PlayStation Home now open to all

By Ellie Gibson Published 12 December, 2008

It's up and running at last.

It's official - Sony's new network service, PlayStation Home, is finally up and running.

As confirmed on the US PlayStation blog, all you have to do is boot up your console and you'll see a new Home icon in the XMB.

Some users reported connection issues last night, but we had no problem signing in this morning. Do stop by and say hello if you happen to see "mrstomselleck" wandering about.

And don't forget to have a peek in the Eurogamer TV movie theatres, where you'll find trailers for Gran Turismo and LocoRoco 2.

Look out for Eurogamer's impressions of PlayStation Home coming soon.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (68) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • StanleyPointLarge #1 3 years ago

    They had issues last night and the XMB update didn't happen until about 9pm.

    Worked fine when i logged in about an hour later after the update tho.

  • awb83 #2 3 years ago

    Just about half of planet earth (yes i have counted) would've been trying to log onto Home last night. I tried once and then gave up.

  • Dave52 #3 3 years ago

    Couldn't get in last night - but did manage it this morning. Unfortunately I had to come to work, so I didn't get time to look around... :(

  • Chufty #4 3 years ago

    Don't forget it's only a public beta! I do woner how Sony's servers are going to cope with the demand though. Last night even getting on PSN was a struggle at times.

  • andywilkie35 #5 3 years ago

    i might have a look around tonight if i'm at home

  • onyxbox #6 3 years ago

    looks pretty cool if you ask me.

  • chessboxer #7 3 years ago

    I managed to get in just after 10pm. They need to have beards available (I hate shaving). I've also heard that the US and Jap Home's are newer than EU so we can't mingle until sometime next week when they update it. There seemed to be some Australians there last night but I don't know if they were in Australia, I was too busy doing the running man and cabbage patch in Home Square.

  • infoxicated #8 3 years ago

    I had a play last week when I got an invite, but last night I couldn't sign in to it at all.

    I'm curious as to how many times Sony will misjudge launch day server demand before they get the bloody message that it's easier to set more servers up and then re-purpose those that you don't need than it is to add servers when you've under estimated.

  • Tyronne #9 3 years ago

    Took ages to actually get this up and running but seemed okay for a freebie however walking around empty shops kinda resembled wollies at the moment.

  • Bealsy #10 3 years ago

    Wollies?

  • spammage #11 3 years ago

    Wasn't working when I tried it. POS.

  • kangarootoo #12 3 years ago

    "it's easier to set more servers up and then re-purpose those that you don't need than it is to add servers when you've under estimated"

    You are clearly far more experienced at this whole business than the huge multinational technology company running it. Does monetary cost figure into your logic anywhere?
    Edited by 1 at 12/12/08 @ 09:20

  • YobRenoops #13 3 years ago

    @chessboxer

    I thought they removed the mingling during the beta, I remember not being able to do it after 1.0 was released.

    On a side note it's a bit odd seeing so many people in there! Back in the beta things were super-sparse, now...."There's people".

    I'm excited to see how it goes.

  • space_ace #14 3 years ago

    misinformation? by the title i thought ps home is launched, yet it's a beta

  • Bealsy #15 3 years ago

    No beards. Therefore no real men are in the Home beta. Its scientific fact.

    /bored.

  • Aggesan #16 3 years ago

    @YobRenoops, chessboxer

    What was mingling? I was in the closed beta only during last week and didn't see anything like that.

  • Widge #17 3 years ago

    I was nattering to a Canadian this morning.... plus I saw disc about

  • Skooch #18 3 years ago

    Typical Sony, over-promising and under-delivering.

  • Widge #19 3 years ago

    and next comment from the cliche generator is?

  • Arwin #20 3 years ago

    It's great to see all my friends show up in Home now. It works pretty well for the socialising thing. Being in the beta the thing I'm looking forward to most now is the bigger content updates that we seem to be getting next week.

  • jerrymanu #21 3 years ago

    I'm gonna be looking tonight. Sounds pretty tight. Anyone know the size of the download?

  • Widge #22 3 years ago

    Its certainly a laugh. Earlier in the week I ended up chatting to someone after they'd punted out a speculative "so ... what music you into?"... turns out we had a mutual love of all things electronic. The europeans seem rather fond of creating 15 man long running man trains while blasting trance out of their headset. Viva la mute function!

    Also found a few AVForums people on there.

  • 4thVariety #23 3 years ago

    It's just billboards and microtransactions everywhere, with a few people standing around in between. I don't feel it will contribute to anything really. I rather play any game than stand around and talk, especially if it's my friends. Other than that Home is a towering achievement in telling me that the last thing I want when leaving reality by turning on the PS3 is another replica reality. Maybe it would be different if the places were exciting, but if I want to go to a mall or cinema, I go to a real mall or a real cinema. I can go to a real bowling alley and chances are I won't have to wait for a game. Home is feels like being trapped in the most boring city on the planet while being tortured with techno music from invisible speakers. If Home was real life I'd jump from the balcony of the mall or my condo. Which is probably why people can't do that in Home. In lack of other fun activities, they would do it all the time.

  • Widge #24 3 years ago

    The download is tiny, it asks you to set aside 3GB of your HDD though. Each time you go somewhere new, you have to download it first (just once) and this sits in your 3GB. Nothing more than 50mb though. Basically I just started off the locations background downloading, went off for a pootle about and then went to the locations when dl'd. Now they're there all the time.

    Not checked out the Eurogamer bit yet but had a look at the Watchmen trailer. Whoever is directing the film is on a vid screen in the foyer of the theatre saying "Hi there, welcome to Playstation Home... go to auditorium 1 to see my new trailer!"

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #25 3 years ago

    No luck getting in so far today.

  • YobRenoops #26 3 years ago

    @Aggesan

    It's where you can get to another countries Home Space by being invited by a current resident. You used to get loads of Friends in the US and Japan and when something cool happened over there or they got a content update (TGS 2008 springs to mind) you'd get them to invite you over so you could have a shufty.

  • bad09 #27 3 years ago

    Hmmm....

    Had a curious look and as I suspected not for me. Not bad if you want to slowly walk around watching adverts and get a random "hi" from strangers but for everyone else completely pointless. Kinda does make me annoyed money and resources that could be going to games has gone on this bullcrap, but hell I'm sure some while find fun with it so good luck to 'em.

    NXE has advertising overkill to but at least Home is hidden, locked away never to be seen again under the Home icon.

    / Looks towards the next gen though and shudders...

  • Widge #28 3 years ago

    Which is probably the best way to look upon it, like it if its for you and use it, don't if not.

  • Dan234 #29 3 years ago

    This is the future. In the next generation after this one, consoles will cost 800 pounds to make yet sell for 50p, you'll need to give your credit card number when you turn it on for the first time, and you will be charged by the button press or waggle while playing games (which have in-game adverts plastered across the background).

  • mingster #30 3 years ago

    Its exactly like a giant GAY-BAR!

  • CannonAnBall #31 3 years ago

    I've had a go and the possibilities could be good. It wont be to everyones taste and thats all well and good but bear in mind that this is version 1 of the beta. The area open at the moment is a mere drop in the ocean as other areas will be opened up - I noticed a shut gate and a monorail system, obviously you cant get to this yet.

    ..and regarding the retard comment about the PS4 - you do realise Home will be on the PS4 as well??

  • MikeP #32 3 years ago

    ..."You are clearly far more experienced at this whole business than the huge multinational technology company running it. Does monetary cost figure into your logic anywhere"

    He might or might not be experienced in server provisioning, but they could've at least talked to a large systems provider about a properly scaleable, on-demand server architecture so the costs are flexible with the demand.

    It can be done - I wish MS would look at that too, given their tradition of Xmas slowdown as new people join XBL or hammer the download systems for popular demos and Betas.

  • Beano #33 3 years ago

    "Its exactly like a giant GAY-BAR! "

    PlayStation Home-o :p

  • liverpoolfc #34 3 years ago

    HOME is better than expcted

  • Gurgeh #35 3 years ago

    "Their servers have an issue, and whatever it is, its causing Europeans to fail at logging in. "

    Not just Europeans - no-one can log in. If it dies down in a day or two it's just server overload, if it persists then Sony seriously screwed up.

    Not that anyone is missing much; if you want to look at adverts just switch on yer telly.

  • ocean #36 3 years ago

    I downloaded this out of curiosity, and I'm really not interested in it, as I never was in Second Life, Habbo Hotel etc.
    Now, give me Super Street Fighter II HD already please!

  • edje #37 3 years ago

    Doesn't EG have a vested interest in Home, seeing as how you're providing content for it?

  • Beano #38 3 years ago

    "The fact is, it IS a beta, and it clearly is not ready for the title of 'full release'. "

    So true. I think this is a pretty good start. Of course servers need to be upgraded and performance will get a lot better. MS also had problems when NXE was released and everybody got on to check it out.

    What Home needs is more content (areas) and soon.
    Also, when will people be able to add TV's, pictures, etc. and appliances to their appartments?

  • login_name #39 3 years ago

    For people with long friends lists and have no real desire to meet new people online, Home is a bit pointless. For these people the new xbox dash is the better option. For the people who do not have long friends lists or would like to meet new people online, Home is the superior community tool.

    The 360 would benefit from a similar system (as would the Wii - more so even). It's free, you don't have to use it and it will help build online communities.

  • paulf #40 3 years ago

    download is around 70 meg iirc for the initial load, then you have to download different areas which seem to be around the 30-40 meg size

    for me it looks and feels like a higher res version of second life, and I had a similar experience with it, ie walked around for about 5 minutes got bored and switched it off

  • Skooch #41 3 years ago

    Benefit how exactly? From a broken piece of junk that will take them months if not years to get it right. And even when it is right, it will still be wrong.

    PS3LOL could never be more appropriate.

  • Beano #42 3 years ago

    "For these people the new xbox dash is the better option."

    Why?

    I'm not trying to bash NXE (it's an improvement after all) - but avatars in NXE are completely pointless at the moment.
    The "party" feature... PS3 have a similar feature where you can voice-chat with your friends - only important difference is that NXE support 8 users and PS3 support 4 or 5.

  • krudd #43 3 years ago

    Well I got invites to the closed beta, couldn't use them! And now the open beta is live, I can't use it! So here's me just hoping it'll be good and steady by the holidays!! Then I get to give my opinion!!

  • Beano #44 3 years ago

    "Benefit how exactly"

    Doing something new, different (in the console space) and easily understandable for casual consumers.

    And again - it's free and completely optional.

  • Widge #45 3 years ago

    Broken? How?
    Still not seen a big online launch that has gone without issue myself. Do these things get fixed? Yes.

  • login_name #46 3 years ago

    @Skooch

    You mean you can't see the benefits of an online lobby "world" where you can meet up, chat, form parties etc with people not on your friends list? Even if it's not for you, surely you must see the potential for others not blessed with an already established online community of friends.

    Again, I'll point out that it's a free optional service.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #47 3 years ago

    Then don't, and stop whining, please. It's an optional install and nobody is forcing you to use it.

    Oh, go and get fucked, you and everyone like you. Seriously.

    It's a comments thread. People have tried it and are making comments. Nobody needs you to tell them to stop using it if they don't like it, and they certainly don't need pompous wankers telling them to stop using comments threads for the purpose they were designed for.

  • Beano #48 3 years ago

    Nice

  • mclovin69 #49 3 years ago

    is it a wonder sony is gonna have to axe thousands of jobs in its gaming department when they front no doubt millions on this glorified animal crossing? the fact that some people are actually gonna spend real money on doing up their 'virtual' homes is quite scary and speaks volumes about its clientelle.

    get back to gaming,seriously!!

    imo anyway.

  • InsoFox #50 3 years ago

    It's not the concept, so far. It's the implementation. The avatar customisation seems to have massive gaps in it (why have about 6 varieties of ridiculous moustaches but no beards at all??) The player's maximum speed makes it tedious to actually walk around places. Bowling alleys and pool tables are nearly always full because there aren't enough. It takes too long to actually boot up home and get to the point where you can start using it. There simply isn't enough of a compelling reason to go into it and talk to people.

    At this stage I can think of only one thing that would make Home great. Zombies.

    ;)

  • login_name #51 3 years ago

    @Beano

    Because I personally find the NXE better for grouping up with friends and getting a game going than with the XMB.

  • Beano #52 3 years ago

    "is it a wonder sony is gonna have to axe thousands of jobs in its gaming department when they front no doubt millions on this glorified animal crossing?"

    Actually the people fired was not in the gaming divisions ;)

    SCEE should still have been fired though...

  • mclovin69 #53 3 years ago

    "Actually the people fired was not in the gaming divisions ;)"

    no1's been fired yet chap,all under review ;-)

    but seriously,sony-STICK TO GAMES!!!!

  • Beano #54 3 years ago

    "no1's been fired yet chap,all under review ;-) "

    True, but they announced that they WILL cut about 16000 jobs, but not in their gaming divisions - that was my point :)

  • 4thVariety #55 3 years ago

    @ those calling it a beta:

    If anybody can play it, it's called a DEMO. Sony only calls it a Beta so fanboys will start inventing excuses for the product. But it's not the bugs people are complaining about, it's the features! Features do not get changed between beta and release, at least not to the degree that would be necessary. Home is a failed attempt at selling us crap we don't need, showing us ads we do not want to see, while we are supposed to engage in chats we never asked for as a feature in the first place. The whole social aspects of the HOME experience exist purely in hopes of making sales due to "players" peer pressuring each other into consuming a chunk of pixels in the pursuit of virtual vanity.

    NO THANK YOU.

  • Chufty #56 3 years ago

    We're calling it a beta because it's a beta. It's not a demo. Please go to wikipedia and look up these words if you don't know what they mean.

  • mattius30 #57 3 years ago

    Had a chance to wander around Home last night - and it left me feeling uncomfortable. It may well be a 'beta' in terms of technology but it felt like some weird sterile virtual Stepford populated by guys. Reminded me of the Priest Chatline in Father Ted.

    And just as in other online social chatrooms (even WoW) I had to pretend to be someone else just to fit in. Many times I was asked about 'fit birds', where the 'pussy is' and if I had a girlfriend - on the two occasions I dared to admit that I was married to another bloke I was verbally abused by one, and ignored by an entire group who oh so politely walked away and then avoided me at all costs. On some occasions I did chat to a few folk about games and Home, but I was always a little scared that they ask me something about 'me' and I go and spoil the experience for the other person by being myself.

    With these things, it seems that its fine to be yourself and to create your own, personal on-line identity as long as its the same as everyone else in there. But just as in real life, who I sleep with has nothing to do with my personality, its just a minute, uninteresting aspect of it. I had to lie and pretend and feel bad about myself throughout my school years, I don't need to go through all that again in my 30s through the technology of my games console. And the last thing I want is to join a 'special' club just for us gays - I mean what's next, will I be able to buy a virtual pink triangle badge for 49p so everyone else in Home will know that they should keep away from me?

    If I can convince my friends to get a PS3 then maybe I will hang out in there - wait in the corner and keep quiet until a mate appears and I know I can just be myself - but until then, I may well just steer clear...

  • Dan234 #58 3 years ago

    We're calling it a beta because it's a beta. It's not a demo. Please go to wikipedia and look up these words if you don't know what they mean.

    In spite of being abused by Google, the word beta is used to iron out the last few bugs otherwise usable feature-complete software. Home apparently has whole sections missing, server load balancing isn't working, there's no way file bug reports to Sony, by definition it's not up to the standard expected of beta software.

    The beta label has been slapped on it because Sony's management have decreed that it's coming out by this Christmas, missing sections, open blank empty spaces, and all.

  • sneetch #59 3 years ago

    Widge
    12-Dec-08 09:47:24

    I was nattering to a Canadian this morning.... plus I saw disc about

    Talking to a Canadian, eh? What aboot? (Couldn't resist, should have tried harder, I know :p ).

    @mclovin69
    "is it a wonder sony is gonna have to axe thousands of jobs in its gaming department when they front no doubt millions on this glorified animal crossing? the fact that some people are actually gonna spend real money on doing up their 'virtual' homes is quite scary and speaks volumes about its clientelle."

    My friend (who is apparently "loyal" enough to have got in before now) told me there's a Diesel store. That's... I'm not sure, but the idea of paying real money to advertise someone's products for them in a virtual world is a bit crazy to me. If these stores make money then Apple should set up a store that allows you to buy an "iPod" or "iPhone" for your in game avatar and then they'd rake in the cash.

    Also the existence of pool tables and bowling lanes that "fill up" forcing you to wait for one to become free is daft (can someone tell Sony that they can just "generate" as many tables and lanes as they need, they don't need to "physically" exist).

    I'm interested in seeing the "value adds" they put in here, at the moment it seems a lot like a dashboard you walk about in, a time sink that does little to improve functionality or features.

  • 4thVariety #60 3 years ago

    They also call it a beta so that people get excited and feel special." Everybody can get a demo, but I got into the beta, I am special". The customers are supposed to believe that bollocks. So branding this product as a beta is repulsive, because nobody is beta testing anything, quite the opposite is true, all purchases are very real. People who were ever in a real beta know that the billing system is tested not with the real credit cards of people, but with placeholder accounts the system validates anyway for testing purposes.

    The other aspect might be that Sony does not want to call it finished because Home in this state is a disgrace to them and they know it. But that's Sony for you, they can never admit a mistake and scrap a product, they also still work on GT5, and GT for the PsP.

  • sneetch #61 3 years ago

    @4thVariety
    "@ those calling it a beta:
    "If anybody can play it, it's called a DEMO.""

    No. It's a beta because it's unfinished, it may or may not be feature complete and it may or may not be content complete yet. The purpose of a beta is different to that of a demo.

    A demo traditionally launches at the same time as the finished, non-beta, product and exists to entice people into getting the full version. It should be bug free and serves to demonstrate the product. Hence the name.

    A beta exists to enable the company to test the client and/or the server infrastructure, to "balance" the product (although not here so much) and also to hopefully drum up some enthusiasm for it. Open betas for these kind of things especially tend to be run in order to stress test the server backends in an environment where you've have some leeway and understanding that there will be bugs and server failures because "hey, it's a beta".

    Simply denying that it's a beta and calling it a demo because you've figured out their nefarious plan, or something, doesn't magically transform it into one.

  • AOFanboi #62 3 years ago

    XBots in "avatars that don't move around is better than avatars that do" mindbender shock.

  • Dan234 #63 3 years ago

    @sneetch...

    If you're using Google's version of beta (without any technical criteria, drum up enthusiasm) then it should be free, shouldn't it, like MobileMe was.

    Well, no, it isn't. Odd how free features are missing yet micropayments are all present and correct.

    It's not a really a beta, it's not really a demo. It's just unfinished and pushed out by the Christmas deadline.

  • k4rl #64 3 years ago

    it seems ok, but theres not much to do. oh and half the time i get login errors but it does have alot of potential

  • AOFanboi #65 3 years ago

    The beta is way too limited: You can buy a summer house, furniture fit for that particular purpose, and that's about it. The "world map" has only one stack of locations in it, though I guess more will come if other companies join the fray at normal launch. Unless they do, there is really not much point to Home as it is now.

  • Quak #66 3 years ago

    > Just about half of planet earth (yes i have counted) would've been trying to log onto Home last night. I tried once and then gave up.

    Either that or the 30 PS3 owners who give a shit about Home.

  • Malacath #67 3 years ago

    Home clearly wasn't ready to go public.
    Somebody at Sony failed to realise they will need more servers. It's been near impossible to log in since it went public. I even tried at 3am and still got the error messages.

  • chumpy #68 3 years ago

    I got in after a bit and i was soo dissapointed.
    Its absolutly rubbish, there is noting to do.
    Sony has failed yet again