants to sign up (like the R2 beta)...

Oh and apparently all those people who downloaded the Home Theme from the US store ages ago have been entered into the random draw (Sony Picking).

Robin

 

[Soundtrack]

I dont know how reliable a person called 'ted the dog' can be but anywho...

If I remember correctly he is working for SCEE. So this should give some credits to the info.

 

[Scaff]

If I remember correctly he is working for SCEE. So this should give some credits to the info.

He's the Home community leader for the official Playstation forum, so waht he says is about as official as it gets.

Regards

Scaff

 

[marchi]

So with this home open beta trial, does this mean that anybody can use it?

 

[Hereward]

Yep!

 

[nick09]

Yes and yes! They will announce it by November 19th.

 

[Hereward]

Wheres the date from Nick?

 

[nick09]

Wheres the date from Nick?

Well I just took it from robin's post.

 

[FoolKiller]

Wheres the date from Nick?

Well I just took it from robin's post.

Interweb rumors are guessing that Sony will do it then, as that is when the 360 will get its new avatar system rolled out and if Sony spends 10 times longer on theirs and comes out later it will look bad.

 

[Robin]

The date of November 18th has been hovering around for like a year now and official people are hinting that that is the date so no reason to doubt it.

As for what Xbox is doing I dont think they can do a second life style thing because Sony has patented it for this particular use, think of it more as an interface. Using a 3D avatar system in this manor I think is exclusive to Sony. The Mii channel thing is different because it doesnt have the same scope.

Plus I still think Xbox avatars look terrible, childish and kinda scary... like the middle road between the Wii and PS3 in terms of realism... I would be embarrased to have one because I hate cartoony figures like that. If they did something similar to Home it would just be copying but if Sony dont get a move on and get it out first then they will be accused of copying the xbox (because fanboys will fail to notice that its been around since 05!).

For the life of me I cant understand why Sony has failed to realise how big a deal Home is, its truely something that other consoles dont have but because its taken them so long others have caught up.. It really can bring PSN up to the level of Live but Sony keep taking thier sweet time! WHY!!!

Robin

 

[Wardy 944]

For the life of me I cant understand why Sony has failed to realise how big a deal Home is

Robin

I think Sony know excatly how important HOME is going to be, which is probably why it's been in devolopment for so long.

It will be by far the most impressive menu system on any console, who knows you may spend more time socializing than actually playing real games

 

[Hereward]

Yeah It's prety much a front end toolbox, or sandbox if you like. We've gone from choseing the background colour of your XMB to, should I have 1 or 2 buble machines in the corner, and what walpaper desighn goes best with the furniture in my virtual XMB....crazy stuff! And gone is the "lets see whos o my friends list" to inviting half a dozen of them to your pad and then having a chat as to which game to go play.......big steps by sony, if they fluff it those who stand to lose most will be shouting the loudest!

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

I'm actually quite pleased with the current XMB interface, so even if Home doesn't pan out, or even if it's a huge sucess, it is very unlikely to change my enjoyment and the enjoyment my family and freinds get from our PS3 as it is now.

 

[WallRunner]

who knows you may spend more time socializing than actually playing real games

I've got a friend in the beta who just sits in it all the time,

From,
Chris.

 

[fc3s]

new news about playstation home available on the homebetatrial website, I would post a link but I'm typing this on my PS3. so check it out.

 

[fc3s]

Heres the Link

Soon home will be here 👍

 

[bevo]

I am downloading home right now. It's only an 85 mb download. I hope there not tricking me somehow.

 

[TsukubaTrueno]

Home? Like the actual thing? Or the beta?

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

Home? Like the actual thing? Or the beta?

The closed beta which NA Quore Subscribers now have access to.

The closed beta has received an update from Sony that have given the users the ability to access their patio and upload photos inside their virtual space.

Another feature of the update is a purple and blue building outside in Home Square was recently opened to reveal the Home Marketplace.

Other features, such as the much speculated monorail transport system as well as Home Trophies, have yet to be released to the beta testers. Sony will, in the future, release more updates to expand PlayStation Home into a larger, more interactive world. Phil Harrison said that in the future pets and more robust clothing will be available on the service.

Pets? I hope we don't have to potty train them!

 

[Jeremy Ricci]

I am downloading home right now. It's only an 85 mb download. I hope there not tricking me somehow.

That's for your Apt and the lobby. The other areas are all separate downloads (the mall, game room, movie theater, etc). You have to download each area.

 

[marchi]

So open Beta 18 or 19th of november lads?

 

[bevo]

I messed around a little with the home beta today. It was really weird. I can't really see any use for it yet, but I am sure it will evolve into something more than an avatar creator, and home decorator. Right now it's pretty pointless. It is just a beta, but it just doesn't make sense to me. It seems like a hassle to go watch game trailers, and play a bunch of really bad pool, bowling, and penny arcade games.

Hopefully sony has a lot more up their sleeve, then what they have going on so far. I really don't want to have to go into the HOME world, just to get into a game of socom or gt5. I wish sony would go and add better chat options, an in game music player, and an easier way to get a party together, to get into online games.

It would be nice if they would update the xmb before going on with home. The novelty of HOME seems like it will wear off really quick. It kinda reminded me of the wii. At first it was pretty cool, but after you played around with it for an hour or so, you had seen all it had to offer.

I hope I am very wrong, but HOME seems like it has been geared toward woman, and very young kids. I don't know many GT or socom fans, that will want to set around in HOME, while they could be playing a game.

 

[GT4 genius]

But when they have it properly up and running you will be able to invite GT members (when private rooms arriver) and Socom fans so as you have everyone ready to start a match. And whilst your waiting for everyone to arrive you can have a game of pool or whatever with the people that are their. And when you cant find anyone to play with you can walk round the world, hoping to meet someone you know, whilst browsing the shops or viewing trophies or movie or game trailers etc. It ofcourse wont appeal to everyone, and there is a chance that it may be a complete flop but I think it might be successful.

 

[Soundtrack]

I don’t believe Home will be only about make-up, hairstyle, fashion or interior design.
Are 3rd parties custom spaces already available at this time? What kind of dev tools are people gonna get in the future? As a community building tool Home might bring pretty nice options for about anybody’s interest while/if it grows-up content wise. Imagine GT Planet having it’s own building, with rooms to meet other racers for custom build events with all the options/help/restrictions. Meeting rooms for the different series organized here...There could be theaters where visitors could (re)watch replays of the most epic battles or even a live spectator mode to follow the events. Tuners could have their own shops where they exhibit their “specialties”(including custom liveries), alongside with real word car manufacturer’s boutique to show their new stuff available for download (eventually for free given the advertisement benefit).
There could be countless possibilities, and with PD and Sony close working relation, GT could be a game that really benefits from it. It may take time, or could never happen of course...

 

[ChadSpeed]

I messed around a little with the home beta today. It was really weird. I can't really see any use for it yet, but I am sure it will evolve into something more than an avatar creator, and home decorator. Right now it's pretty pointless. It is just a beta, but it just doesn't make sense to me. It seems like a hassle to go watch game trailers, and play a bunch of really bad pool, bowling, and penny arcade games.

Hopefully sony has a lot more up their sleeve, then what they have going on so far. I really don't want to have to go into the HOME world, just to get into a game of socom or gt5. I wish sony would go and add better chat options, an in game music player, and an easier way to get a party together, to get into online games.

It would be nice if they would update the xmb before going on with home. The novelty of HOME seems like it will wear off really quick. It kinda reminded me of the wii. At first it was pretty cool, but after you played around with it for an hour or so, you had seen all it had to offer.

I hope I am very wrong, but HOME seems like it has been geared toward woman, and very young kids. I don't know many GT or socom fans, that will want to set around in HOME, while they could be playing a game.

Not the best review I was hoping for. Home more or less sounds a bit pointless, except for the avatar and interior decorating. When I am playing with my FPS clan we have a host that just starts a room and we all join it. Really easy. If what your describing is accurate then I imagine you'll be waiting fro Home to load, then enter it and invite your party, wait for them to enter, then all wait for the game to load and join the host lobby. Sounds poor, but hopefully it won't be.

 

[Hereward]

Home is a social system...if your not into that aspect of gaming it will likley offer very little for you. Noting that is that you can't get using the XMB which will allways be a much quicker and simpler interface and one I would imagine will allways be your first interface with your PS3 and PSN.

However for those with more of a comunity based need, clan members or forum members or simply those with war and peace sized friends lists Home will be the premier system to interface all aspects of the PSN.

Heres a system which I hope GTP can think of implimenting and one which is having the bugs iorned out for my own forum at the moment. Put simply GTplanet Home (I'll not spam GTP with my forums name so imagine instead GTP Home) we will have set times when we'll have a member of our staff simply sitting in there home apartment, this will be done with a shared PSN acc name which will be given to all forum members (numbers allowed in and possible multiple apartments are the bugs but my forum is much smaller than GTP!) this gives us a forum space actualy inside Home! I'll not bore you with the poserbilities use your own imagination! As for GTplanet looking at this idea you guys could maybe share the load by hosting specific rooms maybe designated by a certain track in the case of GT5 and maybe one for "other titles"

Finaly harking back to my first part of this post don't expect Home to be the "final" product, as reported umpteen times Home is going to be an open beta with features and changes made for many months to come......there are those that say "give it to us when it's finished" Please please please don't tempt fate, wev'e waited long enough, we'll live with it LOL

Edit
Soundtrack you posted this at the same time as me but yeah thats the idea LOL

 

[H20HYBRID_GT]

Hopefully sony has a lot more up their sleeve, then what they have going on so far. I really don't want to have to go into the HOME world, just to get into a game of socom or gt5. I wish sony would go and add better chat options, an in game music player, and an easier way to get a party together, to get into online games.

Exactly. Especially when you could just have simple proper game invites within your friendlist...

But when they have it properly up and running you will be able to invite GT members (when private rooms arriver) and Socom fans so as you have everyone ready to start a match. And whilst your waiting for everyone to arrive you can have a game of pool or whatever with the people that are their. And when you cant find anyone to play with you can walk round the world, hoping to meet someone you know, whilst browsing the shops or viewing trophies or movie or game trailers etc. It ofcourse wont appeal to everyone, and there is a chance that it may be a complete flop but I think it might be successful.

Thinking about it and seeing how often my PS3 freezes already, how poor the browser is and how long it takes sometimes to bring up IGXMB...
I think we will be more freezing and rebooting than actually playing.

SONY I for one don't need another home: I bought a PLAYstation and not a HOMEstation and certainly not a WAITstation...!

 

[nick09]

My PS3 never freezes. You are just a person in a minor group who experiences this problem. The browser I'd say for using a wireless connection; it works great for me. Even watching TV Shows on hulu.com; I have not experienced any major freezing problems on the PS3 browser.

Going back on topic: I might not use Home but it will be interesting to meet new players in a more interactive way.

 

[H20HYBRID_GT]

My PS3 never freezes. You are just a person in a minor group who experiences this problem. The browser I'd say for using a wireless connection; it works great for me. Even watching TV Shows on hulu.com; I have not experienced any major freezing problems on the PS3 browser.

Going back on topic: I might not use Home but it will be interesting to meet new players in a more interactive way.

If this is true, be sure, you are a person in a minor group. 👍 ( or you just don`t paly as much lol )