Ben-DutkaYou know, I'll freely admit it: every time I did up a story on the latest PlayStation Home update, I thought to myself, "hey, that's pretty cool." …but in all honesty, I never really logged in to check it out. Well, I did so last night and as I am comparing it to my last Home experience – which was probably around February – I have to say, I'm pretty damn impressed with all the changes and expansions.
For the record, I have never been a big fan of all these virtual social services like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and what-have-you; I find the vast majority of it to be useless and even downright creepy. This is one of the primary reasons I never really got into Home, although I certainly appreciated the thought and creativity that went into the invention. When I first got in there and started wandering about, I easily recognized the vast potential but at the time, I didn't really care . I just figured it might be something cool for other people; a younger generation of people who spend sixty-eight years setting up their damn Facebook page. But after exploring the new Home, I've come to the conclusion that I really might spend some actual time in there.
There's just so much there now that wasn't included during the dawn of Home. I mean, I haven't even used Home to communicate with friends or other gamers just yet; I've just wandered around and checked things out, and surprisingly enough, that's plenty for me right now. I really enjoyed myself during my mini-adventure; I kinda like seeing this virtual space come to life before my very eyes, and while I'll never spend hours and hours decking out my own space, I'll still log in to see the new changes. They've got new arenas, game-themed spaces, mini-games, and of course, a horde of new content in the stores in the Mall. It's as if everything just expanded outward at a very fast rate; 6-8 months ago, I was standing in what only amounted to the base; the foundation. But now that they're really starting to build, I've actually become quite intrigued.
So really, if you haven't been in Home in quite some time, you should definitely stop in and have a look around. You might be really surprised by what you find… I was.
I played chess at the Shopping area for close to 2 hours last night. Home can be fun if you accept it for what it is, not what was promised.
lol
I love home. I too have not hung out with any friends or just talked to other gamers. I plan on starting the game launching with my friends from school. Just i think of one thing that in my opinion, is compleatly necesary. A list of all the mini games. Or just a room that has EVERY mini game that is out. And just keep expanding the room. Maybe even make it like webkinz, you earn money when you win a game and then spend that money in clothes and stuff. Maybe thats what the ps thank you thingy is about. But i guess that is defeating the purpose of just chilling with your friends to constant leveling. I also want to play a game when someone else is already playing it. Because when i try to play pool or bowling i can never get into a game because there is never any games open. So i guess that could have more pool tables or something like that?
I gotta try it out because i didn't even leave my pad last time. It was about 2 days after it launched.
I would like to check out home but I'm afraid some random person would have their avatar approach mine and want to chat or do something within home when all I want to do is look around… I don't have a USB keyboard or a headset so communicating in home would be quite challenging if I wanted to chat with people which I have no desire to do. So what would I do? Ignore them? Is there some kind of privacy mode where you can just wounder around and nobody would be able to interact with your avatar?
You shouldn't have a problem with people approaching you and wanting to talk. People quickly catch on to who is there to connect and talk and those simply there to wonder around by themselves. Plus I think you've been mislead in regards to the interaction in Home. It's easy to walk around and do your own thing. There are groups of people sitting/standing and talking and there are people just wondering around.
Don't be afraid, it's a unique experience and one worth checking out.
Although I do recommend picking up a cheap USB kb and at least saying a simple "Hi" to someone dancing or walking by themselves, you can just run around and do whatever you want as Mr. Vertigo has stated.
jdt1981 I have that same problem man! I want to check out home I'm just scared to!.
lol, u guys are antisocial. There's even a preprogammed response that says "I have no keyboard" Don't worry the avatars won't hurt you 😉
"as Mr. Vertigo has stated."
I like the sound of that… )
Yeah, I'm pretty anti-social in Home, though sometimes I'm in the mood to chat. Lots of people are just wandering around, checking out what's there. I would suggest not using a female avatar, though; they draw dudes like flies.
Besides, if you're rude to someone (e.g., ignoring them), it's not like you'll ever see them again.
Last edited by Fane1024 on 8/31/2009 5:11:11 AM
jdt1981, MadKatBebop & Fane1024
Wow, just wow!
just make a fat ugly avatar and i guarantee no one will approach u.
Ok peeps, I may check out home when I have time. I'll make the fattest ugliest male avatar I can make in home that way people will avoid my avatar like the plague… LOL
LOL! It worked for me! My dude looked like Sasquatch and no one would dance with me, they'd just vacate the area :'(
Last edited by Wage SLAVES on 9/1/2009 5:30:16 AM
I thought the same thing the other day when I visited Home after getting my PS3 slim. The Mall is pretty cool, bowling alley seemed to be exactly the same as last time I visited Home (which was a while ago), and the Theatre is pretty sweet. I watched an extended Mark Hamill interview for Batman and danced a little to the song that plays out in the lobby for Eyepet (both in Home and a little bit in my home, lol that song always gets me in the mood) and I also checked out the Batman Home space which was pretty cool at first sight but I couldn't really find anything to interact with besides some pictures and I believe a video and an audio log. You also get to see bio's on Batman's equipment and vehicles. I guess I just wish there were some mini-games, as no matter what type of game I'm sure it would have been cool if it involved Batman in anyway :). I did buy a ninja costume from the Mall as well, because I had some extra cash left on my account. I haven't worn it yet but it looked pretty sweet in the previews and I'm looking forward to Home expanding even more with spaces and mini-games that we have already seen.
Last edited by Jut420 on 8/30/2009 11:30:47 PM
I totally agree Ben. I've been checking out Home about once or twice a week (way more fun with a friend on a voice call) and it's awesome.
I wish we would get that awesome music room from the Japan Home though 🙁 Flashy lights, crazy music! and people waving weird, flasy, plant like long glow sticks around while dancing. The titles of the song tracks appear right on your screen too while you're in there. I would love something like that.
The theater that we have is really awesome though, love the upgrades. I would love to see more music videos though (although that Shakira one in there now is a bit of a shock) and more tv episodes like that The Soup in there now. Great stuff! Heading in the right direction.
EDIT: Oh, another thing… Ben you should check out Home this week because as I'm sure you know, big Home update ^^
Last edited by Zemus101 on 8/30/2009 11:36:31 PM
Yeah, I know. 🙂
Is it 1.3 that's happening this week?
I believe they said the first, but …you know how things can be.
What Zemus said.
Oh, and Ben, you missed Xi, which was one of the better adventure games (+/-) I've played in a while, especially since it was free. I would suggest that everyone at least try the new ARG when it appears (which is rumored to be soon).
I agree with this article, Home has come a long way……..but I might be the only one to think this but I think Sony should stop making home spaces, and put in more features. Let third party developers create the spaces. While Sony works on features like listening to your music with your buddies, put in TVs so that you can watch movies with some of your buddies via playstation home.
And I hate to bring up something that the competition is doing but have any of you guys heard of "1 vs 100" from XBL, I think sony should give home users their own game show. Sony has Buzz Quiz, so why not just create a space for it. Put in a host and an audience and if you manage to win on this show Sony could give people prizes/money to use on the playstation home stores.
Last edited by Charger7302 on 8/30/2009 11:54:12 PM
I'd be happier about having Home around with a bigger hard drive. I farted around in there quite a bit in the Winter when I ran out of things to play. That isn't a problem right now but it's nice to know it is there as a freebie service that is cool in its own way. I like the special game spaces. I think it's already a hit with the young virtual social link lovers.
I really want to like home. I've always seen the potential in it. But I think they're still missing the mark.
I'd like to be able to say, login, and go play a game with some random players… like chess or poker. And talk with these people during the game and meet them.
Well, what actually happens is there's only 3 chess boards servicing millions of users. So you have to wait.
Forever.
And then hope you get to click at just the right moment to get in.
So basically the home experience for me so far has been rarely ever getting to do anything I want to do, and anything I do get to do is after waiting a very long time for it.
I'm hoping this stuff they're talking about for 1.3 will address that.
Yeah the new queue system for the games ought to be helpful. Among other updates that'll be great I'm sure, can't think of what they were right now.
There are multiple instances of each space, but often not enough of them.
It would really help if users could buy the mini-games (e.g, chess boards, pool tables, arcade machines, even a bowling alley) for their apartments. Of course, they'd probably charge too much.
Last edited by Fane1024 on 8/31/2009 5:28:19 AM
m from africa, and i cant get into home for bandwitdh issues..
Digital Divide still exists, give it another 10 years.
Ha! My wife makes fun of me when I play around in Home.
Off topic but where the hell is BikerSaint? I miss his cutie dog pic.
Probably enjoying a summer tour on his hog.
@Fane
LOLOLOL!
how big is the total download size atm with all the patches and what not?
Last edited by StevieRV on 8/31/2009 1:39:53 AM
Depends, I believe the install of Home is roughly 30mb. Then when you're in home each section you wish to enter needs to be downloaded: (the Theater is roughly 25mb, the Bowling Alley is 15mb). Home automatically allocates roughly 3 gigs of hard drive space for these installs when you 1st bootup Home.
Last edited by LimitedVertigo on 8/31/2009 2:11:43 AM
i doubt anyone remembers that monsters inc bowling game on PC, but thats how they should make bowling in home.
i remember playing it ages ago and it was the best bowling game ive ever played you could control everything.
bowl than you had to control your ball around obstacles and jumps and so, best bowling game ever made.
I hadn't logged on to Home in months, I was surprised to see the changes that went on. I specially like the Theater, at first I thought there was a mistake and I accidentally logged into the European version.
lol
The mall isn't bad either.
You know what the best part of Home is? Its standin around and watching all the pathetic losers try to pick up chicks with cute avatars, when in reality those chicks are probably 35 year old fat bald men sittin around in a dirty wife beater who live in mommy's basement.
:wipes crumbs from belly:
wait what?
Hey, we're not all bald.
If you want a laugh google "quincying".
HAAAAA!!!! Thats awesome. Ive seen that happen before, one of my she friends did that to a guy, It was hilarious
Hahaha
here's some tips:
1. never ask for pics, girls are just as deceiving as the guys. 90% of the time, they look like models which is probably fake.
2. make sure the girl has a headset just to verify. if she doesnt have one. try sending her one =)
3. if no headset, be friends and accept the person as who she is, overtime, u can tell if she is a chick or not. unless ur stupid.
4. dont judge a girl by trophies, i personally know girls who play killzone, resistance, cod series, god of war, resident evil.
5. expect that 9 out of 10 girls are actually guys. some of them just use girl avatars, doesnt mean they are trying to act like one.
i also have a girl avatar but i let people know im a dude. also u can kind of tell cuz my girl avatar looks like crap.
6. if u ever get screwed by a girl who was actually a guy. please, dont turn urself into a girl and try to do the same to other guys -_-
7. dont take ps home so personally, use it for entertainment purposes. be civil, communicative, and behave. if u can do that on psxextreme, than im sure u can do the same on ps home.
i had one chick tell me she's actually a guy but he wanted to be treated like a chick and wants to know how it feels to be one. so i told him (her?) that im cool with that. so i treat him like a girl since he wants to be one.
i dont mind fat 35 year olds living in their basement with cute avatars. as long as they let me know that is what they are doing, im cool.
*these are only my opinions. i could be wrong. and people can disagree which is fine.
The PS3 has a built in tool to change the pitch of your voice on headsets…
oh geez. u can tell if someone is using that feature or if its a natural voice. unless ur stupid.
if the person sounds like mickey mouse, than they're using that feature.
Any chance Sony could give us a parkour (aka free running) zone??
I find it hilarious when people are having some extremely dull forced conversation
Things like this crack me up, Not everyone is social, like myself Im not a people person. Im nice and polite and was raised in the right manner. But not everyone wants to be on Home because it is like everyday life. You may run into people who you never met before and then they might want to get to know you etc….
Home is great! I tend to meet people online in games when either I kick some serious booty or they become my new nemesis in a playful manor. It's great, I usually have one guy online that I sniper duel with him. I do need to check out Home again, it just takes forever to download anything because of my G Router.
The PS3 only has wireless G. There is no home internet connection that you can get in North America that has enough bandwidth to fill the speed of a Wireless G router. This is of course assuming that your PS3 is close enough to get a good signal…
How's it going everyone. Haven't been around in a long time but always listening though. Most intelligent and mature gamesite ever; guess thats why I keep coming back.
Couple of things. First off, Very Thank to PSX staff for providing a PSX Mobile for my blackberry. Daily Updates; sweeeet.
Secondly, God rest his Soul to MJ
Last, not least of all. Home is now truly amazing; unlike in the primary stages. Never really got into Home; saw no point in it until last nite when I read PSX review. I finally decided to take a looksy. It seems more alive mow. A second home to hang out; but still no keyboard. Like all these massive games; need more time which I dont have. Its ironic that the virtual world gets bigger while real world time gets shorter.
Anyways Peace everyone and Cheers to PSX staff for a wicked job for their site. Have a drink on me l'm buying.