Sony finally does something right

[Xero Kaiser]

I can't even lie...this is pretty cool.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/clips/gdc07-clip-the-ps3s-home-242341.php

[Royal]

I can't even lie...this is pretty cool.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/clips/gdc07-clip-the-ps3s-home-242341.php

Let's see what level of autonomy one is given before we say it's "right".

[Xero Kaiser]

Maybe, but the fact that, "LOL Sony" isn't the first thought that springs to mind should count for something

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

...

*Blink*


Holy censored.


That's actually kinda cool.

[Mike Pothier]

Ditto on everything. Thats awesome.

[DrewTheXenocide]

Yay! Sexual deviance in HD!

[SAMAS]

Oh look, Sony's about to put Second Life out of business! :D

The Sims might be in trouble too, unless EA gets permission to make a Sims-style skin or something.

Pretty cool, though. I just know where this is going. For good and ill.

[The Fury]

If I ever get a PS3...well, needless to say I'll no longer be able to afford it as I'll porbably lose my job. :p

[Sparda]

I admit that does look pretty cool. Sadly I smell lawsuit coming up though. Still a cool idea though.

[zeroEDGE]

I don't really know what to expect from PS3's home until it actually comes out, but from what it looks like right now is just an MMORPG without the fighting. The only thing I find cool about this is the use as a giant lobby to play other games online with other people.

[Kevin M.]

Looks very cool. Just a matter to see if Sony can pull it off with out a hitch.

[supremecomicgeek]

I love the sims games, but get immensely bored of them after a while. This is basically the sims in HD. Still looks frick'n awesome though.

[Black Atom]

I saw this a couple days ago and yeah, I'm impressed. As a match-making vehicle, this looks pretty damned awesome. Good job, Sony.

[cactusmaac]

Match-making?

80% of the users will be horny young males.

[Chiasm]

80% of the users will be horny young males.

Only problem is that of the 20% registered as female, 99% of them will be males pretending to be female.

[BlairH]

That's awesome. I almost feel like taking back everything bad I've said about Sony.

[Black Atom]

Match-making?

80% of the users will be horny young males.

Well, I meant match-making for multiplayer gaming. The online pervo factor is an unwanted, yet inevitable byproduct.

[Lester C.]

You guys might find this story interesting. I know I did.

Sony opens up on Home
In a note to developers, Sony confirms 15,000-user beta in April, 50,000-user beta in August; company trying to make Home under 500MB.
By Tim Surette, GameSpot
Posted Mar 12, 2007 2:58 pm PT
Home, sweet Home. That was the reaction from PlayStation 3 owners to Sony's keynote address at GDC 2007, where Phil Harrison unveiled the 3D online community for the PS3.

However, the sampling demonstrated that day didn't include all the hard facts that future Home owners wanted to know. In a documented floated out by Sony to developers, some of those missing questions were answered.

First and foremost, the Home closed beta is scheduled to kick off in April with 15,000 users. This first stage of the beta will run through August, at which point it enter the open beta phase and opens up to approximately 50,000 users. The free service, which Sony is trying to get under 500MB in size, is scheduled to go live in October.

The Central Lounge, which is a starting point for virtual meet-and-greets, will have a cap of 64 concurrent users. Like online chat rooms, there will be several active Central Lounges on the network to accommodate users.

Though currently PS3 only, Sony is hoping to expand Home to be accessed by the PlayStation Portable and mobile phones, but admits it will be limited access. Sony did not say what features will be accessible or when other devices could connect to Home.

Currently, meeting someone in Home and then playing a multiplayer game with them requires both parties to exit Home and enter the game manually, but Sony says that eventually, everything will be seamless. Likewise, Home will eventually become accessible directly through a game that is being played.

At the present time, Home is not a persistent world. Gamers can not visit their friends' apartments unless their friends are logged in. "We are working on the persistent aspect of Home, and expect to implement it in the long term," says the note.

Among the other tidbits of information: users will be able to make money through online user-to-user auctions, there will be no child avatars, and lobbies will likely be localized and divided by region
www.gamespot.com

[hoffmandu]

So.......call me a caveman here but, what hell do you do in the game? If I wanted to play dress-up I'd by a Barbie.

[Royal]

So.......call me a caveman here but, what hell do you do in the game? If I wanted to play dress-up I'd by a Barbie.

It's a virtual chat room/instant messenger....with interactive games.

A Sony version of Second Life (http://secondlife.com/) without the furries and ability to create and sell things.

[Xero Kaiser]

So.......call me a caveman here but, what hell do you do in the game? If I wanted to play dress-up I'd by a Barbie.

It's not an actual game. Just imagine Xbox Live marketplace where you can actually walk around

[Black Atom]

It's a virtual chat room/instant messenger....with interactive games.

A Sony version of Second Life (http://secondlife.com/) without the furries and ability to create and sell things.

Really, it's only a matter of time.

I wonder who asked about the child avatars.

[hoffmandu]

It's not an actual game. Just imagine Xbox Live marketplace where you can actually walk around

Um...........what? Anyone else think this is a ridiculous gimmick? Seems void of gaming fun as well.

[G. Wayne]

Um...........what? Anyone else think this is a ridiculous gimmick? Seems void of gaming fun as well.

What he said.

Not a bad idea on paper, but once people actually get their hands on it...

*shudders*

[Xero Kaiser]

Um...........what? Anyone else think this is a ridiculous gimmick?

It's an expanded version of Xbox Live (assuming nothing goes horribly wrong between now and it's release), everybody loves Xbox Live...so what's the problem?

Seems void of gaming fun as well.

And for the 2nd time, it's not a damn game. That's like joining a voice/video chat on Xbox Live and asking about the replay value. Good lord people...

[Agent Helix]

Man, I can't wait for the day where I have to virtually run and catch a bus to the lobby every time I want to play a game with my friends.

Plain and simple, this is a pretty looking gimmick. It's a fancy chat-room with avatars. EXCITING.

[cactusmaac]

Yeah. When I log onto XBox Live, I go straight for a multi-player game. I don't want to arse around in a virtual world. Voice comm is good enough.

[Xero Kaiser]

It's a sad, backwards day when I'm defending the PS3...

I'm the biggest, "LAWL Sony" guy here and even I don't get the hate. It's not mandatory, you don't have to do this to play online, you can jump straight from Home to whatever game you want to play. This is just a cool little extra that they're adding onto their online system.

Yes, it's a gimmick...so? They could've went with a barebones online system that nobody would care about (i.e. whatever they're using right now) or they could've gone that extra mile. If you don't want to mess with it, you don't have to, but it's still a nice addition.

[Agent Helix]

Sure, it's cute. But it's not worth heaping praise on Sony for basically cribbing a bunch of older ideas and lumping them all into an essentially useless novelty.

[Black Atom]

I think it's a good move. It sets them apart from Microsoft's Live, which they weren't going to do any better. And people dig customization and personalizing stuff, so I think they'll be into it. It's a gimmick, but so what? This is a christing gaming industry--whoeever said it has to be 100% utilitarian?

[hoffmandu]

I'm not hating on it, just think it's dumb is all. So has Sony finally done something right? My answer is no. This does nothing for me.

[MakeshiftHero]

I think it's really cool and a great idea. Plus it's free of charge! But all this really is, is a mix between an online chat room, mini games you can play on any game Web site, with a little bit of "The Sims" game put into it. All the other consoles have their own version of this. But seeing how this is the most recent one it's the one that has more bells and whistles ( kick ass bells and whistles might I add). It just has more custom features than Wii's "Mii" and you can download movies and what not into it. But just like The Sims, I know this will become pretty addicting when you start customizing your character, house, trophy room and everything else to come.

[Alex]

I don't get why people are hyped about this.
Take every complaint that has gone sonys way, too expensive, still has a lack of good exclusives...exclusives in general atm, it's still there.
They added the sims to their online...yay!
So now, before i play the games i can play on 360 online, i can make a dude with a purple shirt and chat with people.
Because i know the problems sony is having will be solved by this, surely it's a turning point.
Gimme MGS4 you bastards.

[Xero Kaiser]

Because i know the problems sony is having will be solved by this, surely it's a turning point.

I don't recall anyone saying that.

[SAMAS]

Check Blair H at the top of the previous page. I think it's the closest you get in this thread.

[hoffmandu]

I don't recall anyone saying that.

Ahh, but the question here is "has Sony finally done something right".........i'm not sure this .........whatever it is, is any answer to Sony's ps3 issue. I don't think this accomplishes anything for the system........at all.

[Black Atom]

Speaking for myself, this is the first announcement I've heard from Sony re: the PS3 that hasn't inspired me to point and laugh. Lo and behold, it's actually a cool idea. Sure, some people aren't into it, but I bet lots more will be. If you doubt that, check out the buzz it's generating--its actually positive for a change. So, yes, Sony has done something right.

[zuludelta]

Interesting move on Sony's part. The dedicated social networking angle is a good way to distinguish their service from anything Microsoft currently offers on their consoles.

Still, not to come off as wry or anything, but I think the service's adoption outside of being a game-matching service similar to XBox Live will largely depend on how far Sony will tolerate their user base's online sexual proclivities. If the last few years have taught us anything, it's that most emergent internet technologies' successes are tied into how they make it easier to get the wired population's virtual rocks off (file-sharing services, Google, live messaging, and MySpace are a few examples that come readily to mind).

[SAMAS]

Hell, just look at Second Life.

But I could see some cool things being done with it. Like games having special clothing or furniture sets that you can find or download based off what's in the game. Imagine being able to wear Nero or Dante's coat if you get Devil May Cry 4, or scale mecha models in the next Gundam/Armored Core/Super Robot Wars game.

[Xero Kaiser]

Ahh, but the question here is "has Sony finally done something right"

If you can point out what they've done horribly wrong with Home, I'd like to hear it. If not, then yes, they've done something right. No, it doesn't single-handedly make up for every screw-up they've made up to this point. No, it doesn't make up for the lack of games or the high price.

But it's still cool, and it's about the only thing they haven't screwed up since the PS3 launch. That's all I'm saying. This isn't the Sony-messiah coming down to save the PS3, it's just a cool addition to their online model. Nothing more, nothing less

[Royal]

Hell, just look at Second Life.


Drawing tons of international business and commerce along with becoming what seems to be the next "platform" for political affairs in the field of technological issues.

Do you see someone like Sony pulling that off?

[SAMAS]

Drawing tons of international business and commerce along with becoming what seems to be the next "platform" for political affairs in the field of technological issues.

Do you see someone like Sony pulling that off?

Oh yeah, forgot about the positive stuff... :D

[hoffmandu]

If you can point out what they've done horribly wrong with Home, I'd like to hear it. If not, then yes, they've done something right. No, it doesn't single-handedly make up for every screw-up they've made up to this point. No, it doesn't make up for the lack of games or the high price.

But it's still cool, and it's about the only thing they haven't screwed up since the PS3 launch. That's all I'm saying. This isn't the Sony-messiah coming down to save the PS3, it's just a cool addition to their online model. Nothing more, nothing less

You're saying it's a step in the right direction for SOny? A program pretty much void of gaming fun, booted unto a platform priced at $600......which was supposedly built for video "gamers" to play state of the art games. I don't know, I think they should be pooring money into awesome games for this thing, nothing else. I mean come on, this thing has the specs to kill a bantha. Yet instead, I'm looking at software to play dress-up.

[Xero Kaiser]

You're saying it's a step in the right direction for SOny?

I said exactly what I meant. Stop trying to look for another meaning

it's just a cool addition to their online model. NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS

[hoffmandu]

I said exactly what I meant. Stop trying to look for another meaning

LOL! Take it easy dude, just trying to discuss.........you're kind of swaying on the ropes of "yes" and "no".

[Xero Kaiser]

? I thought I was taking it easy. Big bold letters =/= anger

But yeah, I just thought this was cool, that's really about it. I'm still not buying a PS3 anytime soon.

[hoffmandu]

? I thought I was taking it easy. Big bold letters =/= anger

But yeah, I just thought this was cool, that's really about it. I'm still not buying a PS3 anytime soon.

Hmmm, that raises an interesting question. How many of us here actually do own one. Cause I sure as shit don't. This is gonna be hilarious if the count comes up zero.

[Xero Kaiser]

Dunno...nobody ever seems to talk about what little games there are, so I'd be surprised if more than 1 person had one, if that.

For what it's worth, the fact that God of War 3 is coming out for the PS3 guarantees that I will be getting one.

[BlairH]

Hmmm, that raises an interesting question. How many of us here actually do own one. Cause I sure as shit don't. This is gonna be hilarious if the count comes up zero.

As of the 23rd March I'll (probably) own one.

[Alex]

But it's still cool, and it's about the only thing they haven't screwed up since the PS3 launch. That's all I'm saying. This isn't the Sony-messiah coming down to save the PS3, it's just a cool addition to their online model. Nothing more, nothing less

Ok then.

I admit i misunderstood what people were saying, but i do think Sony could spend it's time in better ways then this.
I would debate that it is cool though.
Second Life is defintly not cool.

[Alex]

Drawing tons of international business and commerce along with becoming what seems to be the next "platform" for political affairs in the field of technological issues.

Do you see someone like Sony pulling that off?

Also being the number 1 place on the internet for people to give themselves fox heads and skin vaginas onto them. also, interactive spam and avatar fueld jackassery.
Second Life is the most horrible thing technology has given us.

[Royal]

Also being the number 1 place on the internet for people to give themselves fox heads and skin vaginas onto them. also, interactive spam and avatar fueld jackassery.
Second Life is the most horrible thing technology has given us.

So it's not your thing. *shrug*

[Xero Kaiser]

....what the hell is second life?

I could google it, but I'm lazy

[Black Atom]

A system should be worth it's price in killer apps (that's at least 12 by my count, assuming PS3 games are going for $50) before it makes it onto my must-have list. So while Home is pretty cool, it's far from selling me on PS3.

[GremlinClr]

....what the hell is second life?

I could google it, but I'm lazy

Oh, I get it now. You're saying Home is cool because you have no idea what Second Life is. Google it, seriously.

Home is Second Life in HD. Truthfully a gimped version of Second Life because you can't make your own items or presumably own land in Home. And it'll be full of the lovely microtransactions so your avatar can wear Nike shoes or have Ikea furniture. Bleh.

Little Big Planet looked pretty cool though.

[Urusai Wrangler]

....what the hell is second life?

I could google it, but I'm lazy

Ever see that episode of Futurama when they all went into a virtual internet? That's what Second Life is...everything good and bad about the internet given visual form.

[Xero Kaiser]

That's what Second Life is...everything good and bad about the internet given visual form.

.....there's booty shaking videos in Second Life? I'm there

[Alex]

So it's not your thing. *shrug*

You nerd.
*Plays Saves the Day in his virtual apartment*

[Royal]

You nerd.
*Plays Saves the Day in his virtual apartment*

Hey, I'm just in it for kicks.

And the apartment is rent free.

[cactusmaac]

Dunno...nobody ever seems to talk about what little games there are, so I'd be surprised if more than 1 person had one, if that.

For what it's worth, the fact that God of War 3 is coming out for the PS3 guarantees that I will be getting one.

I'll be getting one shortly before PS4 comes out.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

I'll be getting one shortly before PS4 comes out.

*LOL* I so agree with this.

Plus, Xbox360 has a higher position in my list.

The PS3 is (insert expletive here) expensive right now, and Sony has stated that they have no plans of making it any cheaper anytime soon.

I like the idea, but I won't die if I don't own a PS3 with a broadband internet connection.

[Urusai Wrangler]

.....there's booty shaking videos in Second Life? I'm there

I'm sure if you look around enough, someone's got them running. The number of ways to make real-world cash in Second Life without spending a dime are staggering.

[(A)//(E)]

i can't wait for 4chan to raid this. POOLS CLOSED, /B/LACKUP, etc.

[Royal]

Update from Three Speech (http://threespeech.com/blog/?p=376)'s interview with Phil Harrison:

Everything in Home and LittleBigPlanet adheres to the parental controls established on the PlayStation Network. In addition to that, any user on Home can quickly disassociate with any person on their Friends list. The concept of Home doesn’t change any of the consumer functionality that’s part of the PSN, anyway. Within the public spaces, there will be moderation and community management resources.

There are three [money making] revenue channels for Home: 1) object sales, 2) advertising and 3) b-to-b, where partner brands are embedded into the network.

I think you’re way oversimplifying by suggesting Second Life and Home are the same. In Home, you get a character and a 3D world, and that’s where the similarity ends. Second Life does some brilliant things but with Home, we’re providing a service. Therefore, the tone of voice is what will differentiate it – Home is about entertainment, it has a game focus, and it’s about sharing with a like-minded community. We don’t give users the level of influence over the environment, behaviour and object definitions that Second Life does – it’s as secure as any other PS3 game. With some of the operating system protocols that are built into the Cell chip, it’s about as secure as you can be on a consumer device.

I think it's safe to say that if you're single, reasonably minded and would like a little bit more control over your virtual environment without messing with griefers, furries and over done advertising on Overtkill, HOME is definitly not for you.

Control over your environment? What will the consumer want next? Free choice? That's a laugh and a half.

[Royal]

If you can point out what they've done horribly wrong with Home, I'd like to hear it.

No autonomy. You live under Sony's rule. They can recreate your virtual pad anytime they want to. Make every one look dorky. Even delete your account just because.

You're under the tyranny of the great god, Sony. Fear his wraith.