Sony PS3: Home

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Wow, this is cool. Have a look.

http://www.us.playstation.com/Media/Trailer/15963/GDC_2007_PlayStation_Home

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Home Beta gets a significant update next week



Wow, where to begin. We've just received an email detailing a huge update to the Home beta next week. The update will bring the version number to 0.8.3 (taking us ever closer to its release at v1.0.0) and the information comes from the beta message board on the official PlayStation site, so we're certain it's legit. There's a lot of stuff to go over, so we'll pick out the most interesting bits and paste the full patchlist after the break.

Improvements to the UI and graphics engine mean that Home will look much prettier and be more functional from here on out. You will be able to check who's online from your friends list as well as who is in Home right now. A bubble machine has been made available to all beta testers, to test the new "Home Items" system. Video streaming is now made possible too, so you don't have to wait for a video to download completely before watching it.

The most exciting part of the update is the unveiling of the Marketplace in the main square. The Marketplace is stocked with clothes and furniture as well as other, undisclosed, content. We can't wait to see what's there. Game launching is also now available, though it is currently limited. Games can be started within Home, however the party will not be automatically generated within the game. Also, players with different versions of a game (such as American or European) won't be able to start a game together. The patch notes clearly state, however, that this is only temporary and will be fixed before launch.

There's so much more included in the update, but we're running out of room! Check after the break to see the full patch list.


New user interface

The UI has undergone a major change (our graphical artist calls the new interface "Home CS" [Home Chip System]) and it's not just there to look good; we also believe it improves the logical flow of your interactions.

Other UI changes include a new vector based font system that improves text clarity and improvements to a range of different icons (for example the loading icon under your character's feet now gives a sense of something happening).

Another nice addition is that people on your friends list in the virtual PSP are sorted by three different states: "Offline", "Online" and "Online in Home" - these are colour coded too.

The Virtual PSP has undergone considerable changes. We have changed the structure of the menus to try and make it easier and more logical to navigate. There are also new icons for all of the options and new backgrounds available to customise the look. In the past an option that was unavailable to you was simply invisible; but now the option will remain visible but be greyed out instead.

Finally when people on your friends list send text chat their name will appear in green in the chat log.

Major graphics engine changes

We now use an HDR approach to lighting and bloom so the glowing halos around bright objects have been toned down and things should look sharper overall. We've also improved the water shader so all of the water should look noticeably better. The new engine also provides more stable frame rates in very crowded areas.

Support for 1080p is also back.

The wardrobe

Character customisation has been unified under a new wardrobe system where both clothing and physical characteristics can be modified from the same place. Some of the key changes in this area include:

- The wardrobe is accessible from any location, not just your Home Space.
- A selection of pre-set characters is available with more coming.
- Jewellery is now available for both sexes.
- Improved the look of skin on all characters.
- Your avatar is well lit and has a mirror behind to make customisation much easier.
- The standard list of clothing has been reduced to our intended starting pack.
- More clothing is available from the new Marketplace (see below!).
- Save & Load! You can now save your character in 9 different setups.
- Extra clothing will be added soon to test our update system.

The Marketplace

The mystery building in Home Square can now be revealed and it's not a Flamingo Factory as US tester NO FEAR!! recently guessed.

In the Marketplace you'll find stores with all sorts of things for you to add to your character and Home Space such as clothing, furniture and even... well, why not explore it yourself.

Home Space

Not only have we improved the view from your balcony but we have also added a whole new Home Space for you to test - it is available from the Marketplace. Welcome to your very own summer house.

Another change is that our intended starting pack of furniture is now available for your Home Space. This is quite different from what you had available before. More furniture is available from the Marketplace and extra furniture will added in the coming weeks to test our update system.

Both the lamps available as furniture for your Home Spaces now have working light switches. These dynamically light your space and guests in your space can also turn your lights on and off.

Finally we've moved the entry point to your Home Space in Home Square back inside the building in front of the lifts so you have access to the seating areas either side.

Game Launching

Many of the problems that stopped Game Launching from working properly have been fixed; however there are still some temporary issues that you need to know about before you try it:

- Groups formed in PLAYSTATION� Home for Game Launching are not currently preserved into the game. This means that you can all get together and form a group but when you launch the game you will not arrive in a session together. It will not stay like this - we are working with game developers to integrate full support for Game Launching into a range of games. However as stated before, we really wanted to get an early version of Game Launching out so that you could test the menu functionality and see how it works for you within PLAYSTATION� Home.

- Game Launching currently only supports grouping up if you have identical versions of the same game. For example the EU and US versions of Motorstorm may not work together at the moment and there may be problems between the installed and disc version of Warhawk. Again it will not stay like this and eventually all versions of the same game will work together properly.

New streaming video system

Previously to watch a video you would have to download the whole thing before it would start to play. We've now changed to a streaming video system which allows you to start watching almost straight away. Additionally the Home Theatre has some new streaming video channels in it courtesy of Crackle. Once inside an auditorium here you can get more information on what you are watching and control playback by pressing the SQUARE button.

Regional support

Whilst the legalities, policies and practicalities of regional travel are addressed we have temporarily disabled the ability to switch between the European, US and Japanese regions via your virtual PSP.

Support for more languages has been added bringing our complete list up to: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, traditional Chinese and Korean.

Home items

We needed a way to test our new Home items system and therefore we are proud to present our first one... (Drum roll)... the bubble machine! You can find it in your virtual PSP under Personal> My Inventory�. Place it down anywhere you like and blow some bubbles.

Sound system update

A lot of new sound effects have been added throughout PLAYSTATION� Home and we have also made some changes to voice communication so that it should be more stable with large groups of people.

Bug fixes

- Fixed the problem where you could appear in a location and some other characters there would be invisible.
- Fixed the floating pool balls.
- Fixed the levitating avatars.
- Fixed the issue that led to C967 errors.
- Fixed the inconsistencies between the view inside and outside different locations.
- Fixed the positioning of the PSP in your character's hands.

PS3fanboy.com

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Leaked details on PlayStation Home Beta

Leaked videos of PlayStation Home v.0.83 have just hit YouTube, showing off all the latest additions to Home including; functionality with in-game PSP, bubble machine items, chess, Home theatre, and more.

The first video is an introduction showing off a few new places in Home as well as the In-Home game Chess. The first place the player visits is a clothing store called "Threads" where players can purchase clothing items for their character. While the current clothes in the store are free, having a "checkout" and "confirm transaction" screen makes us believe some clothes will eventually cost money.

After leaving Threads, the player moves upstairs to the chess tables and briefly shows how gamers will participate and play Chess.

The video ends with the player entering a store currently called "Home Stuff", where at this time no items are available. Our guess is that "Home Stuff" will be the store where gamers can purchase specialty items like the recently revealed bubble machine.



Moving on to part 2. The next video shows Home's use of the in-game PSP. Using the functionality of the Home PSP, players will be able to access such things as:

- Community (Message of the Day, News, Handy Links, etc)
- Help (First time in Home, Character Customization, Moving to new locations, Your Home Space, and other step-by-step guides)
- Communication (phone a friend, accept call, reject call, etc)
- Game Launching (Create a game, Join a game, View Player List, Cancel game)
- Locations (My Home Space, Home Square, Game Space, Home Theatre, Market Place, Owned Spaces)
- Settings (Themes (skins), Pop-Up Colour, sound, chat window, controls, communication)
- Personal (Go to Wardrobe, Redecorate Home Space, My Inventory, My Purchases, My Profile)

One thing that's interesting about the Create-a-Game menu is that when selected it seems to pull up a list of games that the player may own. The list from the video includes such games as Call of Duty 4, Virtua Tennis 3, SuperStar Dust HD, Motorstorm, Flow, and a few others. Are these games already using Home integration or can Home use any game you own for the PS3?

The last video in the series shows off a few new things including the new bubble machine and Home Theatre. The player begins showing how to access items and interact with them in the world. In this case the bubble machine.

Moving to the Home Theatre, the player brings up the in-game PSP once again, showing how players can create game sessions, in this case Call of Duty 4. Whats interesting is that while in Home, players can choose how many player slots they want available as well as private slots. When the game creation process is finished, a controller icon appears above the players head and a message pops up stating:

"Session Created
Players may now join your game. You may hide this window and re-open at any time from the Game Launching Menu in the PSP."



With rumors of the Home Public Beta launching this month, it shouldn't be too long until everyone can get their hands on this spectacular multiplayer world. Stay tuned to PSU for all your PlayStation Home news.

PSU

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CONFIRMED: Playstation Home Not Open Till Fall of 08

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) announced today that it will expand the Closed Beta testing for PLAYSTATION�Home in Summer 2008, inviting a further number of registrants from the PLAYSTATION�3 (PS3�) users. Following completion of the Expanded Closed Beta test, the PLAYSTATION Home Open Beta service will commence in Fall 2008.

�We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer, but we have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service to ensure a more focused gaming entertainment experience than what it is today,� said Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. �Our overarching objective is to provide users with new gaming experiences that are available only on PLAYSTATION Home. Spending more time on the development and on the Closed Beta testing reaffirms our commitment to bringing a quality service, maintaining the PlayStation� tradition.�

The PLAYSTATION Home Open Beta service that will become available in Fall 2008 will be built around providing new and fun community gaming experiences, such as connecting PlayStation games with Home and providing places and items from the games.

Details of the Closed Beta testing features, registration for the test and the opening of the service will be announced as they become available.

N4G

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Sony: �Fully Robust� Home Coming This Fall

Sony�s PlayStation Network director lays out the firm�s 2008 roadmap, telling Next-Gen that Home�s fall launch �won�t be a 0.5 release� and reiterating the company�s commitment to delivering a PS3 movie download service this summer.
�The Home open beta is still on schedule for release later this fall,� Eric Lempel told us in a recent interview.

Having been delayed on a number of occasions, the PSN boss was keen to assure gamers that Home would be worth the long wait by promising a rich and full-bodied experience come launch later this year.

Referring to comments made last month by fellow PSN director Susan Panico, in which she said that Home�s �rollout will be similar to Gmail" and that it will function as an "open, working beta", Lempel said that the online initiative, even in its initial public form, will not be some half-finished article but rather it will be representative of what the virtual world will ultimately offer.

�If you think about Gmail and Susan�s reference, Gmail when it launched in beta was a fully functional email service. I personally was using it and it offered everything you�d expect, but was in beta just to say that there�s more to come and maybe it�s not fully polished.

�The reason we�ve been delaying [Home] is so that we can deliver a high quality service that the users will enjoy. Even though it will be in beta, it will be a fair representation of what the service can be and its potential, so it won�t be a 0.5 release, it will be a fully robust service.�

Lempel also touched briefly on Sony�s recently confirmed plans to launch a PS3 movie download service this summer, although he wouldn�t be drawn into commenting on launch dates or content details.

�I don�t have any more specifics right now, but like Kaz [Hirai] said, it will go live [in the US] this summer and I think it will offer consumers everything they�re looking for from us. It will offer everything they expect from us and probably a little bit more.�

Asked about a service launch date for Europe and Japan, Lempel said that he couldn�t �speak for the other regions at this time�.

He also declined to discuss the possibility of downloaded PS3 movies being transferable to PSP, reports that Sony has yet to secure any movie content deals with third parties, or whether the company is planning to offer TV and music content over the PlayStation Network alongside films.

Next-gen.biz

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Home Beta Ends Soon

According to the official Japanese SCEJ site, the current closed Home Beta is due to end in a matter of weeks, presumably then opening up the final 1.0 version to a wider public. Additionally, here�s a list of companies that have signed up as partners for Home, providing content, spaces etc:

IREM
Activision
Acquire
Atlus
Walt Disney Japan
SNK
EA
Capcom
Q Entertainment
Game Republic
Genki
Koei
Konami
Spike
Sega
D3 Publisher
Tecmo
Nippon Ichi Software
Hudson
Bandai Namco Games
Ubisoft

Thesixthaxis

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PLAYSTATION3 Home Launch Announced

SONY Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced that its highly anticipated PlayStation Home Beta service for PLAYSTATION3 will become available for all PS3 users around the world on December 11th, 2008. Following the successful completion of the closed beta service, PlayStation Home�s open beta service will continue to evolve with new features and functionality.

PlayStation Home is a ground-breaking 3D social gaming community available on PLAYSTATION3 that allows users to interact, communicate and share gaming experiences. By leveraging the power of PLAYSTATION3, PlayStation Home delivers overwhelming visual graphics and rich gaming social experiences only possible on the PLAYSTATION3 platform. Within PlayStation Home, users can create and customize their own unique avatars and explore the virtual community in real time where they can communicate freely through text or voice chat.

PlayStation Home users will not only be able to enjoy variety of entertainment content such as Mini-Games, videos and special events along with their friends, but will also be able to create their own community by using the �Club� feature to create clubs with other PlayStation Home users who share the same interests. PlayStation Home also allows groups of users to launch directly into their favourite online games together from PlayStation Home. PlayStation Home, available as a free download starting December 11th, will launch directly from the PlayStation Home icon on the PlayStation Network column of XMB (XrossMediaBar) on PLAYSTATION3. Users will be able to experience basic features and services of PlayStation Home, free of charge. PlayStation Home will allow open interaction among users, business partners and SCE, and will evolve with additional features including dedicated game spaces, special events and exclusive themed items, to further enrich the entertainment experience on the PLAYSTATION3 platform.

�PlayStation Home is truly a promising network community service on the PlayStation platform, made possible with the powerful combination of PS3's overwhelming computational power and PlayStation Network that covers many countries around the globe,� said Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO, SCE. �We are committed to providing PS3 users with exciting gaming experiences with PlayStation Home and together with our partners and users, expand the new world of interactive entertainment as we move forward.�

For users accessing PlayStation Home in the SONY Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) regions, themed virtual environments will be available to explore. Starting with a themed Far Cry 2 space, PlayStation Home will offer game inspired environments that allow people to discuss the specific games, plan strategies and access content and clues that will enhance the gaming experience. The number of gaming environments such as this will regularly increase, with spaces for Uncharted: Drake�s Fortune, Warhawk, Motorstorm and SOCOM following very soon. SCEE is working with leading publishers such as: Electronic Arts, UBISOFT, Midway, Sega and ATARI to create engaging environments that will provide users with an on-going gaming experience.

�We are very excited to be bringing PlayStation Home to Europe and the PAL territories, offering users an interactive, social, gaming experience,� said Daniel Hill, Home Service Manager, SCEE. �PlayStation Home is unique to anything else in the gaming world and by partnering with both global and regional gaming and non-gaming brands, we are able to offer exciting and entertaining content that will enhance the PlayStation experience.�

SCEE today also announced the first partnerships with some of the world�s most respected lifestyle brands for the Open Beta. Fashion leader Diesel, contemporary furniture designers Ligne Roset, energy drink Red Bull, film studio Paramount Pictures and video content providers Hexus TV and Eurogamer are the first on board. They will offer resident�s virtual clothing for their avatar, virtual furniture for their PlayStation Home apartments, exclusive video content and a virtual flying challenge: the Red Bull Air Race. Visitors and residents will be able to explore PlayStation Home with their avatar character and, thanks to Diesel, avatars can look great from the start with Diesel offering the latest men�s and women�s designer avatar clothing, with items ranging from free of charge to �1.50. So for those visiting PlayStation Home, they can dress their avatars in the latest jeans and jacket prior to getting out and about.

On the home front, PlayStation Home gives everyone their own apartment to spend time in and entertain friends - who will now be able relax on exclusive Ligne Roset furniture. At the virtual store, people will be able to choose from a selection of the most popular Ligne Roset designs, including the iconic Togo and Facett upholstery collections. It will be possible to personalise furniture by selecting from a wide selection of fabrics and leathers allowing a unique and individual look. This is an opportunity to get acquainted with Ligne Roset�s cutting edge designs created by some of Europe�s most talented designers.

As the very first consumer brand space, Red Bull has created the Red Bull Island where visitors to the Island can interact and take part in many of Red Bull�s unique events. Initially there will be the opportunity to get inside the cockpit of a Red Bull Air Race plane and compete against the PlayStation community. The real-world Red Bull Air Race World Championship has become a global phenomenon in just four years, attracting millions of spectators. Now those spectators can leave the stands, become a pilot and tackle the Red Bull Island course themselves. The Red Bull Island will continue to expand, adding new and exciting content in early 2009. Taking full advantage of the PlayStation Home Theatre, SCEE has partnered with various content providers to enhance the cinematic experience.

Offering a wide range of content, the PlayStation Home Theatre will provide lifestyle technology programming from Hexus TV, gaming content from Eurogamer and exclusive film content from Paramount Pictures. Starting with the release of the highly anticipated film, Watchmen, Paramount Pictures International will use PlayStation Home to promote its latest films. Initially, PlayStation Home residents will be able to view an exclusive video greeting from Watchmen Director Zack Snyder as well as the latest Watchmen trailer. A selection of virtual Watchmen merchandise e.g. T-Shirts with the smiley face logo, Doomsday clocks and character statues, will also be available in the New Year, ahead of an exclusive Q & A event where cast and filmmakers will meet selected press and competition winners fans within the Watchmen themed environment.

PlayStation Home is exclusive to PLAYSTATION3, free to download and easy to join. It�s the ultimate online community � a place where you can meet friends, try the latest games, hear new music, watch videos, relax in the apartment of your dreams and much, much more. With more and more spaces being created and partners like Diesel, Ligne Roset and Red Bull coming on board, the PlayStation Home experience is just getting started.

SCE will vigorously promote the expansion of the world of PLAYSTATION3 by introducing new services that will open up new possibilities and enjoyment in interactive entertainment.


Electronictheatre

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EA Playstation Home Sport Arena