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There's no longer a place like PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home, Sony's answer to the Second Life question no one asked, was never where the company's heart lived. Maybe its greasy, suppurating id lived in those gleaming neon halls, somewhere between the bowling alley full of dead-eyed polygon people and the virtual shopping mall. You know the PlayStation Home shopping mall I'm talking about. It's the one where you could spend very real money on an entirely fake golden statue of a robot lady with impossibly proportioned breasts.After seven years, the majority of which were spent in beta testing, Sony closed Home's doors this week. The PlayStation heart is secure elsewhere, for sure, but the shuttering of Home does mark the conclusion of an experiment true to the PlayStation soul, as well as the end of the brand's darkest era.
PlayStation Home getting trophies in update this week
Time to chuck out the PlayStation 4 and drop the Xbox One like a titan – PlayStation Home is getting trophies! The PS3-only social app will soon be updated to support PlayStation's brand of achievements, PlayStation Europe Community Manager Chris Owen said on Twitter. Trophies for the hamster-loving, secret identity-laden platform will arrive in the 1.86 update, set to launch worldwide on March 12. Details on the retroactive trophies will be revealed on launch day. Despite continued updates to Sony's social hub world in North America and Europe, Owen says there's no news of PlayStation Home moving to new platforms like PS4. PlayStation Home is a free virtual 3D social gaming platform that first launched in 2008. It features mini-games, microtransactions and ad space. It's a little like the MMO Second Life, but with fewer flying phalluses. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Accio Harry Potter fans: Pottermore lives on in PlayStation Home
Pottermore, the official online, social universe for Harry Potter lore, is now a part of PlayStation Home. Pottermore in PS Home expands upon features in the browser version – including dueling, collecting trading cards and exploring Diagon Alley – and adds new activities, such as trivia, riding the Hogwarts Express, and a four-player mini-game called Book Herding.Pottermore in Home can link with online Pottermore accounts via the Navigator App, allowing players to trade cards. PS3 players already got a taste of Pottermore in Wonderbook: Book of Spells, which we found to be a moderately thrilling experience, even for someone who isn't techically a "young adult" anymore.
PlayStation Home lets friends watch free movies together now, UStream and radio next month
Sony's recently redesigned PlayStation Home project has always been about bringing online social experiences to the PS3 that mirror their real-world counterparts: hanging out in your apartment with friends, window shopping at the mall, Quincying. Now it can add one more notch to its virtual world experience belt by offering the ability to view full length movies for free, streamed by Sony's Crackle network. If you're a frequent user of Xbox Live's Netflix Movie Parties this may sound like old hat (were we the only ones using that feature?), but now all PS Home users -- in North America -- can do social viewing with up to 60 users or private parties with up to 11 at a time. Crackle's selection of movies and TV shows are available today, while live broadcast UStream events (Engadget podcast party anyone?) and musical stations provided by RadioIO are scheduled to debut in December. Press play on the video above for a quick preview or check after the break for a celebratory press release.
Uncharted costumes coming to PlayStation Home
If you're one of the countless Americans that has been stricken by halftuck, you'll soon be able to bring awareness to this serious, chronic disease by rocking one in PlayStation Home, thanks to some new Uncharted outfits slated to hit the service this week. You don't have to be afraid anymore, halftuckers, you get out there and fly that flag. Sidenote: The Drake to Chloe switch provides some terrifying new opportunities for the Quincy enthusiasts out there preying on unsuspecting Homers. Consider yourselves warned.
Star Wars & Indiana Jones items hit Home
If you click this image, it shall become more embiggened than you could possibly imagine LucasArts has invaded PlayStation Home today with a bunch of new virtual goods and a space to hang out in. Without all of the crime and sudden de-limbing that goes on in the Mos Eisley Cantina, the LucasArts storefront will offer patrons a safe environment to purchase virtual goods -- sorry, no power converters available. Here's the list of goodies: Yoda shirt (for male avatars) Obi-Wan Kenobi shirt (for male and female avatars) Jedi Order shirt (for male and female avatars) Indiana Jones costume – torso, pants, shoes Indiana Jones costume – hat, hair Stormtrooper costume (for male and female avatars) Imperial Officer costume (for male and female avatars) Blue Lightsaber (for male and female avatars) Jedi banner (for avatar personal space) Sith banner (for avatar personal space) Star Wars The Force Unleashed poster (for avatar personal space) LucasArts promises more updates to come. In the meanwhile, feel free to peruse select avatar items in our gallery below, but there may be a slight chance these aren't the images you're looking for. %Gallery-85933%
Uncharted 2 Home space opens on Thursday
It's hard for us to blame you for wanting to extend the Uncharted 2 experience. Who wouldn't want a big second helping of the one of the year's best titles? While it's no substitute, we're hopeful that the Home space based on the game opening on Thursday will help to fill the hole in your heart, if only a little. Those of you who haven't played the game might be able to help stave off the cravings with the space's three mini-games, though we'd submit that time would be far better spent finding a second job so you can just buy your own copy already.
EA Sports sets up shop on PS Home
EA Sports will be the first Electronic Arts property on PlayStation Home, according to a statement from EA Sports President, Stephen Moore, earlier this month. The Home space will feature online poker and a racing game alongside EA content.The real-time sports information that dedicated fans crave will be available via in-game video walls. There will also be the inevitable ads and trailers. Does anyone else think it's a little "we're at 'now' now" to watch ads for video games on virtual televisions from our televisions using a video game console?
Kotaku outlines differences between PlayStation Home and Second Life
There has been plenty of speculation on PlayStation Home and how it compares and contrasts with Second Life as a virtual world. Heck, the creative director spoke about it months ago stating that Second Life players would probably not find much of interest in PS Home. Well, Kotaku has stepped in to explore just that subject.For those not wanting to get too down and dirty with the full tale, Second Life has much more personal customization. Everything from outfits to dance moves to land masses can be user-generated and added to the world. On the other hand, PlayStation Home allows for minimal add-ons, focusing on creating rich, stable environments - even if that means sacrificing little things like avatar diversity. But with much more content promised, PS Home may well become a better contender for virtual world time.
PlayStation Home full of immature jokers, unlike other virtual communities
It's not been a good month for Sony. Layoffs, poor holiday sales for the PS3 and a wee bit of hacking over at PlayStation Home surely have the electronics giant hungry for some good press, which has made the newest PR kerfuffle over at the nascent online service quite unfortunate. According to Ars Technica, Home has become something akin to the nightmare futurescape of The Warriors, a service "incredibly unwelcoming to women, with female players quickly mobbed as players dance around them or type sexual come-ons... a disturbing look at the worst part of human nature." This is heady stuff, but as the company is quick to point out, the thing is still in Beta, and it's still evolving -- hopefully, as it becomes more popular the free service will move itself out of the adolescent ghetto. In the mean time, they've been rocking a bit of good old fashioned censorship, banning words like "gay," "Jew," and "Hell" -- perfectly understandishable if you've ever spent a minute on any online gaming service, but highly uncool if you're trying to build any sort of inclusive social network. In the meantime, what's a homosexual Jewish Satanist to do? There's always Second Life...
Readers pick best webcomic: A penetrating look
Although they totally forgot about Quincy, the dyanmic duo at Penny Arcade managed to capture the spirit of PlayStation's Home quite aptly in just three strips. Thus it's with (we presume) bittersweet agreement that A Penetrating Look was voted best gaming comic this week.Second and third place go to newcomer Town Folks by newcomer Brawl in the Family and Ball and Stick by personal favorite Digital Unrest, respectively. This is it for me and webcomic wrapup, Griffin takes over this Saturday (just to clarify: I'm not leaving Joystiq, you're still stuck with my crappy other posts). Thanks to everyone who voted, at any point in the last 3 years, and be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week!
PSA: 'Parts' of PSN down for maintenance this morning
The official PlayStation blog is reporting that "parts of the PlayStation Network" will be down this morning for regularly scheduled maintenance. Here at Joystiq HQ, we can't seem to log in to the Store, and some of us are reporting newly found issues connecting to Home, but the friends list and messaging seem to be working just fine. We'll keep an eye on things and let you know when everything's back up and running.
Rumor: PlayStation Home hacked
Less than a week after Home's official unveiling, a hacker by the name of StreetskaterFU claims to have totally hacked into Sony's Home servers and is providing instructions on how to do it yourself – downloading, uploading, and deleting files. Want to see Mr. FU's purported hack in action? (Hacktion?) A poster on the PS3hax forums claims to have used the aforementioned method to change the posters and trailers in the Home theater (at least what he's seeing locally). The fact that we're not seeing widespread mischief in the Land of Home is preventing us from believing this one hook, line, and sinker. [Via Engadget]Source – HOME vulnerabilities disclosureSource – How to mod Home with your own posters and movies
PlayStation Home already hacked?
Well, that was fast. A poster by the name of StreetskaterFU has outlined what he claims is a method of hacking into PlayStation Home's servers for download, uploading and deleting files. We're not able to verify his directions, but if true it would be a potentially calamitous oversight on Sony's part. Additionally, a PS3hax forum poster claims to have used StreeskaterFU's method and changed the movie posters and trailers (looks like it only affects what he sees locally; video embedded after the break). We haven't seen any signs of hacker malfeasance during our time with Home, but let us know if your virtual moviegoing experience has been drastically altered.Read - HOME vulnerabilities disclosureRead - How to mod Home with your own posters and movies
How to perform Quincying in PlayStation Home
HOW TO QUINCY: var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/playstation/The_World_s_Greatest_PS3_Home_Grief'; Co-workers, esteemed colleagues, The time grows near when the Joystiq staff must choose the games which should be honored in our annual Top 10 list. I'm sure that you, like me, have had no small amount of difficulty separating the wheat from the chaff in what has proven to be a wheat-filled year. A Microsoft Word document currently sits minimized on my taskbar, where I attempted earlier this week to choose the greatest title which dropped in the past 365 days. I say "attempted," as I was unsuccessful in choosing just one game to hold this honor. However, when I compiled this list, I hadn't yet entered the Home beta -- nor had I been introduced to the gameplay experience that would sweep me off my feet faster and harder than anything in any other 2008 title has before. What started out as a minor distraction in a fairly distraction-free virtual world has become an obsession. A calling. I speak, of course, of the timeless art of Quincying. Rather than write out a length of wordy prose, I want to share with you the step-by-step instructions on how you can start Quincying the next time you log into Home. Prep Work Create an attractive female avatar. This should not be very difficult. Create a "Quincy" -- the most unappealing, disfigured Elephantine man as you can possibly craft using the avatar creation tools. Again, this should not be difficult. My Quincy looks a bit like an alternate-universe version of Perez Hilton, but with a curly mustache and clear side-effects of methamphetamine abuse. Setting the Trap As your attractive female avatar (AFA), go to a crowded area. The central hub is a great place to learn how to Quincy, as it is full of lonely suitors and needless dancing. Approach a lonely suitor. Don't just run up and start dancing. Strike up a conversation, ask where they're from. Get them interested. After cordial introductions, begin dancing with a suitor. Should other suitors begin to dance with and/or cat-call you, all the better -- but keep your focus on the original suitor. When you're positive you've got all the suitors' attention, and you're in the middle of a provacative dance, you're ready to go. Springing the Trap The Art of Quincying is not just the action itself, but the build-up. If you've followed directions so far, you've probably got a nice following. Your Quincy can't just appear, you need to say something in the chat to hint at the fact that things are about to get very, very weird for any and all nearby suitors. Suggestions: Simply shout "IT'S A TRAP" or, when asked where you're from, answer "Your nightmares." As SOON as said message is transmitted, open up your wardrobe menu, and switch to your Quincy. Exit the menu as quickly as possible. If done correctly, your avatar will have continued its provocative dance, albeit with a new, horrifying appearance. Aftershocks The typical male reaction to a well-executed quincying is an immediate ceasing of dancing, and a hasty retreat from the newly transformed Quincy. Occasionally, a suitor will stick around, laughing the experience off. This behaviour should be discouraged. Deliver said discouragement by changing back to your AFA, and resume dancing with the suitor. The loneliest suitors will continue their dance, though perhaps with a healthy amount of trepidation. Punish their persistence with a swift revert back to the Quincy. Repeat as needed. Video Demonstration
Rumor: PS Home for the holidays, in next 10 days apparently
Do not attempt to degauss your monitor, you read that correctly: According to UK's Times Online, PlayStation Home is "slated for release in the next 10 days." Color (or colour, rather) us mighty skeptical of the report, but after waiting so long for its public unveiling, we're hoping this isn't another false report. It should be noted that just recently, Red Bull has begun advertising inside Home.Our present from Sony this year? With any luck, it's front-row tickets to the Great Collective Sigh™, whereby gamers worldwide all at once let out a drawn-out breath and say, "it's about fracking time." We've gone ahead and Facebook-poked our Sony contacts for more information.
Rumor: Associated Press dates Home for Nov. 19
An article purported to be from the Associated Press has been floating around today that very casually dates PlayStation's Home for November 19 -- coincidentally, the same day as the New Xbox Experience launch. The origins of this version stem from The Inquirer ("Sony, Microsoft begin battle of virtual worlds"). It's also interesting to note that the article does not mention NXE's simultaneous launch date. When you search the AP website, however, you will instead come across a "Sony, Microsoft virtual communities to start" from the same day (via Yahoo!). In this version, Home is "dated" for "later this year," while NXE is coming November 19. Both pieces also use the exact same quotes from Enterbrain's Hirokazu Hamamura, Sony's Ryoji Akagawa and Microsoft's John Schappert. It's likely that the former piece was an earlier, now-corrected draft from the AP or a gross misread by The Inquirer (and subsequently propagated from there). It should also be noted that at Sony's Tokyo Game Show press conference this weekend, the company announced an open beta for Home would be launching in Japan this month and end in November. We've gone ahead and contacted Sony and AP to confirm.
PlayStation Home's public areas region locked
Looking to go virtual bowling with your South African friends in PlayStation Home? Think again! According to a Sony representative at E3, Home will be region locked. While you can visit anyone's private apartment, all public pavilions are restricted by your geographical area.
Home 'too ambitous,' but 'definitely' coming this Fall, Reeves says
While confirming Home will "definitely be coming out in Autumn," SCEE president David Reeves said that "maybe we were too ambitious with the non-gaming applications within Home, getting sponsors and stuff like that." In an interview with CVG, Reeves continued to say, "In that sense we were deserting gamers. So, we're concentrating on the gaming by launching games in Home."The closed beta for Home is still ongoing. Earlier today, EA Sports president (and former Xbox executive) Peter Moore said he was interested in the service but "disappointed" by its delays. Home producer Daniel Hill told our friends at PS3 Fanboy that game spaces will be shown later this month.
Playstation Home gets a pre-launch makeover
Sony's Playstation Home virtual world has undergone a few cosmetic changes since we last took a look at it. At the IMAGINA 08 event in Monaco, a session led by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe introduced the changes, which were largely the result of user feedback culled from the beta version.Rather than entering the world via an enclosed lobby, the Playstation Home experience will now begin in a large outdoor space. Entrances to areas like the Theatre and Bowling Alley have been redesigned to be more easily spotted, and the Theatre's screening rooms have been moved closer together, as testers were complaining about the long walks (lazy gamers).The talk also revealed the inclusion of balconies in players' in-game apartments, and a choice of around eight different apartment styles at launch. Swanky premium apartments will also be made available, though of course not without a cost. Playstation Home is scheduled to launch on the PS3 in Spring 2008. %Gallery-1950%
