Rumor: Home is coming on Dec 17th? [Update]
by Alan Tsang 
{ Dec 8th 2008 at 2:30PM }
According to the Times Online, a web version of the UK newspaper that's been in circulation since 1785, the long-awaited PlayStation Home will be released "in the next 10 days." The article is dated December 7th, so simple arithmetic would allow us to conclude that Home will make its debut by December 17th.
At the very least, the rumored date seems realistic; afterall, we've been promised again and again that Home will make its debut in 2008. Sony won't attest to the accuracy of that date. "We're not commenting on that story, I'm afraid," an SCEE representative told VG247. Let's all keep our fingers crossed -- bring Home home, Sony!
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
blah @ Dec 8th 2008 2:34PM
probably, but none of that matters anymore since my ps3 broke:(
deaftly @ Dec 8th 2008 5:51PM
Im in the same boat as you my friend, warranty just ended too :(
Trent @ Dec 8th 2008 6:41PM
Me too, and I got an invite THE day that it broke! :(
Stupid YLOD
HAAS599 @ Dec 8th 2008 8:31PM
My 60gb launch PS3 is still going strong.
deaftly @ Dec 9th 2008 11:24AM
I love how the fanboys must vote us down, its like they have to cover their ears and go
"LALALALALALALALA IM NOT HEARING THIS PS3 IS PERFECT LALALALALALAL"
Jay @ Dec 9th 2008 12:20PM
You got a YLOD did you, Trent? Congratulations, you are about the twentieth person in the world to get one, out of 17,500,000 PS3 owners. And probably only the third person in the world for whom it actually means your console died.....
Deaftly, you have an interesting comment history with regards to the PS3 (almost entirely negative) and 360 (almost entirely positive). It permits me to judge that you are a troll and a moron.
Gonzo @ Dec 9th 2008 4:13PM
I'm glad the trolls are at least obvious.
It doesn't make them any less pathetic of course.
I kind of expected this behavior when I saw it on Joystiq but the xbots actually follow PS3ers here to troll?
Is the 360 really so boring you have to harass people who found a console they enjoy? I thought Gears 2 at lest would be enough to occupy even the biggest dbags.
DrunkMiffy @ Dec 8th 2008 2:35PM
Realisticly, it'll probably be this Thursday then. Seeing as the PSStore only gets updated on a Thursday, unless they're gonna wait till the 18th which is the following thursday..?
batmanhill6157 @ Dec 8th 2008 3:05PM
Home wont be in the store, it's going to be a firmware update. So it doesn't matter what day it comes out.
DrunkMiffy @ Dec 8th 2008 3:12PM
Lol, whatever gave you that impression?
There's no need for a firmware update for it.
The Aggie CEO @ Dec 8th 2008 3:14PM
Firmware???
I mean its POSSIBLE.........but right now its a download......why wouldnt they keeo it that way??
paul @ Dec 9th 2008 8:36AM
Dosent matter Home is dull no gamerooms yet
C-Onor @ Dec 9th 2008 1:42PM
have any of you read the article? it says home wont be released through conventional means (firmware updates or the PS store).
p.flynn2 @ Dec 8th 2008 2:35PM
my last final is on the 17th. after that I wont have a chance to really play around in Home until after christmas..... fu(k!n @.
Jerses @ Dec 8th 2008 2:37PM
18th in US? I hope this rumor is true..it got to be... because there are only 3 Thursday left in december 11,18 and 25.... 25 will be like our christmas present. :P
Chainblast @ Dec 8th 2008 3:39PM
If you like empty boxes then i guess so. :P
Schoolimangooli @ Dec 8th 2008 2:37PM
I hope it doesn't come out, because it's definetly not ready.
Mo @ Dec 8th 2008 2:42PM
I can agree with that statement.. Let it all be beta, just get the game launching to work... i have a baaad feeling it will be mostly moving forward.
adolson @ Dec 8th 2008 4:00PM
I agree, as well. I wish they'd scrap it entirely and replace it with something more like LittleBigPlanet.
Actually, I'd just rather have group game-launching right from the XMB, perhaps in the video/voice chat room. And cross-game chat. That's what PS3 really needs, not this Home stuff.
There's really nothing at all to do, except dance and run around. I suppose this is awesome, if you're a teeny-bopper.
DeathroW @ Dec 8th 2008 4:00PM
It'll supposedly be classed as "beta" for a long while.
korwyn @ Dec 8th 2008 7:18PM
to: adolson
ya I agree with you completely. I turn on my PlayStation 3 to play games or watch movies. I want it to be the easiest access not running around to the arcade to play games or run to a theater to watch movies.
BUT I'm open for Home to change my mind though. It could turn out to be great. And who knows, I might love it too. Plus, it's free. What do I have to lose, eh?
Andy @ Dec 8th 2008 4:47PM
there could be quite a lot they're still not showing us
marklar @ Dec 8th 2008 5:40PM
"Actually, I'd just rather have group game-launching right from the XMB, perhaps in the video/voice chat room. And cross-game chat. "
sounds like what you need is an Xbox 360...
Mo @ Dec 8th 2008 2:37PM
hmm my bday, someone spread that rumor to me on psn too!!
I got in 11/22 for the load test so, Im not too worried about it. I can say for sure that it will be alot better if my friends were in it and I (we) could launch games together from it. Everything else is cool... but the game launching is the primary main objective
magicfett @ Dec 8th 2008 2:39PM
Incoming flood of people, who have probably never set foot in home, saying it's boring predicted.
wem003 @ Dec 8th 2008 2:45PM
I agree - but I am a Home beta user and find it boring.
I'm sure it will get better, but it's just not any fun right now.
Mo @ Dec 8th 2008 2:50PM
its not that bad. You can have a little fun in the mini games, I enjoyed unlocking some items and such. The killer for me, why I dont spend more time in it... is because no1 i know (irL) are on it.. and again, game launching with my friends is mainly what im interested in. the rest is just really, really cool perks... there will be 100s of people claiming its an "epic failure" because its nowhere near as fun as say... lbp.. but we all know whats wrong with those folks...
wem003 @ Dec 8th 2008 4:35PM
@Mo - for me it just isn't interesting enough yet to even want to take time away from my other games to load it up and see what's going on. Some of the mini games are cool, I'll give you that - but there needs to be something really engaging to get people to want to stay.
Woz @ Dec 8th 2008 2:40PM
The headline is misleading. It makes you believe that it will release on the 17th, instead of what was actually said about it being released in the next ten days.
The bigger question is if this will be a worldwide release.
Paul @ Dec 8th 2008 5:04PM
You're right, it should read "Home is coming before Dec 18th?" or some such.
John @ Dec 9th 2008 12:12AM
The article should also mention that the rumor is to make the OPEN BETA available over the next 10 days, NOT the final release.
Not expecting any sort of fireworks. The service really requires a good headset to make it interesting, and certainly game rooms to make it worth the effort to load.
Jake @ Dec 8th 2008 2:48PM
i don't think its ready, still slow, no game rooms, barely anything in the stores
its just bare atm
Hife @ Dec 8th 2008 3:26PM
This doesn't address your concern about it being slow, which I agree with, but it being bare right now does not mean it's going to be that way when the open beta launches.
I fairly sure they're just holding back most of it right now. I mean, the beta is just to work out the kinks, not to give awesome people like us a reward for our awesomeness.
The Aggie CEO @ Dec 8th 2008 3:35PM
the game rooms were removed for the beta......
they were in there in a previous build......they will be put back....
Jake @ Dec 8th 2008 3:38PM
cheers for the replies
didn't know they were removed, how come they removed them? to make it a smaller download?
Morbo- (PSN: ummfada) @ Dec 8th 2008 2:48PM
"We're not commenting on that story, I'm afraid"
Notice the comma? You see, he's afraid to comment on the story!
rgoff31 @ Dec 8th 2008 2:50PM
By the 17th. That fits in with Tedthedog's "This Year" & Mr. Sony Dude's "Imminent" arrival interview.
I'm beginning to wonder if it's more about waiting for the backend servers to be plugged in and being ready to take the abuse.
Sneeches @ Dec 8th 2008 2:58PM
Doesn't matter, Home is uber boring.
Dan Bolas @ Dec 8th 2008 3:00PM
Been very interested in the whole Home concept since it arrived on the scene what seems like a lifetime ago now, and got to have a sin on the closed beta via a friends ps3.
From what i can get from it, it is simply a place to meet up with people and join games, be that getting people to joing your online clan in warhwk, try your level in LBP or simply to just add people to your friends lists for future gaming. All the extra stuff, features such as customisable apartments, online games and even exclusive video content comes across as a bonus.
As for its release, i would put my money on sony hitting a pre-christmas release. With the PS3 probably being a more affordable Christmas gift for households this year, coupled with the fact the PS2 is on its very last legs, having this service up and running prior to the 25th will make for an easier transition period between existing gamers, with a large batch of new users expected online 25th/26th/27th time.
Mo @ Dec 8th 2008 4:00PM
you hit it right on the head:
to paraphrase...
"it is simply a place to meet up with people and join games...just add people to your friends lists for future gaming. All the extra stuff... a bonus."
a magnificently beautiful, and potentially amazing front end for the crappy PSN and its stupid msgs and invites.
somedesigner @ Dec 8th 2008 3:08PM
I've been in on the recent beta, and I haven't been utterly blown away yet. I think there is still a lot of material to be added, as well as functionality. I agree with the above statement about game launching being one of the primary uses for many people. Once all my friends are on it I think the fun factor will jump dramatically.
TriFF51 @ Dec 8th 2008 3:09PM
That would be my PS3's two year anniversary...how fitting.
adamantypants @ Dec 8th 2008 3:14PM
Same here... It'll be my PS3's second birthday present if true.
But along with all other 2 year olds' b-day presents, I'll toss it in the garbage a week later.
Eneref @ Dec 8th 2008 3:26PM
I just hope they fix the Home UI before launch. Right now, it's a bit like the old Playstation Store. You back out of menu options SOMEtimes with the circle button, SOMEtimes with the X button... and it just ends up being a bit of a guessing game as to which is which. Poor design overall.
The world is nice looking, but feels VERY small. I can't imagine what it will be like when there are a LOT of people in it. As is, the public areas are minuscule, and filled with people dancing or standing around trying to hold three word conversations (since typing is a pain). Since everyone's able to separate off somewhat, there's still plenty of room to chat with a couple of people about a few things. But add in more people, and the entire world will be a random mish-mash of text. Like sitting in an IRC channel with a half-dozen unrelated conversations going on.
The personal areas are pretty. But even with furniture and the few meager items they've given us to download, it feels sparse and lonely and cold. You NEED friends in there to even bother to go in, and none of my friends' list friends are in the beta.
It has potential. But with a microscopic world filled with nothing but ads everywhere you look, and nothing much to DO other than look for other bored people to chat with and hope they're not complete tools (which seems unlikely given the few I've spoken to), I don't honestly see that Home will 'revolutionise' anything for quite some time to come.
JAH75157 @ Dec 8th 2008 3:35PM
i wouldn't worry about it being overcrowded. there is more than one mall / bowling alley / theater / courtyard. My brother and i were both on it and he came to where my character was and didn't see me, so really the only way to really find your friends on your list is use the follow feature in the menu.
Light @ Dec 8th 2008 3:16PM
Home is a waste of time!!
Popfrogs @ Dec 8th 2008 6:36PM
So was reading your comment. Coincidence?
Marius @ Dec 8th 2008 3:17PM
Cant wait to go Home for the holidays.
Topher08 @ Dec 8th 2008 3:27PM
So far Home has been a shinning dissapointment. Got the beta recently and was dismayed that nothing much changed from the original Home being shown 2 years ago (so wtf did they do for 2 years besides delay it, certainly wan't adding any new innovations).
What I hate about Home right now could fill a book, but having to wait to use a pool table or bowling or an arcade game makes Home a joke. I have to play a game just to wait to play a game in a virtual world? That is very weak and hopefully is remedied on release.
I think Home has a few nice ideas, like I will be excited about it during the next big game developer's conference when the have a virtual tradeshow in Home and I like the game staging spaces, but so far Home is looking like a big fat micro-transactions front end for the PSN and I will be damned if I spend a dime to buy a new club-house, studio, or even new clothes online.
BTW if Home is released with posters about Flow in it, then I know for a fact that the developer's did nothing for 2 years if they can't update the content to something more relevant on release.
Mo @ Dec 8th 2008 3:38PM
dayuuuum... whats wrong with fl0w?? that ish is hot