Playstation Home - If it ever appears on PS3, will it be worth the wait?
By Dave Parrack
Playstation Home is the long awaited and oft delayed online community-based service meant to rival not only Xbox Live, but also avatar-based virtual worlds such as Second Life. However, with the closed beta still ongoing, and reports still leaking of the disappointment faced upon first viewing, the question has to be asked: will it be worth the wait?
Xbox Live is brilliant: easy to use, fun, intuitive and most importantly - present from the beginning of the Xbox 360’s life. Playstation Home on the other hand seems to promise much, and has been for what feels like years, but delivers little.
The virtual world for the Playstation 3 has been in development since 2005, and here we are, three years later, and there’s still no sign of it emerging from beta in to the cruel hard world of the Sony die-hards. The problem is that the lucky few who have been in and had a look around the closed beta are emerging completely unfazed and displeased with what they see.
A writer for Kotaku is amongst the latest to pay a visit and emerge to write a scathingly unexcited review of its contents. The reviewer basically summed up the experience by saying it’s nice in theory but crap in reality. And that is now, after over three years of development time, and just a few months away from the rumoured open beta release date of Fall 2008.
At this stage you have to wonder whether the whole thing is even worth bothering with. The next Playstation 3 Firmware update v2.40, set to arrive in time for E3 in July, is going to have XMB and Trophies included, and that will provide pretty much everything PS3 fans have been asking for. Whether they will actually be bothered with the chance to have an avatar of themselves walking around a slow-loading, always out-of-date environment isn’t clear.
The big problem for Sony now is that Playstation Home has been in development for so Goddamn long, and promised so much hope for PS3 owners sick of getting it in the neck from their Xbox 360 owning buddies, that it now cannot fail to disappoint upon arrival.
Unless Sony includes naked women walking around the virtual environments come Fall, then I can’t see anyone being overly enamoured with the sure-to-disappoint Home.
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Entry was posted
on Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
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Tips N4G
June 25th, 2008
Dave…..dont be too sure of yourself…..i know sony…..they wont realease it if its bad, so im sure it will really good….and the firmware updates are pieces of it too…..and also xbox is not easy to use……its so weird that i cant find one word that explains Xbox live
June 25th, 2008
shut up andbuy ps3
June 25th, 2008
I believe the writer from Kotaku mentioned no one else was in HOME and the console he played on was running HOME for the first time so there were load times. He basically walked around in HOME alone which must be pretty boring. HOME is suppose to be based on interactions with other people. I think it still looks cool but the wait is way too long. SONY is always delayed on everything. They need to get it together fast.
June 25th, 2008
I’m of two minds…one IT HAS been FAR too long and does deserve the redicule from the other “system” fans.
BUT, I am also a supporter of “take longer to release a WORKING product”.
So basically, they better release soon, and it better live up to expectations. Sony has hyped up its “goodness” and only have itself to blame IF it is a fizzer.
June 25th, 2008
DAVE PARRACK
June 25th, 2008
I can’t wait for HOME I’m so addictive already is gonna be hell of a ride. So far looks like a Xbox Live demolisher and an assault. Is gonna be great the close beta is doing good too progressing fast at the end Sony will have the last laugh which is always better. Xbox Live is nothing more but a service full of cheaters & laggers and most game are dead with almost no people playing plus there’s $50 payment for that piece of trash. HOME is gonna so many features like cinemasyour own house customizable and and the ability to create your own virtual YOU and invite friends and have a party and play mini games have Throphys and special event and developers will have their own HOME space omg and is free to use.
June 25th, 2008
I am in the Home Beta and i can tell you it’s going to be great, The only issue at the moment is the aparent lack of people in the game. Which has to be expected since it’s still in the closed beta stage, Once it opens up to te public things will be much more exciting. I mean i can’t wait untill me and my fellow clan members can meet in Home, discuss our game plans and then jump straight into a game of COD4 with our oposing clan. Trust me it will be great.
June 26th, 2008
@ Ivan_PSP’s sausage party….
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
June 26th, 2008
xbox live needs to drop and be free if they think want to compete though i doubt it.
June 26th, 2008
a coupla weeks ago.. I couldnt care less about the PSN…. but now that Im about to move and get a decent net speed.. I can connect to PSN… so Im psyched bout Home… lets hope its worth the wait… with Killzone 2 being delayed… THIS BETTER BE GOOD!!
June 26th, 2008
lol to quote Matt “i know Sony”. How’s he doing nowadays anyway?
Anyways, perhaps Home is crap, for long time psn users like me, it doesnt really bother me that much, will be a nice addition if its good, but i dont think its a console seller/major attraction. And can someone tell me how Home will interact/fit in with games???
Also, how do you apply for beta testing?? I’d do it.
June 26th, 2008
UPDATE>>> Ivan_PSP spotted on mtv site chatting about Home and how it will own XBL LOL:
http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/06/24/impressions-of-sony-ps3s-home-beta/
(scroll down to comments and hey presto first comment)
June 26th, 2008
Nicely found Bourne! I wonder what other websites Ivan graces himself upon to wax lyrical on his theories?
June 26th, 2008
Every website bitches
June 26th, 2008
Ivan, Ivan, Ivan you forum whore……Nice find Bourne.
I’d say he would be on a few, trying to convert 360 heathens to the almighty PS3.
Let it go Ivan…..the 360 is not so bad. Besides after the 5-6th RROD, they may convert of their own volition. (Just jokes 360 boyz)
June 26th, 2008
Youve been cheating on DAVE PARRACK Ivan?!!!
June 26th, 2008
Hmmm…I say wait and see
June 26th, 2008
I remember him commenting on xboxer.tv a long time ago… IVAN CHECKS OUT 360 SITES!!! OH NO!!!!!
Maybe he’ll “jump ship” like sega future boy… maybe he wont… we need some ps3 fanboys here to even the scale…
June 26th, 2008
Hey so I know I ragged you guys about Sony and there non-support for games and then Sony goes and say this.
“Sony has said that to continue growing it’s Playstation Business, the division will focus on non-game content and services, combined with further networking capibilities across all of it’s key products.” (Gameindustry.biz)
“The two key drivers of new growth are non-gaming content and services in tandem with enhanced network capabilities.”
Yeah that goes right up there with Kaz saying the Playstation is not a gaming machine.
June 26th, 2008
sony ALWAYS over promises and under delivers. I expect HOME to be a shell of what was promised.
June 26th, 2008
I wish they would stop delaying it and just can the thing already.
Does any PS3 over besides Ivan actually want this?
Just give us 2.4, NDAS support, and support for more codecs please.
June 26th, 2008
*PS3 owner besides Ivan
Correction to previous post
June 26th, 2008
thats wonderfull kev and CAD… or kC… nice to see that you guys keep talkin smack… just like the PS3 fanboys in the “upcoming 360 games” article… nice going… real mature…
June 26th, 2008
dwh - not talking smack. just remembering all of sony’s broken promises. HOME looks to be just one more.
June 26th, 2008
Oh Kevin and CAD your overlord microsoft hasn’t lied or made promises that haven’t turned out or over hyped stuff….Whatever
Wake up Kev you tool. MIcrosoft promised to fix 360 owners RROD…after 4-5 times of sending their console back, I would call that a broken promise, not including stuffing thier “Loyal” customers around.
Go back under the rock you crawled out of. Thought you and CAD were gone already. You’ve promised us that for about a month now…another broken promise. You sure know a lot about promises….lol
June 26th, 2008
Spideydog
I only said that comment on Monday this week so stop talking shit.
June 26th, 2008
It’s just funny to me that you PS3 people defend your precious Sony and then Sony come out and say what I have been telling you all along. It’s like music to my ears. I told you they forgot about the gamers. That why not one of you even commented on the News I just exposed because there is nothing that any one of you can say because Sony just confessed to what I have been saying all this time.
“The two key drivers of new growth are non-gaming content and services in tandem with enhanced network capabilities.”
Oh man does that make me LOL.
June 26th, 2008
That was days ago, what are you waiting for? A hug?
June 26th, 2008
New growth CAD, new growth…
Hes talking about expanding into new areas not growth from ‘typical’ areas of a console (games and such).
June 26th, 2008
SW
And your came from the PS2 to the PS3 for exactly what? A system which Sony has made where games are the last thing they think about. Yeah you and the rest of you buddies can run around home until there is domething good to play.
At least this is what Microsoft said after they announced they reached 5 Million mark in Europe
“We’re always working on new things, and you’ll continue to hear lots from us that we believe will be game-changing.”
OHHH and the 1-2 Punch!!! KO!!
June 26th, 2008
spidey - MS will fix ANY rrod issue. i know of NOONE that’s had the same console break twice. stop reading the SDF website. why do you hold ms over the fire for backing up their mistake yet forgive sony, buy a ps3, when they had to be FORCED to fix the ps2 while sony blamed the gamers the whole time? hypocrite.
i still fail to see how a hardware design flaw is a broken promise. prolly becuase it’s not.
if you think ms has ANWHERE near the history of lies that sony has (gaming related) you simply have not read much, or have amnesia.
June 26th, 2008
kev do you enjoy playing games, or do you think of how they are better than ps3 ones when you play them. Because you seem like a gamer who spends the whole time on sites like this protecting the 360, when all you have to do is play to show your support. and before you call me a hypocrite, ive spent all day playing my ps3, ive just come of Metal gear online. Loved it.
June 26th, 2008
If I remember the link you gave me kev… it said that Sony recompensated the people for their disk read error… so what are you talking about??
June 26th, 2008
Bourne,
What is your PSN ID again?
-Arvis
June 26th, 2008
dwh- it was only AFTER sony settled the lawsuit in 03, that they did. 3 years of ignoring a problem is a long time. ms acknowledged the prob about 6 months into the 360’s lifecycle, took proactive steps, while sony didn’t. that’s the difference.
bourne - typing from work. next time you’re on ‘live (or you can go to gamertag.com) check the tag “low roller” (w/o quotations). see what i play and how much i’ve played. pretty neat option of xbox live.
June 26th, 2008
my psn id = anihal8r, my metal gear id = JD660 or something like that, i cant remember
June 26th, 2008
Bourne
You have to have two ID”s on PSN, now that sucks.
June 26th, 2008
no no ,you need one for general psn, then a specific one for metal gear solid online. dont know why.
June 26th, 2008
CAD - agreed. i wouldnt’ have the patience to keep track of all the varying gamertags for all my varying online friends. how cumbersome… great idea, sony….
June 26th, 2008
CAD - yeah it sucks and it is stupid. As good as MSG4 is, the online system is pathetic. Not only do you need seperate ids, but also passwords. It was a pain in the arse to set up. Personally I wasn’t that impressed with the MSG4 online either. Give me Cod4 or even Rainbow online anyday. But that’s just me.
June 26th, 2008
CAD - Did you get so enraged you mashed the keys until you managed to put together a reply?
Its pretty clear to me that when games like GTA4, and MGS4 (aka big guns) don’t really shift these machines anymore, companies need to reach out to new areas of growth. Esp. when they are taking MASSIVE hits (look at the $bn sony blew on the PS3) - any new revenue generator is going to be explored.
No where in the quote does it say ‘we’re forgetting about games’ so stop trying to twist everything around to make your precious 360 look amazing.
At least Kev makes coherent posts ‘most’ of the time, you my friend have all the intelligence of a garden hose.
June 26th, 2008
SW
I’m proud of you. Your the first one to say anything sensible in a response to my inquiry. Really though they might have not said that but there track record says they are forgetting about games. Sony keeps talking in circles from one rep to the next. Do any of these Execs. know what is going on in their company. Everything is in the future and the PS3 looks like a incomplete Project that gets put together as they chug along.
June 26th, 2008
Kev - Can’t put the blame on Sony for the different tags, this is only an issue on MSG4 so far anyway. Any other game uses your PSN tag. I think MSG4 did it because when the downloadable content comes they will make you go to their site and not the Sony store. Either way it is retarded!
June 26th, 2008
It’s not Sony who did it, it is Konami. It would of been the same on 360 IF MGS4 was on it. Alas, it is not.
Yeh my brain is melting, having to type in a 2nd log-in for one game, which once typed, is saved by the network automatically.
When is your leaving party going to be then CAD, are we invited or just Kev?
June 26th, 2008
kev-no, its not ids….you sign in AUTOMATICALLY on psn……no problem….then when you choose to go on MGS4 online…you have to have a KONAMI ID…thats totally different….all you have to do is check save id and password and automatically login….really a baby can do this…i really dont know what the big problem is….do go lazy on me lol
June 26th, 2008
oops i made a mistake….”its not two ids”
June 26th, 2008
I’m disrespectful to dirt!
Can you see I am serious!
Get out of my way, all of you!
This is no place for loafers.
I will banish all fanboys to the 5th Dimension!!!
So just get along or else
June 26th, 2008
Live In You World, Play In Ours
I’m not trying to convert anyone into buying or not buying a PLAYSTATION 3 I’m just letting people know the true about Xbox. I don’t care who has a PS3 or Xbox 360 i got a 60 GB PLAYSTATION 3 and a Xbox 360 Premium already. I really don’t consider myself a PlayStation freak nor do i consider myself an Xbox hater. I know i always say the bad things Xbox has nothing like that about PS3. The reason is because most of the PS3 problems are fixable. I have this number of consoles…
5. PlayStation
6. PlayStation 2
1. PLAYSTATION 3
3. PSP
3. PC
3. Xbox
1. Xbox 360
Soon the rare Japanese only PlayStation X which has a 250 GB HDD and cost about $700
June 26th, 2008
Go Mr. Sparkle. There is nothing better than an obscure Simpsons reference
June 26th, 2008
No one has had to send thier 360 console back more than once for RROD eh Kev……thats a bold statement considering the internet is “littered” with microsoft loyal customers that disagree with you. But hey, you and CAD live in your little dream world……”If I close my eyes and chant It’s not real, It’s not real - maybe it will come true”
I have not seen this many internet sites with dedicated sticky thread purely for 360 RROD enquiries…now that says something, even if you don’t admit it.
Is that the best you can come up with fellas…..I must visit SDF, a primary schooler could come up with a better one than that. You do know that there is a 360 defense force site don’t you, that is just as bad as SDF. There are one eyed clowns on both sides of the fence and you two are definitely “one eyed”
Whoops you guys are still here….still not going?
June 26th, 2008
My launch 360 is still going strong, no RROD.
June 27th, 2008
winner, yours is in the 66% group
lol
I’m only giving crap to Kev and CAD. Most people here will know that I like both systems and they both have thier pro’s and con’s. These two fools seem to have an 360 world domination agenda that I love just poking fun at. If they both decided to give thought out, unbiased opinions, then we would have some more interesting discussion.
Actually we usually do have some good discussion until these two jump on with thier one eyed xbox rules the world dribble.
June 27th, 2008
spidey - oh..since you read it on the ‘net it MUST be true… lol.
June 27th, 2008
ohh… so the article on the net about the PS2 read error… THATS NOT TRUE EITHER??
or.. any anti 360 articles are biased and are false… but the PS3 bashing articles are as true as the sun rising in the east…
June 27th, 2008
is there really a playstation x on sale, or is that some crap you made up IVAN_PSP.
June 27th, 2008
dwh - actually i read about the ps2’s DDE and DRE and their subsequent lawsuits in WSJ, and Newsweek. All paper publications…. like i said, you have no clue… really…
June 27th, 2008
No you dumb idiot there’s a PSX which has 250GB it plays PS2 games is only sold in Japan check it out anywhere ask around it came out in 2004.
June 27th, 2008
i can’t believe i’m saying this, but IVAN is right. sony released a $700 PSX (guessing the x was for “eXpensive”) in japan. the sales were so abysmal sony STILL refuses to give sales numbers. they have long since discontinued production.
June 27th, 2008
ps…not sure he’s right about the hdd size tho…
June 28th, 2008
Kev,
“spidey - oh..since you read it on the ‘net it MUST be true… lol.”
Pot this is kettle, that your evidence all the time, stuff you have read on the net. Contradict yourself again and again. lol
June 30th, 2008
spidey - i cited my sources outside of the net. the WSJ and Newsweek for two that i can remember. I’d mention EGM, OXM, and GI as where i get my facts from too, but you’d count those out as fanboy rags.
butt out next time.
June 30th, 2008
I’m sure even OXM wouldn’t come out with some of the bs you do Kevin.
Why should Spidey butt out, since you always butt in? Is this a private conversation? Between whom?
I’m sure DWH and Ivan don’t mind us joining you.
June 30th, 2008
royzy- the simple fact you claim facts are “bs” only underscores your ignorance in this industry. what SPECIFICALLY have i said that “even OXM” wouldn’t say?
the reality is; you sony loving clowns hinge on every bit of unsubstantiated hype sony throws at you, while ignoring reality in the process.
so, what SPECIFICALLY?
June 30th, 2008
You mean I gotta go through all the Blorge Feed and cherry pick examples?