Sony dodges PS Home explanations

By Robert Purchese Published 23 October, 2008

Fresh sightings start rumour mill.

Sony has updated the PlayStation Network sign-up process with a graphic advertising PlayStation Home, but a Sony spokesperson had no comment to make on that, or the online world's release date, when we rang up to ask.

The box shows an avatar in PlayStation Home with the service's logo underneath, prompting speculation that it's all close to launch - or rather the promised open beta.

An open beta is the next step for Sony, and will presumably determine the actual release date for PlayStation Home, which is now over a year late for its original launch date, and the spring one Kaz Hirai specified at Tokyo Game Show last year.

Still, both Hirai and David Reeves have told us the open beta will roll out this autumn, even now that means losing the attractive video streaming feature.

We actually had a chance to swagger our lifestyle way around PlayStation Home earlier this year. And we quite liked what we saw.

Head over to our hands-on impressions of PlayStation Home to find out more.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (24) Latest comment 4 years ago

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

  • chrisjm #1 4 years ago

    next gen doesnt start until we say so ;)

  • buggrit #2 4 years ago

    By the time Sony reckon the 'next-gen' has started, we'll all be nothing more than brains in jars.......

  • Triggerhappytel #3 4 years ago

    I can't help but feel this feature has missed its window by about 12 months now... Is it actually going to benefit PSN in any way, or will it just act as a Second Life-type social hub?

  • #4 4 years ago

    /is past caring at this point.

  • Darren #5 4 years ago

    Well as someone who has access to the closed beta, I can't say I'm bothered one way or the other when Home is finally released as it seems a bit shallow and pointless really, not to mention unexciting. But that's probably just me. It *is* going to be free and you *don't* have to use it so can't grumble about it really.

  • ruttyboy #6 4 years ago

    I just feel no anticipation for this, I hope you can opt-out of it. I'd rather spend time playing games than deciding what colour shoes my pointless avatar should be wearing...

    EDIT: Thanks Darren, add me to the list of non-users I reckon.
    Edited by ruttyboy at 23/10/08 @ 16:45

  • mazzl #7 4 years ago

    home is a bit much, but it does create a nice lobby framework for developers to work on.
    you could see gaming clan's emerging on consoles now. so it's not completely pointless.
    the avatar thing is nice for the casual gamer, in games like singstar or whatever to use you;re own avatar in-game.
    besides these features i don't think there's much room for ps home or whatever we get next.

    it does server a pr purpose... sony looks totally incompetent with all the delays, that must be nice for MS.

    i dont own a ps3, so i'm not really bothered. but who knows, maybe in a year or two, we won't know how we ever managed without ps home. you never can tell.

  • NinjaWilliams #8 4 years ago

    The code has been hacked 'ndecrypted apparently so expect furthur delays of HOME!...

  • Doctor_What #9 4 years ago

    *Prepares to be underwhelmed* I thought this sounded good about a year ago, now I'm not so sure and becoming even less bothered. 'Shame really, but they should learn to keep a bit more quiet about things until they're more sure when they'll go public.

  • Thunderbolt #10 4 years ago

    Can Home be intregrated with other social networking sites like facebook, myspace etc?

    i.e. when in Home can you log onto your facebook account and get your friends off their PCs and onto the PS3s to play a game, chat, admire your house?

    Just wondering

  • bazza #11 4 years ago

    I'm with Darren on this.
    Can't jump, can't fly. No guns. No punching. No cars.
    Feck me it's dull.

    Because of NDA, I couldn't possibly comment on whether I already have access to this.
    ;)

  • seasidebaz #12 4 years ago

    The code has been hacked 'ndecrypted apparently so expect furthur delays of HOME!...

    Don't be stupid, the hacked code was version 0.85, and thus a relatively old build. A lot of the codebase will have been improved and the security stuff tightened up by now.

  • tonynibbles #13 4 years ago

    Some people have been on the public beta since April 2007.
    That's a year and a half so far.

    A year and a half.

  • Brimmy6 #14 4 years ago

    DELAYS DELAYS DELAYS... but i do love my ps3

    i cant help think that it will be a let down after the 12 months hype that we have now had
    oh well far cry 2 will ease my pain when i get it 2moro

  • captain-future #15 4 years ago

    well, they said it was a "ten year plan", right?

    ^^

  • SAH1977 #16 4 years ago

    Don't you just love how gamers are so quick to dismiss anything thats a little different, a bit like LBP. It's also quite obvious HOME will continue to grow and become an integral part of future Sony games systems.

  • ronuds #17 4 years ago

    This could become one of those things Sony wishes they never bothered starting.

    I think for the first few months everyone will be scrambling to use it and then the number of users is going to dwindle significantly. Of course, Sony will have a "special something" here and there that'll bring people back again, but it's hard for me to see this turning out well.

  • elephant_stone #18 4 years ago

    come on Sony, stand up and speak to us...

    etc etc home home home

    when etd blar

  • KingPepper41 #19 4 years ago

    I think personally its a great system HOME, or will be, if its ever released to the public...........

    I like the concept of it, of people meeting up in someones virtual HOME , Clans for instance, to talk about tactics for example, or just Family members meeting up on there, and then launching a game together, there will be virtual shops selling Games / DVD's / Blu-ray's / Clothes & The Cinema maybe there also, to buy access to a new film just released, so you can watch it on your very own PS3, on your 42" Plasma or LCD HD Telly.............. My brother said he only wants a PS3 for HOME,and not for the Gaming LOL and he's 19, i myself do not have a PS3 yet, but maybe i will be tempted when HOME full version is released, plus Gran Turismo 5, plus Killzone 2 is released then OH YES, i will be buying this wonderful Console & Blu-ray Player. :o)

  • furrycheeky #20 4 years ago

    I still cannot believe with all the delays that Home still has the same old stuff we were shown originally, and NOTHING new. If Sony cannot get a bowling sim and some arcade games right in this time its not looking good.

  • drumbaby #21 4 years ago

    "I can't help but feel this feature has missed its window by about 12 months now... "

    Well yes, it's about 12 months late....the article above says so.

  • bonker #22 4 years ago

    "I'm with Darren on this.
    Can't jump, can't fly. No guns. No punching. No cars.
    Feck me it's dull.

    Because of NDA, I couldn't possibly comment on whether I already have access to this.
    ;) "

    But you get to keep a dog though, right?

  • bonker #23 4 years ago

    "This could become one of those things Sony wishes they never bothered starting.

    I think for the first few months everyone will be scrambling to use it and then the number of users is going to dwindle significantly. Of course, Sony will have a "special something" here and there that'll bring people back again, but it's hard for me to see this turning out well. "

    I thought you were talking about LBP when I read that ;)

  • davisorle #24 4 years ago

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