Sony Home - The official thread*
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There are more (loose) game items now, but it is by and large the same Playstation Home. They should focus on things for visitors to do together (or individually), rather than game spaces. Otherwise, it'd end up like one of those boring sand box games where people wander around tiresomely with nothing to do.
Anyway, it seems that EU is ramping up...
http://community.eu.playstation.com/playstationeu/board/message?board.id=419&message.id=83039#M83039
I heard EU people will get new game spaces and more freebies in Home than US today (or tomorrow). Apparently, more community goodies are coming.
EDIT: To be strategic, they need to be able to make broad base commitment or claims like (some random examples)...
e.g. 1 Game launching and party management for all (or first party) games
e.g. 2 Clubhouse integration with any games any website
e.g. 3 All Home mini-games will be free and high quality (e.g., I heard the EA Sports poker is as full featured as a real PSN poker game, Red Bull Air Race is good but a little too simple, the chess works but I think the layout is wrong). You can earn in-Home currency from all of them.
Since Sony is moving slowly, another possible explanation is they are constrained by allocated budget (Need to earn more to expand faster). It's a tried-and-true technique but not sure if it's helping Sony/Home to build any momentum at all. If they are not careful, the entire environment will become uninteresting, slow, messy and irrelevant to most customers (i.e., Empty vision/no commitment, loose roadmap, too little, too late). I have fallen into similar trap: The funny thing was I was able to see and use cool standalone features internally day-to-day, but it just took too long to roll them out externally and make them all work together in interesting ways. Would hate to see Sony go that way. I was in a small outfit then.
Anyway, it seems that EU is ramping up...
http://community.eu.playstation.com/playstationeu/board/message?board.id=419&message.id=83039#M83039
I heard EU people will get new game spaces and more freebies in Home than US today (or tomorrow). Apparently, more community goodies are coming.
EDIT: To be strategic, they need to be able to make broad base commitment or claims like (some random examples)...
e.g. 1 Game launching and party management for all (or first party) games
e.g. 2 Clubhouse integration with any games any website
e.g. 3 All Home mini-games will be free and high quality (e.g., I heard the EA Sports poker is as full featured as a real PSN poker game, Red Bull Air Race is good but a little too simple, the chess works but I think the layout is wrong). You can earn in-Home currency from all of them.
Since Sony is moving slowly, another possible explanation is they are constrained by allocated budget (Need to earn more to expand faster). It's a tried-and-true technique but not sure if it's helping Sony/Home to build any momentum at all. If they are not careful, the entire environment will become uninteresting, slow, messy and irrelevant to most customers (i.e., Empty vision/no commitment, loose roadmap, too little, too late). I have fallen into similar trap: The funny thing was I was able to see and use cool standalone features internally day-to-day, but it just took too long to roll them out externally and make them all work together in interesting ways. Would hate to see Sony go that way. I was in a small outfit then.
^^I hear ya. I moved to a new team and before then I complained about not receiving features fast enough and now that I am on the team I complain about not getting them out fast enough, lol. We aren't constrained by budget but by man power. Such a small team supporting so many users, we are having to prioritize requests/enhancements and determine if new tools/utilities will create redundancy.
In this case, I wish more of Sony would work together and share resources. We get bland portable id's, they get spiffy game background picture portable id's. We get Trophies to show online, they not only get trophies but Portable ID updates to display them...no word on ours. Why can't these updates be global to all regions? Why are different teams working towards the same goals but giving results sporadically in each region?
To be strategic, they should continue the live discussions in Home, the ninja parties. Required game launching of all games, more reward system tie-ins with retail games. Basically give everyone more to do.
Anyway, I downloaded Home, got my spaces updated and it seems it loads much more faster. Everything is a bit more smoother. I went to the Game Lounge and there was nothing to do and then out of nowhere a million people showed up to talk to Seth and John. Most wearing their SF attire. That was pretty cool I must say! I look forward to checking out the RE5 space and can't wait until they get their SFIV space in and start that reward system!
In this case, I wish more of Sony would work together and share resources. We get bland portable id's, they get spiffy game background picture portable id's. We get Trophies to show online, they not only get trophies but Portable ID updates to display them...no word on ours. Why can't these updates be global to all regions? Why are different teams working towards the same goals but giving results sporadically in each region?
To be strategic, they should continue the live discussions in Home, the ninja parties. Required game launching of all games, more reward system tie-ins with retail games. Basically give everyone more to do.
Anyway, I downloaded Home, got my spaces updated and it seems it loads much more faster. Everything is a bit more smoother. I went to the Game Lounge and there was nothing to do and then out of nowhere a million people showed up to talk to Seth and John. Most wearing their SF attire. That was pretty cool I must say! I look forward to checking out the RE5 space and can't wait until they get their SFIV space in and start that reward system!
Yeah I was in one of those events. Hanging out with the folks were definitely amusing. Watching them crowd around the VIPs were a little scary/embarrassing though.I actually like to see the Siren game space and the Japanese culture game space (Because they seem to have more activities). There's supposed to be a Virtual World event on March 11. I think. That Jack Buser guy will be keynoting. I hope they at least announce and release some strategic thrust and supporting services there. Time's running out.
Heh, I remember wrongly. It's a "Fire-side Chat" instead of keynote:
http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/20...ationhome-sony-computer-entertainment-am.html
http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/20...ationhome-sony-computer-entertainment-am.html
Specific EU news:
EDIT: well, it's really all there. The Resident Evil 5 space looks amazing actually. Really great textures, lighting, and even dust effects and pretty looking water/mud pools. It's pretty big too, and has two bits that are exclusive to if you have the game, including an arcade game that requires you to have the RE5 disc in the tray, and something like a museum.
The SFIV costume bits are categorized in a special SFIV container, which is an interesting new thing, and more convenient then selecting each individual item from the various categories.
The Helicopter game is a bit like the game in the U.S. space, but it looks a lot prettier, especially the balloons have a nice shader (tin-foil kind of look) or whatever it is. Needs a scoreboard though (I scored six, woohoo).
TedTheDog said:
EDIT: well, it's really all there. The Resident Evil 5 space looks amazing actually. Really great textures, lighting, and even dust effects and pretty looking water/mud pools. It's pretty big too, and has two bits that are exclusive to if you have the game, including an arcade game that requires you to have the RE5 disc in the tray, and something like a museum.
The SFIV costume bits are categorized in a special SFIV container, which is an interesting new thing, and more convenient then selecting each individual item from the various categories.
The Helicopter game is a bit like the game in the U.S. space, but it looks a lot prettier, especially the balloons have a nice shader (tin-foil kind of look) or whatever it is. Needs a scoreboard though
(I scored six, woohoo).The Fireside chat in Engage! Expo was held yesterday. Gamasutra published a summary: http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22661
The only new info is Sony is claiming 5 million users in Home now (as opposed to 4 millions last month)
The only new info is Sony is claiming 5 million users in Home now (as opposed to 4 millions last month)
IGN previews EA's Home Space: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/962/962311p1.html
Phase 1 of the Sports Complex is about 1-2 months away. According to the community managers, Resistance and Socom Home Spaces have been announced (but I don't remember seeing the reports/articles). KZ2 and LBP Home integration were acknowledged unofficially by the developers too.
Phase 1 of the Sports Complex is about 1-2 months away. According to the community managers, Resistance and Socom Home Spaces have been announced (but I don't remember seeing the reports/articles). KZ2 and LBP Home integration were acknowledged unofficially by the developers too.
Another report on the Fireside Chat: http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content...ming/e3i2de868eb1bec5e467dfbe4cd719f9e32?pn=2
* 5 million downloaded Home. 2.2 mil in US and Canada
* Most users averaging about 50 minutes per visit
* What's next:
* 5 million downloaded Home. 2.2 mil in US and Canada
* Most users averaging about 50 minutes per visit
* What's next:
A quarter of the install base is pretty good, considering a lot aren't online even. But out of those who downloaded it, how many are actualy using Home? How curious the population is to look at something new isn't worth much when you're wanting to establish a large, long-lived community!
The active participation rate won't be high given the limited benefits users get from Home. The US$1 mil revenue during the beta launch week would imply that low hundred thousands of users transacted in Home. The total active user base then was probably in the million(s) range (Typically only minority would pay for generic Santa Claus/Jack Frost costumes, virtual clubhouses and apartments -- partly confirmed Sony's earlier 20/80 statement).
After the launch week, we should expect people to drop out as there is nothing to do in Home except chatting and a few mini-games. The slow game-by-game rollout of Home spaces and game launching should not bring any major surge to Home user base. They need a big, consistent push for something common like game launching.
Too bad they couldn't get KZ2 game launching in place yet. It would have brought in more users given KZ2's lack of party management.
From finance angle, Sony probably prefers the right balance of paying users with free loaders in Home.
EDIT: By the way, this is not Home specific, there are a few free MTV shows on PS Store now.
After the launch week, we should expect people to drop out as there is nothing to do in Home except chatting and a few mini-games. The slow game-by-game rollout of Home spaces and game launching should not bring any major surge to Home user base. They need a big, consistent push for something common like game launching.
Too bad they couldn't get KZ2 game launching in place yet. It would have brought in more users given KZ2's lack of party management.
From finance angle, Sony probably prefers the right balance of paying users with free loaders in Home.
EDIT: By the way, this is not Home specific, there are a few free MTV shows on PS Store now.
Hopefully, I did not miss anything but this is really cool! Unfortunately, this is only available in the JP Home space. I hope it is released for others because this is what we need and this is what Home should be!
For those that can't access the link, it is a recorded video of the Siren space in the Japan region. It is a mini-game where your group must survive. No, it is not a java arcade mini-game you play. It is actually your Home avatar navigating around this themed area with enemy characters from the game. You unlock Home rewards based on puzzle solving ability, etc. Yes, I saw this on Gaf
For those that can't access the link, it is a recorded video of the Siren space in the Japan region. It is a mini-game where your group must survive. No, it is not a java arcade mini-game you play. It is actually your Home avatar navigating around this themed area with enemy characters from the game. You unlock Home rewards based on puzzle solving ability, etc. Yes, I saw this on Gaf
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I wonder if this considers the time spent redownloading every single space. I was wondering if when I visit every blue moon I spend 50 minutes... and I realized I probably do, if you take downloading the spaces into account.
