Sony: Give PS3 Home another chance

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 24 February, 2011

"It has come on in leaps and bounds."

Sony has urged PlayStation 3 gamers to give its virtual world Home another chance.

"I hear all the time, 'I logged on when it first launched but there was nothing there' – but I urge people to go back on there," Home platform director Peter Edward told Develop.

"It's been two years. We were always very proud of what we had achieved for launch, but we're the first to admit it was basic back then.

"Two years down the line it has come on in leaps and bounds, is vibrant, full of cool content and great games to play. It's free – those who aren't going in there are really missing out. If you think Home is what it was two years ago, do yourself a favour and have another look, you won't be disappointed."

Home enjoys 17 million registered users, contains at least 236 games and maintains profitability through the sale of 7000 high-margin virtual items, but has suffered criticism from the press and gamers since its 2008 launch for an apparent lack of compelling content.

Edward, however, is convinced that is no longer the case, and described the typical Home user as very similar to the average PS3 gamer.

"They're not that different from the PS3 demographic," he said. "But we find the more engaged, more active users are on there. Almost 'the hardcore of the hardcore' – but there's also a broad skew to the demographic. So we have a slightly more female, and wider age group logging on as well. But the most active are the more average gamers, and they are the most receptive to the idea of spending money in Home.

"Amongst all those users, the average time spent on Home each time they log on is one hour, so they really are engaged – they're in there hoovering up content, talking to other users."

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (81) Latest comment 1 year ago

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  • MiniAmin #1 1 year ago

    Sony: Give PS3 Home another chance

    No.

  • Geordiemp #2 1 year ago

    Tried it, took an age to load every little section or area I went to, got bored waiting on the loading screen.

    Maybe if you could download overnight the core experience, instead of having to do it while watching the screen.....?

    Not clever sony...

  • sebsal #3 1 year ago

    Its pish and takes up too much space on my 60gb drive

  • chris_ace #4 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 11:55:13 13-12-2011

  • Subdominator #5 1 year ago

    Wow, they must be really desperate to start begging. Unfortunately for them there are no second chances. Home sucked when it came out and nobody wants to try it again. Just like it won't matter how great Killzone 3 is. The first game in the series sucked and they can't force people to buy a burnt IP. It's all about first impressions.

  • Mkwone #6 1 year ago

    "Amongst all those users, the average time spent on Home each time they log on is one hour, so they really are engaged – they're in there hoovering up content, talking to other users."

    Tbh though they're probably spending that hour queing to play some minigame that they try for a couple of minutes and regret the time they wasted

  • lexxx #7 1 year ago

    "an apparent lack of compelling content"

    indeed. so what *specifically* has changed? there's no detail in the director's comments

  • TONYgr #8 1 year ago

    I checked it again 2 months ago,it didn't have anything that was interesting for me PERSONALLY.
    Edited by TONYgr at 24/02/11 @ 12:04

  • DavidBoring #9 1 year ago

    i gave home some chances and it really got better everytime, but it is just not my cup of tea

  • TheEarlOfZinger #10 1 year ago

    I'm tempted to have a look, but my 40gb phat is already straining.
    Edited by TheEarlOfZinger at 24/02/11 @ 12:00

  • stepneg #11 1 year ago

    The problem with Home is that it's just so pointless, go through the hassle of installing it just to be faced with slow loading times and the option of playing some crappy mini games.

  • JBlokeUK #12 1 year ago

    Got fed up with waiting for every. single. screen to load. Seemed to take forever and a day to get on it.

    Haven't used Home about a year now, and have no desire to go back on it.

  • Whitster #13 1 year ago

    I just struggle to see what the point of it all is?

  • Mnia786 #14 1 year ago

    Its not bad but I only ever went on it a few times at the start with a couple of mates and played bowling. Since then, not really touched as no-one is ever using it and I'm not a fan of engaging alot of conversation with strangers...

  • Yuroko #15 1 year ago

    Loads more content but it's still a clunky waste of time. It's fun annoying people on there for 20 minutes but that's it.

  • nickthegun #16 1 year ago

    If I log on and there arent gangs of male avatars groin thrusting at a lone female avatar, Home will truly have moved on.

  • phycus #17 1 year ago

    Doesn't interest me sorry, besides it was constant downloading of areas when i tried it that annoyed me the most.

  • Zackv4861 #18 1 year ago

    I logged on a few weeks ago since owning my PS3 over a year and a half now and to be honest it has come a long way since launch. However the only thing that did interest me was the Assassin's creed section with cool movie a prequal to the second game. Other than that it still feels to much of a waste of my precious time that i would much rather be playing games and earning trophies.

  • Kenshin001 #19 1 year ago

    Went on there to check out the Killzone space. Still has the long loading times for every single space, shit minigames and sterile atmosphere. Oddly, it was full of people though. Really wish the Home devs would sit down with a bunch of gamers and ask them how to improve it. Think that's the problem, it needs to be more like a game with the related fluidity and freedom.

  • toa_boa #20 1 year ago

    Me: Never :-)

  • X201 #21 1 year ago

    Its become one of those things that its trendy to disparage.


  • CraigMcG #22 1 year ago

    bleh

  • Psychotext #23 1 year ago

    Nope.

  • billythekid #24 1 year ago

    "Its become one of those things that its trendy to disparage. "

    No, it is actually shit.

  • Gurgeh #25 1 year ago

    @Whitster "I just struggle to see what the point of it all is? "

    From the article:
    "maintains profitability through the sale of 7000 high-margin virtual items"

  • MiniAmin #26 1 year ago

    Sony have a plethora of great exclusives this year, so why on earth would I want to try Home?

  • funkateer #27 1 year ago

    "...described the typical Home user as very similar to the average PS3 gamer. "

    Well Duh!

  • menage #28 1 year ago

    Seeing that I have a 40BG PS3 and it takes up 4 G at least: NO

    I could switth hardrives, but due to a corrupted bit it won't back up.

  • KrazyFace #29 1 year ago

    I have to say, I'm not surprised by these comments, like someone here said "first impressions last". The unfortunate thing for Home is that it was dreamed up by that guy that left because of frustration (I forget his name now), and instead of it becoming what it was supposed to be, it became just a place to socialise and buy virtual fluff. It was supposed to have been intergrated with games much more than it is now, sure you get the odd developer that makes bits and bobs for it, but they seem to be held back in doing much for it at all.

    The reason Home (in Europe) isn't getting the attention it deserves is because each country that makes up the EU servers has a different law regarding content, copyright and all things in between. The American Home is far more popular and useful than that of the EU region as it dosen't have to contend with such things. While America's Home has TV shows, User shows, video streaming from HDD into your spaces, photo sharing via your walls etc. we have none of that. There is still no word of a trophy room, and only now are games begining to have link-up and drop-out spaces for groups of friends.

    I might just add that I am a Home user, and enjoy interacting with the vast ammount of people who are on there. It's a LOT faster than it used to be, which means no sitting watching loading bars for ages anymore. It's good for a random chat but definitly comes into it's own once you have friends who you can share the experience with.

  • Ducklord #30 1 year ago

    Has it got proper game launching from Home yet? I'm sure that was one of the major selling-points originally, but I don't think I ever saw it happen?

  • RevanNL #31 1 year ago

    Why would anyone give dumb ideas a second chance?

  • Ryze #32 1 year ago

    Ryze: I did:

    - It still takes too long to update
    - It still takes too long to explore new areas due to downloading
    - It still takes too long to load new areas
    - It's still fucking boring
    - It's still not integrated well enough with any games

    Why have I not been able to jump from a game's multiplayer menu, into its Home space (QUICKLY!), to match up with fellow gamers??????????!!!!

    - It's still not integrated AT ALL into the XMB and friendslist

    Why can't I see from the XMB what my friends are doing in Home, chat to them from the XMB, and jump directly from the XMB to join them in the same room (QUICKLY!!!!), then invite others in from whereever they are on the PS3?????

    Why can't I customise my own apartment ON THE INTERNET, using a web based app, and check out an overview of upcoming events in home??????

    There should be 'webcams' letting me view what's going on in each space, from a special website. I should be able to check if my friends are in home, and message them from here.

    Bands should be able to put on avatar and video-based performances ON A REGULAR BASIS - these should be promoted ON THE XMB in the same way that the PSN content is.

    Stand-up comedy, Developer Q&As, Exclusive games previews, Interviews, Competitions...

    WAKE UP!!!!

    They're just trying to sell avatar T-shirts here. NOT INTERESTED.

    Sony simply 'can't do' networked software and services very well - even in 2011, it seems.

    /WAITS FOR NGP network and service fuckups...
    Edited by Ryze at 24/02/11 @ 12:39

  • djm99 #33 1 year ago

    Long loading times, clunky and i don't see many people, i get see-through images of people. The whole experience for me is awkward.

  • Steroyd #34 1 year ago

    Well giving people who complete the Killzone mini game 3 unlock points is a step in the right direction.

    Plus it's trailers sold me on 2 minis games, damn advertising.

  • Olemak #35 1 year ago

    I tried having a look very recently, after I upgraded to a 500 GB HDD.

    But Home won't let me connect, so there's something wrong with their servers. I'd look into issues like that if they want to attract more users.

  • elephant_stone #36 1 year ago

    @KrazyFace

    Good post. Nice constructive criticisms!

    I dip into Home once every few months or so just to see what new stuff there is. I was really excited when Phil Harrison was first banding it around.....but its just filled with mini games and mico transactions at the moment...

    The game integration could have been so much more! Even game launching is limited to just a handful of titles.

  • Freek #37 1 year ago

    Same problem MMOs have: you only get one chance to make a first impression, mess it up and your audiance is gone forever. Doesn't matter if you fix it after the fact, people already dislike it.

  • carrotcake #38 1 year ago

    I almost made some friends there once. I think most of all I like interior decorating my apartment, I like to personalise things, but there are hardly any options for that. You can really change the floor, only lay little mats down. You can't put up curtains and change the lighting.

  • Dizzy #39 1 year ago

    Homelol

  • KrazyFace #40 1 year ago

    @Ryze "Bands should be able to put on avatar and video-based performances ON A REGULAR BASIS - these should be promoted ON THE XMB in the same way that the PSN content is.

    Stand-up comedy, Developer Q&As, Exclusive games previews, interviews..."

    Well said mate, Though I can't agree it's that slow anymore (maybe that's a set-up issue?) what you mentioned - even though you were having a tantrum about it - are all things that should have become part of Home by now, although again I'll say that the Dev Q&A idea you had IS in the America server, they even have a specific space for that.

    But yeah, they need to be able to get round the clashing laws that make up the EU servers too, to free up some of these issues.

    @elephant_stone: THAT'S his name! Yeah, shame he left the project really.
    Edited by KrazyFace at 24/02/11 @ 12:45

  • sickpuppysoftware #41 1 year ago

    Launch in a few minutes top.
    Pre cache areas so switching takes a few seconds and then populates it with people.

    Do that and I may take another look.

  • Trinod #42 1 year ago

    They should put guns and a cover system into Home. What more needs to be said...

    ...chainsaws perhaps?

  • bigtechno #43 1 year ago

    takes ages to update when you don't use it often - so you think to yourself what's the point as if i wanted to watch a loading screen i would play Gran Turismo 5

  • coolbritannia #44 1 year ago

    Sony, Home has found it's Second Life.

  • toy_brain #45 1 year ago

    @Olemak
    You probably need to delete the home local content from your PS3 and re-install it. Seems as though a lot of people have this problem when they update the Home client.
    All your settings and avatar stuff will still be there, so don't worry about loosing anything.

    I dip in and out of Home every now and then. It's mostly a pointless distraction and somewhere to go if I want to get bombarded by adverts. Its not bad, not for free anyway, but I suspect the next time I bother looking at it will be when Sodium 2 comes out.
    CoLD SToRAGE (Tim Wright) is doing the music to it y'know.

  • sonicyoda #46 1 year ago

    Why do I have to queue in a virtual world Sony!?!? There could be infinite bowling lanes you idiots!

  • Mr_V #47 1 year ago

    I'll give it another chance as soon as they allow me to navigate it in English. I currently live and work in Germany, and for me Home is 100% locked to the German language. There's no way to select a language manually… madness.

  • BuddyChrist #48 1 year ago

    No thanks.

  • Agent_Llama #49 1 year ago

    Personally I have two problems with Home. First, the constant loading makes navigating a chore. Second, there seems to be very little point to it. With Microsoft's Xbox front end menus etc, I can do all the chatting, showing off avatar rewards etc I want. To do the same on the PS3 is tiresome, and as very few of my friends use Home, not of much use. Home needs to be much more integrated into the whole PS3 user experience else people will continue not to bother. They need to integrate it into the XMB fully for it to really serve any purposeful function. /ends waffle

  • itsfuzzy #50 1 year ago

    Think ill just use my PS3 to play games. .

  • pervertron #51 1 year ago

    Ah Home - I knew you first as Getaway Online (when I worked on it)....
    ... such a shame that never happened, it actually had some core gameplay around which Home would have made sense.

  • flaming.carrot #52 1 year ago

    The Helgast invasion of Home Square the other day was done pretty well, and the mini game was actually not shit (unlike a lot of the mini games on Home). But overall, Home needs some kind of direction - and a lot better integration into your PSN account/XMB, it all seems so pointless and sterile at the moment.

  • Craven #53 1 year ago

    When on the rare occasion i do use Home i've found that i've had to wait ages for it to update*, added with the long load times means it's not an enjoyable experience. There's a mish mash of good and bad ideas but i can't help feeling it's a ploy by Sony to try and flog virtual items for characters and then add bits and bobs afterwards.

    So, i'll give it a miss, me thinks

    *like most Sony PS3 games, lol

  • Beano #54 1 year ago

    Home is basicly a great concept but is poorly implemented. They need to realise that people don't wont to wait for minutes for this to load and update. I know it has been improved but still needs to much faster. And the ability to use custom soundtracks is also important - the Home muzak can drive anyone crazy!

    EDIT: And also - standing in queue to play a game in a virtual world, is simply stupid.
    Edited by Beano at 24/02/11 @ 13:25

  • bikmate #55 1 year ago

    How about making it available to everyone instead of select countries?

  • cherryuk #56 1 year ago

    "DISLIKE" - After using up nearly 5G's of precious storage on my measly 40GB PS3. It's a waste of space!

  • Ryze #57 1 year ago

    @flaming.carrot

    It's HILARIOUS that my PS3 has been turned on, and the XMB in regular, repeated use ALMOST EVERY DAY for the past 2 months, yet it's taken a comment post from a user who's name I've not seen before, on a website UNRELATED TO SONY, to find out about a Home event AFTER IT'S TAKEN PLACE!

    ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING FAILURE ON SONY'S PART.

    GO BACK TO PROGRAMMING AND MARKETING SCHOOL!

  • Darren #58 1 year ago

    I had a look at Home again about a year ago prior to getting my PS3 Slim (a replacement for my fat model that died prematurely). I didn't think much of it then just as I didn't when I tried the beta a year before that. Because it uses 3 GB of HDD space I opted not to install it at all on my new machine. The whole think seems very superficial to me and seems to be aimed at the Facebook/Twitter crowd (of which neither application interests me anyway). Meh... as they say!

  • TheApologist #59 1 year ago

    They've added content hoovers? I'm in.

  • Lord_BeeJee #60 1 year ago

    Is that videoclip supposed to lure us in...?

  • Toothball #61 1 year ago

    I've yet to try Home at all as I still need to get myself a PS3, so technically I can't give it another chance yet. I'll probably take a look, although I still foresee myself sticking to playing games rather than hanging around in Home.

  • infoxicated #62 1 year ago

    I tried it about five months ago to see the WipEout Museum thing that I wouldn't have known about if I didn't run WipEoutZone.com, as someone mentioned it on the forum.

    Thought it was quite good, if a little lightweight, but didn't really give me much reason to go back.

    I did like the idea of Home - especially when the idea was to have game lobbies in the Home environment where you could meet up with, say, your MAG clan and talk tactics / load outs before launching directly into the game. THAT would have been cool and given me a compelling reason to use it, but as it stands when my PS3 is on I want to be watching a movie or playing a game.

    Wandering round a virtual mall full of strangers isn't reason enough for me to fire it up.

  • K1LLAY #63 1 year ago

    When the (annoying) open voice chat returns to public places, watching HDD videos with friends happens & loading is non existent, then I might be tempted to return...

  • Mister-Wario #64 1 year ago

    Home strikes me as a marketing space that people are mildly interested in, but it isn't amazing. And not all the games are free: quite a few require some form of payment.

    The thing I'm really waiting for is Move support in the bowling alley.

  • Ryze #65 1 year ago

    ^ Yep - last time I was there, it was menus, menus, menus for carrying out actions.

    Where's the MOVE+NAVCON support?

    Move support for freestyle 'dancing'?

    MISSED OPPORTUNITY.

  • jefranklin18 #66 1 year ago

    Home will never appeal to the hardcore gamer, but there is a hardcore Home following. Just looking at the PS3 EU forums demonstrates this. Personally, I have not been on it in a long while as there have been any "events" in a while. Isn't E3 next month? I presume they will do another virtual setup of the Sony stand again - which was quite effective.

  • Triggerhappytel #67 1 year ago

    Tried it when it first came out, and I didn't find it very interesting. The fact you had to queue to play digital arcade games just seemed moronic. Plus, I would rather spend my time on my PS3 playing real games. Or looking at porn.

  • foreal #68 1 year ago

    I'm not a HOME kinda guy. I love associating with REAL people thank you. Good try though, Sony. But no thanks.

  • RodHull #69 1 year ago

    Just logged in.
    Twenty minute update.
    Still crap.

  • Ryze #70 1 year ago

    @jefranklin18

    Yes - I reckon they might do that, but as they don't tell anyone, this is the first I've heard. They're relying on 'Random Internet Guy' to spread awareness of their events - not even using the tools at their disposal such as the 'What's New' on the XMB.

    They're full of fail. Poor execution plain and simple. Plus... NOT ENOUGH RAM.

  • Machiavellian #71 1 year ago

    My problem with Home isn't Home but the concept. I am sure a lot of people like it but from my experience, I understand it's not made for someone like me in mind. I like quick access to things I want to do. I do not wander around open spaces looking to chat with people I do not know. I do not purchase virtual content like shirts, clubs things of that sort.

    I have enough friends that if I want to play multiplayer games, I want to get in fast and out just as fast. No queuing, going to some virtual space to chat then start a game things of that sort. I have to say things like party chat that XBL has fits those needs very easy.

    I heard about the spaces that EA and other publisher have with games you can play but things like that I just want to play not virtually wander around queuing up to play a game. My gaming time is very limited because of Life in general and anything that delay me getting to where I want to go in the quickest manner is a waste of time.

  • RealityCheque #72 1 year ago

    Are you guys taking the piss when you say you have to queue to go virtual bowling? I don't own a PS3 so I can't tell for myself but I'm hoping this is just a running joke...

  • darc #73 1 year ago

    I still don't see the point, and observations like this don't help in the slightest:

    "...full of cool content and great games to play"

    I should hope the PS3 ITSELF is full of cool content and great games to play as it is A GAMES AND ENTERTAINMENT CONSOLE. So what part of this is supposed to motivate me to walk a cheesy avatar around a cheesy virtual reality space. I can walk across my REAL living room, pickup the Dual Shock, and play cool content and great games.

    If you want to sell Home, you've got to make a case for Home itself, not the minigames embedded within. Personally, I think it's a pretty limited market in the first place, and all those nutters are off playing Second Life or whatever.

  • darc #74 1 year ago

    Seeing now that others have already made my point, and more succinctly. :)

  • coldfoot #75 1 year ago

    I visit PS Home only to play that salt shooter game. It's a brilliant game and worth the 5 bucks. Of course if I could just launch that game from XMB, I wouldn't visit home in the first place.

  • mattrix33 #76 1 year ago

    I don't use home,it's not for me.
    But I do log on from time to time to see what's on there and it is always packed right out.
    Some people really love it...mostly I see Germans and French ps3 users on there.
    Perhaps it's a British thing??
    But I think it's shite.

  • Billy_Sastard #77 1 year ago

    All these posts and not one mention of XI. XI was awesome fun and had me gripped for weeks, shame it was spoilt most of the time by people blurting out the answers but I had the ability to turn of to them as to not spoil my fun. Also the buzz area is great fun, all the people jumping on the hate wagon because it's cool to hate on Home are being ignorant IMO.

    It has a long way to go to but it has come on leaps and bounds since it's initial launch.

    /twas a closed beta tester.

  • Kaminari #78 1 year ago

    In this day and age of open worlds and streaming engines, Home desperatly looks like an experimental relic from 1997.

    There was a time when I actually expected Home to evolve into some social kind of Shenmue Online, with "real" connected apartments, "real" transport devices, "real" streets and places to explore, "real" jobs and activities. You know... not a collection of disconnected screens taking forever to load.

  • davisorle #79 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 20:44:35 16-04-2012

  • MisterM #80 1 year ago

    Oh Sony.

    Just admit it was a huge, expensive mistake and have done with it.

    I mean, perhaps if you'd provided the same experience to all three major territories, rather than giving the US and Japan a much bigger and more interesting Home than Europe got, you might have nailed all three markets. But no. You gave each territory a wildly different experience, none of which offered anything that was actually fun to do.

    The only content hoover is the hoover that is sucking money out of the pockets of idiots in exchange for really poor virtual clothes, trinkets and really empty, bleak spaces to hang around in.

    I'm sure there are many people that have a great experience in Home, but for the average gamer... well, they want to play games. They don't want to stand around doing the Running Man with fifty other guys, who have all logged on just to grief people.

    It's a load of old shit and Sony just can't face up to it. A load of old boring shit with nothing fun to do.

  • Ryze #81 1 year ago

    ^ Well - apparently it makes money... but Sony, like many others, love to manipulate stats to make themselves look good.

    They sell items, and would like to sell more items. The quality of the experience doesn't warrant me visiting regularly, however. I wish that there was something in there that made the chore of an experience at all worthwhile.

    It's a shame, as this could have been something that really made the PS3 unique and pushed some gaming boundaries. If only there was an option - like Windows Readyboost, to cache Home on a fast flash drive to really give it a kick in terms of load and install times.

    It also needs an option to do this while precaching interconnected and popular / new areas. When I'm dossing about in one room, the most commonly chosen areas should already begin to download to my 'Readyboost' cache.

    This project is a massive undertaking, however. It's one of those things that you do properly, or don't do at all.