European Home beta expansion imminent, open beta 'within weeks'

by Jem Alexander { Nov 6th 2008 at 9:00AM }

Qore subscribers will be given the keys to Home today so, naturally, the assumption was that European beta invites will be sent out around the same time. While it seems that won't be happening today it shouldn't be too long. TedTheDog, community manager at the official European PlayStation forums, has said that a new wave of beta invites will be sent out once Home gets to version 1.0

The names of those who will be receiving invites have already been chosen, so it can't be too far away. If you're not on the list, though, Ted says not to worry as "Open Beta will be along within weeks of" the invites being sent out. Things are looking good for a beta launch happening before Christmas. Did you ever doubt it? Yeah, so did we.

Tags: beta, home, open-beta, qore

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

bigredend @ Nov 6th 2008 9:06AM

woohoo , hope I'm one of the lucky ones :0

reakt @ Nov 6th 2008 9:07AM

Their most recent promise for a home open beta was "this fall". (That's Autumn in English English) There's only a few more weeks left before Winter so it had better be here soon!

reyes @ Nov 6th 2008 9:09AM

Does it seem to anyone else like Home is being unfairly compared to NXE? I haven't seen much of Home outside of some screenshots from presentations, but it seems that while Home is much more ambitious than NXE everyone thinks NXE is Microsoft's answer to Home. Am I missing something about NXE? It seems to be avatars and not much else to me...

Greg @ Nov 6th 2008 10:53AM

NXE closely follows Wii with the avatars. As for the rest of NXE it really is just a user interface change up along with some new additions like install your game to the HDD, Netflix, and some other things. HOME is a service completed dedicated to social interaction online and bringing game developers together on the Playstation platform in order to get their products out in public.

Hife @ Nov 6th 2008 10:05AM

Let them compare, because no, you're not missing something about the NXE. Most of the big features had to be cut or postponed, so it has basically come down to avatars and Netflix.
Once Home is out, it will be quite obvious to everyone except 360 fanboys that Home is MUCH more ambitious.

reyes @ Nov 6th 2008 10:10AM

That's what I thought, Hife. My X360-owning friends talked about NXE like it was the second coming. I had forgotten about Netflix streaming... probably because that's already available via PlayOn.

Jerses @ Nov 6th 2008 10:46AM

The only good think about NXE is that its really coming this fall with no delays (because they left out some features but so does Home).NXE is the same concept only its applied in the main menu, im not saying its better than home but its really nice that you dont have to load an app that way people will have to look at his avatar even when in game.

I just hope HOME doesnt drop the game launch. I was really hurt and feel cheated when they dropped the video streaming... that was one of the best main features that i was looking for. Since then i have no interest in home i know i will play ( can we say play?) with it for a week and when special events happen but then i will probably do the same think as i did with "LWPS".

Jake @ Nov 6th 2008 12:49PM

wait a second
they dropped video streaming?!?! that was the best part imo, one thing i looked forward too was watching a film at mine with a friend over home

now i can't see any use for it to me

sbob420 @ Nov 6th 2008 9:13AM

got a home beta invite today they said i got it cause i downloaded the home theme. lol didnt know they were still giving them out from that

Tez @ Nov 6th 2008 11:47AM

It told you it did when you downloaded it.

really @ Nov 6th 2008 9:22AM

Wow... so it is September/October 2007 already. How time flies. ;)

Neomorphix486 @ Nov 6th 2008 9:26AM

Got mine today! can't wait to get home from work to try it out!

Dan Rabot @ Nov 6th 2008 9:29AM

Any news on todays PSN update? Euro particularly. Gonna be another late one is it?

(at work, can't check till i get home)

Jem @ Nov 6th 2008 9:30AM

Looking that way. I try to get it up as soon as I see it, so keep checking back.

Dan Rabot @ Nov 6th 2008 9:40AM

I have a habit of "checking back" here, should probably do some work!....

elephant_stone @ Nov 6th 2008 11:15AM

Come on! Give it to me!

ME @ Nov 6th 2008 9:49AM

i am original beta tester... weve all been waiting for 1.0
tht day should be next week ... but we know sony

Kid Chemical @ Nov 6th 2008 10:31AM

Qore subscribers are not necessarily going to get the beta invite today.

Kevin Furuichi stated on the PS Blog that the roll out will be similar to other beta releases and be phased over several weeks.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/11/05/qore-episode-06-arrives-tomorrow/comment-page-1/#comment-126582

A new crop of US Beta testers have been invited recently (Mine arrived last night. And no, I do not have a subscription to Qore) for downloading the Home Theme many moons ago.

koehler83 @ Nov 6th 2008 10:28AM

I still doubt it.

naxe @ Nov 6th 2008 11:11AM

Just pull the plug on this already. We are at two years of the same crap. It seem'd like a good idea at the time. but seriously this is just one big joke.

Focus on GAMES. GAMES. AND MORE GAMES. pouring your money and resources into this crap is gonna end up hurting PS3 in the long run. Their has yet to be any positive light shed on HOME through the various beta testing.

To be honest even if it were available today i would not use it. Just seems like a waste. Especially on my 60gb HDD. that only has about 20gb left.

Make some new games. I want my Fat Princess already.

I dont mean to be a negative nelly but COME ON.

Extinction @ Nov 6th 2008 11:47AM

Sony is focusing on games.

1) Home adds functionality to games
2) Home is being done by people at Sony who aren't working on games. Focus on Home doesn't detract from Sony's focus on games

JakeDunn @ Nov 6th 2008 11:01AM

I'm a qore subscriber but so far haven't received the code. Still, not sure if I'd even bother. I hated second life and don't see the real appeal of Home, hope to be wrong though.

rgoff31 @ Nov 6th 2008 3:26PM

Any word on the whole "Home Rewards" part of home?

“Home Rewards” system, where users will be able to obtain special items usable within PlayStation Home, depending on the level of their game play.

naxe @ Nov 6th 2008 5:26PM

@Extinction

I know its not taking away from anything. But they could be using those resources to make something More ........... Entertaining. This just seems like Sony's Project: Sims.

I will see IF and WHEN this comes out how much of my foot i put in my mouth. But as of right now it is a JOKE. no release date.... STILL.......

If you keep people waiting long enough they get bored and tired.

Paulmichael @ Nov 6th 2008 6:38PM

Maybe, but if you launch it right with a flurry of advertisements and some freebies (All those in-Home minigames look like nice distractions, competitive even), then it's easy to get people interested in it again. Some more of those "Universe" TV commercials would kick ass.