Home on PS3: Progress report – High virtual sales but little else
I’ve been keeping an eye on Home, the Playstation 3’s version of Second Life, since news of the service first leaked out. Now, as we approach the start of 2009, the open beta (which is likely to be its perpetual state of being) has been with us for a couple of weeks. It’s high time we had a progress report.
Playstation Home was a long time coming but I’ve done the story of its continual delays to death here on Blorge already. What’s interesting is that the holiday season, with its lack of newsworthy stories, has seen the mainstream press also pick up on Home, and most stories have been of the negative variety.
The Washington Post has a report from Mike Musgrove into the service. He notes how Home has launched when other virtual worlds seem to be in decline. Google closed Lively while Reuters backed out of having a presence on Second Life. He also notes the amount of updates he’s already been forced to download since entering the beta.
Musgrove isn’t very happy with the language filtering system which is so stringent it’s banning “Hello” for containing ‘Hell’, “Potential” for containing ‘Pot’, as well as any references to religion or even sexuality. But Musgrove’s biggest complaint is the lack of things to do, which is a fair point at this stage of proceedings.
The only thing which alleviated the boredom was adopting a new set of clothes, comprising a business suit and snowman head. Maybe this is Sony’s business plan? If so, it certainly seems to be working as Susan Panico, senior director of the PlayStation Network told Silicon Alley Insider that virtual goods were selling like hotcakes.
The earlier mentioned language filtering is also upsetting others, with Michael Marsh explaining the problem to the San Francisco Chronicle. Marsh has been trying to create a gay/straight alliance club in Home since the private beta but is being prevented from getting anywhere by the banning of references to gays, lesbians, and bisexuals.
I’m glad Sony got on and released Home to the public but I do wonder if releasing it before all the little problems were fixed and issues were resolved was such a good idea. The mainstream press seems to be revolting against certain aspects of the service, none more so than the lack of things to actually do. That, surely, is Sony’s biggest mission for the next 12 months.
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11 Responses to “Home on PS3: Progress report – High virtual sales but little else”
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December 28th, 2008
I hope they release a pink Tutu, then i could give my “pulling” avatar a whole new twist.
December 28th, 2008
Oh my lord, this is stupid! Now your telling me the gay alliance is starting a club at Home?!?!
I want to use Home to have fun, not so some nobodys can force their agenda down my throat.
And you know what the funny part is? I’m now more likely to be more friendly with Furrys, Scientologists, and even pedophiles–at least they don’t bug you about who they are!
If they start a gay pride parade at Home Square, I’ll never buy a single Sony thing again.
Home should be about fun, *not* agendas. If they want a place for gays, they should ask Sony to make a HOME SPACE for them.
December 28th, 2008
Can someone delete what I just said? I take it back.
December 28th, 2008
Careful Bourne, I saw your pulling avatar, I don’t know if the world is ready. You really upset some people last time.
I haven’t actaully logged into Home since Bourne, Spidey and me went bowling, mainly because I’m waiting for everyone to start saying ‘OMFG, did you see what they have added to Home?!’.
This language filtering thing sounds crazy – surely it can’t be that hard just to replace swear words with a random silly word like Habbo Hotel did?
Just played the Silent Hill Tribute level on LBP – twas amazing. It is in the ‘highest rated’ pages if anyone wants to search it.
December 29th, 2008
Anybody heard anything on Silent Hill coming to PSN? I think if Sony put half the money they spent on home into porting the good PSOne titles to PSN, they would have a hell of a lot more sales.
December 29th, 2008
I would like all the good PS2 games on PSN please… it would give me reason to upgrade to 500gb
hehe
December 29th, 2008
AND PS2 titles, definitely.
If 360 can do it, PS3 can too (though they probably won’t until they stop selling PS2).
December 29th, 2008
DWH,
You and I should meet up in Home and see if we can launch into Street Fighter from it…
Doubtful, but it would be fun to try.
-Arvis
December 29th, 2008
yes arvis… we should also try quincying…
could you please teach me some of your sf 2 moves??? preeeeeeze!!!
January 2nd, 2009
Would be better if parents would control their kids and their online experience than Sony having to babysit everyone instead.
January 6th, 2009
Would be better if they could put an option on that filter.