Electricpig: PlayStation Home first impressions

Sony promises us that this is just the start of an ever-evolving service, but whatever the improvements it has planned, a system seller Home most certainly is not.

We really hope that it has more up its sleeve than just a handful of game spaces and virtual shops, otherwise Home may turn out to be the largest and most expensive anti-climax in gaming history.

In the meantime, our hopes turn to the ever vigilant hacking community, which has already broken through the first stage of Home's defences and if it goes down the same path as PSP hacking, could be the best chance of seeing interesting Home developments outside of Sony's tightly marketed grip.

[qface64]

the yawn thing made me laugh no clue why

[ASSASSYN 36o]

Although a beta which doesn't excuse it from praise or insults like halo 3 beta it looks like sony's online sims world isn't working out. It's been hacked, exploited, and utterly filled with nuts with no life chasing female avatars which are more than likely male.

Betas are technically similar in design and intent to demos. This beta/demo better improve and rather quickly because 2 years of development looks a little wasted from what I have read, seen, and heard. Cry all you want this turd needs to be flushed. Sony kids Petitions deploy!

[Fishy Fingers]

Well, "hacked, exploited" is a slightly dramatic way of putting it. Someone claimed some security feature "might possibly" be at risk. Nothing come of that yet. Expoilts, we'll some guy found a way to play your own videos/igames off your HDD, no big issue really, and nothing that effect security or stability. Guys chasing girls, well that's frankly to be expected, some people are sad. That's not really something you can blame on Sony. Some people troll N4G threads for attention, that N4Gs fault?

Also, betas and demo are NOTHING alike.

I'd go as far as to say, personally, your comment makes you appear as nothing more than another hater, spitting claims you've read on forum posts or two bit articles. You really should try things for yourself. Some people just have seriously unrealistic demands for a week old service still in early beta stages. Or is that "demo stages".

[ninssass]

....just isn't living up to expectations at the moment. Its a giant chatroom nothing more and adds absolutely nothing to the gaming experience. Its only a beta, yes, but how long will this take because from 2 years of waiting very little has been added. Suddenly are Sony going to pull their finger out and add tonnes of new content over the next few months?, because with the spead of everything Home related so far i really do doubt it.

[InMyOpinion]

Digital qeueing. A monument of the retardation that is Home.

[Mr PS3]

Digital qeueing ??????

And you call Home retarded

Thy Silly little BoT

[YouNoob]

The largest and most expensive anti-climax in gaming history, period.

[Gazman1982]

Why do you xbots bash a service which isn't even related to your console. You dont have to use Home so why so much hate on it ?? You all need to go back to your Xbox before it overheats and DIES with RROD.

[SONYSLAVE]

hypocrisy at it's finest :/

[beavis4play]

hacking (or pirating) by the asocial, misfit, losers of the world is never the answer to anything. i guess electricpig doesn't know hacking is criminal offense.

[James64619]

I'm going to buy a Playstation 3 this friday ive had anuff of Microsoft Xbox 360 don't get me wrong the Xbox has a long list of great games but the system itself just sucks ive had 3 Xbox 360 now and they all ended up rrod on me i don't like the new interface Xbox has i know you can turn it off but that update seems pointless then people say oh Sony need to drop there price but i think it's good value at £283 with 4 games no more having to pay for xbox live which is good because it should be free anyway to play multiplayer online i mean if you have a pc with games for windows on you don't have to pay to play online so why should people have to pay for xbox live it's no different i just had anuff of Microsoft really

zune = failure
windows vista = failure
xbox 360 games = greatness
xbox 360 itself = failure

[hektop]

James you are going to make the best investment for your money, congratulations I own 2 Playstation 3 both original 60GB and would not change them for anything. The 60 GB are now 250 GB, but they are great machines 2 years and not a single problem, if you buy Sony you buy a high quality electronics product.

No I am not being paid by Sony, but people have to recognize quality when you see it, like Toyota name brand and so many good quality brands out there, Ferrari, BMW, etc.

[shadowfox6]

Home has just been launched & it still has years to develop, it's too early to judge it now(consoles should last till 2013 or more).

I'm optimistic about it, hopefully they'll add many features to make it more interesting.

[nix]

what would a pig know about human socialising place. see how easy it is to dumb things down.

it's too early to say. i've enjoyed it. if you like making friends then yeah.. you'll love this place.

as for the future, in a year or so, every game trailer or poster will bear a line that will say - "Visit us at Home only on PSN." that will say a lot.

[squallsoft]

...I can still respect other peoples opinions on Home. The only thing I think people need to remember is that this thing is still in Beta. Who knows what things Sony is planning on adding to this in the future. And its a free download also. So if it's yawn inducing for some right now, thats OK because you didn't have to shell out a dime for it. The one thing that I found interesting is though, my fiance (who isn't so much a gamer anymore)is very interested in it. The whole online virtual world thing is a great hook for the casual crowd (the same crowd that goes gaga over Mii's and 360 Avatars.) The fact that my fiance is impressed and using it (not being bored) is what I think SCEA is wanting. A hook for the casual player. For all of us that don't really like it so much (me included), there are plenty of other software options available to take up our gaming time (Uncharted, LBP etc.) Who knows, maybe through future updates, SCEA will address our complaints and give us more of a reason to start using it(ie: what they slowly have been doing with XMB functionality.) Until then, my fiance will be using home, and I will be playing Prince of Persia.

-Squall

[ultimolu]

...Wow, just wow.

No matter what Sony does, it will never be good in the eyes of the media.

[karlostomy]

Have you done anything that's cool?
have you bought clothes for your character?
Are the loading screens a pain
Do you own a virtual home?
What's cool?

Tell us about your experience with it, please.

[ultimolu]

Why do you care?
Is that any of your business?
I can play games, use Home, and watch movies all in one system.

Do you play with your avatars on XBL?

[pansenbaer]

Ha. Why do people still feel the need to call her Juuken? I find it hilarious. Almost like you feel special for knowing the person had a previous user name. Oh Karlos, its a beta and its been out for less than a week. Nobody is going to expect it to be perfect. While these articles may hold some truth, they are missing what Home is going to be when it gets going.

Remember when THIS beta launched?

http://www.informationweek....

"Gmail has a "definite creepiness factor," said Ari Schwartz, associate director of the Center for Democracy and Technology."

"Nevertheless, critics say the free storage--roughly the equivalent of 500,000 pages--isn't worth compromising individual privacy rights."

""Consumers really need to look this gift horse in the mouth because it has rotten teeth and bad breath," said Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a watchdog group."

People were skeptical and now its hard to argue that Gmail isn't the best free email client out there.

But you're right! There really isn't a whole lot to do in home right now. Most of what it had to offer, I did in the beta. Yesterday I went into all the stores to see what they had for sale and I went to the Far Cry 2 and Uncharted game spaces. The loading screens really aren't a huge pain. It takes maybe 10 seconds once you've already been somewhere. And everybody owns a home sir. Everybody starts with an apartment and there is a 'summer home' for sale in the estate store. So I don't know if ULTIMOLU feels the same way, but as of right now, yes, there is not a whole lot to do. People with a huge friends list that are online talking to them everyday might find it to be a huge step up, however. I'm giving it some time because I know what it has the potential to be.

[Panthers]

A lot of people use it and talk in it. It is an easy way to meet fellow gamers. Join a club that interests you or maybe a club from your state or town. Meet local gamers that way. This makes it much easier than trying to meet gamers in the real world.

[pcz]

it seems sony have created a house, rather than a home. ie- a cold, hollow shell, vacant of any warmth or 'feeling' that actually make a place a 'home.' obviously sony didn't think about what home actually means.

every single piece of coverage of this 'home,' is saying the same thing- disappointment. it was only destined for some criticism by some members of the gaming community, but on a whole, i would say home has been poorly received. possibly even poorly conceived.

sounds like a missed opportunity to me. as somebody who has been watching with interest in home, i feel it is a let down.

[Socomer 1979]

wow, the internet is really blowing things up outta proportion.

I use HOME alot now & really enjoy it.
For me its a chatroom with minigames to play.

Im having fun, its weird to me that some of you arent.
But the industry does pride themselves as being jaded and dead inside.
I wouldnt want to havng out with them.

Home really is a virtual hangout for me, and if I want to travel the world LOL I go to my japanese account & log on to home. Kuniciwa biotches.

Home needs a ton more arcades . More music . oh please sony knows what they are doing. I like thier style. Playstation 3 rules big time.

[Socomer 1979]

do you think im a whiny lil nerd ?

pcz, you should be a little more smart about your desicions. as you can see the entire journalist industry wants a pricecut or sony to die. you cant trust them at all.

use youtube to look at videos. at the same time judge home by what you were expecting. The media is steering people away from a ps3 and underminig home. you are supposed to feel let down by all the news.

Thats why we fight on N4g. we fight the powers that be. its a injustice but we all know once these guys get thier advertising spaces and special interviews from sony. they will turn on you faster than milk at the hot desert. Like it or not the media is a bunch of puppets too.

[pcz]

yeah, the media may have their ulterior motive.

if i had a ps3, i would still definitely check out home, it does look like a good idea, but its not encouraging to see the initial response it's getting.

it does have the potential to be amazing.

[PimpHandHappy]

if you dont own a PS3 and havnt used HOME then you have no right saying anything

i bet more then a few fewls on this site fit into that circle of ppl!

They also havnt played LBP but yet they say it sucks because sales dont match up to what they consider AAA

ITS FREE PPL
ITS ALSO STILL VERY YOUNG

[JohnnyChimpo]

Damn you N4G community are a bunch of goofs, I have never seen a website with so many whiny little b!tches you people have no lifes, pull your tiny little pen!ses out of your consoles and go get laid, remove the tit from your mouth and be a fvcking man already. Don't get me wrong, I to play games but you guys are obsessive compulsive, p!ss off and get some friends, a girl, a life

M$ rips off the consumer!