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Geek Culture / Playstation Home

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Matt Rock
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Posted: 7th Mar 2007 22:50 Edited at: 7th Mar 2007 23:19
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This is the first Sony-related thread that I've actually started. I'd like to make a pretty simple request, and I don't think it's asking much: If you're looking to bash Sony, do it elsewhere. For once I'd like to have a discussion on TGC about the PS3 without everyone resorting to flaming the console, the corporation, and each other. There's a few million other threads seemingly designed for that purpose .

Anyway, on topic. Have any of you heard about Playstation Home (a CNN article about it)? Regardless of what you think about Sony, I can't imagine many people wouldn't think this is pretty dang cool. It doesn't just track your gaming honors, and it doesn't just put your likeness in a game: it actually allows you to hang out with your online buddies in your own customizable space ("apartment"), play mini-games, and conduct shopping and whatnot. This takes the avatar-based community to a whole new level, or so it seems. And studios will have their own spaces as well... as the article illustrates, you could go into the EA building or neighborhood and visit the Madden shop.

360 and Wii have similar (but completely different) services on their networks. I'm wondering if the three console manufactures will add new features in the future... make this a little more life-like. Like Grand Theft Auto the MMO (minus the car-jacking and murder). I think it would be neat if you could have a car, and play your favorite MP3 while driving your friends to [some location]. Sort of like BFV, but you wouldn't have sixteen songs to choose from, you could instead just play whatever MP3 you had, and they'd hear it with you. I dunno, I feel like there's a lot of places Sony could go with this. I heard about it a few days ago from Kotako, but I tend to ignore them because they make stuff up. But CNN and MSNBC reported on it with screenshots and whatnot, so now I believe it, lol. Anyway, what do you guys think of this? Will it end up being as cool as it sounds, or is this just another avenue for people to brag about themselves and act stupid? I like the idea of having an online apartment and I would imagine clans will end up eating this up.


"In an interstellar burst, I'm back to save the universe"
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DrewG
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Posted: 7th Mar 2007 23:12
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I agree, while being a Playstation fan(as well as a Nintendo and Microsoft fan as well), it would be a more unique experience that we as consumers would portake in. That is pretty neat idea along with what Sony has the capabilities of doing. Plus, on the good side, it's a nice way for members of a clan(like you mentioned) to come up with strategies and other ways of communication.

-Drew
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Matt Rock
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Posted: 7th Mar 2007 23:18
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That's one of my favorite aspects of it. A clan could decorate their apartment to look like a cave or a military base or something, I think that would be really neat. And it's free, so it could act as a great recruiting tool as well.


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Kentaree
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Posted: 7th Mar 2007 23:21
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To me, it sounds kinda like a 3D interface stuck up on myspace. Then again, we all know how popular myspace is. To be honest, I think this is an idea that Nintendo SHOULD have come up with to go with the Wii, so kudos to Sony for beating them to it

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Jeku
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Posted: 8th Mar 2007 02:47
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Quote: "I heard about it a few days ago from Kotako, but I tend to ignore them because they make stuff up."


Come again? I've been following Kotaku for quite some time and haven't seen them make stuff up.

But yes, I watched the keynote and thought it looked... interesting. Reminded me of Second Life, really. But if you want to just download trailers or demos, you have to run your little guy over to the room? That will be a pain for those who want to just hover and click, so hopefully they give it an option to be turned off. If they made it easy for users to create their own objects with a built-in scripting language (i.e. Second Life), I could see this getting very big, and I would want to get in on it too. But Phil Harrison was saying lots of the stuff (furniture, etc.) will require you to pay for them, so that will definitely suck.

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Matt Rock
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Posted: 8th Mar 2007 02:58 Edited at: 8th Mar 2007 03:00
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I'm with you there, I don't want to pay for furniture and decor either. I guess you can get *some* stuff by earning it, but I'm not sure how it's going to work. By "earning it," I think they mean if you do well in a game, like you have the high score in some FPS or whatever, then you'd get some prize lamp or something. The scary part is, I can already see a bunch of my friends dishing out money to buy tables and throw rugs for their virtual apartment .

About Kotaku, I heard they were sued by someone (maybe even Sony)for reporting stuff as fact when it was just rumors, and since then they started titling articles with "Rumor: (subject)," but I heard that from a friend and not a proper article so I'm not sure if it's true or not. I heard that a month ago (there abouts) and haven't gone there much since then.

I'm going to log into PSU and see if they have any news about Playstation Home. I assume I would have gotten an e-mail about it though, I'm on the GAP and usually Sony sends me this stuff. I really want to know if they're going to charge for all furniture or if you can win some of it too. I guess it makes sense for them to charge though since the Playstation Network is free. Heck, I could even see this being more profitable than charging a subscription rate.

A side note: is anyone else on Sony's GAP? Is it just me or do they seem to not be very active lately?


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Cian Rice
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Posted: 8th Mar 2007 03:45
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No, I believe Sony sued Kotaku about something that they had said was a rumor? But more to the point. Playstation Home does look like a prettier version of Second Life, and it is basically taking the Mii concept and the Achievement concept and integrating it into a much more fulfilling experience.

Looks nice. And did anyone see that clip of Heavenly Sword during Monday's Heroes. LOOKS AWESOME. So does Lair.

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Van B
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Posted: 8th Mar 2007 11:37
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They should forget charging for online gaming, it's not like once you buy a PC game you have to go pay more just to deathmatch someone, especially considering EA's servers which miraculously exist for the PC.

Sony could use this to gain some reputation back, forget charging for freakin furniture in your virtual bedsit - bits and bobs should be rewards in games, like if you complete a section, you might get the chance to nab something for your 'apartment', or get a new car, or emulated game even - imagine if they had a PSX emulator, represented as a PSX in your apartment, and you could find games for it and play multiplayer with your pals.

There's so many social aspects in this, but sorry Matt if this is bashing Sony, but chances are only the ideas that will make them money will survive.


Good guy, Good guy, Wan...
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Chris K
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Posted: 8th Mar 2007 11:48
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Quote: "About Kotaku, I heard they were sued by someone (maybe even Sony)for reporting stuff as fact when it was just rumors, and since then they started titling articles with "Rumor: (subject)," but I heard that from a friend and not a proper article so I'm not sure if it's true or not. I heard that a month ago (there abouts) and haven't gone there much since then."


Clearly that's not true because they have been doing the Rumour and Rumour Smash stuff for ages.

This doesn't look great to be honest.
This sort of stuff appeals to 13 year old girls when it is free on the internet, not when it is part of a $600 games console.

It is an interesting idea, but its one of those things that has to reach critical mass before it actually works. If they can get 10 million users it would be mind blowing, because communities support themselves after a bit.

Too bad there are only a few hundred thousand people on PSN.

Sony have strayed so, so far from what they originally told us PS3 would be it is untrue. This stuff is kind of pretty and interesting but it is dressing in the end.

I thought we were going to see Killzone... oh well...

-= Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals =-
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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Posted: 8th Mar 2007 18:08 Edited at: 8th Mar 2007 18:09
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Is anyone else reminded of Miis when they see this? (The basic principle, anyhow)
There is a lot more, though, I admit. But it's still not enough to make me buy a PS3


Since the other one was scaring you guys so much...
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hexGEAR
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Posted: 8th Mar 2007 20:37
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Not sure if it has already been posted but here's a video of it in action from gametrailers.com:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?type=wmv&id=17559

Looks promising.

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Matt Rock
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 02:09
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I definitely think this is going places, but I guess we'll have to wait to find out how it develops. Again, I totally agree that if they're going to make PSN free to play games on, then the furniture should be free as well, or *at least* you should get to win new stuff without being forced to pay for any of it. I wouldn't mind earning some sort of make-believe virtual cash by shooting up my friends and stuff, but I guess that system could easily be cheated, you know? I get a friend to play me in some game, and he lets me kill him 300 times, then I kill him 300 times, and presto, we both have a living room set. I could see a problem with that system but it definitely beats paying for decorative stuff.


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Cian Rice
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 02:53
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Quote: "Is anyone else reminded of Miis when they see this? (The basic principle, anyhow)"


Quote: "and it is basically taking the Mii concept"




And paying for furniture and stuff... if the ever so crappy Habbo Hotel can get away with it I'm sure Sony can. =/

Looking forward to this still though.

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Zappo
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 13:02
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Quote: "Is anyone else reminded of Miis when they see this? (The basic principle, anyhow)"

Well, the whole concept is nothing new. The idea of creating an avatar and wondering around a 3D world, chatting to others people online and visiting places has been going since the early days of VRML - in fact this was probably the only useful use of VRML I have seen
Quote: "It is an interesting idea, but its one of those things that has to reach critical mass before it actually works."

If its going to be free (along with the whole PS3 online scheme being free) then I expect the take up to be big.

It certainly looks a lot more adult and mature than Nintendo's offering so I expect it will appeal more to young adults and above. From the looks of it, it could be expanded to become like a massive online 'Sims'. Nice.
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Steve J
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 16:04
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Is it just me or does this sound like an ad central/spam central for sony/spammers?

pleading and needing and bleeding and breeding and feeding exceeding..where is everybody? trying and lying defying denying crying and dying..where is everybody?
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Chris K
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 16:17
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Looks more like WOW without the game.

-= Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals =-
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SpyDaniel
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 17:18
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Quote: "I think this is an idea that Nintendo SHOULD have come up with to go with the Wii"


Urm, there is a wii mii mingle feature, where you can mingle with other users.
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Jeku
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 18:27
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The Wii Mingle feature is lame, in my opinion. Your characters just walk around randomly--- there's no interactivity at all.

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Kentaree
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 19:16
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What Jeku said. The one feature I hope (but seriously doubt) Nintendo have hidden for the future is theming of Wiis, so you can download theme packs, possibly some less crappy looking ones aswell.

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SpyDaniel
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 20:11
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I agree, it is rubbish. I think the wii could have been better and from looking at what the PS3 can do, ill be getting one, even if it kills me.
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Kentaree
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 20:15
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I'd do anything to get my hands on a PS3 just so I could sell it, it'd get me a good way out of money problems

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Matt Rock
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 20:21
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I think the days of re-selling PS3's for $1500+ are over Kentaree .

I don't know much about the Mii feature, what is it exactly? I know it has something to do with avatar chat and putting an avatar in a game (or at least that's the impression I'm left with), but what is the actual purpose of it?


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Jeku
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 20:26
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Well you're supposed to be able to use your Miis in games. As for now, apparently Nintendo is making it difficult for third party devs to have Mii functionality.

It's basically a cool idea to have yourself represented in games, but other than Wario, Play and Wii Sports, I have yet to see it used.

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Kentaree
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 20:32
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EA had said that Nintendo was making it hard for developers to use Mii functionality when a day later another developer (Hudson maybe? Can't remember) announced a game that used it.
Miis are a cartoony, crap-looking depiction of yourself that you can use to play certain games, and that you can parade around and share with other people. I suspect they're going to add on functionality to it because it's very bare at the moment.

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Matt Rock
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 20:41 Edited at: 9th Mar 2007 20:42
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I definitely love that idea, if it were more refined than you guys make it sound anyway. I absolutely love making characters in a large number of EA games and I always thought it would be cool if I could make a character once, say a boxer in Fight Night, and use that character in other games. So my boxer could also be a golfer and a soccer player, for instance (now that I said it, it'll be in the '08 lineup of games lol, it always works like that with my ideas ). I hope Nintendo takes this in the right direction in the future, I would buy a Wii for that feature alone if they made it better and your characters could resemble you better.

I wonder if Sony has something along those lines planned... it doesn't appear to be happening though. But I still dig this PS Home idea. When I told a friend about it yesterday she said "watch, this is going to take online dating to a whole new level." It's scary that she said that, because it's probably true lol. I'm sure in the near future we'll see weirdos luring people back to their virtual apartments .


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Cian Rice
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 20:47
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Quote: "I always thought it would be cool if I could make a character once, say a boxer in Fight Night, and use that character in other games."


This is essentially how the Miis are being used in Wii Sports and Wii Play. =)

I love the style of the Miis I just think, like others, Nintendo needs to utilize them more. They also need more customization. It would be awesome to use a Mii in Animal Crossing or something if we could start to customize hair color more, get different clothes, etc.

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Chris K
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Posted: 9th Mar 2007 21:15
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Are Sony going to be making their network any better then?

I don't see how they can hope to support millions of users streaming video and audio to each other when the downloads are so slow at the moment.

Maybe an advertising company put down a massive payment or something allowing them to get a load of new servers?

-= Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals =-
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