We put some questions to Sony about Home, one of the main revelations of Phil Harrison’s keynote speech at GDC. Here’s the substantial set of answers we got back…
First up, here’s some key points about Home that they provided us with:
• Is the first of its kind on a computer entertainment console
• A unique blend of community, user-generated content, collaboration and commerce that is the future of computer entertainment.
• Will broaden the online community market in the same way that the PlayStation brand has broadened the gaming market
• Will take the mystery and the geekiness out of online interaction, and make it as easy as text messaging or picking up the phone
• Is inclusive and welcoming, not exclusive and daunting like current offerings
• Is the gateway and start point for a whole raft of future PlayStation Network services
Can you define Home for us?
“Home is a real-time online 3D, networked community available on PS3 and the Network. It allows PS3 users to interact, communicate, join online games, shop, share private content and even build and show off their own personal spaces to others in real time. Home will be available as a free download from the PlayStation Store and will launch directly from the XMB (XrossMediaBar) on PS3.”
Why are you creating this service?
“The power of PS3 and the Network afford us the opportunity to create a unique user service that will define the future of community on computer entertainment platforms. We feel it is important to foster not only user-interaction, but increased, ongoing contact between users, first and third party publishers and other partners.”
What’s the cost?
“Home is free to download and free to use. The user will be able to purchase items from the Store (Home supports the Playstation wallet) to further customise their Home Space, as well as make purchases from other third party partners.”
Is it global?
“Yes, when it launches Home will be a global network service.”
And when is it launching?
“We will be executing a closed beta this spring. The official launch date will be later this year.”
What languages will it support?
“It will support multiple languages including Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Because it is a network service, it is easy to extend the language support in the future after the initial beta trial. In the full service, we will support local languages consistent with the way we localise our game titles.”
What’s your ambition with Home?
“The ambition is to create a highly interactive 3D environment that will bring millions of people together from around the globe to share common interests, build friendships and explore the world of SCE PlayStation.”
Here’s some key aspects:
HOME Space
• Design and build your own apartment, house or even neighbourhood.
• Purchase new landscapes, apartments and furniture
World
• Purchase new clothing sets, pets and accessories for your character
• Purchase functional items to add value to your private Home experience
• Leave your mark on the world with premium player-created content tools.
Entertainment
• Share photos, movies and music from your PS3 HDD with friends in your personal space.
Gaming
• Meeting game-specific lobbies to discuss games, get new content or team up for online gameplay
Lobbies
• Individual lobbies created by first and third parties allow for consumer interaction, commerce
But isn’t Home a rip-off of Xbox Live?
“Home is a first of its kind 3D community that allows for open interaction between consumers, SCE and third party partners. It is a truly interactive, global community of users. Xbox Live is a static, 2D, text-heavy environment that can’t match the rich community features found in Home. Xbox Live community interaction is much more passive and limited to the members on that friend’s list.”
Sounds a bit like Second Life?
“Home is a much more rich, user friendly experience than Second Life, allowing for ease of entry and use, as well as being fully-functional with the technology and capabilities of PS3.”
And how are you going to make money from it?
“The business model for Home is based on a combination of ecommerce and advertising revenue, but we will not discuss the exact details of our business model.”
Can third party partners get involved?
“They’ll be able to build their own custom lobbies for their products, where they can present information to users, provide downloadable content and implement various ecommerce models. Advertising options will also be made available through Home, in addition to sponsorship of in-world events and Home real estate.”
What is the difference between Home and PS Store?
“Home is a real-time online 3D, networked community available on the Network, while the Store offers free and premium digital goods delivered directly to your PS3.”
How big is the Home download?
“The Home download is targeted to be under 500 MBs.”
More of this to follow in a second piece. Images/videos also set to follow.
This is such a great move. I have been slightly disappointed with Sony as of late but this feels way ahead of it’s time. As it grows Home is going to become immense. Great job everyone involved.
Comment by Ben Furneaux — Mar 7, 2007 @ 9:55 pm
This is exactly what PS3 needs, shouldn’t Home have been an integral feature from launch though?
And with a release “later this year” Sony will be stretching gamers’ patience to breaking point yet again.
Comment by Stuart X Pearce — Mar 7, 2007 @ 10:06 pm
Genius. Pure genius.
Comment by Neil — Mar 7, 2007 @ 10:35 pm
Way impressed with Home. Its a fantastic idea - just what the PS3 needs to gain an edge. It looks absolutley great and I can’t wait to try it out! Well done Sony.
Comment by Tom Eccles — Mar 7, 2007 @ 10:39 pm
you guys have to download the hd trailer of home from http://www.gametrailers.com its fucking amazing better than fucking half-life and sims 2 put together im lost for words to explain it just go and see it
Comment by PSM3MAGSPITZ — Mar 7, 2007 @ 10:43 pm
erm wtf, we need games atm not some 7months away dream, much like killzone 2 this is smoke and mirrors, when it comes out it will be PSO on the DC re skinned.
Comment by meddow — Mar 7, 2007 @ 10:45 pm
Je suis très impressionné par ce service, merci Sony, j’espère que ce sera à la hauteur de mes espérances !
Comment by Tintin — Mar 7, 2007 @ 11:00 pm
Love it!
Comment by Tom Kiss — Mar 7, 2007 @ 11:06 pm
This is Living, now I get it! My only gripe about all this: have to wait until Fall…
Comment by nmc75 — Mar 7, 2007 @ 11:31 pm
Any way regular users can get in this beta (sort of like Halo 3 beta)
Comment by Shogun042 — Mar 7, 2007 @ 11:48 pm
This really sounds great and I’m really hyped…but I wanted to hear more about the update due out this month, maybe that will come later. Either way this is a great move and we should definitely start seeing some more positive Sony press now.
If you guys can, I would like to know who will this “closed beta” will consist of…I hope it includes US GAP members.
Comment by fireras — Mar 8, 2007 @ 12:21 am
Maybe we can see a sneak peek of this at 3rooms
?
Comment by Ricky — Mar 8, 2007 @ 12:56 am
Bravo Sony. Very impressed - and this is coming from a big 360 and Wii fan.
Microsoft has gone from a position of strength, to all of sudden looking like they’re going to have some catching up to do. Now I understand why Phil has been keeping so quiet recently!
Comment by cobra — Mar 8, 2007 @ 1:12 am
Well Done! Sony have bought the buzz of excitement back to the Playstation 3 brand.
We already know great games are coming. But HOME is going to bring something unique and desirable.
Avatars are part of the future-Sony will bring it to everyone.
Now. How about rewarding loyal European customers with access to the beta?!
Comment by Andronix — Mar 8, 2007 @ 1:15 am
this is so awesome. Thanks threespeech for posting this. The best things its all FREE
Comment by koolie — Mar 8, 2007 @ 1:23 am
Great! A lot of my questions were answered, but who were you talking to? You didn’t give a name.
Comment by Timothy — Mar 8, 2007 @ 1:45 am
This is a awesome thing. Not only are we getting some wonderful games this yeat, we get this! This is what I expected from Sony all along. Its a wonderful idea, it looks beautiful, and I’m sure it will blow away all the people who are tunning around talking crap about it.
Sony, your doing a great job. I have some ideas you might be intrerested in… When I first heard of thie “Home” I basicly imagined it just like this too, with a couple diffrent things. But your doing great things and I’m happy to be a PS3 owner. Your speach has made us “very happy”. Thank you.
Comment by Chad — Mar 8, 2007 @ 3:23 am
sony really needs to show that gamers don’t have to use this service if they just want to play online games. Some simple things are needed to be address:
1. friends list access from in game
2. message across all games from in game, also be able to check mail while in game.
3. send/receive game invites
These simple features are needed NOW and with the new HOME features, it would put sony years ahead of anything out there.
If these features are being worked on sony needs to get this info out.
Comment by kbsmoker — Mar 8, 2007 @ 3:25 am
Yes! Begin Sony Steamroll!!
Comment by Nouveau — Mar 8, 2007 @ 4:30 am
goodbye LIVE …. hello HOME
Comment by azooz — Mar 8, 2007 @ 5:51 am
hmm makes xbox live look like a thing from 10 years ago.
Comment by mark2 — Mar 8, 2007 @ 7:20 am
This looks quite cool but Sony need to stop taking swipes at Xbox Live in their PR - it’s recognised as the leader in the marketplace and if Home is so much better then better to let the consumer decide that thatn to start muttering about “other offerings”.
Oh and to anyone who thinks this if “free” then please get real. No company, not even one that’s playing catch up like Sony, will not be making money from this.
At the very least you will be seeing adverts everywhere - a small price to pay for some, a major pain in the ass for others.
Comment by shinesevens — Mar 8, 2007 @ 7:41 am
I’m impressed with the Home concept, but do hope the graphics engine will eventually be upgraded - not a fan of the current engine. Having an achievements area/trophy room sounds great and being able to walk around in Home, see who’s online, meet up with buddies at favoured areas and work out multiplayer plans/chat/etc is just the sort of thing most gamers want.
I’m a little afraid how the commercial aspect will play out - especially the micropayments and the way advertisements will reach the user (possibly a young, easily influenced youth) - but surely there will be decent moderation around at some point.
Buying virtual furniture and clothes does not interest me at all, seeing as I spend more than enough on the real thing already. I’d rather purchase games and cool add-ons for them. Overall though, good work. Almost makes one forget about the PAL PS3 BC issue, which hasn’t been further addressed.
Oh, and Sony: Goons. Don’t worry, it’s a good thing.
Comment by VMerken — Mar 8, 2007 @ 8:06 am
Great to see lot’s of people’s opinions on the PS3 have changed for the better. Well atleast for now.
Comment by Demystikal — Mar 8, 2007 @ 8:19 am
This’ll wipe the smug smiles off the faces of those pesky xbox360 fanboys!
Comment by reakt — Mar 8, 2007 @ 8:49 am
Wow, it looks really, REALLY nice. From the leak last week it sounds interesting but I had no idea it was going to turn out like this.
A very, very smart move on Sony’s part doing this I think, and some positive press too, finally! I can’t wait to check this out. I wonder if there is any way we can get into the Beta in April?
Comment by Pete Cullen — Mar 8, 2007 @ 10:13 am
Home, sweet Home …
Comment by maikii — Mar 8, 2007 @ 10:34 am
Thanks Sony !!!! I knew you wouldn’t let us down …. Home is really cool and innovative….. can’t wait …. how can we take part in the beta???
Comment by D Olsen — Mar 8, 2007 @ 11:05 am
Truly impressive!
They still need to get some of the basics nailed tho as well - game lobbies, comms, friends lists etc., - which no doubt they will over time.
Very exciting times ahead indeed…
Comment by Mick — Mar 8, 2007 @ 11:26 am
[...] Aquà la explicación de Phil Harrison y aquà toda su intervención en la GDC. Por cierto, será gratis y permitirá a los jugadores comprar items para potenciar su experiencia Esa ecuación me suena de algo… [...]
Pingback by PlayStation Home, el Second Life de PS3 at Akihabara Blues Magazine — Mar 8, 2007 @ 11:42 am
thats all total bullshit. homes fine and so, but i WANT 2D community content. i dont want to “walk” to get to friends. i just want to click and talk to them. first they shoul implement the XMB right into the games so i can , press the Ps button and an simplified XMB arises. with frindlist, music some rudimentary settings. just like the xbox guide button.
Comment by bangra — Mar 8, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
addition: and the avatars look disgusting. i want an Sackboy avatar not a Calvin Kline model
Comment by bangra — Mar 8, 2007 @ 12:31 pm
This is simply amazing, im very exited about it!
PS3 ON!
PS3 FTW!
PS3 forever!
Comment by konnichi — Mar 8, 2007 @ 1:10 pm
bangra - Sounds like you should stick to xbox then…
and I doub’t you’ll have to walk for ages to get to friends, I think they’ll be smart enough to include an instant messaging function in there…
Comment by Xeauron — Mar 8, 2007 @ 3:57 pm
Oh yeah, almost forgot…
Looks amazing, can’t wait!
Comment by Xeauron — Mar 8, 2007 @ 3:58 pm
@ bangra
why dont u just stick to your 360 and Wii then,as opposed to vilyfining anything PS3….
TROLL
Comment by seedaripper — Mar 8, 2007 @ 8:04 pm
Hey, how about a PS3 Recent Players list?!
Sony: You guys have not even shipped yet and you are claiming you are better then Xbox Live AND Second Life.
The hubris of it all.
Comment by PS3 — Mar 8, 2007 @ 9:35 pm
(yawn) Where is my AOL Messenger Intergration? Where is my Emotion Engine? You promosed me that stuff 5 years ago!
Yea, words are easy Sony. Words are easy.
Comment by Where is is? — Mar 8, 2007 @ 9:37 pm
Sony really should stop having a digg at Live before they have anything to give to the brave early PS3 buyers.
For half the price of a PS3 ive got a console sitting here that gives me a brilliant online experience thats been avaible from laucnch on 360 and many years before on xbox.
Sony… Shut up your PR guys until you can release something which can offer a fuller and better thought-out experience to Live (not being over-synical but i doubt this).
If your a fan of MMORG’s then ‘Home’ is right up your street, but i and many others are not. For me, Live does everything i want it to do brilliantly and everything is exactly where you’d want it to be. Walking around a complex and chatting to people may look pretty but really serves little purpose when surely the actual FUNCTIONS of ‘Home’ should just run as the backbone of an online GAMING experience. Just like Live does perfectly.
And to PS3 fanboys… one day force your self to pick up a 360 pad and use Live before you feel so over-confident about this practically useless ribbon wrapped around your £500 shiny box. As i, being a GAMING fan will invest in a PS3 when the price drops if Sony can offer me anything close to what a 360 have given me for over a year already.
Comment by tom — Mar 9, 2007 @ 1:08 am
@ tom
fuck off!
Comment by seedaripper — Mar 9, 2007 @ 8:47 am
@ tom
AHHH, is the 360 fanboy jealous….. its ok…… you can like a ps3 if u want to….. know bodys gonna to hurt you little boy….. i promise won’t tell bill gates……
i have a 360, wii and waiting for the ps3….. im a REALLY gamer, i love all the platforms, so please mister faboys of this world…….. i’ll ask you one question…….. where is the love???
Comment by thedirector — Mar 9, 2007 @ 9:54 am
Guys guys, please don’t turn this site into another mess like those dozens of fanboy ruined blogs ’round the interweb. Just wait and do the facts do the talking.
Comment by sct-i/on — Mar 9, 2007 @ 10:01 am
So my house its gonna be called ”Dat Crib of Chaos” everyone 18+ is invited theres gonna be so crazy stuff going on here,bbuahahahahaha i can only imagine the possibilities this is so freaking awesome!
Comment by Jast3r Rogu3 — Mar 9, 2007 @ 11:38 am
I dont think this will be liked by everyone. there are a number of people that will go crazy over this, and a number of people who will go to another system because of it. Sony is taking a big risk by putting this in. They should offer 2 modes….the “home” mode….or a model like the Live Service.
I play all 3 systems all the time with friends. I own a 360 and a wii, but have access to 2 ps3’s. I would have to say The 360 is way better right now just because of its service and i like my rumble. The ps3 just needs to listen to its consumers and make it like they want the system.
So yeah…..
Comment by get a life losers — Mar 9, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
@44
There will be two modes, in the article at ign it mentions “Just about everything you can do in Home can also be done through the cross media bar. It just won’t look as cool.” (http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/771/771763p1.html)
So don’t worry you’re not being forced into this!
Comment by ben — Mar 9, 2007 @ 7:45 pm
Home takes being a geek to a whole new level. It seems that the new core audience, from Sony’s perspective, is 14 year old girls. It’s funny that since the PS3 has no games in comparison to the 360 library, that they have to distract everyone with an idiotic version of the SIMS. I don’t want to play an over-glorified version of a mini-game before I play the game itself. On X-Box live, I’ll just send a game or chat invite then proceed to play. I hope they don’t feel that this justifies the $600 book-end they released in November. They can’t even keep up with the WII, never mind the 360. Keep in mind, this is coming from a former Playstation fan that never even bought the original XBOX.
Comment by Bruce — Mar 12, 2007 @ 4:39 pm
i WAS ALSO A FORMER PLAYSTATION FAN this sucks I wish sony was smarter
Comment by ps3sucksballs — Mar 13, 2007 @ 3:30 am
I’m really pulling for sony, but i dont think that HOME is going to do it. It seems like all they’ve done is found a flashy way to present microtransactions. I just feel like sony should focus on bringing us innovative and top notch games instead of trying to find just another way to nickel and dime us.
Comment by mike — Mar 13, 2007 @ 6:38 am
Xbox 360 is the greatest machine ever. Xbox Live is the eastiest thing to use and the 360 actually has games to play that r fun like gears and soon to be halo 3. So in the end Sony should find something new before they steal some more like a double screen psp
Comment by tim — Mar 22, 2007 @ 10:33 pm
are you kidding me ? Can these guys be this stupid. ahhhh you can already do that on 360 LMFAO. More lies from sony…. when will the chinese stop with the jealousy already… face it, american developers have more talent ! The end of whacky games is over ! The End of Japan ANNI inspired games is over ! Rejoice !
Comment by JASON — Apr 12, 2007 @ 8:57 am
BRAVO! Like said before, this is a great move made by Sony. This will get the PS3 sales raising like hell! :-)!
Comment by Gab — May 19, 2007 @ 7:11 pm
[...] The other major announcement that caught my attention was one that actually had my attention long before it was officially announced. This is none other than the Playstation Home. [...]
Pingback by Dino vs Robot » Blog Archive » Keeping America Safe… — Sep 19, 2007 @ 5:12 am
thks
Comment by hassan — Nov 13, 2008 @ 2:41 pm
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