PlayStation Home - Suddenly Interesting

When PlayStation Home launched in 2008, one could be forgiven for passing it over. What was advertised as a Second Life-esque virtual world was in fact a technical mess of a ghost town. Sony attempted to mix it up by adding an ARG here or a new mini-game there, but the gaming community had spoken, it wasn't impressed. Fast forward three years and Home has become a vast, multifaceted, world brimming with activity. It begs the question, when did this get interesting?

[Emilio_Estevez]

Love home, it's fun going out to find all the free stuff. Always cheat and use the internets to find them.

http://alphazone4.com/ - Every item evar!

[GribbleGrunger]

there's just one thing Sony need to add to HOME that would make it complete: Trophies. if they did that then even those that wouldn't spend a great deal of time there would perhaps visit every week

[Gaming101]

It got interesting when your actual day to day life became increasingly boring and dull to the point where a pixelated pile of nothing had more going on in it lol

[insomnium2]

I think Sony should make some important things as timed exclusives in home. Same way it was with Journey where you could only buy it if you were a + member at first.

Sony should make people interested in Home. I haven't been to Home in years. Last time I was there the RE5 space was a new thing....O_O

I really haven't had a single reason to go through the trouble of getting Home updated and such in years. It might be actually worth it and I just don't know about it.

Sony make some highly anticipated game's trailer exclusive to home for one week or so. The last of us should be getting a new trailer or something in the near future so how about putting it up inside Home for the first week exclusively huh? I would love to have a reason to go to Home.

[Soldierone]

Sony might anger a few people if they do that unless they charge for Home or force you to spend a few bucks before earning the trophies.

It's Sony's policy that free PSN games can't have trophies. The team behind SOE stated it too since they wanted to have trophies for the free DC Universe, but couldn't because of the policy.

Home needs attention and all, but I don't think it would be right if they go and throw an exception in for themselves.

[himdeel]

I wonder why home isn't on the Vita

[GribbleGrunger]

would it be possible to run HOME on the Vita? i'm not sure. i'd prefer HOME on the Vita to be set in the LBP universe if it IS possible

[sinncross]

Home was originally conceived to be used on cellphones (before the massive rise of smartphones).

Sony should really get it onto PSV and use PS Suite to get it onto Android phones. More access to it ,the better for the service.

i also agree with trophy support and I would even say Move support. It is the one thing I do not get about the Move... SOny should have made it accessible in everything that is free once you get a PS3... so its in the OS, good, but every app you can use should use Move outside of buying games.

[Soldierone]

Even if it can't run Home itself, why not put it there in some regards at all? Allow to update the avatar and what not, make it more basic.

I kinda hate the fact Vita isn't fully networked with the PS3 right now.

[Bagogames]

They were considering 'ROOM' which would have been a small, compact, adaptation of HOME for the Vita. There was a beta, exclusively in Japan of course, but it eventually came to nothing.

Damn it.

[zeeshan]

I tried to like home. I REALLLYYY did but to be honest, it never sparked any interest. I'll visit it again but the fact that it loads slooowww and the avatar runs even slower, it just feels like a slow-fest. The mini games aren't that interesting either. The only ones that I liked were the bowling game and the pool game which is usually filled with people and I hardly get a chance to play it.

I think LBP is what HOME should have been.

[RedDead]

It's shi* to be honest

[MEsoJD]

I like the dolphin races and love playing poker in home. God I always have so much fun with poker. The avatars on the tables are normally really diverse and conversations are usually interesting and funny.

I think home will probably be have more integration with PS4 OS.

[sikbeta]

May check it out, last time I did was last year and didn't find it interesting, it probably changed alot after 1 year :D

[Knushwood Butt]

My Japanese PSP Go shipped with the Room demo.

[slazer101]

The other day I was bored so I went to check out "Home". Had not been on for so long I forgot I deleted it. So I downloaded it again. Man has it come long way. Ended up spending over an hour checking things out. They have done a pretty good job fixing things up. Its nowhere near what it used to be.

[Emilio_Estevez]

I don't think people realize, but they add new stuff every Thursday. You could literally play around for days and still not see it all. There is an unbelievable amount of places, games and items. Like if I had an actual number for those thing, people probably wouldn't believe it.

[ian72]

Went on HOME for first time in over a year the other day, just to see how it is now. I was amazed at the mini games and different spaces to visit. I enjoyed the new wipeout style game, remote control car racing one and loved that spaceship one.
Its suprising how much there is to do and see now, its turned out quite good, and for free I can't really complain.

[morganfell]

I visit Home 2-3 times a week. It was okay for a while, but once Sodium came online it really became a blast.

[AtomicGerbil]

While I haven't spent a great deal of time in Home, I will however disagree that it's ever been a ghost town.

[rezzah]

I don't see how one can agree to it being a ghost town. ever since the release it has been crowded with people.

Sometimes there are people who fail to see the reality of things in a means to hold on to their own personal beliefs.

[MysticStrummer]

Yeah I've been a fairly frequent Home user since shortly before the beta opened to the public, and one thing it's never been is a ghost town. Sony made their Home development costs back about a month after the beta opened, which couldn't have happened if it was a ghost town back then or if people didn't like it enough to spend money on it.

[Jim Hawking]

It's a metaphor. I didn't have a lot of content.

[MrDead]

One of the best places on home is the LBP sticker wall, the sick and twisted things that some of us create crack me up.

[Redempteur]

it's something i've said since ages ..content started flooding in home and obviously after years and lot of feedbakc , HOME is good

[Godmars290]

The pirate game's rather fun, once you get the hang of it.

Damn crew keeps mutinying on me though... :(

[Kamikaze135]

I can't get into it. Though I think Sony should implement it into the XMB somehow. Possibly letting people use their avatars for other things like you can on the Wii and 360.

[rezzah]

You do realise that what you wish for is less that what Home actually provides?

What I mean is that the ability to personify yourself through your avatar.

In PSN all you have is a single image, whereas in Home you have a vast amount of clothes and costumes to dress up in and show off.

I personally have some exclusive items provided through specific games or free items given out at differing times.

[Kamikaze135]

Like I said...they should implement the two. They can provide Home characters as dynamic avatars and allow us to use our avatars outside of Home.

[rezzah]

i think I misread your first comment for XMB being implemented into Home, when you meant it the other way around.

[MoonConquistador]

I've always wanted to see a chess tournament set up within Home. Buy a £1 or $1 entry ticket, then get your start time for your match messaged to you.

An overall prize for the tournament winner, with Sony taking a slice of it for a little profit too

[rezzah]

A $1 might be much, I'm sure for 25 or 50 cents people would not mind.

They can use that dollar to get some nice looking clothes instead.

[thebudgetgamer]

There's tons of things to do in home, I love the I never tried but I don't like it attitude some have.

[cynosure]

A lot of people have forgotten about Home

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Home is easily over looked...I dont think people forget about home itself, its more like they just don't think to go to home. And that is primarily because Home had a an odd identity, its an app you have to launch to then get apps to launch.... its not the XMB but you feel like it should be at times.

I think I tend to avoid Home mostly because I only go there once in a long while and the updates to it every time I have tried to go to it kinda put me off.

[BitbyDeath]

If home was made with less load times or better yet none i'd use it a lot more.

Hopefully nextgen will be able to accomplish that.

[tweet75]

im hoping for HOME on VITA

[pbasson]

Used Home in Beta, when it came out I used it once and gave up. When you have games who needs Home. Poor Investment by Sony once again.

Before fanboys go nuts. Remember Im talking about Sony, Not you.

[frostypants]

No one will go nuts, but it was a pretty dumb comment.

[thebudgetgamer]

I really like using home, the other night I spent two hours playing Ice Breaker. There are a lot of simple but fun games to be played now.

You say poor investment but that is a huge revenue stream for them.

[MysticStrummer]

I think you need to look up the meaning of "poor investment".

[Nes_Daze]

For some reason a lot of PSN users are still holding back on Home, must be because of all the barbie playhouse stuff it advertises, and WeirdWear promotes all the harassment. I'll go in again after it becomes less of a Second Life for people without lives and more of a gamer's hub.

[ikkeweer]

You'll need to wait a bit longer then.
I go there quite a lot (mostly for Aurora), but if you klick on peoples profile's 90% of them aren't over level 5 (trophywise). Tells me most of them are there just for the second life feel and less for sharing passion for gaming.

[nik666uk]

its shite

[frostypants]

I hate it when people completely mis-use the phrase "begs the question". It does not mean "raises the question". It means something completely different.

[Jim Hawking]

I noticed that after I put the article up. The correct phrase is "begs to question"

Whoops.

[NJShadow]

I liked Home more when it was LESS complicated. It's awesome now, but it's as though there's TOO MUCH to do... if that makes sense.

[smashcrashbash]

If people weren't so close minded these days it wouldn't have taken you so long to realize that Home had evolved and grown. Many people didn't understand that it was a work in progress and eventually would have gotten better. That was many people's attitude 'I used it once and deleted it because it was so boring'. That is the close mindedness of gamers and responsible for the sorry state gaming is in right now.

For example just imagine people are only NOW admitting that they may have been to hasty and that Motorstorm Pacific Rift is actually a great game after they went all out to put it down and send it to an early grave in the bargain bin . That is what I have been trying to tell people for years but the average gamer's head is made of concrete and nothing gets through.

BTW Home doesn't need trophies really. The prizes you win are the trophies. They show how well you played a game. For example anyone walking around with a full Ryu costume shows that that person beat the game completely.

[xtreampro]

That's because 1) people don't care and 2) many people have actually forgotten that it even exists, this article actually reminded me that something called Home even exists.

[mobhit]

Your comments reek of immaturity. No one cares? Then why are there so many people there?

[OMEGAZONE]

It's biggest downfall, it's region locked, can't visit my bros in US Home!!

[MakeBelieve]

You can create a PSN account for any region ya know!!

[Redempteur]

as a home fan i have to agree..Some Home content from japan is reall y impressive but never happens for us ..

Legal rights and all this stuff prevent them from being for everyone

[Godmars290]

They need to get Namco to look at the engine for Scribble shooter title. Get them to try the arcade museum with actual arcade titles avatars can just walk up and play.

[xtreampro]

Home? The ancient Egyptians have records about it in their hieroglyphs, Archaeologist have yet to decipher exactly what "Home" is and what happened to it.

[Megaman_nerd]

haven't been in Home since the day it was launched.

[TheRealHeisenberg]

You are not missing a thing. It is highly overrated IMO. I have tried and tried to like it but it is a complete waste of time. Still too many creeps and stalkers running around in there.

[mobhit]

Just because it's overrated for *you* doesn't mean that it's overrated.

[TheRealHeisenberg]

IMO = In My Opinion. I understand that others feel differently. I guess I missed the point of your reply.

So yes, it is overrated...IMO.

[yokokoroma]

Home was always an interesting facet of the PS3, just because a majority of "hardcore gamers" didn't use it, doesn't mean all disregarded it. The author of this article is addressing PS Home NA, and not PS Home as a whole. (i.e. PS Home around the world) PS Home Japan has always been bustling with activity. In fact it was irem's integration into PS Home NA, that attracted numerous users. There are many things PS Home Japan offers that no other PS Home has. (i.e. locations, mini-games, events) They have redefined what PS Home is.

The model that PS Home NA has adopted, is that of PS Home Japan. It's as a post above mines points out, PS Home allows you to personify yourself through your avatar. Thus giving you a better or more indepth experience than a mii or an xbox avatar.

[Forza_is_King]

The only interesting thing about play station home is how Sony could support it for this long while it continue to be such an epic failure and let down. It was a barren wasteland at launch and is still one now.

Anything that supports hiphopgamer is a failure. Does anyone in here actually have a hug belt on their avatar in home?

Pathetic

Home is lame and anyone that would rather walk around in it hitting on girl avatars belonging to guys thinking they can pick them up rather than spending that time actually playing games on their PS3's are just as lame as the feature itself.

If I'm not mistaken, home is still in its beta form....LOL

[BitbyDeath]

Obvious troll is obvious.

[Forza_is_King]

"Obvious troll is obvious."

Obvious Dork is obvious

[BitbyDeath]

"The relaunch of Home, which has seen 24 million users worldwide since it went live in 2008"

http://www.vg247.com/2011/1...

That was as of November last year, far from being barren.

[xXBlondieVanHarlowXx]

@Forza_is_King  

Wow lol lamest Troll ever. Have you ever been on Home? *looks at name* *see's FORZA* Do you even own a Ps3? If you did you'd know it isn't a "barren wasteland" but an extremely lucrative asset to the Playstation name. Hitting on girls? really? PlaystationHome is more or less meant so gamers can talk to other gamers. If you've gotten rejected by other guys that's your own fault. So please do yourself a favor, do US a favor & STFU. If you are THAT anti-Home then go fiddle around with your awesome original Miis,, err i mean Xbox Live avatars. You've got 1 bubble left.. let me have it.

[smashcrashbash]

What the hell are you talking about.? Is that what you go to home for to pick up girls because that is not what I go to Home for. I go to play games and win prizes. And the fact that you think Home is a barren wasteland show how much you actually use Home.If you don't like Home no problem but don't exaggerate and lie just to get attention

@ sandman224. So since you don't like something they shouldn't bring it back? So screw all the people that do like it, right? Typical selfish gamer behavior right there.No one is holding a gun at your head and forcing you to use it.

[chobit_A5HL3Y]

i love haters who laugh at their own comments... "If I'm not mistaken, home is still in its beta form....LOL ". give yourself a high-five and a pat on the back, sport!! :D you're a winner!!! :D

>.>

[Legion]

If home was anything like Red Dead Redemption online then we wouldn't be having this conversation/ Love playing the Dice games and poker on RDR multiplayer!!! Not to mention the free roaming world and play. Couldn't Home be so much more???

[mayberry]

I love all aspects of "home", been going to it since "private beta".

[sandman224]

Home is not for me. I hope the next console doesn't bring it back.

[BitbyDeath]

Your post is exactly what is wrong with this world.
I don't like it so let's ban it from everyone.

Happens with everything even circus's are now getting into trouble for having show animals.

[Soldierone]

Honestly one of the best comments ever.

"I don't want it, so no one gets it! MaHAHAHAHA!" I hate people and how stupid they can be sometimes. When they push their own beliefs and wants onto others is when it bugs me.

[sandman224]

Let me be specific. I want a game console to game on. So I don't need home to explore a virtual world when we all have a real world to explore outside. I don't like how Sony should put there time and money on dev tools to help 3rd party developers so we don't get a shitty port game with bad frame rates instead of a virtual world for fat asses.

[spe3dstar]

they should have PS HOME ON THE VITA!

[leemo19]

Hate or like it either way its draws good money for Sony, Its why Sony is keeping it. Home has always been and always will be a social media app pretty much and has exceeded with the improvements that have come over the years.
Plus Home helps out up coming developers get their start like ndreams, which are one of the most talent developers on home.

[Mikhail]

Home was a big investment for one my friends. (Bought so many costumes for her avatar) I used Home once in a while but only in the Japan Home. They got gundams and Miku concert there.

[Rhythmattic]

Really enjoyed the Uncharted game in home...

[Rhythmattic]

...

[Mister_G]

Last time I tried Home I thought it was okay, but too slow loading new areas, and it all felt very disjointed.

Also, it was hard to find the hidden gems amongst the "just ok" bits. Maybe a star rating system would help?

It's needs to be much more slick.

[happpy11]

meh

[th3_d3an]

its always been people just never gave it a real shot

[Darth_Bane79]

I know a lot of people that spend a lot of time on Home, I even have some friends that only go in there for home and sometimes play other games. I myself don't like it much, but there is a lot of people that do.

[GamingPerson]

home was so boring..

[Silly gameAr]

I've popped in and out of HOME since the beta, and it's crazy to see how it's evolved into what it is now. There are literally hundreds of games and rewards, and I've met some pretty cool people there that I game with regularly.

The LOOT theater and the quest are probably the best additions though imo.

[devilhunterx]

1) Needs an adults section

2) Avatars should be fixed as the gender listed on your PSN profie

3) Trophies

4) Integrate it on XMB