Videos of Home Beta make you feel like you're there

by Andrew Yoon { Nov 29th 2007 at 10:40PM }

An enthusiastic participant of the closed beta of Home released over twenty five minutes of video footage from the recently updated build. The new Home adds a patio, a revamped Home Square, and more. Considering how access to the beta program was highly restricted, this may be the best way to experience the upcoming PSN service for yourself until a public beta is unveiled.

Check out all the videos at Veoh.

[Thanks, Rawen!]

Tags: home, home-beta

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Dee @ Nov 29th 2007 10:53PM

Home looks boring IMO.

Andrew Yoon @ Nov 29th 2007 10:57PM

Well, I'm in the beta, and I agree.

Autopsy15 @ Nov 29th 2007 11:34PM

Well, at least Home is better than sending messages back in forth to your friends, in that you can talk to them in real-time and use personalized avatars.
It definitely poses a challenge to Xbox Live.

Josh @ Nov 30th 2007 8:06AM

Definitely looks boring to me too. Why can't people just talk to their friends when they are playing a game? I don't want to just sit around in a virtual place and talk...lame.

Leo @ Nov 30th 2007 8:22PM

@Andrew,

Maybe that's from the lack of people in the beta. It might be less boring when it's less empty.

paul @ Nov 29th 2007 11:12PM

Sony has a big flop on its hand with Home

Joe @ Nov 29th 2007 11:15PM

wat's wrong with home? it isn't a game. it's a free online community with 3d avatars. you walk around and meet other gamers and pair up for multiplayer. and i guess access some games inside it like billiards and arcade stuff.

you don't have to use the interface, you can just connect to multiplayer the old fashion way. this i something extra so why not?

Elsnerma @ Nov 30th 2007 4:45PM

Yep. No one is going to download this free application...the price is way too high. Sony isn't going to sell any copies of this free game.

*Rolls eyes*

PSPDog @ Nov 29th 2007 11:13PM

Is it boring because of the lack of people, or is there just not that much stuff to do?

Rawen @ Nov 29th 2007 11:16PM

Well im in the beta, and I disagree...

Honestly, from the footage, yea, it looks boring, thats because there was no one there, the videos were to show the features of the beta.

Its not boring when you have friends chill, play some casual chess with, and just talk with you know...

Its still a great extension of PSN IMO.

Remember that it dose not serve as a game, but a service, which is free.

dave @ Nov 29th 2007 11:23PM

So ... quiet ... so ... lonely.

I agree with the posters that say it'll be better when people start using it. At the moment, it looks like an abandoned amusement park. If they can get some people interaction happening, then it'll be very interesting, very quickly.

acedoh @ Nov 29th 2007 11:26PM

I am in the Beta and what really hurts Home is the lack of people participating. The most I encounter is maybe three or four. Now if you can imagine these environments filled with 30+ people it would be a whole other story. There is a lot of good stuff and in the open square there are two buildings that haven't even opened yet. One looks like a mall and the other is something I don't know much about yet. That is pretty much why this is taking time to get out there.

Rawen @ Nov 29th 2007 11:26PM

Thats just because it was recorded in the Japanese region, at Americas afternoon time.. When the update striked, it was full of people.

Luke @ Nov 29th 2007 11:31PM

Home is going to be cool in my opinion, I hope that it beats xbox live.

Frank @ Nov 29th 2007 11:41PM

Why is everyone using the response "well its free" to Home looking pretty damn awful? I fail to see how that's supposed to be "fun".

Popfrogs @ Nov 30th 2007 10:44AM

It's free AND it's optional. If you never want to "go Home" even one time, you don't have to. And of course, since it's such a tightly closed beta, there aren't many people to interact with.

If you're a hermit in real life and have no friends, you probably won't socialize on Home much either. Therefore it won't be much fun for you.

ScottH @ Nov 29th 2007 11:48PM

agreed. it does look boring :O but i guess we'll see.

Sora57 @ Nov 29th 2007 11:49PM

This video should be labelled NSFL (not suitable for the living). So boring. What good is home if you are the only one there?? The good news is that my expectations are now so low that Home might surpass my expectations when it comes out. One could only hope.

bio @ Nov 29th 2007 11:50PM

honestly, I don't understand the point of this? I mean, its a cool tech demo, yeah, but I'd MUCH rather have the PS1's complete library online, or better PC ports, or WoW on PS3 or any number of much cooler things for Sony to be spending its time/$$ on!!

Jonathan @ Nov 29th 2007 11:51PM

Excellent quality compare with those uploaded on YouTube >_>

But look fantastic as always. I can't wait until next year to experience by myself.

Jim @ Nov 29th 2007 11:55PM

I'm in the beta, Its better when you have friends. Fun way of meeting random people though.

Kenneth H. @ Nov 29th 2007 11:56PM

yea...initially I wasn't really excited about Home that much...but from what I'm seeing it looks great and I can imagine it vibrant and bustling when it is open to the public....yeah it will be cool to play casual games with friends n sh**....also I can see Sony's strategy in trying to create an online community. I think that's cool....looking at the sunny environment makes me feel guilty for not acutally being "outside"....anyway I think Home could be cool though.

Rawen @ Nov 29th 2007 11:59PM

People are saying what makes this fun, and this is boring, when they fail to realize that Home is not even a game at all.

Closest thing you could compare it to is like a 3D myspace, a 3D forum, or something along those lines.

Its a place where you can talk with friends, play casual games, or share media with others in your apartment space.

People just dont get it I guess; Its free, its not a game, just an extension of the PSN, and its a social 3D community.

Neil @ Nov 30th 2007 12:21AM

Whether or not Home turns out to be fun I can say it's not my thing, a 3D chatroom just isn't interesting to me. I look on this and it just seems like The Sims Online, which was a flop. I'm not sure why Home is going to be any better than The Sims Online. Like Bio I'd rather they worked on getting the full PS1 library on PSN (or at least the top titles)....or even some of the top PS2 on PSN (reworked to run in 720p, not just upscaled like we do now)

Hunter Leon @ Nov 30th 2007 12:26AM

eeehh... video footage....

HERE!!

http://thex-xik.blogspot.com/2007/11/playstation-home-beta-update-077.html

and

http://thex-xik.blogspot.com/2007/09/enjoy.html

check them out :]

Rawen @ Nov 30th 2007 12:55AM

Nice, first time I used mindows media maker, no clue how everything works, thats why no music or commentary. :(

Looks at everyones feedback here: http://www.n4g.com/ps3/NewsCom-89079.aspx#Comments

Strange how it differs so much from this group. :\

recon @ Nov 30th 2007 1:12AM

For the less insightful people who keep saying this is gonna be boring, i'll explain why it wont be:
1st, the features:,
- Your home space, in here you will be able to showcase your winnings, Awards for beating a track on GT4, or finishing a game under so many hours with minimal health packs for (enter game of your choice here) or wallpaper of your best frag or tea-baggin' of your most disliked oponnent. Perhaps a highlight poster of you ball-faced dunkin on your friend in NBA2K8 hangin on a wall in your home space that he gets to see everytime he visits your space.
- The theatre rooms, here you can watch that long awaited trailer of the upcoming game that have been talked about to death on the net. Example, Rockstar announces via the net or whatever RSS feed you sunbscribe to on your PS3, that "Home" will show the latest 20min trailer of GTA4 @ 8pm eastern. Everybody meets up 745-8pm, go the "theatre" section and watch it together, some cheer, some spit, some do nothin', and when its done, you talk about how whack it was, or great it is, right there, right now, no waiting, no emails, then when your done talkin', you get right into a game of HAZE, with all your buddies, right then and there. (This is what you have not seen in this blog video but has been shown in multiple other videos.)
- ok, so boom, your logged into your PS3, your in Home and your clan mates are not online yet, but they will be cause its 7pm and everybody is soon to be "jumpin' on". A buddy shows up, you guys kill some time by playin some checkers or one of the arcade games while you wait for your mates. They're comin soon so you dont want play a full blown game like Time Crisis, etc. 7:15pm (only 15mins later)7 clan mates are on now, your ready to go into a real game. You select to play Slant Six's new iteration of SOCOM. Boom!, your in the game. (so rather than waiting around, like "where they @*%! are these guys" for like 15mins, you did something constructive, you upped your score in "Galaxian", woot!)

2nd thing, this video has nobody in it. Of course its gonna look boring. again, its a beta. Everything is not readily available. By the time its ready for primetime, everything mentioned will be available and up to par as you will have the people driving it. Any social activity needs the people, and the people will come.....if they build....haha, that was funny...."if you build it, they will come" LOL, anyway, think outside the box, like the developers of HOME. And thank Hunter Leon for those links as they show a lil bit more of what home can do. As explained. its still a beta......

recon @ Nov 30th 2007 1:16AM

see Rawen's post above too for more video links

Rawen @ Nov 30th 2007 1:30AM

Damn Recon, great way of explaining it. Thats a perfect, and likely scenario. And yea, the other videos show everything, not sure why Andrew Yoon didnt just put up the big video (25 minutes) with everything put into it....

But yea, Redon is right. Just imagine if they have something big to announce that they would usually announce on the Playstation blog, like a new big feature, or a new firmware, or something like that.

The video could play live in a designated area for these kind of events, and everyone online will get an invite on their screen to go to the event. For those who come on late, they can always watch the reiterating replay of the video in the same location.

Its all possible, people just need to think with more of an open mind. And remember this is not forced upon you, its free, its and option. It can only mean good to be honest.

(IRE)Wolfman @ Nov 30th 2007 3:41AM

I would be cool, lets say when you buy GT5, you could put your fav. car in the drive.

DSK UK @ Nov 30th 2007 4:30AM

I'm a 360 owner, and I do like the look of home. IMO it doesn't pose a challenge to XBL as its so different. XBL allows contact to friends while playing games and allows competition through achievements etc. Home provides an open space if one person is bored, an alternative to the XBLA or PSN if you will, as you could play some basic games with other people or do some bowling or watch some videos. I believe home is a place where you'll spend a few minutes here and there, but it isn't something you'll spend hours on (unless of course you have no friends)

PS3Lee @ Nov 30th 2007 4:34AM

I have to say this looks great, as recon says when its released, the people will come and I believe there will be alot of them. I'm really looking forward to this, it's a good way of meeting your mates and kill some time before all entering a multiplayer game. Keep up the good work on this sony.

GoJoeGo @ Nov 30th 2007 6:18AM

I think this is pretty fantastic. Sure, it's boring right now, but that should be expected as this is meant to be enjoyed with others. Strangely, this is the first time that anything has made me look forward to Home. I don't know why, but, as a person who has never really entered the multiplayer world, Home appeals to me in that it's accessible and possibly a great way to meet people to play with. I honestly don't know how gamers can make 'friends' online through, say, Call of Duty 4, which is probably why I have never really enjoyed multiplayers. Maybe this will draw me into the (growing) online games, which would be great!

Sora57 @ Nov 30th 2007 9:31AM

Whatever your thoughts about Home, the fact is the video embedded here is BORING. It is a poor showcase of the product.

Jay @ Nov 30th 2007 9:49AM

i hope you can go around punching people hehe

ScottH @ Nov 30th 2007 1:48PM

hahaha

gorgnzollas @ Nov 30th 2007 10:13AM

Yeah, I agree with Jay. Maybe it's too much GTA but i cant get it out of my head how hilarious it would be to be able to rob people, or jump in the lanes while someones bowling. Maybe they should put in a jail.

brightcrazystar @ Nov 30th 2007 10:47AM

This is bust for three reasons:

Pedophiles Playhouse - Do you know who is in the open virtual space with your kids? What "movies" are they sharing and watching in their "secret playspace"? You know that one sex offender who can't live within a lightyear of a school,.. well he can buy a ps3, and get internet, and he gets this *free* world full of bored kids. The only way they can prevent this is to monitor the system with utmost scrutiny, and they will then have created a virtual 1984, where Sony is Big Brother. Creepy...

Walking through a Virtual Billboard Wonderland - This demo inadvertantly shows off (and pauses on) HUGE advertising space. That is the only way they can afford the imminent lawsuits from parents of children who had no idea there is a virtual playspace with no babysitter in it. That is what will make this "free" service viable for sony but annoying for players. Selling ad space on your system, to compensate for lousy financials. So go run across the nike swoosh on the ground past the starbucks sandwichboard to play Cool Ranch Checkers, brought to you by Frito Lay. And make sure you think this service was made for you, and not a way of making money.

Innoculating the viral ethics of marketing. After meeting other home users, suddenly kids will have their buying choices decided for them based on what games their "Homeys" have. Peer pressure drives the online gaming market, from WoW to XMB. BUT the big difference is the XMB is driven by meeting people who have the same games as you, or want the same games as you. WoW is driven by an immersive world where you cooperate and compete. THE GAME IS THE PRIMARY SOCIAL CONNECTION. There is a secondary connection that is driven by who you know in real life and you desire to compete and coop with them. In PSHome, the avatar's ability to meet people online will be easily manipulated into a marketing strategy, where Sony could create some artificial hype about a game important to their business, regardless of if it is good. Sony already has very viral advert behavior, and this is just a huge chance to do that.

If Home is truly optional, make it something I HAVE to download, and register to use in a way that demonstrates adult consent. And make it something I can completely delete and keep off of my system. Home updates will include online marketing ploys and the same kind of tracking software sony is notorious for, and I want no presence of it on my system. if you want to have this kind of experience, get Second Life, or a mmo with COMBAT, for chrissakes!

kentuckyfried @ Nov 30th 2007 4:35PM

I'm sure they have considered many of those negatives, especially in light of the fact that that Myspace has taken alot of flak in the past few years.

It would be terrible for a handful of degenerates to completely take this system down. =(

dontlikeitmodit @ Dec 1st 2007 3:56PM

Its tied to your PSN account. An account which would most likely be easily traceable.

I am also sure that since Sony has vast amounts of experience with online communities that this will be a non-issue.

You sound like a 360fanboy. Go sell crazy some place else brightcrazystar, we're all filled up here.

XO @ Nov 30th 2007 12:34PM

Look like grand Thef!

maverick_saturn_626 @ Nov 30th 2007 1:02PM

Boo hoo, stop moaning, home is an open source platform, boring though it may look, it has great potential and possibly more options for the future then Live.

Wolfrider @ Nov 30th 2007 2:39PM

As someone who doesn't own a PS3 (yet) I have to say I'm DAMN excited about this. Everything seems so well implemented and intuitive. I'm someone who loves the IDEA of Second Life but hates the game, and this seems to solve every problem I've ever had with SL.

I keep thinking about the Penny Arcade comic about the PS3, "We've both seen Little Big Planet. We've both seen Home. We've been out maneuvered, we need to shut up and be men about this."

Sony officially has my cash.

What really has me excited is the opportunity for some good to be done with little Home features. Imagine decorating your house with artwork and being given a micro transaction option to donate money to the artist, or to the museum that holds it. Lot's of cool Child's Play activities. Oh boy... drooling here. Someone get me a towel.

For.. drool...

ACEDOH @ Nov 30th 2007 5:59PM

I laugh at people who try to use scare tactics like sex offenders will just be chewing at the bit to take advantage of your child. Get a life and be realistic. Those stories have been grossly exxagerated as a way to scare people into thinking the boogeyman is lurking in every corner. The truth for the most part is this place will be safe and have controls. If you have been paying attention then you would know parents can put a block on their children that would keep them from being able to communicate with adults. The Home environment will be great for most teenagers and adults. Is it great for children? I don't know...If you are a parent who believes your child is mature enough and can handle themselves responsibly. But in any open environment you will have people who are jerks but for the most part it will be a fun place where people can socialize.

valvo @ Nov 30th 2007 9:28PM

Well I guess the PS3 owners need something to do...since they have no games to play. Must be fun having a place to have a fake social life, trying to pick up female avatars only to realise they have male voices, watching their fake boobies jiggle at what appears to be 20fps cause the system is so slow. Great to be in the 360 camp!

jitty @ Nov 30th 2007 10:40PM

Speaking of no social life, how's trolling a ps3 site going for you? Make up for your lack of friends?

jitty @ Nov 30th 2007 10:36PM

WTF, it's suppose to be a closed beta. Isn't this guy seriously breaking the NDA?

brightcrazystar @ Dec 4th 2007 9:49AM

@ KFC and ACEDOH

My friend has his PSN account in his cat's name, and uses his mom's work for his address. There is not one piece of valid information that you HAVE to give sony to have a PSN. You can even use a prepaid credit card that links to a post office box.

...and this is not scare tactics, it is disdain in humanity, not Sony. I personally would like the idea until you throw in the human factor. As for affording the policing and controls, I can as easily see it degenerating into marketing and spam galore without proper precautions.

And for children controls, great - how many parents know they can set them. I know people who work in retail stores that sell these, and most people who get their kid one don't even know it can go online.

brightcrazystar @ Dec 4th 2007 10:03AM

1. I am not a 360 fanboy. I am a gamer. I am irreverant of the religions that surround consoles. My NES is in the trunk of my car, and my game gear is still stocked with fresh batteries. I have a calendar detailing when Apr 7th, 2008 comes, so I can play Persona 3 along with the yearly cycle that the game takes place in. The best thing coming to 360 *might be* Fable 2.

2. I *do* work with various forms of data architecture and security, including user validations, and contract assignment and allocation. I know someone who has their PSN in their cat's name. Another friend has his XBL account in the name of his baby son, and pays for it with a card that has his son's name on it (starting good credit early). By nature, and by profession, I look at the way things can break down, be manipulated, or just plain not work, and try and make sure that is addressed early to prevent it.

3. I frequent stores that sell video games, and can attest most parents do not even know consoles go online. I am not blaming sony for trying this, nor trying to *scare* people. My entropic view is due to seeing, correcting, and preventing data incongruence for some 10 years. I just think policing Home to prevent piracy and improper or illegal conduct will only happen with revenue from advertising. Regardless, the video highlighted several optimal advertising spaces along the way. It will take up space on my console, and I do not want my console resources allocated to advertising. Please make it optional download, Sony. It also seems to me like a waste of the precious little time I have to game walking around looking at a fake world with little sense of adventure or excitement. And menu driven action is far inferior to say, slash commands in popular MMO's. /shrug

4. I own most every console released since 1980, and most still worked last time I tried them. I have the cash for a PS3 and am looking forward to the summer, which is generally a good time of console adoption. The least impressive console I have owned is 360 and I love the idea of XBL, but hate the setup. Microsoft's greatest contribution has not been hardware, but their support of games by veterans of the industry. David Jones, Peter Molyneaux and several others are among the best gaming experiences I have and am looking forward to. Sakaguchi is the recent biggest disappointment so far. That doesn't mean I dislike Sony or hold vested interest in Microsoft's future above the future of gaming.