European Home beta invites "shortly"

By Tom Bramwell Published 8 August, 2008

Assuming you're an active PSN user.

Sony has announced that European gamers who have been "most active" will be invited to join the PlayStation Home beta shortly.

Yesterday the platform holder announced that US gamers could signal their desire to get involved by downloading a free PlayStation Home theme from the Store, which would act as their beta sign-up.

It then added: "In Europe, SCEE is also beginning their expanded closed beta, directly targeting consumers who have been most active on PlayStation Network and PlayStation Store. SCEE will be in email contact with their PSN audience very shortly."

PlayStation Home is Sony's upcoming free online world in which players can socialise with friends, launch multiplayer games and build virtual homesteads customised with Trophy displays and other personal touches.

There will also be communal areas to take part in parlour games and attend presentations. And wear "lifestyle" T-shirts.

We got a chance to check out the Home beta extensively last month and found ourselves rather liking it, despite some players' concerns about repeated delays to the service, which was originally announced at the Game Developers Conference at the start of 2007.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • seasidebaz #1 4 years ago

    What a stupid idea. I'm technically "active" on PSN because I browse the store, log in every day, and purchase something occasionally. But these invites will inevitably go to those people who can't stop playing CoD4, who are hammering PSN constantly, and who won't stop playing it just because Sony let them into Home, which these people mostly think is a gimmick anyway.

    So their active user base on Home will be in the single figures.

  • Cappy #2 4 years ago

    Damn. I think I've signed in about three times during the year or so that I've owned my PS3.

    Unless everybody else is even less active than that I don't stand a chance. :(

  • ozzit #3 4 years ago

    Hmm... you'd think that for something like this - a social networking 3d world - the word 'active' would mean someone with a large friends list that spends time text/voice/video chatting... though i fear baz is right and it'll be the guys sitting in their own assgroove that havent logged out of Cod4 since their mum bought it for them, ho-hum.

  • Ornithophobe #4 4 years ago

    @seasidebaz

    If that's the criteria they use it will indeed be a disaster and they should be slapped, with the nasty edge of a splayd.

  • Zomoniac #5 4 years ago

    I played Buzz last night against a random (and slaughtered him, but he didn't quit, fair play to him) because I'm a trophy whore, first time I've played a PS3 game online since a few games of Resistance (an underrated multiplayer game) over a year ago. Arse.

  • Doctor_What #6 4 years ago

    *Awaits 'U R GAY' messages from obsessive FPS gamers*

  • jaxon58 #7 4 years ago

    Why would people want to be in a Beta? Is it just the thought of getting something earlier than most? Because that something doesn't work properly and is more likely to put you off enjoying the finished article later on.

  • Beano #8 4 years ago

    Great... I think I will start up Warhawk and just leave it online :)
    Edited by Beano at 08/08/08 @ 09:37

  • mcwildcard #9 4 years ago

    Looks like my excessive Battlefield gaming might draw some unexpected rewards!

  • rodge020679 #10 4 years ago

    its only home.
    i can wait.

  • gooners2006 #11 4 years ago

    i wander if they count the fact i own 2 PS3s.....if not looks like ill leave one on over night, i just want to play Home so bad lol

  • nbnz #12 4 years ago

    "most active" doesn't necessarily mean just playing a game 12 hours a day. I would imagine it has a number of factors, e.g. how many people on your friends list, how much active communication with those friends, how much time browsing the store, downloading etc. i.e. variety of PSN activity rather than just playing a game.

  • PiranhaUK #13 4 years ago

    Finally! Browsing the store religiously downloading every video/demo is going to pay off!

  • oreillymj #14 4 years ago

    Great I've finally got through COD4 cold turkey, and now I'm going to have to fire it up again. I got my ass handed to me after not playing for 2 months. At one point I found myself shooting the ceiling in a panic ;-)

    Mind you, I've bought some borderline dross off the Singstore, so my purchases look pretty healthy.

  • DAN.E.B #15 4 years ago

    *Awaits 'U R GAY' messages from obsessive FPS gamers*


    shouldnt that be homemo?

  • SeesThroughAll #16 4 years ago

    From what I've read, the Warhawk nuts are going to love the Warhawk space. It's probably the only one that was designed with online multiplayer in mind.

  • penhalion #17 4 years ago

    Had this at work for a while now. I could have sword I'd met a ton of europeans online with it. Maybe they were all just european devs :p

  • Darren #18 4 years ago

    Like seasidebaz, I don't play PS3 games online but I am also constantly logged into the PSN (well until the bloody thing decides to sign me out!!!) so I doubt I'll receive an invite to Home. Not that I'm bothered because didn't Sony say that Home would be an OPEN beta from September anyway, i.e. anyone can try it?

  • Whatsfor #19 4 years ago

    Hmm, I have 22 ps3 and 4 psone paid game downloads, about 40GB of demo's and browse the store every thursday along side playing shit loads of cod4 and warhawk. Is that "Active" enough?

    Probably not I never get invited to anything like that!!

  • KreyAtiv #20 4 years ago

    Give us more of a reason to be "active" on the PSN. I check on it each Thursday to see what else is new in store.
    Quite a disappointment this last while I have to say.

  • Apostle #21 4 years ago

    Interesting way of doing it. How will we know if we're in? A message in our inbox? Not that I'm likely to get in, played a few games of Warhawk couple of months ago, MGO a couple of weeks ago, and occasionaly log into the store. :(

  • Ryze #22 4 years ago

    Some of you people will have some large electric bills pretty soon...

  • charliemouse #23 4 years ago

    I never play online but have spent a fortune on PSN downloads. My Home beta invite came today.