[Official] Playstation Home

[Ricardo Gil]

Haha, exactly :laugh: And this constant excuse about an evolving product ... It's almost impossible to make Home "Fun". Adding areas, activities, clothes, animations some user-interaction features or whatever is not going to turn that boat around. It's just the "core" of Home, walking around a virtual world doing bits and bobs.

That's one of the things I don't get. There's been a lot of talk about the tremendous potential Home has, but i guess all the potential has been found already. It has the capability to grow, yes, but only in size imo.

I'm really wondering what kind of new functionality they will come up with in order to garner more attention from the gamer crowd. What's next Sony, more arcade machines?

[Srugie Veteran]

I fail to see the point to Home.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

We'll be patching Home this Thursday and part of this change will be the first step in tackling the connection issues that you'll know as C-931 errors.

Its just a first step and we'll bring you more information later this week.

[Saladas]

Im in the us version of home, so how do i go there, i cant find them!! the farcry 2 and uncharted places :(

Edited December 16, 2008 by Saladas

[Si_]

It has the capability to grow, yes, but only in size imo.

I completely agree, all that will happen is there will be more areas to be bored in. The whole mechanic of Home is just uninteresting, period.

[Draken]

boring :( , where are the sex pose balls like in SL?

[-Nic-]

I completely agree, all that will happen is there will be more areas to be bored in. The whole mechanic of Home is just uninteresting, period.

Finally someone is saying this without a xbox gamertag in his signature. Maybe some people in this forum will see that it is not just "fanboys" who find Home extremely boring.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Finally someone is saying this without a xbox gamertag in his signature. Maybe some people in this forum will see that it is not just "fanboys" who find Home extremely boring.

No one said it was just fanboys :huh:

Even I find Home boring right now and won't be using it more till more content hits.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

I have not been able to even check out this latest version yet, I tried when it was released but since then have been to busy with personal stuff, but the actually aspects of it I wanted, like an easier way to join games with multiple people and some kind of party system, I believe are still are not working and actually have not been introduced yet correct? Unless I am missing something???

I personally believe they should have spent much more time on the XMB making that more friendly to friends lists and parties, etc. Home may wind up being amusing to a small percentage of PS3 owners, but for the grand scheme of things, it is IMO an utter failure and does nothing at all to help Sony entice and lure gamers who still are undecided to purchase a PS3 as they intended it to do. hence why I say it is a failure, as Sony really needs to focus on getting some more people buying the PS3, bottom line.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

I personally believe they should have spent much more time on the XMB making that more friendly to friends lists and parties, etc. Home may wind up being amusing to a small percentage of PS3 owners, but for the grand scheme of things, it is IMO an utter failure and does nothing at all to help Sony entice and lure gamers who still are undecided to purchase a PS3 as they intended it to do. hence why I say it is a failure, as Sony really needs to focus on getting some more people buying the PS3, bottom line.

For what it's worth, I mentioned earlier in this topic to Munky the team who work on the XMB, and the team who work on Home are independent of each other. He had a same fear as yourself, that development will shift to Home, and the XMB will be left behind.

SCEJ (Japan) works on the PS3 firmware updates/XMB and SCEE (London and Cambridge) work on Home.

And in terms of luring gamers, the only way they'll do that right now is with a cheaper price. It's the most expensive console out of the three by far, and when it's similar to the 360 in terms of gaming audience, many are going to go with the cheaper option. Home or the XMB aren't going to bring in masses, price will.

Look at the success of the 360 this month after cutting all the prices. The cheapest 360 is even undercutting the PS2 at times here in the UK (?99 vs ?120).

They've got two options

a) Stick with the high prices and run out the poor sales vs the competition till they can afford to cut price (next year at somepoint when they break even). In doing so hope that the loss in sales now, can be made up when the console cuts.

or

b) Cut the prices sooner than planned due to the numbers going against them, take the losses and hope the losses can be made up later. However this pushes the time they'll break even even further into the future.

In the current climate it's obvious what the sensible business option is, but we'll need to see the consequences in market share.

[Si_]

Even I find Home boring right now and won't be using it more till more content hits.

What i'm having a hard time seeing is just what content could be added to home to make it interesting?? IMO, the whole core mechanics of the experience just exude boredom, I don't see how a few themed areas or game items could make that better?

Sure, whatever comes along could be interesting for the few minutes it's new, but then you're back to doing whatever in Home or just not using it until something else comes out.... a massive waste of time and resources :/

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

What i'm having a hard time seeing is just what content could be added to home to make it interesting?? IMO, the whole core mechanics of the experience just exude boredom, I don't see how a few themed areas or game items could make that better?

Sure, whatever comes along could be interesting for the few minutes it's new, but then you're back to doing whatever in Home or just not using it until something else comes out.... a massive waste of time and resources :/

As I said earlier, I don't view Home as a replacement for anything.

It's an additional service I'll use occasionally and that will suit my needs. I'll leave all the others to spend nights and days socialising - Although from time to time I don't mind jumping on it for a game of bowling with some folk at Christmas or something.

When there's new game spaces, or game events like E3/GDC, or tournaments like the Red Bull thing I'll check them out, take part in any activities and probably try win some virtual clothing/unlocks and other stuff like that.

The red Bull video proves the Home engine can handle actual gameplay mechanics, so if Red Bull can make an actual game in Home, I don't see why others can't make games your avatars play in.

Look how popular a Kingdom of Kefflings (?) and Uno have been for the 360 since Avatars were included in them.

If Sony can expand on the red bull game and have leaderboards and stats tied to games your avatar actually plays IN, as oppose to ON (like arcade machines), they'll be sure to be good time wasters for people depending on the game quality.

[Jimmy0]

I might try and login again and join the Neowin club (if there are any spaces left?) on Thursday when this patch hits.

Every single time I have tried I have received a C-931 error.

[Si_]

I do find it pretty funny though, after the massive hype about how this was going to be the console killer/messiah/holy grail even it's staunchest supporters are "meh, maybe i'll jump in from time to time".

Hate to say it but I told you so :p

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

I do find it pretty funny though, after the massive hype about how this was going to be the console killer/messiah/holy grail even it's staunchest supporters are "meh, maybe i'll jump in from time to time".

Hate to say it but I told you so :p

If you bought into that kinda hype you were being a bit silly :p Just like anyone running around with the "x killer" remarks. Something doesn't have to kill something else to be successful you know :p The mentality this generation of there only being able to be ONE major FPS, ONE major online service, ONE successful console, blah blah, is quite tiresome. I like choice :D

A service like this is never going to be a "console killer", heck no consoles are going to be killed this generation. Every single one of them offers competent services to their users, each with pros/cons/likes/dislikes. And each one of them while slated for copying at times, offer unique quirks not seen on other consoles.

All Home does is add something fresh to the PS3, wither you like it or don't and wither you'll keep an eye on it's progress or will never load it again.

It's an independent development on the PS3, from two dedicated studios inside Sony, so we'll need to wait and see how it turns out for them in terms of revenue/worth and content. XMB updates/games/PSN/PSN store and everything else related to the PS3 will continue being developed alongside Home. It's not an case of "this" OR "this", it's "this" AND "this". I think there was fears at first of Home replacing the XMB, but that's not the case.

If you like, it's a sort of test bed service, no one really knows how successful it will be, Sony were just obviously willing to take a gamble and seen an opportunity in the console market.

With no direct competition as such, you're not competing against anyone but yourself, but that in itself can be a task, as you need to stay competent and deliver on your promises.

I'm excited to see what they turn it into, I mean, I'll be gaming on my PS3 for countless years to come, I ain't going anywhere in 6 months time... hopefully :laugh: But no, it's not exactly exciting right now, I can see that with my own eyes :p

Edited December 16, 2008 by Audioboxer

[Ricardo Gil]

Finally someone is saying this without a xbox gamertag in his signature. Maybe some people in this forum will see that it is not just "fanboys" who find Home extremely boring.

I guess most of us (or at least a good bunch) have multiple consoles, it's just that manually choosing what trophies we have won is a bit too tiresome. The gamercard is easier to place here so I guess that's the reason we see more of those... once Sony provides some kind of web service with Trophy info, who knows, things might change :)

[kyro]

damn, logged in after like 4 days i think , sent join request to neowin... tried to go near bowling... boring... logged out in 4 mins i think.

[Matrix XII]

Yeah honestly, Home was supposed to be bigger than Jesus second coming.

Seriously overrated.

[soniqstylz]

SCEJ (Japan) works on the PS3 firmware updates/XMB and SCEE (London and Cambridge) work on Home.

K, in that case, cut development on Home, and get back to making Getaway 3 and Eight Days.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

For what it's worth, I mentioned earlier in this topic to Munky the team who work on the XMB, and the team who work on Home are independent of each other. He had a same fear as yourself, that development will shift to Home, and the XMB will be left behind.

Well, let me first state, I have been pretty vocal since Home's announcement it was not for me, so I may now be extra harsh on it, and very well may continue to be.

Now that I know what you say above, than I suggest Sony now take 80% of the Home development team, and put them on with the XMB development team. Reason being is the XMB should have aspects of Home built right into it IMO, so I am imagining the Home development team can help them. The other 20% that is left can continue developing clothes and pretty poor browser based games (again my opinion), and of course some more dance moves for the avatars. Oh, maybe they can throw in a bigger bowling alley as well.

I just believe Home is / was / will always be an absolute failure and absolutely the wrong direction and focus. I really feel Sony are clueless. IGN recently interviewed someone from Sony about 2009, and when asked what they were concentrating on for 2009 and the PS3, they said they were listening to the community, and that it was PSP connectivity. WHAT? I even admit that is a cool feature, but cm-on now, is that really what the PS3 community is screaming for? To me that just shows how clueless they actually are.

Sad thing is I do and always will feel the PS3 is a damn good gaming console. I really feel Little Big Planet alone makes it that, never-mind some other exclusives I also feel make it a great console. I just think Home does nothing at all for the strength of the PS3 overall. It is not a selling point, at least IMO.

[Bloodwork]

I hope they never market Home as a major selling point. The potential is definitely there, but the Home as we have it now is barely worth launching. I do however think a very unique options for the PS3 would be having Home as an option to totally take over XMB functions (ie. PS3 w/ TV in the apartment to launch games and movies, computer to launch PS store and internet, and the PDA for accessing friends and options).

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

I do however think a very unique options for the PS3 would be having Home as an option to totally take over XMB functions (ie. PS3 w/ TV in the apartment to launch games and movies, computer to launch PS store and internet, and the PDA for accessing friends and options).

I'll sell my PS3 if that happens :no:

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

I'll sell my PS3 if that happens :no:

He said "as an option".

It already is an option right now to do some of what the XMB does and I can only assume the list of what can be done in it will grow.

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

D'oh, he even bolded it.

Sorry still waking up :p

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

D'oh, he even bolded it.

Sorry still waking up :p

Lucky you, I was up an 6.30 to get a 7.30 bus for a 9am exam and I was up till like 1am last night :p

I knew you'd misread. Even although half the NW GH seems to be keen to sell their PS3s, I didn't think you would if Home/XMB were separate :p