Playstation Home Thread

[Appie]

Nope that's about it, the EU version doesn't seem to have been given the extra's the other territories recived, no bar, no Farcry2 area etc

Too bad then, guess we will have to wait till next week

 

[TB]

Now my wife is looking at my goateeless virtual twin and suggesting I consider shaving my goatee off...

I had the very same conversation/argument with Mrs T this morning!

You can add me to that list, too.

About the only other thing I have a problem with is not being able to change the color of my hat. Did I miss that setting somewhere?

 

[GT4 genius]

Mines working well enough, a good few errors and log outs but thats to be expected. Content is ok-ish. It would be good if everyone got the same content at the same time more or less but anyway there is reason why not. Played a bit of Echochrome and got 2900 points in lvl A and it said I won something! The game with the trains is good aswell, I like them, easy to get into and quick to start. Is it just me or has Sony massively up their servers? All the areas in Home took less then 5 mins to download and they are all about 40mb, which I was expecting would take between 15-20 mins as usual on my connection?

Anyone up for a game of something, I have a half an hour to hang round Home?

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

You can add me to that list, too.

Male bonding over the desire to keep our goatees, and the women that want to shave it all off.

If she shaves off my goatee in the middle of the night, can I sue Sony?

About the only other thing I have a problem with is not being able to change the color of my hat. Did I miss that setting somewhere?

Sadly no. There is currently no color options for clothing and accessories... just skin, hair and eyes.

but it should be a fantastic experience as the system develops. The most intuative and radical system yet on the console scene Sony really is going the extra mile with this, reminds me of the Dreamcast home system.

I saw a very interesting article that came up among the list of top stories in Google News, that described PS Home as not just a game and not just a social network, but rather a "development platform". I was intrigued so I clicked on the link and it turned out to be a pretty interesting read... I'll go look for the link and post it for those curious.

In the meantime, if I recall correctly, it basically mentioned how Sony created and released compressive Home development kits, that basically would allow a company, game developer, or who ever to create their own "Space" in Home, with all the necessary tools to allow them to pretty much create whatever they want. In some ways it reminded me of LBP, and the notion of basically giving away and or making available all the necessary tools to allow that person to make what ever their imagine can come up with.

Based on the footage I have seen of the upcoming Red Bull Island... it seems there is no limit to what a creative developer might be able to come up with. 👍

I found the link:

• Home is "not a game, it’s a development platform"

I'd love to see what that development kit is like.

 

[m7ammed]

I can't log on for some reason keep lost connection to the server or something similar

 

[Joey D]

Since I ended up working late last night I was unable to try out home, when I get home tonight though I am defiantly going to try it out. Looks very cool.

Oh and so what if there isn't much in it yet, isn't this just an open beta for everyone? I'm sure there will be all sorts of stuff once all the kinks get worked out of it.

 

[Wardy 944]

I can't log on for some reason keep lost connection to the server or something similar

I've been trying for the last two hour's to get back on 'Network Error' everytime

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

Played a bit of Echochrome and got 2900 points in lvl A and it said I won something! The game with the trains is good aswell, I like them, easy to get into and quick to start.

I started a thread for those interested in finding out about and keeping updated lists on all the prizes that can be won in Home. Info and input are always encouraged!

You can even win full arcade systems which you can place in your personal space or clubhouses. 👍

• PlayStation Home Rewards

 

[Appie]

Well i tried to get back into Home, but i keep getting the C-391 error. oh well, will try it later on.

 

[Robin]

You know, it would be great if everyone could dev their own clothing, stuff for their appartment and even their own Home space using some sort of CAD software!

All that may well become a reality but it will be atleast a year or 2 down the line before Sony feels they can give Home the LBP touch! I think the rumours of Home never really leaving a beta state are going to be true, its going to constantly evolve.

Oh and seeing spaces like the FC2 area got me thinking.. such spaces would be great for movies. I only wish we had this technology years ago because then we could have something like Tom Cruise's appartment from Minority Report (a Lexus flash game had it and was really good small game).

This would allow you to allow you to explore a set, for example, from the latest blockbuster God knows Sony has the licence ability!

Robin

 

[m7ammed]

I've been trying for the last two hour's to get back on 'Network Error' everytime

we use the Euro server in Middle East as we use the same region software ...etc so we are on the same servers , wonder if people from US or other regions have the same problem

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

Oh and seeing spaces like the FC2 area got me thinking.. such spaces would be great for movies. I only wish we had this technology years ago because then we could have something like Tom Cruise's appartment from Minority Report (a Lexus flash game had it and was really good).

This would allow you to allow you to explore a set, for example, from the latest blockbuster God knows Sony has the licence ability!

I would not be the least bit suprised. Not only that, but directors and actors could have virtual Q&A sessions in these custom Home spaces, and from the comfort of their own homes. I know quite a few people in the film indusrty that who would LOVE that! Some fans can be pretty intense when face to face with their idols.


OFF TOPIC:

Who is that Robin?

 

[FoolKiller]

I also have a few comments about home, firstly it is sadly filled with the same sleeze as any other uncontrolled online environment with people being extremely rude to others and I have also seen the way women (or so called women) are treated in there... real pity because its only a few loosers who are like that in there... most of the other people are quite plesant.

Yeah, I was bowling with Solid Lifters and a real-life friend and first we had these thug gangstas next to us on their mics, then some "chick" comes up and starts dancing in our face and trying get us to let her bowl with us. The thugs were all over her. Then another came up and asked if we liked "her" sexy body. Solid Lifters told her to go away.

I can't even get onto bowling. People hog the lanes like crazy.

Here is a hint: Create a Hong Kong account. They have a lot fewer people, or did in the closed beta.

Or you can exit and go back in and it will put you on a different server.

Unless you have a massive addiction to wanting a huge virtual clothing and furnishing collection,

Have you seen the "Show off Your Latest Purchase" thread? I swear some guys on here buy more clothes in one week than I buy in a year or more.

if your concern is cost, you have ZERO to complain about.

I completely agree with this. It is horse armor, and nothing more. It is purely a vanity purchase. It will affect nothing in the functionality of Home.

Sadly no. There is currently no color options for clothing and accessories... just skin, hair and eyes.

Honestly, I cannot fathom why this was not included. For the Home T-shirt, I understand as the logo is white on blue, but I have an issue with my red Chucks. They should be blue or black.




Now, for my thoughts. Keep in mind that this is based on one evening and not having had a chance to check everything out yet. I also still need to visit other regions.

As I suspected, Home is not a big thing to me. Is it bad? No. Is it good at what it does? Yes. Is what it does something that I can get extremely excited about? No. Until its interaction with games is increased I doubt I will use it much. Yeah, bowling is fun, but High Velocity Bowling is also online and fun, and it has much better gameplay. Home bowling is great for free, but as I have a paid for bowling game then it is not something I look forward to doing. That said, I will likely still do it if I just want to hang out and chat with friends while doing something. My problem is that I would rather just do that in a game-game.

I am enjoying the mini-games, which I think says what I really want to do.

I think that my thing is that I am not huge on just going around talking to strangers. I realize the irony in the fact that I am active on this site. But the nature of a site like this is that you know going in that you will find like-minded people for at least one thing (Gran Turismo in this case). I am not big on conversations that go:
"Hey"
"Hey"
"So, what games do you like?"
"Gran Turismo"
"Cool"
"Yeah"
"Do you like it?"
"Nah, too slow"
"You mean real?"
"No, slow. Burnout feels like real fast."
"Uh-huh."
<walks away>

I have no problems talking to people on this site or friends from real life, but then I have no need to have that getting to know you conversation either.

What would make Home more appealing to me is if the activities reflected the same feel as the environment. You know, the bowling alley feels like I am in a bowling alley, until I actually bowl or play pool. The atmosphere is there. If they stepped up the gameplay to feel less like a Flash app and more like a game it might appeal to me more.


Home itself I have no real problems with, I just don't think it is fully fleshed out enough to appeal to me yet. I will still use it off and on, likely when I am bored and not feeling like playing any of my games. I do still need to check everything out though.

Now, what I do have problems with are the behavior of some in there, but they will hopefully go away soon. If the most fun they can have is dancing in people's faces (I had your back Omnis) then they will quickly be gone. But my fear is that the game spaces and launching will be the most used feature, leaving these other nitwits to the rest of it and it will go downhill fast. Only time will tell.


I would compare Home to a local bar I tried once, Cumberland Brews. I went in and noticed it had a small, local feel, comfy seats, sports on the TV, and all their microbrews were great. But they had NPR playing over the speakers and most of the people who were there were the kind that think that is cool.

So, for what it does it does well, but I don't completely like what it does and the fact that there is a high likelihood of running into a douche bag doesn't help. But the fact that there are a few things I enjoy means I will come back on occasion.

 

[Hun200kmh]

Great write up from Foolkiller. I agree on most parts and feel the same way about Home and its appeal to me. Last night I tried Home and was amazed by the graphics, but didn't have a clue what to do apart from "walking around". Soon after mr geez showed up and we played some pool, very basic (reminded me a 80's PC game I used to play) but nevertheless fun. We had no problems with other people, but I found it very strange that the developers didn't include a swear filter in Home. I think they should, I know almost all cursing there happens in a foreign langage (to me), but I don't want my kids there, not even watching me go there.

(and this is a major drawback, I don't play violent games and I'm not used to send the kids away when I'm using the PS3).

So, Home is neat, good-looking, but I have no real use for it at the moment. Maybe when some "game-integration" happens (private GT5P or GT5 rooms launched from Home? ) I'll be a more frequent user. As it is, I'll keep the current use of the PS3. 1) play games; 2) watch movies; 3) use the internet browser.

 

[DustDriver]

Just found a bug in the chess game.
I had an absolute pin on someone, but the game didn't end.
The person playing against me couldn't surrender, and the game didn't recognise the situation.

 

[NLxAROSA]

What I really don't understand is that people do not understand it's a virtual world and it's not real. Some people have about the same brain size as a peanut.

You play a race driver in GT5P: nobody assumes you are a race driver in real life.
You play a mercenary in Far Cry 2: nobody assumes you are a mercenary in real life.
You play a Strogg in Enemy Territory Quake Wars: nobody assumes you are a cybernetic alien being in real life.
You play a ragdoll in LBP: nobody assumes you are a ragdoll in real life.
You play a homicidal maniac in Fallout 3: nobody assumes you are a homicidal maniac in real life.

But when you play a character/gender in Home: almost everybody assumes you are that same character/gender.

I really don't see the logic in that? To me it's just another game. I have avatars looking like my favorite game characters, male and female alike. I have a fat dude looking like a bum with no shoes. I have a nice looking girl. etc. etc. I pick a different character depending on my mood.

So what's your opinions on this?

 

[AutoAki]

I have a fat dude looking like a bum with no shoes.

So what's your opinions on this?

Heh... that dude must look fun! I hope I see you there sometime.

You should try to sit front of shopping center and beg people to send some Playstation dollars to you, so you could buy... hmmm... shoes or something. Say that you have no Home, and they will feel pity.

 

[Hun200kmh]

What I really don't understand is that people do not understand it's a virtual world and it's not real. Some people have about the same brain size as a peanut.

You play a race driver in GT5P: nobody assumes you are a race driver in real life.
You play a mercenary in Far Cry 2: nobody assumes you are a mercenary in real life.
You play a Strogg in Enemy Territory Quake Wars: nobody assumes you are a cybernetic alien being in real life.
You play a ragdoll in LBP: nobody assumes you are a ragdoll in real life.
You play a homicidal maniac in Fallout 3: nobody assumes you are a homicidal maniac in real life.

But when you play a character/gender in Home: almost everybody assumes you are that same character/gender.

I really don't see the logic in that? To me it's just another game. I have avatars looking like my favorite game characters, male and female alike. I have a fat dude looking like a bum with no shoes. I have a nice looking girl. etc. etc. I pick a different character depending on my mood.

So what's your opinions on this?

Clearly not yours I see Home as somekind of an enhanced forum. So I behave there like I behave ... here (or any other forum that has me as a member). Of course I know you're not a 350Z, you know I'm not a XJR 1300 (our avatars here), but here it's what we write that matters. In Home, however, matters what we write, what we do, how we look like.

Anyway, if you say it's like a game where you can impersonate several characters, let me ask you this: When you use a female avatar, you pretend to be a woman when someone talks to you? If you do, that is coherent with your "I'm gaming" attitude. If you don't, then I don't see why you would pick a woman avatar.

 

[FoolKiller]

So what's your opinions on this?

My avatar looks like me, as it is a virtual representation of myself.

 

[AutoAki]

I really have difficulties to understand what this 'Home' really is. So weird... thing. Maybe it will 'open' to me when some time goes. I have never seen or test anything like this.

Maybe this is somekind of 'Real Living Simulation' ...?

 

[Hun200kmh]

Maybe this is somekind of 'Real Living Simulation' ...?

Could be. The social behaviour there relates to civilized manners like the punting in GT5P relates to normal racing

 

[FoolKiller]

Maybe this is somekind of 'Real Living Simulation' ...?

Think of a chat room or MySpace/Facebook using 3-D avatars and the ability to access your PS3 games.

It is a social interaction tool.

 

[NLxAROSA]

Clearly not yours I see Home as somekind of an enhanced forum. So I behave there like I behave ... here (or any other forum that has me as a member). Of course I know you're not a 350Z, you know I'm not a XJR 1300 (our avatars here), but here it's what we write that matters. In Home, however, matters what we write, what we do, how we look like.

To you it does, to me it's just another virtual (a.k.a. not real) world. But I get your point, to you Home is not a game like the ones I mentioned, but a virtual representation of yourself.

Anyway, if you say it's like a game where you can impersonate several characters, let me ask you this: When you use a female avatar, you pretend to be a woman when someone talks to you? If you do, that is coherent with your "I'm gaming" attitude. If you don't, then I don't see why you would pick a woman avatar.

Why not, I don't pretend to be a real commando if somebody talks to me in CoD4? I'm gaming, but in the real world, I'm still me.

But let me ask another question: would you be offended if you meet me in Home while I'm using an avatar that does not look like me in real life?

 

[FoolKiller]

To you it does, to me it's just another virtual (a.k.a. not real) world. But I get your point, to you Home is not a game like the ones I mentioned, but a virtual representation of yourself.

Why not, I don't pretend to be a real commando if somebody talks to me in CoD4? I'm gaming, but in the real world, I'm still me.

See, here is why people react to your different avatars the way they do. You think that of it as a game. Most everyone else thinks of it as what it is: a social interaction tool so they can talk to real people.

Would you go on to Facebook or MySpace and put up pictures of a girl, label them as pictures of you, and then wonder why people keep thinking you might be a girl?

Whatever you want to do, as long as you keep it unoffensive, is fine by me, but don't be shocked when everyone else is using it the way it was intended and they don't understand what you are doing.

 

[NLxAROSA]

See, here is why people react to your different avatars the way they do. You think that of it as a game. Most everyone else thinks of it as what it is: a social interaction tool so they can talk to real people.

Would you go on to Facebook or MySpace and put up pictures of a girl, label them as pictures of you, and then wonder why people keep thinking you might be a girl?

No, but I don't consider those to be games.

Whatever you want to do, as long as you keep it unoffensive, is fine by me, but don't be shocked when everyone else is using it the way it was intended and they don't understand what you are doing.

Which is exactly why I asked for peoples opinion in here. I will seriously reconsider how I approach Home if the majority of people find it unacceptable. Ofcourse how the hell do I create an avatar as ugly as me IRL.

 

[Soundtrack]

Home might well become a massive RPG with rules and gameplay still in the making. It has a so big potential. It’s not as if it had a unique function I think. As for the avatars, some people will try to represent themselves as the are, while other will fake false unique/multiple personalities. Any mix in between being possible. Nothing wrong in any case as long as you keep it “civilized”.

By the way, when you play an homicidal maniac in GT5P turn one: everybody assumes your a .... in real life.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

NLxAROSA, you make a very good point about comparing elements of Home to a game, as do those that compare it more to something like Facebook and such.

I think what makes Home such an unusual and interesting thing, is it can be appealing and approachable for many different reasons to a lot of different types of people.

While I wouldn't call Home a game, although I agree there are certainly some game like aspects that can be found or explored. To me it's a form of entertainment, which can be used for both serious things, like having a more visually interactive communications with people from around the world, and to organize online events and tournaments and such. - and or for purely entertaining reasons like creating wild looking avatars, celebrity look-a-likes, running around playing "Where's Waldo", or hide and seek, or whatever.

Using FK's social networking example of Facebook, I also wouldn't create one with a celebrity look-a-like pretending to be that celebrity, but in Home it can be very amusing to both make them as well as try and spot them among the crowds.

And using NLxAROSA gaming example I would find Home VERY boring if I was hoping it would offer similar gaming options as found in games like the examples he gave, GT5P, Far Cry 2, Quake Wars, LBP, and Fallout 3.

Home basically seems like a hybrid that basically gives you the basic rules and the environments, and then the rest is up to you to decide how you want to use it. In fact, now that I'm saying that, perhaps the closest game I would compare Home to is GTA4. It certainly shares a similar feel, although a very "clean" version of GTA.

It is likely the open world aspect and wide variety of uses one can apply to Home that will likely make it such a popular interface for a lot of people with a lot of different points of views. I think it's going to be very interesting to see how all this develops, especially as we see more and more independent developers coming out with their own spaces in Home...

I hate to say it, but I can envision a point in time where there will be a lot of PS3 users who will spend all their time in Home.

Home might well become a massive RPG with rules and gameplay still in the making. It has a so big potential. It&#8217;s not as if it had a unique function I think. As for the avatars, some people will try to represent themselves as the are, while other will fake false unique/multiple personalities. Any mix in between being possible. Nothing wrong in any case as long as you keep it &#8220;civilized&#8221;.

By the way, when you play an homicidal maniac in GT5P turn one: everybody assumes your a .... in real life.

Precisely. The fact that you can already save several different avatars in your wardrobe menu suggests just that, and allows you a lot of flexability in how you want to use Home at that monent, depending on what you are in the mood for.

 

[Hun200kmh]

But let me ask another question: would you be offended if you meet me in Home while I'm using an avatar that does not look like me in real life?

If I meet NLxAROSA or GTP_DutchCustoms in HOME, no matter what you look like, I know who I'm talking to, so if you appear as a gorgeous Michelle Pfeiffer look-a-like I will even thank you for a pretty sight

Any guy/girl I don't know can look whatever he wants (or is able) to, but I expect guys to chose male avatars and girls to chose female avatars.


Anyway, I'm not really into interacting with people I don't know from somewhere else (that maybe means I won't take advantage of Home as a way to "know" people ) so it doesn't bother me much whatever people chose to look like.

What I find unacceptable in Home is the lack of a swear fillter. Seems I'm the only one thinking that way, but so be it.

 

[TB]

No, but I don't consider those to be games.

Like has already been said - HOME is not a game. There are games in home, but it itself is not.

Ofcourse how the hell do I create an avatar as ugly as me IRL.

You'd be surprised what you can do if you spend a bit of time with it. Last night my wife kept saying "Make him fatter. Just a little more. Now shorter."

 

[NLxAROSA]

NLxAROSA, you make a very good point about comparing elements of Home to a game, as do those that compare it more to something like Facebook and such.

I think what makes Home such an unusual and interesting thing, is it can be appealing and approachable for many different reasons to a lot of different types of people.

It may lead to various kinds of conflicts however if people do not understand there are people treating it differently than they are. Which is why I asked how you guys approach it. Your responses changed my attitude from 'people that don't understand it's not a real world don't have a brain' to 'okay, their approach is just different from how I am approaching it, which is fine'.

Like has already been said - HOME is not a game. There are games in home, but it itself is not.

What Home is to you is what it is to you, but it might not be to someone else.

You'd be surprised what you can do if you spend a bit of time with it. Last night my wife kept saying "Make him fatter. Just a little more. Now shorter."

I'll see if I actually can make something that resembles me. The 'Hitman' character I created will be a good basis.