170°

Home Will Be Region Locked

According to Jem Alexander of PS3Fanboy,

"We were given a pretty in-depth walkthrough of the current state of Home, including a couple of game spaces (images of those later), during which we asked the bloke as many questions as we could think of. Top of our list? Making sure that we would be able to meet up with our friends all across the planet in the various public spaces. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Home's public spaces are going to be region-specific.

If you want to meet up with your pals from abroad, then you'll be able to invite them into your apartment, but warping into the game space to bowl or play chess is not possible. This is allegedly to make sure that each region receives an "experience most suited to their tastes" as well as, no doubt, to keep advertisers happy. The last thing they want is Europeans seeing an advert directed at Americans."
RevN8r - contributor
Published: 540 days 3 hours ago | News | E3 2008 | PlayStation 3 | Sony PSP | Gaming | Industry News
 
 

Showing: 1 - 37 of 37 Comments
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JoelR - 540 days 3 hours ago
1 -
Hmm that is a complete reversal of stated direction if this is the case. The www.scedev.net information still says that you should be able to visit any region - but you are locked to spawning in your own on start up.
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Lord Anubis - 540 days 2 hours ago
1.1 -
that's how it was before. but i guess things have changed. Phil is no longer there so they can do anything they want.
1.2 Mystery_Person | 540 days 1 hour ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show
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yesah - 540 days 1 hour ago
1.3 -
probaly a good idea, because of the whole language thing.
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gambare - 540 days 1 hour ago
1.4 - is not that bad
IMO region locking the games prevents some serious lag issues. But on the bad part, I got some friends outside america and that prevents me from joining them in a specific game.
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aebriscoejr - 539 days 22 hours ago
1.5 -
That's fine for now just get it out.
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CrazedFiend - 539 days 16 hours ago
1.6 -
How is region locking ensuring that everything is to my taste if everyone around me is Japanese and I'm not???

Here's a novel idea. How about giving me a choice about which area I want to be in. That way an American can choose be in an American section and a European can choose to be in a European section and a Japanese can choose to be in a Japanese section EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT IN THEIR HOME COUNTRY!!!
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Arsenal4Ever - 540 days 2 hours ago
2 -
I know what they're going to do. They're going to shaft Europeans by giving us all the crappy stuff I can just see it now.

Well since 1995 - 2008 they've been doing it so I don't see what can stop them now.
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ParadoxicalAssassin - 540 days 2 hours ago
3 - wait
how big is home?, i just thought it was a couple of buildings. It spans the entire world? So i can have a house in Hawaii if i want?
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Overr8ed - 540 days 2 hours ago
4 - NO!!!!
Wow that suxs.
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BananaSlug - 540 days 2 hours ago
4.1 - 1 step forward...2 steps back...
didnt they tout a cross language translator in the first few demos?

sony... what are you doing?

=(
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tethered - 540 days 1 hour ago
4.2 -
I'll tell you what they are doing.

Their ambitions are being tethered by the overwhelming pressure people (and that other company) are putting on them. I would be one of those people. They need something soon. Really, really soon.

Open beta please!

Even if its not perfect put it out there for us to try. Even if its just one public lobby, and your own personal home. Build on from that.

Thats what I think its all about.

We have been waiting a long time for this. A very long time!
4.3 madestar | 540 days ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show
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PirateThom - 540 days 2 hours ago
5 -
If it's anything like other PS3 online things, at some point, once the server load is analysed, they'd no longer be region specific. Everyone will have the same space and only the advertising will change based on region.
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cool8 - 540 days 2 hours ago
6 - hmmmm
interesting...Very interesting....Personally i was hoping for it to be global..guess that's gone....
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bleachrulez - 540 days 2 hours ago
7 - come on
dont do that...oh well
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darkdoom3000 - 540 days 2 hours ago
8 -
I heard that you start in your region specific zones,

but the rest of home is global...

mabye they changed it.
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SmokingMonkey - 540 days 2 hours ago
9 - possible future firmware update, relax
just release the dam thing this FALL
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jamenees - 540 days 2 hours ago
10 - More than likely it won't be region locked for long...
but it would be nice to to cross global invite someone into your space right at launch. Seriously though, as long as it launches I'll be happy...my english friends should understand. lol.
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happyface - 540 days 2 hours ago
11 -
SONY

DUMP HOME and just make XMB really good

NO ONE wants HOME
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tethered - 540 days 1 hour ago
11.1 -
No, no.
YOU.... don't want Home.

Don't lump everyone into what you want and don't want.

The planet is bigger than what is only 10 ft. in front of your face.
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Dir_en_grey - 540 days 2 hours ago
12 - Seriously
This SUX!!!
The choices Sony makes are just so stupid, every thing that could work for their advantage they keep on trying to gimp...
Many people nowadays speak more than 2 languages and come from many different places, for them it's a givin that they would want to have friends from different regions. Even normal people would want to make a friend from a different country sometimes, learn a different language or what not... let the users choose!!!
This is one of those things that if they just left it alone the advertisers are not even gonna bother complaining... WTF
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Premonition - 540 days 2 hours ago
13 -
Gotta look at the BIG picture, I already know what would happend if it was region locked, we already know that there are a lot racist gamers out there or people that like to be stupid, one example some person goes over to some other counties region, example japan and starts making fun of their culture etc, and I think its better that sony keeps it clean and stay your butt where your suppose to be.
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specialguest - 540 days 2 hours ago
14 - What if I had a Japanese or Euro account?
Would that allow me to access Home at a different region??
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Premonition - 540 days 2 hours ago
14.1 -
Maybe maybe not, depends on if they do it by IP addresses.
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Origin - 540 days 2 hours ago
15 -
it would make communicating work a lot better to have it this way
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Meus Renaissance - 540 days 2 hours ago
16 -
Wait, does that mean we cant interact with our friends we meet online in other countries? That doesn't make sense. Home is dead to me if true.
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ArtisianDragon - 540 days 1 hour ago
17 - If and only if this is true,
Then this is a horrible move (IMO) If I meet some cool people online on some game [Warhawk, Mag or whatever] And they are in Europe or something does that mean I can't interact with them in HOME?

Ugh it seems that the closer we get to home there is always at least one more disappointment to it. We've gotten delays, and now this, but at least the bright side of it, they have various places instilled in the game. Though what's the use if no one has it at the moment and it's sitting in closed beta! >_<
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glennhkboy - 540 days 1 hour ago
18 - Tipical Japanese Mentality
This is a typical Japanese to isolate themselves from the "Others". Just look at the number of Japanese exclusive games for Sony (PSP/PS2/PS3) & Nintendo. They still save the "best" for themselves. So there is no surprise on this move.
19 kevin1122 | 540 days 1 hour ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show
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jmiscavish - 540 days ago
20 -
How am I supposed to pick up asian chicks if this is the case? What else would I want home for anyway?
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Fanboi - 539 days 20 hours ago
20.1 - Yeah right, chicks.
If the MMO trend is any indication, the vast majority of chicks on Home will be guys. Have fun with them in your room.
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GameOn - 539 days 14 hours ago
20.2 -
lol home-sex.
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whoelse - 539 days 19 hours ago
21 -
That sucks, but i can understand why they're doing it. I guess all the Europeans would go to the american areas and the european areas would be empty.
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S1nnerman - 539 days 19 hours ago
22 - What's the big deal?
You can still invite your friends over to your virtual house to do whatever it is you want to do.

No one ever stops complaining about everything. Yikes!
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muss1210 - 539 days 12 hours ago
23 - oh dear
hmmmmmmmmm will this mean that my jap ps3 with go to the jap area when im in europe, noooooooooooooooo
i'll have to learn jap :( otherwise im going to be shafted in the rusty sheiffs badge

lets hope that dont region lock it
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blindfromthesun - 539 days 8 hours ago
24 - disappointing but I can see why
License issues are always an issue. Entertainment available to one region might not be licensed for another region. Same reason we get demos at different times. Big deal, unless you live in one country that has content locked for your friend in another. Does anyone know if the US and Canada are different regions? Sorry if its a silly question.
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