PlayStation Home patch 1.3 adds universal game launching ... kind of

by Griffin McElroy { Sep 30th 2009 at 4:45PM }

One of the most attractive promised features of PlayStation Home was the ability to meet up with friends in Sony's virtual space, pick a PS3 title and join in the multiplayer offerings of said title as a group. Sony's delivered on that promise by adding this functionality for a few select titles, such as MotorStorm and Street Fighter IV. However, these capabilities are going "universal" with the release of Home Patch 1.3, which will add "simplified game launching" to the service.

No, this form of launching won't allow you to group up with friends in Home and jump into a game of your choosing as a single, conglomerated entity. Rather, it lets you ... well, launch your games without having to return to the XMB. It was a wise choice to cut the middle man out of the game-booting equation, but it seems for the "full" game launching experience, Sony's going to have to add that functionality one title at a time.

Also added in the update is an in-game camera, in-store item previewing, new categories of clothing, new emotes, new spaces, and whole lot more. Check out PlayStation.Blog for the full scoop on the update.

Tags: game-launching, home, patch, patch-1.3, playstation, playstation-home, sony, update

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

stormtrooper190 (IcelandTerrorist) @ Sep 30th 2009 4:51PM

ive never seen that space before. isint thet space ship game the same as the chopper game in the home sqare

Pat @ Sep 30th 2009 5:44PM

The flying saucer game has been in the main plaza since launch. It is in the big fountain in the middle.

MrAlex @ Sep 30th 2009 6:07PM

Its the US home plaza, it trumps our European one in terms of looks IMO.

Guinea Rabbit @ Sep 30th 2009 4:58PM

Playstation Home is just like real-life home. It's where you go when you want to fall asleep!

adolson @ Sep 30th 2009 5:02PM

They waste all this time on Home and we can't even get a damn Sackboy avatar for the XMB friend list?

James @ Sep 30th 2009 5:54PM

I was thinking that myself, they mentioned all new avatars for 3.0 and nothing. Haven't added a single new one in the year and a half ive owned the ps3.

stormtrooper190 (IcelandTerrorist) @ Sep 30th 2009 7:05PM

they added at least ONE. its the killzone one.i know it wasint avalable in 2008

James @ Sep 30th 2009 8:23PM

I'm almost sure that was there, since it was one of the first ones I used when I got my PS3.

The Return of Lieutenant Gunther (PSN: helghast102) @ Sep 30th 2009 8:32PM

no, the helghast one has been there forever, i should know :) (i use Toro now, he's a badass)

Popfrogs @ Sep 30th 2009 10:54PM

The only avatars they've added since launch were the ones for Resistance, Uncharted, and Ratchet & Clank. Everything else has been there all along.

I mean honestly, how hard is it to replace the crappy avatars we've all been staring at for the last 3 years? Some of them are ridiculously bad, like some kind of clip-art rejects.

(A)do(T) @ Sep 30th 2009 5:05PM

i cant wait to pet my pet. now my pet will have a pet to pet. so u can bet that my pest's pet will pet their pet's pet's pet to pet pets

Windmill @ Sep 30th 2009 5:22PM

The sad reality is this is what happens on Neopets. Pets have their own petpets.

followthategg @ Sep 30th 2009 5:23PM

Strange how they keep adding the same function to Home over and over again isn't it?

Watcher @ Sep 30th 2009 5:36PM

Same functionality?

Game launching: New
In store item preview: New
In game Camera: New

It seems you don't know much about home, yet you're bashing it. If you don't like it, that's cool, but at least take the time to get your facts straight.

Sony is making money off home so they're going to keep supporting it. I don't love or hate home, but I think it's a cool way to socialize online for those that are into that. They’re also getting more people to log on and stay on longer so they must be doing something right.

Pat @ Sep 30th 2009 5:44PM

I second Watcher.

deusmecha @ Sep 30th 2009 5:23PM

Went over the list of new aspects, and it sounds like a solid update. Also, IB some jackass says something like "omfg Home is such a waste of time, itz so stupid zzzzz".

Quazatron @ Sep 30th 2009 6:40PM

Good god. Home has got to be the most overrated, overhyped waste of time ever. I'm trying to think back to the first spiel we were told about it, and it sounded nothing like it's become. When I loaded it up, I shuddered as it took forever to load - that shouted FAIL there and then, and to keep you waiting whilst each area loaded, well... The icing on the cake, was the shop - oh my, how naieve I was. After all that time, I expected to walk in to the shop and see rows and rows of exciting, branded 'real' items you could purchase which would be delivered to your door, and better still, you got to keep an ingame graphic of the item. How wrong I was... what a cheap, money-grabbing swindle. Utter letdown - a glorified chat client that's too much effort to use.

Popfrogs @ Sep 30th 2009 10:55PM

Cool story bro.

MrXile @ Oct 1st 2009 5:47AM

Again, another one voted down.

^^ the comment above is exactly what HOME should have been, still could, but now its all microtransactions of clothes and items for you're HOME home. Why bother?

It's money for nothing. Down the drain.

As I said in another comment (that was voted down... hmmm), HOME had so much potential, but in essence, its nothing more than a glorified MSN Messenger.

Be serious people, dont just love it because its on your PS3. Its void of anything worthwhile.

[ArchiGamer] [Soon to be a major religion] @ Sep 30th 2009 5:37PM

Cool, I guess.

Windmill @ Sep 30th 2009 6:07PM

I guess this is neat but its not something thats going to attract new users. If they would have group game launching, that would totally bring me into using Home, because then I could find people for Littlebigplanet :)

Heavytoka @ Sep 30th 2009 6:12PM

They Do have group game launching once this patch hits, that's what the universal game launching feature is, you can set up and join games straight from Home with your friends

SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Sep 30th 2009 7:57PM

@ HeavyToka

"No, this form of launching won't allow you to group up with friends in Home and jump into a game of your choosing as a single, conglomerated entity."

HeavyToka toked so much he forgot to read the article lol. either way, this is one of the main features i wanted Home to bring and it's still technically not here yet. Home is really a waste of time until the stuff they promised is finished. maybe they should have just waited to announce it until they had all this stuff done. maybe PS4 with have what Home was supposed to be.

theakgod47 @ Sep 30th 2009 7:19PM

So when is this update comin out... Thursday?

M0N5TER @ Sep 30th 2009 6:31PM

Help me understand why this is such a big deal? Isn't it just bypassing the XMB? So what?

Are there any other advantages to launching a game as a group? For instance, if we want to play Call of Duty together, don't we still need to invite each other from within the game? Or are we going to be paired up together automatically as soon as the game starts? And what about persistent voice communication? Is that finally included now?

I know I'm asking a lot of questions, but if this is just bypassing the XMB, then I really don't get what the big deal is...

M0N5TER @ Sep 30th 2009 6:39PM

It's just bypassing the XMB. That's it. Nothing more.

When the game starts, you still need to invite each other. Seriously, who cares? Thanks for shaving off 3 seconds to return to the XMB before I can start the game myself. How about doing something useful next? Like persistent chat?

Solace @ Sep 30th 2009 6:42PM

I'll say it again Home sucks end of story.

Tez @ Sep 30th 2009 7:02PM

Lots of people beg to differ, but I'll let them know you closed the book on this one.

bravo9zero @ Sep 30th 2009 7:58PM

We had universal Game launching, In the HOME closed BETA (V.98)
Never understood why they removed It in the Open BETA.

Also the In-game camera isn't coming tomorrow, On the Blog It says "Coming later"
Along with the shrinking potion and hover board.

stormtrooper190 (IcelandTerrorist) @ Sep 30th 2009 7:09PM

HOVER BOARD! were is it? do tell?

Autobot @ Sep 30th 2009 7:11PM

There is SO much traffic on the open beta compared to the closed beta. And barely anyone in Closed Beta used game launching.

Quazatron @ Sep 30th 2009 6:54PM

LOL, I even remember, the same day before I logged in for the first time, I said to my gf (who is a big Diesel fan, loves their stuff), "Hey, and they've got this shop, and you can buy clothes in it.. and guess what, they've got Diesel gear!" "Ooo", she says, raising her interest briefly. Bear in mind, I've been a web developer for almost 10 years, so I had high expectations here after so much hype. Later that evening, when the true horror of my miscalculation on Sony's dev capabilities became clear, it dawned on me.. I needed to hide this travesty in the deepest darkest hole I could find. Even now, I pray she doesn't ask to see it.