Phil Harrison's GDC keynote - Home, LittleBigPlanet & more

Home is "a lot of other things" seller
And it's a great move in terms of non gamers content. I believe than Home will be a excellent opportunity to increase PlayStation market out side of the game market.

 

I dunno, I just don't have the time to bother with Home-like stuff...

 

MM? what developer house is that?

 

Well, for people that fit the Second Life profile, it certainly is already. But the more important role of Home is tieing consumers to your platform, getting them involved, getting them to use it regularily. If that happens, it will eventually result in higher games sales. Moreover, if your community / social network reaches a critical mass, people will not only take notice, but want to be part of it in turn making it a must-have. Just take a closer look at the prototypes like MySpace. Gradually whole circles of friends are plunged into the world of social networking.

I am not saying this will inevitably happen. But creating Home is certainly a smart move on Sony's part. Coupling it with Little Big World, which socially binds gamers together, is even smarter. All in all, I'd say it's good strategy.

 

http://www.mediamolecule.com/

 

Great now I gotta save up $600!

 

This is what appeals to me. The gameplay itself might not have much longevity in itself, but the game is what we make it. It's like when we were kids before we had consoles, and would make stuff to amuse ourselves with. Much of the enjoyment came in the creation. I had great fun designing original Worms levels. Later creation stuff is, from my experience, either too simplistic (lay a track) or way too complicated (NWN quests or Morrowind mods). This sounds like it has simplicity in creating content, but complexity in how you can combine it. Presumably any look you want can be created by building the assets.

I think most of its appeal isn't practical, but reaches a certain demographic. It's appeal can probably be extrapolated from a combination of phenomena, like chat-rooms, MMOs, SIMS, virtual avatars, etc. Combine those with the basic online services, and you've got what's maybe a win-win situation (as long as there's shortcuts too). In GW it was fun to meet up with my friends for the first time with their avatars, and likewise creating our Mii's was cool. I'm sure I'd do a bit of customizing here and there. I'd leave it to other people to peruse the lobby's.

I think what's more notable here is Sony have gone for an online world, rather than 3D interface for services. It's kind of like a 3D WWW. Instead of going to Nike's webpage, you can go to Nike's virtual shop. That could be huge if it takes off with lots of potential, and a nice revenue stream for Sony I presume. That'd explain a part of their revenue streams for paying for this. Coke ads all over the lobbies, anyone...?

 

Heh it is actually a very interesting feature. Similar interfaces exist as games are available online and you cant imagine how many people visit those and spend HOURS in them.

You describe them as "meh" but there are many who would have said the same for "OH MY GOD"
My sister for example described all the things you said as "THATS SO GREEEEAT "

Even I who doesnt play such things is very interested in Home. It creates a very competitive enviroment from a gamers perspective and in a more interesting way with people showing all their ranks and achievements in a virual room.

Also I see future possibilities in this. For example most of us use MSN if not all. This will build in generations to come. It will be a matter of time until very many people use it just like msn chattiung, showing offdistributing media/files, and play games together.

It creates a very interesting communication enviroment between people and gamers alike

 

imagine how much of system memory "Home" will use

 

Hopefully all of it ...

 

Ya, I'm not attempting to speak for other demographics, I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who would get off on these features. Just personally, Home gets a large shoulder-shrug from me, and doesn't really make me want the system anymore.

I'll definately be watching with interest to see what the consumer uptake is.

Anyways, Bravo to Sony for taking the bar and rasiing it completely, this can only be considered a good thing for the industry.

 

You'll know when they've succeeded if Nintendo and MS get spaces on there

 

Love it or hate it, HOME seems to be a step in the right direction for Sony. Especially when you consider that most thought their online support last gen was lacking and whether or not they were able to build such an online service. HOME is probably something thats going to eventually come with every PS3, me thinks, so its going to be their no matter what. Also, they say its free so I can't really complain.

 

I see your reasoning behind your statement but remember that there is not a 500USD entry fee into social circle sites.

This does look very gnarls though.

 

Great keynote. One of best for Sony ever.

Now I must wait for video footage of Phills speach. I want to se how you can make levels for LBP!!! And HOME stuff...

 

Personally I don't see any of this as very significant, since MS will just copy it and they have many more online subscribers on X360 than Sony does on PS3, but it's nice to see some neat ideas coming out of Sony. Btw, this project is no surprise to MS and I would be shocked if they didn't have something in the pipeline of their own.

I'm going to give Sony a little more credit here though and say that one of their strengths is that they know they are an entertainment company. MS sometimes thinks of games as "software" a little too much. A little too dry. MS should take note from some of this stuff. Presentation and entertainment are very important to consumers. "Software and Services" doesn't exactly excite the average guy/gal on the street.

 

World of Warcraft, one of the things that doesn´t get through the press releases about its success is the social aspect. In my guild people have travelled from 6 countried to meet up, relationships have been made, friendships, lovers etc. And on the flipside some people have stopped speaking with each other. This is all thanks to one game, i see a tremendous potential in Home. It´s all players from all games that can interact..

 

hopefully, it looks like Sony react at least!

All this stuff looks really cool.
Like everybody is saying competition is so good.

Ms will have to react to justify the cost of live gold to costumers eyes.
I was really starting to think : WTF Sony is doing...
Poor PR...
No clear vision...

Now I'm happy it's likely that I will buy a next gen system by end of 2007, I still lean on the 360 camp, but now there is a but : MS will have to react!

I'm impressed by Sony cleverness, they manage to raise hype from the land of the dead.
Anyway they have to deliver!! and soon! ie nice infrastructure (servers, etc...) for smooth operations.

Ms will react price, may be a home like service for live silver or gold depending on tha quality of what sony will manage to deliver.

Anyway, I was losing hope in competition, Sony has to stress MS, live has to be free.
No matter they want to push it to PC, it will be a failure...
Ps3 service is free, PC service are mostly free (except mmo).

If Ms want to make money they would better bet on selling content on a free service platform.
Or they will have to deliver soon something that will match not Sony "home", but the expectation Sony has now managed to raised.

 

Well don't then! I don't know if I do either, but at least I can rest assured that if I fancy having a wander around within Home it won't cost me a penny.

 

I want to add that Sony raise some nice hype, but doing so they revealed some of theirs long term plans to theirs competitors allowing them to react.
But in regard to actual sales, in Japan and US I think that it was a no brainer for them.

But having shooting already some of theirs huge bullets, they will have huge handle huge stress from competition at E3 in regard to announcements, and they won't be able to live on hype to long.
The poor launch has teach that to them already.

Sony seems at least to have learn its lesson, their aim in the good direction, but they will have to deliver.
Hype won't help them with 2007 chrismass, they have to secure msg4, I feel that Hs on his own won't be enough.
(not that the game doesn't look great )