Sony outlines Home changes

By Games Industry.biz Published 31 January, 2008

Based on beta feedback.

Sony's forthcoming PlayStation Home platform has undergone key changes in the last few months as a result of feedback from users currently engaged in its beta test, GamesIndustry.biz reports. [Isn't that how betas are supposed to work? - Ed]

The virtual world environment, first shown to the public in 2006, has had significant changes made to Home Square and the entrance points to other areas, as well as other places such as the Theatre.

New screens of a recent build of Home, shown to the audience by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's John Venables and Ron Festejo in a session at Imagina 08, demonstrated the new look of what will be every user's first view of the world.

What had been an enclosed room with a large window showing a lush view has now been transformed into a serene outside space, with plenty of room for people to interact, and tables with fully functional chess and draughts games included.

Additionally the entrance points to key content areas - the Theatre and the Bowling Alley - have been redesigned so that they're much more recognisable.

The Theatre itself, while retaining the same functionality, has had all of the screening areas moved down to the ground floor, after feedback from users that the 12-second walk to go upstairs took too long.

Venables and Festejo also revealed that it was now possible to take your avatar out onto a balcony from your own apartment, and that there would be "around eight or nine" different apartments available at launch, although no new details on potential pricing options for the premium apartments were available.

One of the premium rooms displayed was called Norwegian Lodge, a large wood cabin, much bigger than the basic apartment, and while all of the existing apartment designs were based on real-world locations, Festejo commented that he could see more fantastic options, such as a room in the clouds, becoming available should there be user demand for it.

PlayStation Home is currently on track for a Spring 2008 launch, and will be free to download for all PlayStation 3 users.

The Imagina 08 conference is taking place in the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco, until 1st February.

GamesIndustry.biz has undergone some key changes in the last few months as a result of locking itself out.

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Comments (53) Latest comment 4 years ago

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

  • X201 #1 4 years ago

    "the 12-second walk to go upstairs took too long"

    Virtual obesity FTW :)

  • murphy245 #2 4 years ago

    yayums ^_^

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #3 4 years ago

    90% of those changes have been in for months, altho there is still no access to differnt apartment layouts. Which should be cool.

  • Tiel #4 4 years ago

    Spring? In the EU?

    Hope so.

    There are a lot of goodies coming gamers way this year.

    The only recent disappointment for me has been wii.

    I stayed excited about it way after it became apparent it wasn't going to be a powerhouse of innovation a la the DS

  • Rirekon #5 4 years ago

    @ Tiel; Play Zack & Wiki, seriously, it's brilliant and makes fantastic use of the Wiimote.

  • Darren #6 4 years ago

    I thought Home had been delayed to October 2008... can't remember where I read that though... must be confusing it with something else...? :?

  • Blerk #7 4 years ago

    I really couldn't be any less excited.

  • cornishflipper #8 4 years ago

    I think i've missed the whole idea with this home? The delays cant be good for introducing it.

  • Krun #9 4 years ago

    Second life lite, without any user content then?

  • Goodfella #10 4 years ago

    Home is basically Sony's elaborate answer to Xbox Live, I thought it was obvious.

    If you want to be stuck in the past then keep playing your PS2.
    Edited by 1 at 31/01/08 @ 09:59

  • DonnieDarko333 #11 4 years ago

    Last i heard was, it's set for a June release. I was hoping for March, considering it's been delayed a couple of times already.
    Edited by 1 at 31/01/08 @ 10:05

  • bad09 #12 4 years ago

    Personally I've always looked at Home and thought "whats the point??"

    Not PS bashing or anything but sitting in your house in front of your console walking around and decorating your virtual house, going to meet other virtual people and all going to the virtual cinema to eat virtual popcorn seem REALLY pointless to me.

    What's wrong with just a message or private chat if you want to talk to your friends, it works for 360!

    At least they are trying new things I suppose, but like farticusmaximus, to me it does show me that Sony seem to spend more time on non game related things for their consoles. Skype for PSP, Home for PS3, did you forget how the Playstation brand got to be number one in the market Sony? Games.

  • dirigiblebill #13 4 years ago

    Still carrying the <a href= 'http://www.businessinnovationinsider.co m/images/2006/03/nasty%20troll.jpg'> flag</a>, eh, farticus?

  • LetsGo #14 4 years ago

    I agree its a bit errr whats that but.......

    So's second life and how popular is that?

  • Goodfella #15 4 years ago

    No thanks, I went next-gen with the 360 and have been loving playing games.

    So did I. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy the PS3. I do and I'm glad it's not a carbon copy of the 360.

  • ligurmatic #16 4 years ago

    My first thought about this was "oh yeah, Home, I'd forgotten about that".

    I'm mildly interested for its freeness, but not as bothered as I was six months ago.

  • miiiguel #17 4 years ago

    Sony is trying to transform video-gamers into "something else". I'll stay away from that for now. Maybe when I hit 40.

    Now..., let's play games.

  • Prox #18 4 years ago

    Yeah, those features have been in the beta since at least December (last time I popped in).

  • bad09 #19 4 years ago

    @ farticusmaximus

    Agreed no fanboys wars! But your right PS2 was such a HUGE success because of the games not its virtual knitting circle, or it's DVD player. I have to say miiiguel is right, Sony are trying to do everything which is hurting what the Playstation brand is famous for, great games. I say the same thing with MS now they are going down the download route with movies and shows. Concentrate on the games people!

    Now I'm off to feed my virtual cat.........

  • dirigiblebill #20 4 years ago

    @ farticus

    It's all down to preference, though, isn't it? I quite like the look of Home (at least in theory) for those embedded minigames: the possibilities are sky-high if Sony throws the thing open to third party development. Imagine strolling down a boulevard, popping into a cafe and sitting down at a window table to a fully-fledged game of World of Goo with a buddy in New Zealand? Or going bowling in between games of Warhawk?

    Whether it cuts the mustard with you or no there's no denying that this is (as others have pointed out) a potentially super-lucrative project, given the success of Second Life, Club Penguin etc. As regards Sony 'no longer being a gaming company', that's hyberbole and I think you know it :)

  • DrDamn #21 4 years ago

    Home isn't something for the hardcore gamer though. Its a casual thing and will appeal to the Sims/Nintendogs generation. Part of the "Game 2.0" strategy. Could actually do really well for them but you really are not the target audience here Farticus. There are a lot of people out there - if this is done right - who are though.

  • dirigiblebill #22 4 years ago

    @ DrDamn

    Apparently it's 'Game 3.0' nowadays. Get with the times, loser ;)

  • DrDamn #23 4 years ago

    Ah well ... pfft. :-)

  • Beano #24 4 years ago

    "Home is basically Sony's elaborate answer to Xbox Live, I thought it was obvious."

    No not really... PSN is "Sony's Live" just not as feature packed or well integrated as Live on 360.

    Home is something new to consoles and not aimed at hardcore gamers - Sony are clearly trying to attract casual gamers and non-gamer consumers with Home - will be interesting to follow :)

  • Darren #25 4 years ago

    Home could be really something quite special, we'll just have to wait and see. Yes, it sucks that it's launching over a year after the PS3 was released but Xbox LIVE launched a year after the original Xbox and we all know that the PS3 is Sony's really first "proper" attempt at a console with full online integration. At least they're attempting something different from Microsoft; Home could be the very thing to attract casual gamers to the PS3, something I doubt Xbox LIVE is doing.

  • Arwin #26 4 years ago

    Underlying Home is a software SDK that provides all sorts of networking features similar to how Live works and which should be available in PSN to some extent as well as in games. Home is a graphical layer over these core features and expands it with virtual world community features like sharing picture and movie content, virtual avatars, trophy rooms and so on. But the core, registering achievements and storing them somewhere on the HDD or in your online profile, chatting, friends list access, that kind of thing needs to be in the SDK for game developers to use, and is on a lower level from Home.

    I would expect Sony to pretty much require of themselves to have Home up and running and integrated into MGS, but we'll see.

  • Psiloc #27 4 years ago

    This all seems well and good but like you guys I don't see the underlying point to it all. I feel like all I'm being shown is the extra fluff that comes with the main product but I haven't been told what that product is yet.

    Not sure if the problem is underwhelming software or bad marketing.

  • dirigiblebill #28 4 years ago

    Now, now, headbog, let's not start another Xbot/Sonylol encounter. Plenty of those in the sales figures threads.

    <a href= 'http://youtube .com/watch?v=uUQbxsMS9fQ'>Rise above it!</a>
    Edited by 1 at 31/01/08 @ 11:18

  • QPRHOOPS81 #29 4 years ago

    Girls will love it. Just look at the sims. Its a great way of (like Nintendo with there easy to pick up games) increasing your userbase. It will bring alot of people to PS3 that wouldnt usually have bothered.

  • Sneerk #30 4 years ago

    "Norwegian Lodge"... wicked.
    Sony release the damn thing already!!

  • dirigiblebill #31 4 years ago

    You're no fountain of wisdom at times yourself, farticus. Everybody <a href= 'http://youtube .com/watch?v=EXwMIdiXn8o'>chill!</a>!

  • mattigan #32 4 years ago

    I can't see the point of it, never have been able to.

    Whats wrong with normal menu driven interfaces, like XBL, Messenger, PSN, the Internet etc...

    I'm not interested in going out on my virtual balcony to to see if my friends are online, just give me buttons to push FFS!!

  • IronGiant #33 4 years ago

    Truth hurts eh farty?

  • Freek #34 4 years ago

    The purely menu driven interface, like Live, is also in there. The virtual world is an optional side thing. A game in itself.
    An odd choice to have the basic functionality tied so closely into something more ambitiouse but that's the route they chose to go.

  • Gaol #35 4 years ago

    Can't wait to see this - however the inclusion of in game xmb; and an achievement rivalling system, need to be there for it to be as good as Live.

  • Psiloc #36 4 years ago

    @Freek

    That makes a bit more sense. Where did you find that out?

  • Weezer #37 4 years ago

    I'm quite fascinated by this. As a potential soon-to-be-owner of a PS3 (yay! The full set) I wonder just what it will bring to the party. If it's a MySpace/FaceBook-meets-Second Life, then I think it could become really popular among the text set. (Personally, I think I'll be on it for about 20 minutes, try some hats, get lost and then never come back... but we'll have to see how it evolves.)

    Could it be extended into a larger Animal Crossing I wonder?

  • drumbaby #38 4 years ago

    Really looking forward to this.

  • erp #39 4 years ago

    Is still sounds ass.

  • ParanoidZombie #40 4 years ago

    Ok, guys, so let's imagine for a second that I'm a "casual gamer", whatever that means.

    Ok, so i already have a DS and animal crossing + brain training my IQ stuff (I'm gonna throw up), a Wii + cocking mama, wii fit and Wii sports, and I like to play second life on my PC (I'm gonna kill myself).

    Ahem, then why would i want Home? i mean, I'm already super-busy with all that stuff and all the other stuff I do all day, cos you know I'm a fitter, happier casual-gamer and i don't really have time to play games lol. So sorry guys, but no Home for me, i already have one lol! Don't be so grumpy, let's go shopping, that will cheer you up lol!

  • TheVoiceOfRaisins #41 4 years ago

    My first post - enough of the lurking already......

    Back on topic, Home actually looks like a smart move from Sony - this is exactly the kind of hook that will catch casual gamers, and make the PS3 a more attractive proposition from front-rooms everywhere. They just need to get something out there after whetting appetites for too long

    My take on the PS3 system (yes I have one) is an entertainment hub, that just also happens to be an excellent games machine. Inclusion of a "Home" interface can only serve to reinforce that, and while it may not appeal to me directly (don't know until I try it) I'm sure it will be more than popular. I don't get facebook, myspace, or any of that other guff out there, but that doesn't stop these media being immensely popular........

    Lest we forget that Sony are an entertainment company (hardware, software, media, etc.) - Playstation is just one element of their overall business. If they want to integrate entertainment more, I will certainly not stand in the way. IN MY OPINION this development is not at the expense of games, etc. - I want an entertainment system as much as a games machine.

    So BRING IT ON....

    My brain has spoken.

  • dirigiblebill #42 4 years ago

    Ahem, then why would i want Home? i mean, I'm already super-busy with all that stuff and all the other stuff I do all day, cos you know I'm a fitter, happier casual-gamer and i don't really have time to play games lol.

    It isn't quite as cut and dried as that. As with any demographical definition, 'casual gamer' is a convenient but crude way of lumping together a number of broadly similar consumers: it's not like you'd have to be up to date with all the latest facebook-style apps and Animal-Crossing-ish games to qualify for the title. There's probably a large body of loyal Playstationites out there who have yet to sample the forbidden fruits of 'community' gaming, and I'd imagine these are the consumers Sony has in its sights for Home.

  • ParanoidZombie #43 4 years ago

    @dirigiblebill: indeed, but it kinda looks like a half-baked attempt, like when sony revealed the SIXAXIS in order to counter the Wii, or like when microsoft released viva pinata. The casual gamer market is already close to saturation, and Nintendo has pretty much sealed the deal with the ds/wii combo. I mean, look at the sales figures, the flood of TV ads and stuff. Plus since most hardcore gamers don't seem interested in Home, this thing will have a hard time generating some momentum.

  • bad09 #44 4 years ago

    A lot of people are saying "oh it's like second life or facebook or myspace", but surely anyone interested in that sort of thing will already be using one or more of those websites anyway, without the need for micro transactions?

    Beside those sites are OK for a while but they get annoying very quickly, the crap I get sent on facebook is unbelievable!

  • dirigiblebill #45 4 years ago

    ParanoidZombie: On the contrary, the continued high Wii/DS sales figures indicate that the casual gaming market is far from saturated, and in any case, Nintendo doesn't appear to be directly targeting the social networkers, outside of that lacklustre Mii feature- can you imagine the average Brain Training fanatic making much headway in Second Life?

    There's the additional possibility that Sony could pull a bit of a Nintendo themselves with Home, busting out some fancy-pants new ideas and hence opening up a new development/marketing front.

  • systems #46 4 years ago

    The casual market is nowhere near saturated yet. I know loads of people who still can't get hold of a DS Lite or Wii. Casual gamers are also casual about their "gaming shopping". If it's not in store as they walk past it they won't bother looking.

    Anyway, back on topic, good luck to Sony with this. I reckon the Sims brigade will lap it all up.

  • AOFanboi #47 4 years ago

    <em>I can't see the point of it, never have been able to.

    Whats wrong with normal menu driven interfaces, like XBL, Messenger, PSN, the Internet etc...</em>

    I agree! Like when Verant added 3D graphics to a perfectly good text-based MUD and called it with a fancy name - EverQuest. As if their blocky polygons were a match for my imagination and the world builders' well-written descriptions. Bound to fail miserably, that idea.

    And things went downhill from there. And people spend most of their time typing text into built-in chat systems anyway...

  • mooseman721 #48 4 years ago

    I think it will be ok, something new and it's not like it costs anything. It has lots of possibilities, going to a virtual movie theatre for example. Theres nothing to say that you won't be able to watch current Sony movie releases in the future, i'd buy into something like that. And xbox kids, seeing as you have all the games, why are you posting on sony home article? Weirdos.

  • RazorObsession #49 4 years ago

    In this busy world, where time is money, and money is by nature precious, true gamers need a fast system that quickly and efficiently hooks you together in your game, and makes sure that the majority of your free time is spent in game, actually playing. Cause thats what Gamers would want right? if this free time wasn't precious, why would 12 second walk up stairs to the cinema matter?

    It would appear with all the faffing about in Home, that this system is not what true gamers need.

    Thats not to say that Home is without worth, far from it. The novelty for non WoW or second life players may maintain interest for a while, or even addict some victims. Media lovers will find value, whose primary objective is not playing games of course, and finally the target demographic of socially inept fat women\amputees\burn victims who cant leave their 'homes' and interact with real people for fear of being judged on their appearance, and whose primary addictions are IRC, The Sims, and not being part of the human race proper.

    Callin it as it is.

  • kangarootoo #50 4 years ago

    "but surely anyone interested in that sort of thing will already be using one or more of those websites anyway, without the need for micro transactions"

    That didn't stop Facebook turning up after Myspace was well established. Neither did it stop WoW taking Ultima Unline's crown. A competitor can join an existing market whenever they want, all they need to do is be different and better. And even "better" is a relative term as people have different preferences and requirements.

    Seems to me that there are rather too many people dismissing Home because they personally wouldn't want to play it. I understand everyone has different gaming requirements, but that doesn't have to mean you are blind to the potential of something. I don't play golf, but I would never look at some posh new golf club and say "what is the point".

    Direct comparisons with XBLive aren't really valid as they aren't the same thing. An advert is quicket to watch than a film, but speed of use is clearly not the only factor that sets them apart. As for perceived "purpose", the purpose of all our gaming toys is to entertain us. If some people find Home entertaining, well job done surely.

    Surely, that enough people out there seem really interested in the potential of this is reason to suspect that a market exists. Whether each of us in IN that market or not should not define our entire opinion on the matter, because we better informed than that, right?

    P.s. Thank God the kiddy fighting stopped. I thought I was going to have to throw a bucket of water on some people. And hello TheVoiceofRaisins, new posters (particular those that don't immediately call someone a fanboy c*nt) are always welcome in my book.

  • kangarootoo #51 4 years ago

    "It would appear with all the faffing about in Home, that this system is not what true gamers need."

    You say "true gamers" twice on your post. What on earth does that actually mean? All this talk of "joining the human race" just sounds like geeky elitist tosh to me. Ironic, some would say.

  • RazorObsession #52 4 years ago

    True gamers i.e. Gamers who are true to their passion of playing games, not sodding around in virtual spaces, chatting, web browsing, watching movies or doing anything with their console that isn't actually playing games. Like posting on forums from your PS3 for instance.

    Elitist, perhaps, ironic, most definitely.

  • ronuds #53 4 years ago

    Home does seem like a pretty neat idea and one which is aimed at casual gamers, but what casual gamer is going to run out and pay hundreds for a PS3 just to use Home? Plus, Home doesn't seem as fully-featured as Second Life - meaning you can't simply use Home on its own without getting bored in due time.

    So while Home is cool, I think some of you are kidding yourselves thinking casual gamers are going to buy a PS3 for it and it only. What else, besides LBP is Sony offering these gamers? As long as that answer is "barely anything" then I think you can predict how much Home will appeal to them.

    Most people who use Second Life or Myspace didn't run out and buy a PC just for that - they most likely had a PC already and using those sites was a pretty obvious next step. As Viva Pinata and even XBLA have proven - you need more to attract the casuals to pay out their ass for a console.
    Edited by 1 at 01/02/08 @ 19:35