The day we’ve been waiting for is here! And this is just the beginning…
Today we announced that PlayStation Home will enter into open beta, and will be available to everyone tomorrow. This milestone represents the very beginning of a long journey together, as PlayStation Home is an ever evolving, always changing, organic experience — full of new friends to meet, new events to enjoy, and new content to explore.
If this will be your first time in PlayStation Home, be sure to talk to folks that have been around for a while, as they can show you the ropes. We also have a tutorial built in that will get you started with the controls, as well as help menus for you to reference in the Menu Pad. If you don’t have a USB keyboard or Bluetooth headset paired with your PlayStation 3, now is the time to do so – either option will allow you to easily talk and meet everyone.
One of the first things that you’ll notice that there are always things going on – parties, tournaments, events – some of which will be announced, and some of which that will just happen. You’ve got to be there to be a part of the party, so make sure to log in often to see what is going on.
If you want to know what’s coming up, check out the PlayStation Home forums, as we will be announcing events, tournaments, content updates, and feature revisions there, and by actively participating, you will be the first to know. You’ll also find that the PlayStation Home forums are alive with conversation from the PlayStation Home community discussing everything from feature requests to new clubs to join.
Many of you will have already seen the news regarding participation in PlayStation Home from your favorite game publishers and brands, including Activision, Disney, Eidos, Electronic Arts, Lucas Arts, THQ and UBISOFT as well as Sony Pictures, Paramount, Red Bull, Ligne Roset, and Diesel. As you can imagine, with this many partners already on board, PlayStation Home will grow rapidly, so you’ll need to check back often to see what is new. We’ll do our best to keep you informed on what is going on, but with so much happening in PlayStation Home, there will always be new surprises and secrets to discover. If we simply told you about everything, then it just wouldn’t be as fun for you to discover…
For those of you that have been in PlayStation Home for a while, I wanted to take a moment to discuss something very cool that you will notice right away. Once you get in, you’ll see that a redesigned Central Plaza is there to greet you – we’ve made major upgrades as a result of your community feedback. Thank you!
First of all, the Central Plaza now features a new 4 player mini-game called “Saucer Pop,” where each player launches a flying saucer from a take-off pad and flies around popping bubbles. These bubbles contain stars that have points attached, but watch out for the bubbles with bombs which will take you out if you’re not careful. You also must keep an eye on your saucer’s fuel gauge and collect bubbles with fuel cells or else you will quickly meet a watery fate. Success is all about the high scores, so good luck out there! I’ve been playing for a while now while we’ve been developing the game, so I’m getting pretty good…for those of you that know me, prepare to pop!
Secondly, you will also see some changes to Listen@Home. Now, you’ll be able to select from a number of songs and vote on your favorites. Which ever song gets the most votes plays for everyone, so be sure to get your voice heard and get down on the dance floor.
I could go on and on about all the cool new things you are going see and find in PlayStation Home, both on day one of open beta and beyond. The important thing to remember is that PlayStation Home will continue to evolve and change overtime, so be sure to get in often so you don’t miss out…
See you in PlayStation Home.
want some new FREE stuff for Home? then download the Beta of Namcom Museum from de Japanese Store. it includes a whole bunch of gifts for you to get, from t´shirts and hats to arcade machines (I alrerady have a Galaga arcade in my living room!).
go get’em! they’re free… well, the price is getting the beta and playing it. that’s it.
Great, the PS3 is getting better, but you MUST bring back Backwards compatibility, I know a lot of people that are buying other consoles because of the lack of this!
@ever one
welcome home everyone I will be waiting for you all.
ADD ME:GHAMDIKH1
Awesome, can’t wait. That vid looked great. I’m looking forward to the return of the game spaces.
Thanks for the non invite I got as an annual Qore subscriber. It was real fun watching my inbox. Much more fun than the exprerience will be with Home will be.
@ 149: No, except for the better voice-quality and in-game voicechat, cross game-invites, the option to browse friends of friends and less lag, it isn’t much better.
And you’re right. Sony is doing great if you look at it that way.
But here’s the thing: I prefer playing games on my PS3. But if a multi-platform game has online multiplayer, I’d buy the Xbox 360 version because of Microsoft’s online services.
@ 150: Those are, indeed, all bad experiences or hardware-related problems. But they have nothing to do with online services/functionality.
O, and also, 150:
“The weak and crappy graphics-hardware”
Don’t be such a retard. The PS3 is getting better-looking games now (especially with Killzone 2), but most of the multiplatform games still look better on the 360 (which is a shame, but true).
In the future, however, I’m confident about the PS3 taking the lead and leaving the 360 far behind graphics-wise.
HOME TIME!
:P
I just got my closed beta invite yesterday! Sony…why do you hate me?
Too little too late Sony. At least for me and others.
BTW: any word yet on those WipEout: Pulse downloads for Europe coming to the US any time soon? What about the Monster Hunter downloads as well?
Now that I’ve have finally posted, I’ve have read posts on the blog for like 1 1/2 years, and all I’ve read is how ppl pee & moan about what we don’t have, just be happy for what we do have HOME.
AWESOME! ThePS3 just keeps getting better and better! :)
Hahaha, that’s preppy cool that we’ll be able to vote on “community stuff”!
I can imagine the “FIGHT” between genre on the Listen@Home. which will probably (and should) become something even greater.
I’m looking forward for this!!
I dunno why I am even asking a question, it doesn’t look like anyone is getting any responses, but here goes anyways..
When the open beta launches will we finally be able to log-in to Home using sub-accounts? Or will we EVER be able to log-in to Home using sub-accounts?
wow this is great news
My goodness, you clowns still arguing about irrelevant things like multiplat games. Easy with the baseless generalizations and myths about multiplatform games. Most cases the differences are negligible and claiming the PSN lags and so on, is just laughable.
Relax and enjoy the HOME news.
” The PS3 is getting better-looking games now (especially with Killzone 2), but most of the multiplatform games still look better on the 360 (which is a shame, but true).”
LOL!!!!! Your retarded fanboy fantasy world is hilariously sad.
What a loser!
Computer graphics ain’t the Special Olympics where ‘everyone is a winner’ you pathetic retard Caemgen. Three years and all the wimpy 360 has to show for its train wreck of a life is an third party multiplatform outdated normal mapping engine based game(ohh look everything is bumpy shiny!!!) and rigged Xbot ‘comprisons’ at gametrailers.
No wonder the 360 is selling just as poorly worldwide as the first Xbox fiasco. Maybe those new Nintendo Mii ripoffs will turn things around…
2 things.
1. Will I be able to launch into a game from home? That feature wasn’t available before.
2. Please do something about the loading time between each erea. That totally sucks.
I’m just wondering will it have limited support how the trophies were when implemented late?
Example: Killzone 2, Infamous, or Resident Evil 5
After having removed the video/audio/picture sharing functionalities, what else will you remove next?
AWESOOMEE!!! fiinally woohoo!!
yea too bad someone got my previous invitation to HOME :(
but YAY looking foward to it!
@171
It’s a shame, isn’t it? That was the one reason I was really psyched for Home.
I was surfing web on my cell phone and read this, & i almost dropped my cell. This is great news. thank you everybody involved in this project :)
While these “bar games” are fine…. and add to the social environment of Home, it would be nice if Home had more to do with actual gaming- you know, encouraging gamers to actually use their PS3’s to buy a game and play it.
Where is the Warhawk room with the map tables for strategic planning? Why aren’t there game spaces with posted leaderboards, game hint/tips, clan info, etc. Something to talk about other than “where are you from?” or “are you a real girl?”
For a gamer who wants to find others to play games with… Home is lacking. Right now, it seems nothing more than a big bar… wander around, talk to people, play social mini-games – and the result is a bar-like environment complete with the occasional group of drunk idiots.
@ Elsa43
this is only a beta! So chill out. Plenty more to come.
Why are people so negative GRRRRRRR.
very nice! ive been in the beta for over a year now and it finally comes down to this… simply amazing cannot wait. every1 will be pleased.
peace,
Lh
167: I can tell the difference between a good connection and a lousy connection. If I tell you the PSN lags a lot, than it’s true. Also, I have a Xbox on the exact same connection, which does barely lag. It’s not THAT bad, but it IS an issue that needs attention. That’s all.
And you, number 168, must be either joking or really stupid. All your ‘claims’ about Xbox sales (xbox sales are way better than the PS3 sales at this point) and what computer graphics are about are just silly. Don’t start about graphics with me. I’m in that business. I’m a professional graphic designer.
Also, I’m not a fanboy. I like the PS3 better overall, except for the network and it’s functions. I’m just being honest.
i’ve been waiting forever!!!
sony, you never let me down…i’ve always stood by you guys…thanks!!!
can’t wait to see what you’ll do next
ok maybe a stupid question but….does anyone know what time they will have the ps3 home open beta available for download in the usa? if its like midnight tonight ill just stay up download it and check it out all night any help would be great
Actually I agree with Caemgen on a few points.
I do agree that congragulations are in order for Sony as Home is a big deal and this is big milestone.
I also agree that direct voice chat should be on top of the feature list for xmb. Its highly irritating not being able to discuss server options when looking for a game server to join. So my current method is to use a cell phone to chat until we get into the actual game we want to play. Text just doesn’t cut the mustard for this type of dialog.
Some people have said “Home will fix this” but that notion is flawed as not everyone will want to use Home.
Also, as a side rant. Why aren’t all the tiles on the PSN movie store available to rent (just talking feature films here)? I think its cool you give the option to own but as a consumer I find the restrictions to those purchased movies remove the value over owning it on physical media. However as a rental store, I’m all for it and would find great value in being able to rent every listed feature film listed (tv/anime not included unless you want add a 99cent rent option to those)
O yeah: I’m from The Netherlands by the way. Maybe Sony’s PSN has more problems there than it has in the USA (in terms of voice-quality and lag)
I really hope the servers don’t fail for Home. I can’t wait for all the doubters to see what I have seen and check out Home for themselves. This is the beginning of the rise back to the top for the PS3!
Yeah, about time.
its nice to have the home beta for everyone, at least all my friends can join, it suck when i got home for the past 8 month, and not have my friends around to enjoy it.. but now its different, i think i’ll have more fun in home with my friends.
Can’t Wait.
I’m officially psyched, thanks Sony :-)
I’ve been enjoying the Home beta so far, thanks to Sony. Glad more stuff is coming. Can we get a clear answer on a couple things, please.
Will sub accounts be allowed anytime soon? The main PSN account (sub) I use with all trophies, save data is attached to a master that I don’t want to use.
I called Sony Support they tell me there shouldn’t be a problem because my birth date on the sub is the same as the master. But still like many get the same message “Im too young”.
Probably not your job description…
If we can’t use subs in Home. Can Sony help us out and make it where we can take subs off of masters? Which I would prefer to do. I didn’t know when making the sub over a yr ago it was going to be a big deal later.
Thank You!
“Don’t start about graphics with me. I’m in that business. I’m a professional graphic designer.”
Oh. My. God.
That was a joke…right?
The reason the PS3 has such a gigantic graphical power advantage over the wimpy 360 is because the 360 is essentially a 480p system being forced to try to run at 720p. The idiots at Microsoft who crapped out the 360 only put 10 megs of EDRAM for all render buffers. That is only good for 480p 4xAA framebuffers. Anything higher and you are forced to waste time writing tile based renderers that degrade rendering performance. Idiots. Total F-ing idiots.
The 360 is so weak compared to the PS3 that it’s ‘graphical showpiece’ is running on an engine that is considered a joke on the PS3 and PC. At least the Dreamcast had a few games that were in the same league as the PS2.
The wimpy 360 graphics hardware is ‘almost as good’ as the PS3 in the same way Microsoft’s pathetic Nintendo Mii ripoff is ‘almost as good’ as Home.
I think it would have been better to build “Home” on top of LittleBigPlanet:
– LBP has customizable costumes to create a custom character that’s cuter and more adorable than the generic people in Home.
– LBP has a level editor that could be used to create your personal “home” levels that are more custom and creative than what I’ve seen in Home.
– LBP already has some great user-created game-themed levels.
– LBP has the facilities to create mini-games, watch video in game, etc.
– LBP has more of a distinctive look and feel than Home.
Waiting to this experience!!
GREAT NEWS!!!
I have been in the beta for several months and it’s been great to see it grow. I must admit after the initial curiosity i never used HOME. But after the reent update and having more people on it’s been fun.
I do agree with a previous comment (elisa). Please focus on the games. Make game rooms, hae leaderboards, etc where one can talk about that game. The social thing playing bowling is neat but to make HOME really be different is to make hubs where people go to their game of choice and talk to people about that then launch into the game etc…
I to am not a fan on small talk, lets talk about the GAMES, and if you in that game rooms place then you probably have the in common to talk about.
I just picked up the ps3 chatpad..woohooo
I have home already so I’ll inform all of my friends as soon as possible. way to go SONY
@Caemgen To me the voice quality is better over PSN. This could be because most of my friends have decent mics not sure. Live everyone sounds muffled to me. Match making and joining friends games though is a huge plus and would like to see Sony do something about that.
I wish Sony would make a light weight home or really just a addition to the xmb. I dont feel like going into home to setup a game and wait for people.
Sony has made great strides, but I think we should still push them to provide more services that we want.
Kick Ass!
Jack, your my hero.. but I already got into the beta…
Love the Red Bull video!
189: That was no joke.
You are full of [DELETED], do you know that?
From now on I’ll just ignore your posts. You can’t be objective and make things up.
Such a shame.
@189
Yes! Tell ’em, Nate
@ 194: Exactly was I was thinking. Add some of the functionality of HOME to the XMB.
Check out my topic about this at:
http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=psnetwork&thread.id=398286
Perhaps the voice-quality sucks for me because I live in Amsterdam.
Never mind Home! I don’t care!
Give us some proper non-DLC games!
RPGS! MORE RPGS!
Sweet! I’m looking forward to having more things to do in home – it’s been pretty spare these last few months. Glad to see the rest of you can join in now!