Home: Feedback led to changes

GameIndustry reports Sony's forthcoming PlayStation Home platform has undergone key changes in the last few months as a result of feedback from users currently engaged in its beta test.

New screens of a recent build of Home, shown to the audience by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's John Venables and Ron Festejo in a session at Imagina 08, demonstrated the new look of what will be every user's first view of the world.

What had been an enclosed room with a large window showing a lush view has now been transformed into a serene outside space, with plenty of room for people to interact, and tables with fully functional chess and draughts games included.

The Theatre itself, while retaining the same functionality, has had all of the screening areas moved down to the ground floor, after feedback from users that the 12 second walk to go upstairs took too long.

Venables and Festejo also revealed that it was now possible to take your avatar out onto a balcony from your own apartment, and that there would be "around eight or nine" different apartments available at launch, although no new details on potential pricing options for the premium apartments were available.

The Imagina 08 conference is taking place in the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco, until February 1

[Kugar77]

wasn't it announced in 2007? it says 2006 but i dont think it was that early

[Rice]

yea it was suppose to be released around 2007, but i can wait, sony should take as long as they can so that Home would be successful.

[GIJeff]

comes out before ps4.

[Cyrus365]

Looks like they'll be alot of home information coming in the next few weeks with this conf, GDC, etc.

[MikeGdaGod]

i've been in the beta for months but i barely use it.

they've got alot that still needs to be fixed:

the #1 thing that needs to be changed is the way Home is launched. right now, its launched like a game or demo saved on the HDD. this is a problem because that means you're not in Home automatically, you have to launch it everything you want to go Home. i think there should be an option for those that want to be in Home automactically in between games, meaning Home replaces the XMB. we should be able to switch between the two on the fly.

second, the games in the arcade need to have save the top scores overall and of the person thats currenly playing. also we should have arcade machines in our apartments of the games bought off the PSN.

third, the Theater needs to stream all of the video. currently when you go into the theater you have to wait 5-10mins for the video to start playing. in the Gamespace, video of God of War II and MLB'08 are being streamed constantly. when you come in the room the video is playing and thats how it needs to be in the Theater.

other things needed include: custom music (text-messaging and voice-chat are already there), more games in the Gamespace, and more apartments styles.

i've told them this and more a while ago but this is all i can think of now.......i think i'm gonna copy n paste this and send it to them again.

[rawg]

Everything you said makes me want Home right now, even with the problems you've described. I wish I had been included in the beta...

[MikeGdaGod]

don't get me wrong, it is cool but the feeling doesn't last long. i think they should make it as easy as possible for people to go in and out of Home.

the way it is now, whenever there's an update its packed....but after a day or two its empty. it definately catches your attention, it just doesn't keep it and thats what they need to work on.

[MaximusPrime]

nice to hear some good progress.

Delaying Home is a good move, this helps to make Home better than before.

Looking forward to this conference.

[Frances-the-Mute]

yeah good, cuz there wasn't much in the beta

[BulletToothtony]

where have you been, partying too much? haven't seen you on the site for like 3 months..

[Mattearl]

yeah... its only been about 3 months since we've heard ANYTHING about home. Just news like this every so often would be much better then nothing, imho.

But looks great, can't wait!

[kingOVsticks]

I really hope that they have home so you can go to any country like japan for example and learn about each other cultures and gaming interest. If sony did that then they would have done something no gaming company has done before, make the world seem small

[MaximusPrime]

i think it will be region locked.
There will be NA server, EU server etc etc.

[-EvoAnubis-]

As someone else said, there will be different servers and you'll start at the one for your region, but you can always bust out the virtual PSP and go to any server that you want to.

[kingOVsticks]

as I posted in the gamerzone. I hope that they have home so you can go to any country like japan and interact and make friendships or sumthin. If sony did that then they would have done something no gaming company has done before, make the world seem small. With that sony can really differentiate it self from other friend sites and xbl live.

[-EvoAnubis-]

I just posted this in the Gamer Zone, but just to say the same thing here, you start out at the server specific to your region, but you can always bust out the virtual PSP and go to any server that you want.

[harpua]

sweet avatar king!

[mintaro]

12 second walk was too long? oh well cant wait for it to be released

[UnblessedSoul]

Theres seperate region servers but I believe you can switch whenever you want

[kingOVsticks]

yeah I kinda figured that 2 cuz i made multiple accounts anyway but it would be fullofawesome if u register for your server then when ever you please you go on like idk a virtual plane or sumtin and you go to spain and you'll have like a flag icon above your head showing where your from what language you etc and like you chit chat or play some games. I think that would really help break culturally blockades and make gaming even more diverse then it already is.

[PStriple703]

there's no place like home

[Mr_Showtime1]

really looking forward to home, its one of the reasons why im extremly excited for my ps3 this year rather than my 360 or wii, cant wait for it to roll out!

Btw, im totally digging this gamer zone, its nice to be able to comment on games with having someone hurl abuse in return lol

[Stubacca]

Man, it's gonna be rad.

So is it out in March or what?

[whoelse]

I will be happy to give some feedback!

Must they must give us the open beta first!

[-EvoAnubis-]

I'd really like to see that happen, but I'm not holding my breath.

But again, if it does . . . very exciting times. Even if they just added more people to the beta . . . Hell, I'd do it . . . that'd be okay for me.

[DarkSniper]

Sony has already differentiated itself from Xbox Live. By simply creating an online portal for gamers that actually functions correctly.

Home will be the final nail in Microsoft's coffin. Xbox Live will soon be a free online network once Sony Computer Entertainment forces Microsoft to give freedom to their slaves.

$niper

[sabbath420]

Why must you hate on xbox live? Cant you just be happy for what you will get? Myselfe, I don't mind to much paying 50 dollars a year for an awsome online service. What is it you think is bad about live other than you have to pay. Everything is easy to get to and you dont have to walk around wasting time. Instead I can just click a button and download a movie or game. Talking with my friends could not be any easier even if I am in the middle of, or in beetween games or music, or both. Home sounds like a waste of time really. walking a little guy around to get what you want seems slow.

[DarkSniper]

This is the prime example of someone who has fallen under the slave driven tactics of the Microsoft Corporation.

One who has no problem spending his hard earned money on a defective console which provides an online network that has hiccups daily.

Dark Sniper isnt surprised by these responses.

$niper

[JohnRico]

They promised two times an Open Beta & failed to deliver. They should either put up or shut up. Especially since we have not heard from Phil Harrison since the day he promised an Open Beta. Obviously he is cowering away in his office at Sony.

[-EvoAnubis-]

Yeah, you're right about that. If memory serves, we were supposed to see an open beta at the end of '07, and somehow I don't recall that happening.

All will be forgiven when it finally comes out though.

@ Dark Sniper: That'd be stupid. Sony needs to get this service out as soon as humanly possible, before the holiday season starts and the heavy hitters come into play. That way, you already have the service up, devs can get a chance to see what the full Home experience is like and figure how to intergrade their games into it (like making social areas for MGS4 or something), and it'd give them more things to advertise for the holidays (no more "Home is coming soon....we think." It'd be, "Home is out. Right now. People are on it. Right now.")

Waiting would be a mistake.

[DarkSniper]

All will be forgiven once Home is released. However Dark Sniper cant help but to think that Sony will try to play it's cards in a particular period of the year. Which is either fall or winter. This may result in Sony strategically delaying Home until they decide on when they want to hit their stride.

Dark Sniper wouldnt put it past Sony to hit gamers with everything at once, MGS, Home, Resistance 2, Killzone 2, Little Big Planet, Haze, US DUAL SHOCK 3 release, etc. all from September to the end of 2008.

$niper

[Dmack79]

yeah, I heard it's coming in March. :) CAN'T WAIT!

[xionpunk]

I think home was a great idea. As long as you can customize the hell out of your stuff, it should do pretty well. Plus its free.

[Doctor Strange]

I can't wait to mess around with Home too and its good to see them taking the complaints and suggestions from beat users and implementing them to make Home better.

I think this will be a hit since you can invest as much time or as little to do what you want.

[zonetrooper5]

Wanna see what all the hype is about.

[Cyb3r]

Is there still going to be an open beta?

[Lord_Ash]

As long as they are improving the service then I don't mind the delay, but if the delay of home means the delay of In-game XMB then I do mind.

[rexor0717]

Im glad they are having delays if it means progress. Once its out, it will be great. But I heard that alot of the Home features will be accessible from the XMB...is this true? Like trophy viewing?

[-EvoAnubis-]

All those features will indeed be available via the XMB, w/o having to actually go into Home.

[eddierivera]

This article says that we will get whatever we ask for. I would like to have my bedroom theme as clouds in the sky,,, having a cloud for a bed, ;you know that kinda stuff, then have the Turok theme, and have my living room full of jungle and dinosaurs and Sh*t like that. Home sounds so tight, i dont wanna wait any longer man,, its driving me crazy. Im so hyped up for this years games, i already preordered 500 dollars worth of games this year. I dont know about you, I cant wait to play mercenaries and midnight club, I dont even care about grand turismo anymore, ill get it, but midnight club's open world is what im excited about. This is the year of the PS3!

[undacovabrothe]

I wondering if any1 has the closed beta and is currently in it. If so ... add me on psn my id is same as this id for the site.

[MikeGdaGod]

add me PSN: MikeG115

[JBaby343]

I'm worried about the launch of Home. Everybody connecting and being on at once suddenly could lead to big problems. I know they are planning for this and taking lots of extra time to get it right but it only takes one glitch to shut it all down. Here's hoping that when it finally does go live it will handle all the people.

[EastCoastSB]

I just wanna see the achievement/trophy system...I'm addicted to that kinda stuff. lol

[RecSpec]

I'm worried about Home, if it is anything like Animal Crossing, my personal life is royally f***ed. Goodbye free time...

[totao]

well the beta ends 3/31/2008 so hopefully they'll have a release date by the time gdc arrives

[KILLERAPP]

GOOD GOOD GOOD

[Tempist]

For the love of gaud, I hope they don't plaster the home universe with Ads. That would really suck. Suck a lot.

All and all, if it does indeed come out in spring... well, cya there.

[OMGLOLZ]

What are you, twelve?

Here are Sony's options:

A)Make you pay for home.
B)Scrap the project.
C)Make you look at "Axe Body Spray" ads while giving you a free service.

I dunno about you but I'm really feeling that last one. How many times have in-game ads stopped the game from being fun?

I bet when you played the Burnout Demo your loading screen was an advertisement for trojan condoms right? No, it was a damned billboard which you didn't even see because you were too busy driving headfirst into walls.

FOOL

[cr33ping_death]

"after feedback from users that the 12 second walk to go upstairs took too long." damn lol come on people.....really? i cant wait for HOME but a 12 second walk being to long?.....lol too funny

[QuackPot]

A better version of Second Life or Sims or RPG that also doubles as a virtual meeting place for gamers to brag, chat and play.

Character Avatars from popular games should have been allowed...especially from games that Sony owns.

Also, users should have been allowed to purchase land to build their own homes/estates.

Also users should have been able to build or purchase shops to sell their own products from....virtual world. EBAY so to spec.

So many obvious things that Sony could do with HOME to make it the ultimate online place to hang out in.

Just delay, delay, delay and get it RIGHT !!

[Lancey77]

Im part of the Beta trial but fail to see why they done this as there are so few and far between updates on the Beta I can honestly say that people not on are not missing much.

Oh Im new BTW so be gentle and hello everyone.......1st post

[Cwalat]

something crazy about the Home devs make me loose all the hope,

- First it was gonna come out October
- Then December/January
- Then March

NOW? i think its gonna come out sometime in late 08.

Instead of announcing a release early, announce a release 2 years after they show it... Then when they are finished way before that release ppl wont get pissed...

[Iron Man 2]

I don't really care much for HOME TBH,I just want to play the games coming out this year(MGS4,Resistance 2,Killzone 2,LBP etc.);)

[timmyp53]

Sony making it as user-frinedly as possible.

[creeping judas]

the only one who read "potential pricing options for the premium apartments". Does this mean that anything you do apart from the basics Sony is going to charge for? I thought this was supposed to be free?

[Milky]

I read it. It might be that you buy them with 'money' u earn from games ?

[sabbath420]

you have obviously never played on xbox live. How can you say it is a broken service with hiccups? Only 1 time has live had a problem and that was recently. And MS gave away a 10 dollar arcade game to make it up. Live has been a great addition to console gaming now for what? 5 years now. What about the psnetwork and all the hiccups with that mess? As for 360's breaking that is gone away and old news bro. And even when consoles failed MS replaced them within 1 to 2 weeks free of charge. Keep on waiting on that WAITSTATION3 and PLAY B3HIND! Slave driven tactics you say. I guess I could be considered a slave to great games on and offline. I have played so many great games on my 360 for years now while you are just now getting around to playing some good games. Sounds like if any1 is a slave it's you little dude. Why else would you be so loyal to your PS3? Oh maybe because they told you the ps3 would play beyond, and in 4d and the next gen did not start until they say crap.

[sabbath420]

If you are going to disagree at least man up and lay some facts down on a reply.