AfterDawn: News

PlayStation Home set for October

Sony has revealed that it plans to launch its ambitious PlayStation Home service around October this year. The initial download is expected to weigh in at about 500MB and future subsequent updates and patches will be structured to a streaming solution. A closed beta phase that will involve about 15,000 users will take place between April and August and an open beta will include about 50,000 users between August and October.

Details of the Home plans are revealed in a "third party relations" Q&A from Sony's developer website. According to the file, certain aspects of Home will be accessible using the PlayStation Portable (PSP) console and mobile phones. The environment's persistence will be a particularly tough element to master. "Currently Home is not a persistent world, so when you leave Home, all of your possessions go with you. For instance, it is not currently possible for other users to visit your apartment while you're not there," Sony said.



It continued: "We are working on the persistent aspect of Home, and expect to implement it in the long term." Advertising will be kept to "palatable" levels but will be prevalent. "If you consider Home to be a simulacra of the real world then most goods and services found within the real world could theoretically be replicated within Home," the PDF notes.

Source:
GamesIndustry.biz

Written by: James Delahunty @ 12 Mar 2007 18:18

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• 12 comments

• pstamer

  Wow. So does that mean that we can live in that world instead of the real world. Coooool!

  12.3.2007 18:40 #1

• muccione

  This sounds just great, I can't wait. If anyone thinks this is a LIVE copy then they have never been on live. This is more like a real-life SIMS-if you want to call it a copy. I think this will be the new way to do chat rooms too. To add to the fun it should let you do what you want like start fights (no killing)steal stuff, break things, make friends, do good deeds. You know inject your own personal self. Everything you do would be reflected in your rep, street cred, popularity or whatever you call it.

  12.3.2007 18:40 #2

• pstamer

  It will be interesting to see how you control certain aspects of "Home" with the psp. Hopefully it won't use too much of the memory stick.

  12.3.2007 18:42 #3

• ZippyDSM

  UUmmm simis is complete different you have near complete control over the game/level,in this is more a Online chat setup or a "virtual" menu if you will.
  
  This is nice as long as they don't go nuts with pay for crap.
  
  However this dose not help the price nor the presived issues with BWC.

  13.3.2007 00:13 #4

• BobbyBlu

  Yes i can't wait either this is going to be like no other console has.I seen a interview that Gamepro had with Phil Harrison.He said that Sony has been working on HOME like two or three years Sony was going to use it for PS2 but they drop it for PS2 and kept it for PS3.
  
  F.Y.I
  
  Here is a link for the Beta for HOME that due out in April
  
  http://www.homebetatrial.com/

  13.3.2007 01:27 #5

• chubbyInc

  New technologies bring new problems. I wonder if Sony has thought about hackers penetrating this service and creating Player Killers and online bullies. Just a thought, but there's always someone that doesn't want to keep the peace. Also anyone know the limits of what can be done with the Sim-likes? Wondering if I can start having sex in there instead. haha

  13.3.2007 07:03 #6

• muccione

  Originally posted by ZIppyDSM:
  
  However this dose not help the price nor the presived issues with BWC.
  Zippy It seams to me that all you do is complain....this thread is about HOME not BWC or the price of the PS3..I had no problem paying for the system or the 360 or any for the other systems I have. and I don't care about BWC cuz I kept my PS2 ..I am a gamer and love to have the new toys and I am willing to pay for them. If you can't afford it then stop crying about it and the money you save on tissues you can use for the new system.
  
  Try being happy sometime instead of the negative stuff

  13.3.2007 11:12 #7

• Spenman91

  Quote:Zippy It seams to me that all you do is complain....this thread is about HOME not BWC or the price of the PS3..I had no problem paying for the system or the 360 or any for the other systems I have. and I don't care about BWC cuz I kept my PS2 ..I am a gamer and love to have the new toys and I am willing to pay for them. If you can't afford it then stop crying about it and the money you save on tissues you can use for the new system.
  
  Try being happy sometime instead of the negative stuffI don't think he's always negative or complaining. Nor do I think he was then. I think he was simply stating that Sony should fix some of the issuses with the PS3 as it is now insted of starting something else that they will have to deal with.

  13.3.2007 12:52 #8

• neo1000

  wow nerd`s paradise.

  13.3.2007 18:03 #9

• BobbyBlu

  Quote:I don't think he's always negative or complaining. Nor do I think he was then. I think he was simply stating that Sony should fix some of the issuses with the PS3 as it is now insted of starting something else that they will have to deal with.What issues Sony having that any other console hasn't had? Sony is a very big company with alot of divisions HOME is going to be there network a way to interact.Saying Sony should drop this is like telling Microsoft to drop L.I.V.E which is one of there strong selling points for XBOX & 360 consoles.So Sony should just drop this & tell us PS3 owner that they are working on making the system better Bull" no PS3 owner going to take this lightly you adjust & make your console better during its life cycle.I just don't get some people logic on this site.
  

  
  
  
  Microsoft: Ps3 cant do 60fps on 1080p. Guess what they were WRONG!!!!!
  (11/19/05 - 9/19/06) Microsoft: Sony's 1080p support on PS3 is all Hype and Not Needed.
  (9/20/06) Microsoft: Xbox 360 to add 1080p support.
  
  

  13.3.2007 18:23 #10

• Spenman91

  I didn't say they should drop it completely. I just ment that they should wait until they have their console running smoothly before they go and add something else. When live came out for the original Xbox the Xbox consoles were running pretty well, I won't say they didn't have any problems. But if you look at the Wii also, they are waiting until they have everything straightened out before they start their online multiplayer. I don't understand why they couldn't add this on after they get their consoles going and get the price down. I love the idea, I just don't understand why it needs to be done right now when people are complaining about other issues the PS3 has.

  13.3.2007 18:33 #11

• ZippyDSM

  muccione
  
  If I had a GF a life or mounds of money to burn I would be "happy".
  
  But until one of thos distract me I will dog after the issues I see in gaming today.
  
  the focus on graphics that destroys game play that destroys fun,perhaps I am a jaded fool,but I am not the only fool to stop and say graphics are not everything...
  
  
  BobbyBlu
  I was defending PSH some,this took years to make so its not like they will put something off thats "easy" to do,sadly they will put off the emu/BWC stuff because it can cost them in more ways than one,looking at things from a fresh angel this is how sony wants to be they want to cost the most upfront,they want to be innovative for their online,they want to seemingly backpedal on BWC,its not like MS didnt fck up thier BWC its not like MS has a high rate of returns for the model 1.
  
  The PS3 has made some strides but its still is lacking games and even MGS4 is jumping ship as it were,the less exclusive titles the PS3 has the less I will be wiling to shell out top dollar for it,the PS3 is reminding me of the Xbox days it had the power but costed more and lacked something.
  
  Most of the titles for the PS3 I could care less abotu the last good FF game was FF9,KH and MGS is ok but not worth 600,I don't buy movies so the BR player is worthless to me,games in general have tooken a hit to "fun" the PS3 has a long way to go probably be 3 years before it has a worth while line up to be worth more than 500$,perhaps I have merely become old and jaded and not like spending money on a machine thats made for interactive media and not fun video games.

  14.3.2007 04:47 #12