IGN gives Motorstorm a 8.9 overall. It's only got 8 tracks, not enough modes so the longterm appeal is thin (although it sounds like they're going to nick you with downloadable tracks later on).
So it appears it's the physics and graphics lifting the overall score up.
The F1 game got a mediocre score however.
It will be interesting to see how Motorstorm's graphics/physics engine holds up against Colin McRae and other racing/driving games in general.
PS3 Impressions Yes Another One....
Moderators: Bill_Abner, ScoopBrady
-
dbdynsty25
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 21619
- Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2002 3:00 am
- Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
Yeah, firmware in the Fall. Sony Home...a gay spinoff of Xbox Live. Look at these screens...eeesh.Diablo25 wrote:Sony's keynote address at GDC is at 1:30 pm EST today...expect some juicy news later. I'm hoping a few videos of MLB The Show (PS3) are shown at the conference. Big rumors about a major firmware update coming. We will know soon.
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=6389
It looks like something that would be fun to mess around with for a little while, then i'll never use it again. It might be popular with the Second Life nerds but it's not as deep either.
"Be tolerant of those who describe a sporting moment as their best ever. We do not lack imagination, nor have we had sad and barren lives; it is just that real life is paler, duller, and contains less potential for unexpected delirium." -Nick Hornby
-
pk500
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 33886
- Joined: Sun Aug 11, 2002 3:00 am
- Location: Syracuse, N.Y.
- Contact:
That's exactly what I thought when I looked at it -- blatant Second Life ripoff. And I'm sure Sony has plans to unveil revenue sources just like Second Life.LAking wrote:It looks like something that would be fun to mess around with for a little while, then i'll never use it again. It might be popular with the Second Life nerds but it's not as deep either.
Sure, Second Life is free to join. But you've got to spend coin to really get the most out of it and become truly involved in it, from what I've read.
Yawn.
Take care,
PK
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
XBL Gamertag: pk4425
The crib has been in pretty much every 2KSports game over the past few years. I agree, its something I could do without. Its just Sony trying to "catch up" with MS's Xbox Live...and that is fine. No harm, no foul. Its still free.wco81 wrote:Didn't NFL2K had something called the Crib one year where your virtual trophies would show up in the player's apartment or mansion?
I don't care about this or about earning achievements or whatever Sony calls their version.
As long as there's still no charge to play online.
XBLive Gamertag - Diablo25
PSN Name - EPDiablo25
PSN Name - EPDiablo25
LittleBigPlanet is interesting concept. If they let you download other user-created levels for free and you're able to play co-op (or competitive) online, it could have long-lasting appeal. If the level creation tools allow for a lot of creativity.
The Home thing has some interesting ideas, like publisher spaces where they could tout upcoming games and distribute info. or demos. Right now, third-party demos are non-existent and the PS Store is really bad for performance. So if they improved on demo availability and download performance, that would be an improvement.
Other thing is, instead of having people passively look around custom spaces, it would be more interesting if they let you play a variety of mini-games. Not just the pool game pictured in the screens but maybe things like bowling leagues, maybe a game of HORSE or hoop pickup games.
It would be more interesting to interact this way than just chat or look at someone's game achievements. Better still if you can play multiplayer games online this way rather than just one-on-one online game modes in most sports games.
The Home thing has some interesting ideas, like publisher spaces where they could tout upcoming games and distribute info. or demos. Right now, third-party demos are non-existent and the PS Store is really bad for performance. So if they improved on demo availability and download performance, that would be an improvement.
Other thing is, instead of having people passively look around custom spaces, it would be more interesting if they let you play a variety of mini-games. Not just the pool game pictured in the screens but maybe things like bowling leagues, maybe a game of HORSE or hoop pickup games.
It would be more interesting to interact this way than just chat or look at someone's game achievements. Better still if you can play multiplayer games online this way rather than just one-on-one online game modes in most sports games.
-
WillHunting
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 1212
- Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2003 4:00 am
I thought I saw a picture of home with a bunch of ppl and the option to "Start online game". It would be cool to gather all your friends and then start whatever game to play, then after the game, everyone will drop back in the same home and maybe pick a different game.wco81 wrote: It would be more interesting to interact this way than just chat or look at someone's game achievements. Better still if you can play multiplayer games online this way rather than just one-on-one online game modes in most sports games.
-
Danimal
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 12193
- Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2004 3:00 am
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Contact:
I played Motor Storm for about an hour today, really nice looking game and it's fun. I wasn't however blow away by it. I can see why current PS3 owners are raving over it, they are in that initial cycle of a console. I remember last year at this time going ga-ga over games for the 360, that looking back where just decent games.
I think that's whats happening here, there is really a severe lack of titles for the PS3 so things like Motorstorm and announcements like Home are having people just going crazy. Whne in fact neither of these is very innovative or really anything more then decent products.
I'll be buying a PS3 in a month or two for the Blue Ray, once my screening room is done in my basement, hopefully someone will be running a trade in deal or something by that point. But I don't think the PS3 is going to hit it's stride until Dec. or Jan.
I think that's whats happening here, there is really a severe lack of titles for the PS3 so things like Motorstorm and announcements like Home are having people just going crazy. Whne in fact neither of these is very innovative or really anything more then decent products.
I'll be buying a PS3 in a month or two for the Blue Ray, once my screening room is done in my basement, hopefully someone will be running a trade in deal or something by that point. But I don't think the PS3 is going to hit it's stride until Dec. or Jan.
Follow Me on:
YouTube - www.youtube.com/maxpixelation/
Twitch - twitch.tv/maximumpixelation
Twitter - twitter.com/maxpixelation
YouTube - www.youtube.com/maxpixelation/
Twitch - twitch.tv/maximumpixelation
Twitter - twitter.com/maxpixelation
I agree. This is is the pretty much the very first thing I've seen on the PS3 that had me thinking about the possibilities and smiling. For those of you that haven't seen the video, check it here.wco81 wrote:LittleBigPlanet is interesting concept. If they let you download other user-created levels for free and you're able to play co-op (or competitive) online, it could have long-lasting appeal. If the level creation tools allow for a lot of creativity.
http://kotaku.com/gaming/littlebigplane ... 242305.php
It's 'cutesy,' and not for everyone I'm sure, but I can see this being a blast with some pals.
-
dbdynsty25
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 21619
- Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2002 3:00 am
- Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
-
sportdan30
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 9120
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 3:00 am
- Location: St. Louis
As someone that's bashed Sony for the comedy of errors they've made with the PS3, I have to give them credit for these 2 initiatives:
1. Home - While I wonder whether in the long term people will want to take the time to 'find' games by wandering a virtual world (rather than just pressing quickplay) there is a ton of potential in Sony's approach, both for the user and for Sony as a company. It's not exactly revolutionary, since it really just takes XBox Live, Mii's, 2K's Skybox and Second Life and creates a mashup, but it is a fully-realized concept of a world where gaming is a social event. It's also the first thing that's made me imagine having a PS3 in my house (one step short of buying one still).
2. LittleBigWorld - Amazing physics, strong graphics, and a community-developed environment to play in? Pretty compelling. More of a tech-demo than a complete game in the convetional sense, but still a unique item that's hard to envision on another platform, which helps give the PS3 (finally) an identity all its own.
1. Home - While I wonder whether in the long term people will want to take the time to 'find' games by wandering a virtual world (rather than just pressing quickplay) there is a ton of potential in Sony's approach, both for the user and for Sony as a company. It's not exactly revolutionary, since it really just takes XBox Live, Mii's, 2K's Skybox and Second Life and creates a mashup, but it is a fully-realized concept of a world where gaming is a social event. It's also the first thing that's made me imagine having a PS3 in my house (one step short of buying one still).
2. LittleBigWorld - Amazing physics, strong graphics, and a community-developed environment to play in? Pretty compelling. More of a tech-demo than a complete game in the convetional sense, but still a unique item that's hard to envision on another platform, which helps give the PS3 (finally) an identity all its own.
Sport73
"Can't we all just get along? I'll turn this car around RIGHT now!"
"Can't we all just get along? I'll turn this car around RIGHT now!"
-
backbreaker
- Panda Cub
- Posts: 244
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 4:00 am
http://www.scedev.net/home/
Press Q&A:
Home Key Points:
• Its the first of it’s kind on a videogame console
• A unique blend of community, user-generated content, collaboration
and commerce that is the future of computer entertainment.
• Will broaden the online community market in the same way that the
PlayStation brand has broadened the video gaming market
• Will take the mystery and the geekiness out of online interaction, and
make it as easy as text messaging or picking up the phone
• Is inclusive and welcoming, not exclusive and daunting like current
offerings
• Is the gateway and start point for a huge range of future
PLAYSTATION®Network services
Q: How do you get to Home?
A: Home will be available as a free download from the PLAYSTATION
Store and will launch directly from the PS3 XMB™ (XrossMediaBar).
Q: Why is Sony Computer Entertainment creating this service?
A: The power of the PS3 and the PLAYSTATION Network afford us the
opportunity to create a unique user service that will define the future of
community on computer entertainment platforms. We feel it is
important to foster not only user-interaction, but increased, ongoing
contact between users, first and third party publishers and other
partners.
Q: Is there a cost or a subscription required to participate in Home?
A: Home is free to download and free to use. The user will be able to
purchase items from the PLAYSTATION Store (Home supports the
Sony Wallet) to further customise their Home Space, as well as make
purchases from other third party partners
Q: Is Home global?
A: Yes, when it launches Home will be a global network service.
Q: When is Home launching?
A: We will be executing a closed beta this spring. The official launch date
will be later this year.
Q: What is the ambition of Home?
A: Home Space
• Design and build your own apartment, house or even
neighbourhood.
• Purchase new landscapes, apartments and furniture
World
• Purchase new clothing sets, pets and accessories for your
character
• Purchase functional items to add value to your private Home
experience
• Leave your mark on the world with premium player-created content
tools.
Entertainment
• Share photos, movies and music from your PS3 HDD with friends in
your personal space.
Gaming
• Meeting game-specific lobbies to discuss games, get new content
or team up for online gameplay
Lobbies
• Individual lobbies created by first and third parties allow for
consumer interaction, commerce
Q: Isn’t Home a copycat?
A: Home is a first of its kind 3D community that allows for open interaction
between consumers, Sony Computer Entertainment and third party
partners.
Q: How is this different from other network communities?
A: Home is a much more rich, user friendly experience than other network
communities, allowing for ease of entry and use, as well as being fullyfunctional
with the technology and capabilities of PS3
Q: How will you make money from Home?
A: The business model for Home is based on a combination of
ecommerce and advertising revenue.
Q: How will third party partners be able to be involved in Home?
A: Third party partners will be able to build their own custom lobbies for
their products, where they can present information to users, provide
downloadable content and implement various ecommerce models.
Advertising options will also be made available through Home.
Q: How big is the Home download?
A: The Home download will be under 500MB.
Presence / navigation / features
Q: What is the function of the Home central lobby and what is the
maximum number of users in a lobby?
A: The Home central lobby is the central meeting place where you can
meet new friends or arrange to meet old friends, before transferring to
a private meeting place. The current maximum number of concurrent
users in a single lobby is 64, but there will be a multitude of lobbies
active at any given time for users to explore.
Q: How do you make sure friends are present in the same space?
A: You can invite them via your friends list or invite them to your personal
Home Space
Q: How do players find friends within the Home world?
A: We will have search functions for finding people online and offline, and
for finding lobbies.
Q: How many Home avatars can I have?
A: The current plan is for each user to have one avatar. Home is the
human face of PLAYSTATION Network (PSN), and your Home avatar
is how you represent yourself. However, it will be possible to change
your appearance, through customising your character and adding
accessories, so you’ll be able to constantly re-invent yourself should
you so desire.
Q: How can I customize my Home avatar?
A: Home avatars are fully customizable with different facial features,
height, weight, sex, skin color, hair styles, clothing, accessories, etc.
Q: Can you enter, say, MotorStorm™ quickly through Home without
having to travel to the specific MotorStorm™ lobby?
A: Currently, users can find each other in Home, and then arrange to go
off and play MotorStorm at the same time. Eventually, users will be
able to meet in Home and seamlessly launch into a game of
MotorStorm™. Similarly, users will be able to exit to Home directly from
the game.
Q: How will the Hall of Fame rewards program be implemented?
A: Users receive points for in-game achievements. More details
regarding this will be made available closer to launch.
Moderation / Abuse
Q: What is the policy on acceptable behaviour?
A: Within our public spaces, Home follows the same rules and guidelines
as the PLAYSTATION Network with regard to age stipulations and
acceptable behaviour. Home uses all the same age controls as the
PS3 System Software. Private spaces will not be monitored unless
abuses or violations to our policies are reported by a user.
Q: How will I protect my kids from seeing things they shouldn’t?
A: Within our public spaces, Home follows the same rules and guidelines
as the PLAYSTATION Network with regard to age stipulations and
acceptable behaviour. Any public areas that contain subject matter not
suitable for all users will be age restricted, and the registered age of
users will determine entry.
Q: How will age restrictions be applied?
A: Home employs the same age restriction policies as the PS3 System
Software and the PLAYSTATION Network.
Q: How will I protect my kids from associating with undesirable
people?
A: Parental controls are available through PS3 and the PLAYSTATION
Network. We encourage parents to take an active role in participating
any time a child has access to an open communication network, such
as the Internet.
Q: Will users be able to make complaints about other users?
A: Of course. We will operate a system of logging complaints with our
moderators, which will then be investigated. If necessary we are able to
take away a user’s login rights and ban them from the service.
Q: How much control will we have over what people get up to in their
private spaces?
A: Our policy is not to actively police private areas, and a user cannot be
invited to another user’s private space until they have accepted an
invitation to be on their buddy list. However, the complaints process will
still operate in these private spaces, so if people feel that they have
been subjected to inappropriate behaviour while in someone’s private
space, they will be able to lodge a complaint by the usual process.
Home™ Development Q&A
General Features
Q: What is Home™?
Home™ is a real-time 3D, networked community that serves as a meeting
place for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) users from around the world, where they
can interact, communicate, join online games, shop, share content and even
build and show off their own personal spaces. Home will be available as a
free download from the PLAYSTATION®Store and will launch directly from
the PS3 XMB™ (XrossMediaBar).
Q: What is the target demographic of Home users?
Home is for everybody. It is a global platform and the aim is to populate it with
a broad and rich content experience, the diversity of which will create a broad
and diverse community of users.
Q: How do consumers use it?
For the user, Home is a new experience in social networking. It’s a way to
meet new friends online, or hang out with old friends and family. It’s also a
rich media experience outside of the fundamental game-based activities on
PS3. It will reside on the XMB between Game and Network.
Q: What features does it have?
Communication between users, creation and customisation of your own
personal avatar, creation and customisation of your own personal space.
Ability to share media with friends, and to experience media from publishers.
Users will be able to benefit from game matchmaking, search facilities,
seamless transition between game and Home.
Q: What is the timeline for rollout?
Closed Beta (appx. 15,000 users): April - August
Open Beta (appx. 50,000 users): August - October
Service Live (50,000+): October
Q: What is the function of the Central Lounge?
The lobby is the central meeting place where you can meet new friends or
arrange to meet old friends, before transferring to a private meeting place.
The current maximum of concurrent users in a lobby is 64. But a multitude of
lobbies can be active at any time to accommodate all users.
Q: What other lobbies will exist within Home?
Over time Home will expand to include many different locations. It is our
intention that ultimately anyone can create a Home Space, be they a
publisher, a developer or a Non-game Company.
Q: What is the Hall of Fame?
The trophy room is a Home Space where users are able to display their
gaming accomplishments.
Q: How do I win Trophies?
Players will be able to win Home Trophies when they play games that support
the Home Trophy system. publishers and developers will be able to support
Trophies by building them into their games' architecture. Further information
on how to develop trophies within games will be available soon.
Q: What content will users be able to purchase from within Home?
Over time the range of content available to users will expand dramatically. If
you consider Home to be a simulacra of the real world then most goods and
services found within the real world could theoretically be replicated within
Home. Initially all commercial transaction will be via the
PLAYSTATION®Network (PSN) Store. Eventually users will be able to
transact within the Home environment.
Q: Will I be able to attend ticketed (paid-for) special events?
Yes, in time Home will play host to many types of event. Bespoke events such
as exclusive game previews and developer interviews will be organised by
Home and its affiliated content providers. Live events such as sports and
concerts may also be broadcast within Home.
Q: Can Home users win non-purchased prizes and items?
Yes, it will be possible to give prizes to users.
Q: Will all billing have to be via Sony Wallet?
Yes, all transactions will use the Sony Wallet system within the PSN Store,
although ultimately transactions will be possible without leaving Home.
Q: Can users share their favourite bookmarked Home Spaces with one
another?
Currently there isn't a way to do this, but this is a feature that we'd like to
implement in the future.
Q: When can users have / manage their own spaces?
Every user has a private apartment space that users can modify and change
over time. The basic apartment is free and will offer users lots of options for
customization and personalization. In the future we will provide tools that will
enable users to have an even greater ability to create their own Home spaces
and content.
Commerce & Partnerships
Q: Is Home a commercial environment?
Home is primarily a platform for social interaction and the intention is not to
create a space for purely conducting ecommerce. Home prioritises community
and entertainment over ecommerce. That said, we believe that there will be
ample opportunities for businesses and individuals alike to generate
significant revenues from the Home platform.
Q: When can I start to develop for Home?
You can register your interest to develop for the Home platform immediately
at http://home.scedev.net
Q: Who should I contact about developing for Home?
If you are an existing licence holder you should channel requests for
information through your existing 3rd Party Account Manager. If you do not
have a license agreement, please visit http://home.scedev.net where you will
find more information and an application to register your interest.
Q: I don’t have an existing PlayStation® licence agreement – how can
get involved in developing content for Home?
See above.
Q: I’m an IP / content holder / aggregator – how can I get involved in
Home?
See above.
Q: How soon can publishers and developers have and manage their own spaces?
We would like to engage with interested publishers and developers
immediately. If you an existing licence holder you should channel requests for
information through your existing 3rd Party Account Manager. If you do not
have a licence agreement, please visit http://home.scedev.net where you will
find more information and an application to register your interest.
Q: When can IP holders have / manage their own Home Spaces?
We would like to engage with interested IP and content rights holders
immediately. If you are an interested non-games company or IP holder,
please register your interest with us at http://home.scedev.net . An
appropriate representative will follow up your enquiry.
Q: What support will SCE give to 3rd Parties?
Support to publishers and developers with existing licence agreements will be
provided by the Third Party Relations groups within each region. If you are a
non-game content provider or do not have a license agreement, please visit
http://home.scedev.net where you will find more information and an
application to register your interest.
Q: Who should our developers call for support?
Registered developers should request information through their existing
support relationships. Information will be available on http://home.scedev.net
Q: Who will run Home?
SCE has created a Home Platform Group that will provide the technology,
strategic direction and support to each of the SCE regional headquarters.
Q: Home looks so great – how do publishers ensure that users continue
to play their games rather than spending all their time in Home?
There is a huge scope for publishers and developers to promote their current
and future IPs - as well as exploiting their back-catalogue. For example, it will
be possible to develop small demo-areas within Home that promote new titles,
or to re-publish an old IP as mini-game within their Home Space.
Q: Is Home just a platform for SCE-published games?
Absolutely not. Home will not be a success without broad support and
adoption by our Publishing and Development partners and indeed from nongame
companies and services.
Q: Is Home a PS3 specific service? Will users be able to access Home
through other devices?
Initially Home will only be accessible via that PLAYSTATION®3, although
over time our intention is to enable users to interface certain Home features
and services via other networked devices such as PlayStation®Portable
(PSP®) and mobile phones.
Q: Can I launch and watch a BD movie from within Home?
Launch, yes. Watch, no. (This means you would leave Home to watch the
BD™.)
Q: What is the business model?
The proposed business model for Home is still under review and we'll
announce the details in due course.
Q: How will publishers make money from it?
Initially we predict that the primary areas for generating revenues will come
from the following areas:
- Content purchases (e.g. avatar clothing and accessories)
- Advertising
- Content Auctions
Q: What will be the upfront investment and development costs be for me
as a Home content provider?
The tools and technology required to build and maintain a presence on the
Home Platform are being designed to enable fast and efficient development,
and use industry-standard processes and techniques. The resources required
are surprisingly low and entirely scaleable.
Q: How will businesses be able to promote their products?
The possibilities for promotion and advertising of products and services within
Home Spaces are virtually limitless. Given the initial broad set of functions
and features the possibilities are limited only by creative vision. As the native
features of Home will be continually growing, the creative possibilities will
grow also. The Home Platform Team will also take feature requests to support
our partners in their creative endeavours.
Q: Will we be able to sell products (other than Home assets) online?
Eventually Home will not only support the merchandising of virtual assets, but
also will provide cross-promotional opportunities for selling physical goods
online.
Q: Could publishers sell tutorials to their games through Home?
Yes, the commercial services and features that publishers and developers will
be able to support is extremely broad. Further discussion of specific content
ideas that you may have, please consult with your 3rd Party Account Manager
or register your interest in the Home platform at http://home.scedev.net
Q: What tools will be available for creating content, and when will they
be available?
The Home Platform Group will be providing a roadmap for the deployment
and content of Home Tools. Over time the Tools package will develop into a
comprehensive set of enabling technologies that we can provide to our
partners to assist them with their Home Platform content creation.
Q: Can we reserve a number of seats for the closed & open betas?
Yes, please liaise with your 3rd Party Account Manager and request the
number of seats that your company requires. If you do not have a TMLA,
please register your interest at http://home.scedev.net and an appropriate
Home Platform representative will contact you shortly.
Q: Will it be possible to have territory based promotions for regional
content?
Yes, although Home is a global platform there are regional Home Spaces that
users within each regional area will access by default (based upon their
registration details). There is no restriction on where a user can go from their
default starting location (other than any content age restrictions). Because
there are regional Home spaces, each region will operate its own promotional
events and activities.
Technical & Extended Features
Q: How large is the download?
We're aiming for the initial download to be under 500MB. Subsequent
downloads will hopefully integrate a streaming method that makes them
negligible.
Q: How do users find friends and spaces within Home?
There is an integrated PSN Friends list, and search functionality for spaces.
Q: How many friends can I have?
As many as the PSN friends list allows, which is currently 50.
Q: Will I be able to trade items that I have bought or won with other
Home users?
Ultimately, an auction service will be implemented that will allow users to sell
their Home assets and user-created content to other users.
Q: How often will the content in Home change?
Ultimately content in Home will be updated weekly. All the participants in
Home (the service itself, 1st Party and 3rd Party publishers, non-game brands
and ultimately users themselves) will be creating new content, so the flow of
new features will be will on a weekly basis.
Q: Can I create new items and content for Home myself?
This functionality is in the works for future release. We see user created
content as a very important element of Home's ongoing success.
Q: How will users transact within Home?
During the Beta period, there will be no purchases within Home.
Subsequently, commercial transactions will take place within Home.
Q: Can you enter, say, MotorStorm™ quickly through Home without
having to travel to the specific MotorStorm™ lobby?
Currently, users can find each other in Home, and then arrange to go off and
play MotorStorm™ at the same time. Eventually, users will be able to meet in
Home and seamlessly launch into a game of MotorStorm™. Similarly, users
will be able to exit to Home directly from the game.
Q: How often is incremental content being created for Home?
Content for Home will be developed continually. In addition to an ever
increasing variety of items to customize avatars and Home Spaces, there will
be special events such as Halloween and Christmas where special content
will be available for a limited time.
Q: Will consumers be bombarded with advertising?
Advertising is a core revenue source for the publishers who will have to put a
lot of resource and money into making the Home experience as fulfilling as it
will be. As an offset to having to pay for the basic online service, and being
able to enjoy the fundamental Home experience for free, some advertising is
entirely reasonable. Advertising will be kept to palatable levels however. It is
in no-one's interests to cause users to leave Home through excessive
advertising.
Q: How will I protect my kids from seeing things they shouldn’t?
Parental controls are available through PS3 and the PLAYSTATION Network.
We encourage parents to take an active role in participating any time a child
has access to an open communication network, such as the internet.
Q: How will age restrictions be applied?
Home employs the same age restriction policies as the PS3 system software
and the PLAYSTATION Network.
Q: What’s the development overhead?
Minimal. In the extreme, an application (say a mini-game) could be written in
C++ as normal, and then a thin Home layer added to implement that
application within Home.
Q: How quick and easy will it be to develop for?
Home will allow developers to use their own assets and code for applications,
and export those assets into a Home wrapper, which will allow the minimum
of bespoke work. The tools that will be available serve to provide that
wrapper, they do not require developers to work to particular specifications or
packages.
Q: Will developers be able to run existing code applications within
Home?
Given that any application would have to fit within the available resources
while running Home, and certain TRCs will need to be satisfied, yes.
Q: Will there be additional TRCs for games plugging into Home? When
will these TRCs be released?
There will have to be base TRCs for Trophies and Matchmaking before the
service hits the XMB™. Others will come online as they are needed.
Q: Will there be additional TRCs for Home game trophies? When will
these TRCs be released?
See above.
Q: In terms of user's names are they exclusive and different from their
network ID. E.g. PSN account = PeterE / Home name = Tarzan123?
Your Home user name will be the same as your PSN account ID.
Q: Can I log on to Home in addition to someone else from one PS3? E.g.
at my friends and I want to log on...
This is technically quite an advanced problem. It effectively means logging in
to two PSN accounts at the same time from one machine, which makes it
unlikely.
Q: How will I navigate between spaces?
Within Home you can travel instantly (i.e. through the world map), or at your
own pace on foot.
Q: How will the age restrictions work? Will I be able to see different
content in the generic lobby depending on my age?
Home employs the same age restriction policies as the PS3 system software
and the PLAYSTATION Network. These age restrictions will apply to both the
areas that users are admitted to and the content that they are able to view.
Q: When I jump back from a game into Home, will I return with the same
people next to me? Will I return to a default location?
Upon returning to Home, you will land in the same place which was your last
position before you left (for instance, if you left Home from your apartment,
that is where you will return to.) However, given that Home is an online world,
other users will doubtless have moved on while you are off doing something
else (unless you've specifically asked them to wait for you.) Currently Home
is not a persistent world, so when you leave Home, all of your possessions go
with you. For instance, it is not currently possible for other users to visit your
apartment while you're not there. We are working on the persistent aspect of
Home, and expect to implement it in the long term.
Q: Can I get media for my apartment from other devices such as PC?
Not yet; we are working on enabling this feature which is contingent upon
firmware functionality.
Q: Would we be able to showcase bespoke events such a live broadcast
of a multiplayer game?
Absolutely - it would even be possible to replicate a game that is being played
by two players together on one PS3, replicating their avatars and movements
on the "world stage". This could be an invitational match, with users paying to
view the event live.
Q: How will the DRM of purchased items work?
Home 's DRM system is based on the entitlements system which will be
offered by the PSN.
Q: Will I be able to give a purchased / earned item to another user?
Not yet; however it is a feature which is planned.
Q. How will sharing media work within the private space? Will users be
able to distribute content?
Users will not be able to broadcast their media to people outside their private
space, but they will be able to show their own media to invited guests. We
have deliberately chosen not to allow users to 'give' media to other users as
this opens up serious risks of piracy and sharing of illegal content.
Q: How many lobby instances can be run?
This is down to the server infrastructure, and in theory is entirely scalable.
Q: How will the lobbies be regionalised? Would it be possible to have
bespoke, selectable backgrounds for each regional lobby, e.g. Paris /
London / Rome etc?
It is highly likely that the European, US and Japanese lobbies will be
localised, but it is undecided as to whether individual lobbies within Europe
will be.
Q: Could the global Hall of Fame be filtered by region?
This is possible, and also it is possible to have different levels of Halls of
Fame - Junior league, Newbie league etc
Policy
Q: What is the policy on acceptable behaviour?
Within our public spaces, Home follows the same rules and guidelines as the
PLAYSTATION Network with regard to age stipulations and acceptable
behaviour. Home uses all the same age controls as the PS3 system software.
Within users' own private spaces, we take the view that what people get up to
in their own apartment is their own business, within reason.
Q: Will there be a restriction to the age you’ll be able to give your
avatar?
Yes. We will not have avatars which resemble children. The avatars are
adult in appearance.
Q: Will users be able to make complaints about other users?
Of course. We will operate a system of logging complaints with our
moderators, which will then be investigated. If necessary we are able to take
away a user's login rights and ban them from the service.
Q: How much control will we have over what people get up to in their
private spaces?
As stated before, our policy is that what people get up to in their own private
spaces is up to them, and a user cannot be invited to another user's private
space until they have accepted an invitation to be on their buddy list.
However, the complaints process will still operate in these private spaces, so
if people feel that they have been subjected to inappropriate behaviour while
in someone's private space, they will be able to lodge a complaint by the
usual process.
Q: What moderation is used in the system for vulgar / abusive
language?
We will have a basic text profanity filter.
Q: Will users be able to sell things to each other?
Ultimately, an auction service will be implemented that will allow users to sell
their Home assets and user-created content to other users.
Q: Can I earn money in Home?
As noted above, there will be eventually opportunities for user-to-user
auctions.
Q: Will retailers (e.g. GAME) be able to have a presence in Home?
Yes. Retailers can create their own lobbies and deploy these for commercial
operations.
Q: Can we use advertising within it?
Advertising will be a big part of Home. At first adverts will be fed through the
Home advertising servers, but ultimately we may allow 3rd parties to integrate
their own advertising engines into the service. Dynamic advertising will also
be implemented, allowing us to direct specific targeted ads at particular users.
Q: Are all games required to have trophies available for Home?
No, it's up to each game to do what they want. But we see a huge consumer
appeal for games that support the trophy system.
Q: If a game does offer trophies, what is the maximum / minimum
number of trophies required?
This is undecided, currently. We would like to feel this out during the beta
period. Our inclination is to encourage a relatively small number of high value
trophies.
Press Q&A:
Home Key Points:
• Its the first of it’s kind on a videogame console
• A unique blend of community, user-generated content, collaboration
and commerce that is the future of computer entertainment.
• Will broaden the online community market in the same way that the
PlayStation brand has broadened the video gaming market
• Will take the mystery and the geekiness out of online interaction, and
make it as easy as text messaging or picking up the phone
• Is inclusive and welcoming, not exclusive and daunting like current
offerings
• Is the gateway and start point for a huge range of future
PLAYSTATION®Network services
Q: How do you get to Home?
A: Home will be available as a free download from the PLAYSTATION
Store and will launch directly from the PS3 XMB™ (XrossMediaBar).
Q: Why is Sony Computer Entertainment creating this service?
A: The power of the PS3 and the PLAYSTATION Network afford us the
opportunity to create a unique user service that will define the future of
community on computer entertainment platforms. We feel it is
important to foster not only user-interaction, but increased, ongoing
contact between users, first and third party publishers and other
partners.
Q: Is there a cost or a subscription required to participate in Home?
A: Home is free to download and free to use. The user will be able to
purchase items from the PLAYSTATION Store (Home supports the
Sony Wallet) to further customise their Home Space, as well as make
purchases from other third party partners
Q: Is Home global?
A: Yes, when it launches Home will be a global network service.
Q: When is Home launching?
A: We will be executing a closed beta this spring. The official launch date
will be later this year.
Q: What is the ambition of Home?
A: Home Space
• Design and build your own apartment, house or even
neighbourhood.
• Purchase new landscapes, apartments and furniture
World
• Purchase new clothing sets, pets and accessories for your
character
• Purchase functional items to add value to your private Home
experience
• Leave your mark on the world with premium player-created content
tools.
Entertainment
• Share photos, movies and music from your PS3 HDD with friends in
your personal space.
Gaming
• Meeting game-specific lobbies to discuss games, get new content
or team up for online gameplay
Lobbies
• Individual lobbies created by first and third parties allow for
consumer interaction, commerce
Q: Isn’t Home a copycat?
A: Home is a first of its kind 3D community that allows for open interaction
between consumers, Sony Computer Entertainment and third party
partners.
Q: How is this different from other network communities?
A: Home is a much more rich, user friendly experience than other network
communities, allowing for ease of entry and use, as well as being fullyfunctional
with the technology and capabilities of PS3
Q: How will you make money from Home?
A: The business model for Home is based on a combination of
ecommerce and advertising revenue.
Q: How will third party partners be able to be involved in Home?
A: Third party partners will be able to build their own custom lobbies for
their products, where they can present information to users, provide
downloadable content and implement various ecommerce models.
Advertising options will also be made available through Home.
Q: How big is the Home download?
A: The Home download will be under 500MB.
Presence / navigation / features
Q: What is the function of the Home central lobby and what is the
maximum number of users in a lobby?
A: The Home central lobby is the central meeting place where you can
meet new friends or arrange to meet old friends, before transferring to
a private meeting place. The current maximum number of concurrent
users in a single lobby is 64, but there will be a multitude of lobbies
active at any given time for users to explore.
Q: How do you make sure friends are present in the same space?
A: You can invite them via your friends list or invite them to your personal
Home Space
Q: How do players find friends within the Home world?
A: We will have search functions for finding people online and offline, and
for finding lobbies.
Q: How many Home avatars can I have?
A: The current plan is for each user to have one avatar. Home is the
human face of PLAYSTATION Network (PSN), and your Home avatar
is how you represent yourself. However, it will be possible to change
your appearance, through customising your character and adding
accessories, so you’ll be able to constantly re-invent yourself should
you so desire.
Q: How can I customize my Home avatar?
A: Home avatars are fully customizable with different facial features,
height, weight, sex, skin color, hair styles, clothing, accessories, etc.
Q: Can you enter, say, MotorStorm™ quickly through Home without
having to travel to the specific MotorStorm™ lobby?
A: Currently, users can find each other in Home, and then arrange to go
off and play MotorStorm at the same time. Eventually, users will be
able to meet in Home and seamlessly launch into a game of
MotorStorm™. Similarly, users will be able to exit to Home directly from
the game.
Q: How will the Hall of Fame rewards program be implemented?
A: Users receive points for in-game achievements. More details
regarding this will be made available closer to launch.
Moderation / Abuse
Q: What is the policy on acceptable behaviour?
A: Within our public spaces, Home follows the same rules and guidelines
as the PLAYSTATION Network with regard to age stipulations and
acceptable behaviour. Home uses all the same age controls as the
PS3 System Software. Private spaces will not be monitored unless
abuses or violations to our policies are reported by a user.
Q: How will I protect my kids from seeing things they shouldn’t?
A: Within our public spaces, Home follows the same rules and guidelines
as the PLAYSTATION Network with regard to age stipulations and
acceptable behaviour. Any public areas that contain subject matter not
suitable for all users will be age restricted, and the registered age of
users will determine entry.
Q: How will age restrictions be applied?
A: Home employs the same age restriction policies as the PS3 System
Software and the PLAYSTATION Network.
Q: How will I protect my kids from associating with undesirable
people?
A: Parental controls are available through PS3 and the PLAYSTATION
Network. We encourage parents to take an active role in participating
any time a child has access to an open communication network, such
as the Internet.
Q: Will users be able to make complaints about other users?
A: Of course. We will operate a system of logging complaints with our
moderators, which will then be investigated. If necessary we are able to
take away a user’s login rights and ban them from the service.
Q: How much control will we have over what people get up to in their
private spaces?
A: Our policy is not to actively police private areas, and a user cannot be
invited to another user’s private space until they have accepted an
invitation to be on their buddy list. However, the complaints process will
still operate in these private spaces, so if people feel that they have
been subjected to inappropriate behaviour while in someone’s private
space, they will be able to lodge a complaint by the usual process.
Home™ Development Q&A
General Features
Q: What is Home™?
Home™ is a real-time 3D, networked community that serves as a meeting
place for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) users from around the world, where they
can interact, communicate, join online games, shop, share content and even
build and show off their own personal spaces. Home will be available as a
free download from the PLAYSTATION®Store and will launch directly from
the PS3 XMB™ (XrossMediaBar).
Q: What is the target demographic of Home users?
Home is for everybody. It is a global platform and the aim is to populate it with
a broad and rich content experience, the diversity of which will create a broad
and diverse community of users.
Q: How do consumers use it?
For the user, Home is a new experience in social networking. It’s a way to
meet new friends online, or hang out with old friends and family. It’s also a
rich media experience outside of the fundamental game-based activities on
PS3. It will reside on the XMB between Game and Network.
Q: What features does it have?
Communication between users, creation and customisation of your own
personal avatar, creation and customisation of your own personal space.
Ability to share media with friends, and to experience media from publishers.
Users will be able to benefit from game matchmaking, search facilities,
seamless transition between game and Home.
Q: What is the timeline for rollout?
Closed Beta (appx. 15,000 users): April - August
Open Beta (appx. 50,000 users): August - October
Service Live (50,000+): October
Q: What is the function of the Central Lounge?
The lobby is the central meeting place where you can meet new friends or
arrange to meet old friends, before transferring to a private meeting place.
The current maximum of concurrent users in a lobby is 64. But a multitude of
lobbies can be active at any time to accommodate all users.
Q: What other lobbies will exist within Home?
Over time Home will expand to include many different locations. It is our
intention that ultimately anyone can create a Home Space, be they a
publisher, a developer or a Non-game Company.
Q: What is the Hall of Fame?
The trophy room is a Home Space where users are able to display their
gaming accomplishments.
Q: How do I win Trophies?
Players will be able to win Home Trophies when they play games that support
the Home Trophy system. publishers and developers will be able to support
Trophies by building them into their games' architecture. Further information
on how to develop trophies within games will be available soon.
Q: What content will users be able to purchase from within Home?
Over time the range of content available to users will expand dramatically. If
you consider Home to be a simulacra of the real world then most goods and
services found within the real world could theoretically be replicated within
Home. Initially all commercial transaction will be via the
PLAYSTATION®Network (PSN) Store. Eventually users will be able to
transact within the Home environment.
Q: Will I be able to attend ticketed (paid-for) special events?
Yes, in time Home will play host to many types of event. Bespoke events such
as exclusive game previews and developer interviews will be organised by
Home and its affiliated content providers. Live events such as sports and
concerts may also be broadcast within Home.
Q: Can Home users win non-purchased prizes and items?
Yes, it will be possible to give prizes to users.
Q: Will all billing have to be via Sony Wallet?
Yes, all transactions will use the Sony Wallet system within the PSN Store,
although ultimately transactions will be possible without leaving Home.
Q: Can users share their favourite bookmarked Home Spaces with one
another?
Currently there isn't a way to do this, but this is a feature that we'd like to
implement in the future.
Q: When can users have / manage their own spaces?
Every user has a private apartment space that users can modify and change
over time. The basic apartment is free and will offer users lots of options for
customization and personalization. In the future we will provide tools that will
enable users to have an even greater ability to create their own Home spaces
and content.
Commerce & Partnerships
Q: Is Home a commercial environment?
Home is primarily a platform for social interaction and the intention is not to
create a space for purely conducting ecommerce. Home prioritises community
and entertainment over ecommerce. That said, we believe that there will be
ample opportunities for businesses and individuals alike to generate
significant revenues from the Home platform.
Q: When can I start to develop for Home?
You can register your interest to develop for the Home platform immediately
at http://home.scedev.net
Q: Who should I contact about developing for Home?
If you are an existing licence holder you should channel requests for
information through your existing 3rd Party Account Manager. If you do not
have a license agreement, please visit http://home.scedev.net where you will
find more information and an application to register your interest.
Q: I don’t have an existing PlayStation® licence agreement – how can
get involved in developing content for Home?
See above.
Q: I’m an IP / content holder / aggregator – how can I get involved in
Home?
See above.
Q: How soon can publishers and developers have and manage their own spaces?
We would like to engage with interested publishers and developers
immediately. If you an existing licence holder you should channel requests for
information through your existing 3rd Party Account Manager. If you do not
have a licence agreement, please visit http://home.scedev.net where you will
find more information and an application to register your interest.
Q: When can IP holders have / manage their own Home Spaces?
We would like to engage with interested IP and content rights holders
immediately. If you are an interested non-games company or IP holder,
please register your interest with us at http://home.scedev.net . An
appropriate representative will follow up your enquiry.
Q: What support will SCE give to 3rd Parties?
Support to publishers and developers with existing licence agreements will be
provided by the Third Party Relations groups within each region. If you are a
non-game content provider or do not have a license agreement, please visit
http://home.scedev.net where you will find more information and an
application to register your interest.
Q: Who should our developers call for support?
Registered developers should request information through their existing
support relationships. Information will be available on http://home.scedev.net
Q: Who will run Home?
SCE has created a Home Platform Group that will provide the technology,
strategic direction and support to each of the SCE regional headquarters.
Q: Home looks so great – how do publishers ensure that users continue
to play their games rather than spending all their time in Home?
There is a huge scope for publishers and developers to promote their current
and future IPs - as well as exploiting their back-catalogue. For example, it will
be possible to develop small demo-areas within Home that promote new titles,
or to re-publish an old IP as mini-game within their Home Space.
Q: Is Home just a platform for SCE-published games?
Absolutely not. Home will not be a success without broad support and
adoption by our Publishing and Development partners and indeed from nongame
companies and services.
Q: Is Home a PS3 specific service? Will users be able to access Home
through other devices?
Initially Home will only be accessible via that PLAYSTATION®3, although
over time our intention is to enable users to interface certain Home features
and services via other networked devices such as PlayStation®Portable
(PSP®) and mobile phones.
Q: Can I launch and watch a BD movie from within Home?
Launch, yes. Watch, no. (This means you would leave Home to watch the
BD™.)
Q: What is the business model?
The proposed business model for Home is still under review and we'll
announce the details in due course.
Q: How will publishers make money from it?
Initially we predict that the primary areas for generating revenues will come
from the following areas:
- Content purchases (e.g. avatar clothing and accessories)
- Advertising
- Content Auctions
Q: What will be the upfront investment and development costs be for me
as a Home content provider?
The tools and technology required to build and maintain a presence on the
Home Platform are being designed to enable fast and efficient development,
and use industry-standard processes and techniques. The resources required
are surprisingly low and entirely scaleable.
Q: How will businesses be able to promote their products?
The possibilities for promotion and advertising of products and services within
Home Spaces are virtually limitless. Given the initial broad set of functions
and features the possibilities are limited only by creative vision. As the native
features of Home will be continually growing, the creative possibilities will
grow also. The Home Platform Team will also take feature requests to support
our partners in their creative endeavours.
Q: Will we be able to sell products (other than Home assets) online?
Eventually Home will not only support the merchandising of virtual assets, but
also will provide cross-promotional opportunities for selling physical goods
online.
Q: Could publishers sell tutorials to their games through Home?
Yes, the commercial services and features that publishers and developers will
be able to support is extremely broad. Further discussion of specific content
ideas that you may have, please consult with your 3rd Party Account Manager
or register your interest in the Home platform at http://home.scedev.net
Q: What tools will be available for creating content, and when will they
be available?
The Home Platform Group will be providing a roadmap for the deployment
and content of Home Tools. Over time the Tools package will develop into a
comprehensive set of enabling technologies that we can provide to our
partners to assist them with their Home Platform content creation.
Q: Can we reserve a number of seats for the closed & open betas?
Yes, please liaise with your 3rd Party Account Manager and request the
number of seats that your company requires. If you do not have a TMLA,
please register your interest at http://home.scedev.net and an appropriate
Home Platform representative will contact you shortly.
Q: Will it be possible to have territory based promotions for regional
content?
Yes, although Home is a global platform there are regional Home Spaces that
users within each regional area will access by default (based upon their
registration details). There is no restriction on where a user can go from their
default starting location (other than any content age restrictions). Because
there are regional Home spaces, each region will operate its own promotional
events and activities.
Technical & Extended Features
Q: How large is the download?
We're aiming for the initial download to be under 500MB. Subsequent
downloads will hopefully integrate a streaming method that makes them
negligible.
Q: How do users find friends and spaces within Home?
There is an integrated PSN Friends list, and search functionality for spaces.
Q: How many friends can I have?
As many as the PSN friends list allows, which is currently 50.
Q: Will I be able to trade items that I have bought or won with other
Home users?
Ultimately, an auction service will be implemented that will allow users to sell
their Home assets and user-created content to other users.
Q: How often will the content in Home change?
Ultimately content in Home will be updated weekly. All the participants in
Home (the service itself, 1st Party and 3rd Party publishers, non-game brands
and ultimately users themselves) will be creating new content, so the flow of
new features will be will on a weekly basis.
Q: Can I create new items and content for Home myself?
This functionality is in the works for future release. We see user created
content as a very important element of Home's ongoing success.
Q: How will users transact within Home?
During the Beta period, there will be no purchases within Home.
Subsequently, commercial transactions will take place within Home.
Q: Can you enter, say, MotorStorm™ quickly through Home without
having to travel to the specific MotorStorm™ lobby?
Currently, users can find each other in Home, and then arrange to go off and
play MotorStorm™ at the same time. Eventually, users will be able to meet in
Home and seamlessly launch into a game of MotorStorm™. Similarly, users
will be able to exit to Home directly from the game.
Q: How often is incremental content being created for Home?
Content for Home will be developed continually. In addition to an ever
increasing variety of items to customize avatars and Home Spaces, there will
be special events such as Halloween and Christmas where special content
will be available for a limited time.
Q: Will consumers be bombarded with advertising?
Advertising is a core revenue source for the publishers who will have to put a
lot of resource and money into making the Home experience as fulfilling as it
will be. As an offset to having to pay for the basic online service, and being
able to enjoy the fundamental Home experience for free, some advertising is
entirely reasonable. Advertising will be kept to palatable levels however. It is
in no-one's interests to cause users to leave Home through excessive
advertising.
Q: How will I protect my kids from seeing things they shouldn’t?
Parental controls are available through PS3 and the PLAYSTATION Network.
We encourage parents to take an active role in participating any time a child
has access to an open communication network, such as the internet.
Q: How will age restrictions be applied?
Home employs the same age restriction policies as the PS3 system software
and the PLAYSTATION Network.
Q: What’s the development overhead?
Minimal. In the extreme, an application (say a mini-game) could be written in
C++ as normal, and then a thin Home layer added to implement that
application within Home.
Q: How quick and easy will it be to develop for?
Home will allow developers to use their own assets and code for applications,
and export those assets into a Home wrapper, which will allow the minimum
of bespoke work. The tools that will be available serve to provide that
wrapper, they do not require developers to work to particular specifications or
packages.
Q: Will developers be able to run existing code applications within
Home?
Given that any application would have to fit within the available resources
while running Home, and certain TRCs will need to be satisfied, yes.
Q: Will there be additional TRCs for games plugging into Home? When
will these TRCs be released?
There will have to be base TRCs for Trophies and Matchmaking before the
service hits the XMB™. Others will come online as they are needed.
Q: Will there be additional TRCs for Home game trophies? When will
these TRCs be released?
See above.
Q: In terms of user's names are they exclusive and different from their
network ID. E.g. PSN account = PeterE / Home name = Tarzan123?
Your Home user name will be the same as your PSN account ID.
Q: Can I log on to Home in addition to someone else from one PS3? E.g.
at my friends and I want to log on...
This is technically quite an advanced problem. It effectively means logging in
to two PSN accounts at the same time from one machine, which makes it
unlikely.
Q: How will I navigate between spaces?
Within Home you can travel instantly (i.e. through the world map), or at your
own pace on foot.
Q: How will the age restrictions work? Will I be able to see different
content in the generic lobby depending on my age?
Home employs the same age restriction policies as the PS3 system software
and the PLAYSTATION Network. These age restrictions will apply to both the
areas that users are admitted to and the content that they are able to view.
Q: When I jump back from a game into Home, will I return with the same
people next to me? Will I return to a default location?
Upon returning to Home, you will land in the same place which was your last
position before you left (for instance, if you left Home from your apartment,
that is where you will return to.) However, given that Home is an online world,
other users will doubtless have moved on while you are off doing something
else (unless you've specifically asked them to wait for you.) Currently Home
is not a persistent world, so when you leave Home, all of your possessions go
with you. For instance, it is not currently possible for other users to visit your
apartment while you're not there. We are working on the persistent aspect of
Home, and expect to implement it in the long term.
Q: Can I get media for my apartment from other devices such as PC?
Not yet; we are working on enabling this feature which is contingent upon
firmware functionality.
Q: Would we be able to showcase bespoke events such a live broadcast
of a multiplayer game?
Absolutely - it would even be possible to replicate a game that is being played
by two players together on one PS3, replicating their avatars and movements
on the "world stage". This could be an invitational match, with users paying to
view the event live.
Q: How will the DRM of purchased items work?
Home 's DRM system is based on the entitlements system which will be
offered by the PSN.
Q: Will I be able to give a purchased / earned item to another user?
Not yet; however it is a feature which is planned.
Q. How will sharing media work within the private space? Will users be
able to distribute content?
Users will not be able to broadcast their media to people outside their private
space, but they will be able to show their own media to invited guests. We
have deliberately chosen not to allow users to 'give' media to other users as
this opens up serious risks of piracy and sharing of illegal content.
Q: How many lobby instances can be run?
This is down to the server infrastructure, and in theory is entirely scalable.
Q: How will the lobbies be regionalised? Would it be possible to have
bespoke, selectable backgrounds for each regional lobby, e.g. Paris /
London / Rome etc?
It is highly likely that the European, US and Japanese lobbies will be
localised, but it is undecided as to whether individual lobbies within Europe
will be.
Q: Could the global Hall of Fame be filtered by region?
This is possible, and also it is possible to have different levels of Halls of
Fame - Junior league, Newbie league etc
Policy
Q: What is the policy on acceptable behaviour?
Within our public spaces, Home follows the same rules and guidelines as the
PLAYSTATION Network with regard to age stipulations and acceptable
behaviour. Home uses all the same age controls as the PS3 system software.
Within users' own private spaces, we take the view that what people get up to
in their own apartment is their own business, within reason.
Q: Will there be a restriction to the age you’ll be able to give your
avatar?
Yes. We will not have avatars which resemble children. The avatars are
adult in appearance.
Q: Will users be able to make complaints about other users?
Of course. We will operate a system of logging complaints with our
moderators, which will then be investigated. If necessary we are able to take
away a user's login rights and ban them from the service.
Q: How much control will we have over what people get up to in their
private spaces?
As stated before, our policy is that what people get up to in their own private
spaces is up to them, and a user cannot be invited to another user's private
space until they have accepted an invitation to be on their buddy list.
However, the complaints process will still operate in these private spaces, so
if people feel that they have been subjected to inappropriate behaviour while
in someone's private space, they will be able to lodge a complaint by the
usual process.
Q: What moderation is used in the system for vulgar / abusive
language?
We will have a basic text profanity filter.
Q: Will users be able to sell things to each other?
Ultimately, an auction service will be implemented that will allow users to sell
their Home assets and user-created content to other users.
Q: Can I earn money in Home?
As noted above, there will be eventually opportunities for user-to-user
auctions.
Q: Will retailers (e.g. GAME) be able to have a presence in Home?
Yes. Retailers can create their own lobbies and deploy these for commercial
operations.
Q: Can we use advertising within it?
Advertising will be a big part of Home. At first adverts will be fed through the
Home advertising servers, but ultimately we may allow 3rd parties to integrate
their own advertising engines into the service. Dynamic advertising will also
be implemented, allowing us to direct specific targeted ads at particular users.
Q: Are all games required to have trophies available for Home?
No, it's up to each game to do what they want. But we see a huge consumer
appeal for games that support the trophy system.
Q: If a game does offer trophies, what is the maximum / minimum
number of trophies required?
This is undecided, currently. We would like to feel this out during the beta
period. Our inclination is to encourage a relatively small number of high value
trophies.
-
ScoopBrady
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 7781
- Joined: Sun Aug 17, 2003 3:00 am
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
-
Danimal
- DSP-Funk All-Star
- Posts: 12193
- Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2004 3:00 am
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Contact:
Well I finally pick up my PS3, I didn't buy any games with it. I will be using it for the Blue Ray right now in my new room. In fact I haven't even opened the box yet (my wife says I'm growing up by letting it sit for 24 hours un-opened) but I feel like I should buy something 
Is anything good coming out soon? Or should I buy motor storm.
Is anything good coming out soon? Or should I buy motor storm.
Follow Me on:
YouTube - www.youtube.com/maxpixelation/
Twitch - twitch.tv/maximumpixelation
Twitter - twitter.com/maxpixelation
YouTube - www.youtube.com/maxpixelation/
Twitch - twitch.tv/maximumpixelation
Twitter - twitter.com/maxpixelation
I have had my PS3 for 4+ months now(I think.. .whenever I started this thread) and I still don't own any games for it. I am renting(gottaplay) MLB but thats it. I don't know of any games coming out in the next month or so I want to buy for it. I am unsure what console to get NCAA for come July.Danimal wrote:Well I finally pick up my PS3, I didn't buy any games with it. I will be using it for the Blue Ray right now in my new room. In fact I haven't even opened the box yet (my wife says I'm growing up by letting it sit for 24 hours un-opened) but I feel like I should buy something
Is anything good coming out soon? Or should I buy motor storm.
If you get MLB we can try it online. I have yet to play anyone on the ps3 online yet.
IGN recently updated the release schedule.
I think it's backloaded, because games like Lair and Heavenly Sword are being pushed back to later in the year.
Meanwhile, some games are showing up near the end of the year, like Ratchet and Clank and Drake's Fortune. Even some talk about Killzone this year.
E3 should give a clearer picture.
In the immediate future, all that comes to mind is Spiderman 3, where the PS3 will have some extra content and a playable character not in the other version.
I think it's backloaded, because games like Lair and Heavenly Sword are being pushed back to later in the year.
Meanwhile, some games are showing up near the end of the year, like Ratchet and Clank and Drake's Fortune. Even some talk about Killzone this year.
E3 should give a clearer picture.
In the immediate future, all that comes to mind is Spiderman 3, where the PS3 will have some extra content and a playable character not in the other version.
