Lots of New Home Screens! - Undergone look-and-feel alterations


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PlayStation 3's virtual environment has undergone look-and-feel alterations

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.

The virtual world environment, first shown to the public in 2006, has had significant changes made to Home Square and the entrance points to other areas, as well as other places such as the Theatre.

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.

Additionally the entrance points to key content areas - the Theatre and the Bowling Alley - have been redesigned so that they're much more recognisable.

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.

One of the premium rooms displayed was called Norwegian Lodge, a large wood cabin, much bigger than the basic apartment, and while all of the existing apartment designs were based on real-world locations, Festejo commented that he could see more fantastic options, such as a room in the clouds, becoming available should there be user demand for it.

PlayStation Home is currently on track for a Spring 2008 launch, and will be free to download for all PlayStation 3 users.

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

Source: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=32590

Lots of new home screens have surfaced! Outside looks to have a dfferent look.

These screens come from a build that is rumoured to be finding its way into testers hands pretty soon :yes:

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Source & More screens: http://www.jp.playstation.com/ps3/home/

If you visit the above link you can see some extra screens in the flash movie of the outside lobby area.

(here they are for those too lazy)

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Even more new shots here (including what looks like new bowling alley/theatre) - http://www.gamersyde.com/news_5875_en.html

Edited by Audioboxer
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man.. everytime i see more screen shots of Home I really ask myself if I should pick up a ps3.... in no way do i actually need to have one.. esp since I barely have time to play COD4 on my 360... but something about this... my income tax check should be here around march...hmmm..

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Looks ok.. but what's it for? what's the point?

If I can't be a nude sackboy, then why bother. :p

*faceplant* :p

Chow down on this - PLAYSTATION?3 Home Information Thread>

http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstatio...p;thread.id=363

Basically put, it's Sonys way of going head on against Live. Like Live they'll support Home for an "infinite" amount of years as it will be the new face of PS.

Just in the same way people don't like Live, people won't/don't like Home. It's popularity ranges from those who are dieing to get it, to those who think claim it's a waste of time. Social networking, and 3D representations of yourself are very popular though, so even with haters, this is a small risk business venture for Sony IMO, and they will bring in masses of profits through micro-transactions and advertising (Home itself is free, but there are optional things to spend money on - You will not however require to spend money to use Home or it's features).

If you think people pay on average a few dollars a month for Live, but Home enthusiasts who pay for premium furniture/content will no doubt spend more than that a month. On the other end of the scale though, a lot of people won't pay squat for anything premium in Home and use the basic stuff, but advertising will still cover those like this.

By advertising I mean things like the posters shown in the Home lobby or posters in the theatre - So you may see game adverstisements (what you see in the Home beta just now), but one day like in a normal cinema this may be Rolex adverts/car adverts ect.

Rumoured to be in Home one day is a virtual mall where you visit actual shops by companies, such as a Nike shop for example, where you buy things in Home, and they get delivered to your ACTUAL home:pp Somewhere like a Nike store would also no doubt sell premium Home content, in other words Nike clothes for your actual Home character - Either way Nike would pay a % of sales to Sony.

Edited by Audioboxer
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Wow, it's unfolding before my eyes but I can't believe it - the PS3 is making its comeback. Dang, if only I could find another few hundred dollars...

Then again, you don't exactly need Home to experience all this, do you? What about Second Life (I haven't tried it myself, just asking out of curiosity)? :s

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Wow, it's unfolding before my eyes but I can't believe it - the PS3 is making its comeback. Dang, if only I could find another few hundred dollars...

Then again, you don't exactly need Home to experience all this, do you? What about Second Life (I haven't tried it myself, just asking out of curiosity)? :s

People compare both of these all the time.

The social side of each is very similar (being able to talk with people, use emotes, have friends, have a "home" to live in).... however Home is made on the backbone of gaming, so it's not just going to be an app to launch to talk to people.

You'll have PS3 gaming content inside of Home (trailers/developer presentations/ect), and Home itself is going to be used for the trophies you earn from games (Sonys approach to a gamerscore/gamercard). Not to mention PS3 games being able to launched in Home with your friends to jump right into a 2/3/4 player co-op SP experience, or a MP experience.

People you meet in Second Life may have nothing in common with you, but everyone you meet in Home owns a PS3 and must be interested in Sony/gaming to some extent to drop $xxx on a PS3.

So IMO people who go Home = Second Life, are being naive/don't know everything about Home, and people who outright go Home is not Second Life, are kidding themselves to an extent, as yes, many things are similar.

Biggest gap for me? Second Life is on the PC, Home is on a console - Ties into my Home is made for gamers, Second Life is made for anyone theory. ;)

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Look nice, but I'm sure they could do better graphics...

To an extent, maybe, but consider that once it goes live, there will be thousands if not millions walking around at any one time.

Could be more like New York City than GTA4 ;)

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*faceplant* :p

Chow down on this - PLAYSTATION?3 Home Information Thread>

http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstatio...p;thread.id=363

Social networking, and 3D representations of yourself are very popular though,

Um NO...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/31/my..._comscore_drop/

Looks like it's missed the boat.

I can't think of a more waste of time than to 'play' this.

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Why would anyone want to play this? am i the only one that thinks its stupid? Go the pub and socialise!!!

First of all it's not a game, you don't "play" Home. It's the infastructure Sony are building on to support the PS3, multimedia functions and the games released on the PS3.

Secondly, that argument holds no fruit whatsoever.

FIFA - Why virtually play football, go outside and do it for real!

GT - Why drive a ?100k car in a game, go buy it and drive it for real!

The Sims - Why design a fantasy world, go buy a 300k house, and look for a job as a Mad Scientist in a newspaper!

People do things like this as virtual reality is a break away from the restrictions of real life.

How can I talk to people I don't know in Japan easily/for no cost?

What is wrong with making friends in a social enviroment? Hell im on a message board, it's part of the very basis of social interaction! I would never of made friends with/came across half you guys if I didn't start posting here!

Is it worth the man hours to paint my actual bedroom 400 times today just to experiment and see what it's like? I'll enjoy designing things virtually in my Home apartment.

I can understand Home not being for you, but please, the whole "go do it for real" argument is tiresome for gamers/people to hear. Gaming is based around virtual reality, and being able to do things in life, easy or hard, possible or impossible.

Um NO...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/31/my..._comscore_drop/

Looks like it's missed the boat.

I can't think of a more waste of time than to 'play' this.>

Well don't but there is nothing wrong with other people wanting to.

This is not facebook - Please don't tell me one article on the register = The worldwide collapse of social networking.

Home is designed for PS3 owners and gamers, not for every 12 year old girl who acts 20 and wants a myspace/facebook page.

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Why would anyone want to play this? am i the only one that thinks its stupid? Go the pub and socialise!!!

Nah you're not the only one.

It looks really nice, I'll give them that, but I don't think I'd choose Home over just navigating menus to get to all the things I want. Not to mention I'd rather meet up with people in the game I'm playing, rather than in a virtual environment and hope that they have the same game I have and will want to play it at the same time as myself.

I'm sure it'll be popular though, barring any stupid moves by Sony (and believe me I wouldn't be surprised).

-Spenser

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Nah you're not the only one.

It looks really nice, I'll give them that, but I don't think I'd choose Home over just navigating menus to get to all the things I want. Not to mention I'd rather meet up with people in the game I'm playing, rather than in a virtual environment and hope that they have the same game I have and will want to play it at the same time as myself.

I'm sure it'll be popular though, barring any stupid moves by Sony (and believe me I wouldn't be surprised).

Who said HOME is replacing all of the above? :huh:

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meh, Sony have been promising this for ages and still haven't delivered, until they release it I couldn't careless :p I used to think it was cool and was looking forward to giving it ago, but now it seems like vaporware to me, Sony keep promising it and they keep not delivering it. Sure there are screenshots that prove it is real and how people in the closed Beta can play it...but what about the rest of us? it seems fairly pointless right now when only a select few can use it. Still I guess this is Sony all over, making bold promises and not delivering :/

Edited by Xerxes
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360 fanboys seem to think that sony is out to replace life, lol, people will use this service in vastly different ways, the customization and feature set is what draws everyone in. People will like different things about it, as for it getting boring right away, does the sims get boring right away? or for that matter any game? (i can think of plenty, doesn't mean they're not for everyone) Does the xbox dash get old quickly? I mean, all those bright colors... jk jk

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