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 disclosure
Read - How to mod Home with your own posters and movies

We knew it was coming this month, now we have the day: tomorrow. Yup, PlayStation Home will launch globally on December 11th. The 3D virtual on-line community is like Second Life, only with the risk of rootkit. Hot. All kidding aside, the new service gives PS3 owners a customizable place to chat (voice or text) and play games with other PlayStation Home users through personalized avatars. Just like real life except without acne and all your social shortcomings. Home will be available to download and "experience basic features" for free -- some services (like creating a "club") will require cash though, so be prepared.

Update: Added video of Red Bull's PlayStation Home Air Race game after the break. It's also worth noting that the US is positioning this as an "open beta" whereas the Japanese announcement seems to position this as full production launch.

We know you aren't going to believe it 'til you see it, but SCEA has confirmed to our brethren at Joystiq that PlayStation Home will hit the US market before 2009 dawns. In the words of PS Home director Jack Buser: "We've been saying it will launch by the end of calendar year 2008, and that's getting very, very close." He continued by affirming that "launch is imminent," but stopped short of giving us a date to mark down in our calendars. Tick, tock.

Hackers, like life, will find a way. Sony knows that all too well thanks to the PSP, but so far the PlayStation 3 has stood strong in the face of legions of nerds trying to find a way to exploit it. A potentially major breakthrough may have been made, though, as well-known PS3 hacker StreetskaterFU (we've no idea what he's going for with that name -- really) has managed to decrypt the beta client for Sony's PlayStation Home service. Curious devs can now poke around in the files looking for a way to exploit the newish in-game XMB functionality, potentially allowing homebrew apps and game backups without hard drive swapping. There's no guarantee it will lead anywhere in the end, but you don't care either way, right? Our upstanding readership would never participate in such heinously illegal activities.

[Thanks, James]

We've been intrigued by Sony's PlayStation Home concept for, like, ever now, but considering just how long the thing has been delayed, we're trying to avoid any contact with pre-launch fodder in order to keep our hopes low. That being the case, we realize not all of you care to safeguard your hearts in the way we have ours, so we felt it prudent -- nay, necessary -- to pass along PS3 Fanboy's in-depth walkthrough of the service. SCEA's Jack Buser recently took the time to sit down and open up for a marvelous preview of the Plaza, Game Space and lots of other nooks and crannies we're sure you're interested in venturing into. To the read link, we send you. Try not to get lost, okay?

Simple, really. In the US (and yes, Canada), download the PlayStation Home theme from the PlayStation Store and you're essentially submitting your application to be an early tester for PlayStation Home's closed beta set to kick off at the end of the month. In Europe, the PlayStation Home beta selects you. Er, we mean that there's nothing extra for you to do since you've done it already -- SCEE will be selecting (check your eMail) its most active users on the PlayStation Network and PlayStation Store. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

After a long long delay from that March 2007 announcement, Sony Japan just opened its doors to applications for the closed beta testing of PlayStation Home. Sony expects to drop 10,000 gamers (18 years old and up) into the virtual world when it launches in beta sometime in late August. Closed beta tests are due in other markets (er hem, the US) at about the same time with an open beta coming sometime later in the year. Lucky beta testers will be able to explore the 3D world and play games like PacMan in the Namco Museum, both of which are pictured after the break.

[Via Impress]

We could get used to this new effort on Sony's part at "openness," and even if this one's just a new way to access Sony's closed ecosystem of PlayStation Store content, it's a start at least. You can now use your humdrum, maybe-not-even-Sony-built PC to purchase and download PlayStation Store content -- including PSOne games -- and transfer it to your PSP, instead of relying on a 'spensive PS3 to do the trick. Sony has been promising this function for a few months now, but they've finally delivered, and apparently you can get in on the action today, at least in Japan. Also announced at TGS07 is future PSP Remote Play functionality (pictured) that allows you to turn on and off your PS3, and the ability to use your PS3 as a hub while PSPs act as a second screen, extra controllers and offer other networked functionality. No word on when these fanboy dreams will see light as a true-life firmware update. Oh, and before you get to thinking that the PSP is getting all the love here, Sony also announced a new function for Home called "dress," with "everybody's fashion entertainment" for a tag line. Whatever that means, Sony's going to be delaying the launch of Home into 2008, so we can't say we're exactly stoked about the new feature.

Read - PSP Remote Play

PlayStation Network users, were you lucky enough to get in on the PlayStation Home Beta test invite yet? Apparently not everyone who applies will be accepted (shocker, right?), but it's good to know at least there's some movement in PS3rd Life Home process. Let us know if you get an invite, and definitely let us know if you get accepted.

P.S. -Sorry, we don't have a link to share at this time, the invites seem to be per-user.

[Thanks, Dustin]

If you've participated in an online game with your Nintendo DS, you've already enjoyed the fruits of this partnership, since GameSpy powered Nintendo's first major foray into online matches, but it looks like Nintendo and GameSpy are about to take things up a notch with the Wii. The pair have just announced that GameSpy middleware will power the multiplayer aspects of online Wii games, with current Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection features at first, but eventually friend rosters, matchmaking and ranking at last. It ain't no PlayStation Home, but it looks like Nintendo is finally ready to start seriously chasing online gamers. Pokémon Battle Revolution will kick things off on June 25.

[Via Joystiq]

Those of you who spent the weekend eagerly anticipating the chance to waste even more of your free time immerse yourselves in the new virtual world that is PlayStation Home now have a solid launch window to look forward to, thanks to a FAQ uncovered by Gamesindustry on Sony's developer site; according to the ten-page document, a closed 15,000-user beta will run from April to August, followed by an open beta for 50,000 people until October, with the service going live sometime before Halloween. The FAQ also clarifies some details that were omitted or glossed over during Phil Harrison's GDC keynote, such as integration with cellphones (hopefully not just Sony Ericsson handsets) and PSPs, and the fact that launching multiplayer games from Home and so-called "environmental persistence" will not be ready at launch. Specifically, this means that avatars will not initially be able to segue into cooperative gaming mode from within the Home environment, nor will their digital swag like apartments and cars exist when they're offline. Finally, this fact sheet also shows Sony playing both sides of the fence when it comes to in-world ads and commerce: the company is quick to reassure gamers that Home is primarily focused on socialization and entertainment and that advertisements will be kept to "palatable" levels, while in the same breathe wink-wink-nudge-nudging advertisers and content providers that there will be significant opportunities for them to capture plenty of gamers' hard-earned euros, dollars, and yen. So in conclusion, Home-lovers should be breaking out the Sharpies right about now and drawing a big circle around the entire month of October in their calendars; Home-haters may actually want to do the same, but only so they have a timetable to prepare their inaugural grey-goo or flying Wiimote attacks. [Warning: PDF link]

[Via Gamesindustry]

Good news for the PlayStation camp, full details of Sony's PlayStation Home have been revealed, and it ain't no slacker. Alongside those avatars and achievements we heard about earlier, the "service" seems to be a new-gen Second Life killer, with public hangouts, personal apartments (to show off those fancy prizes you've been racking up in recent frag fests) and voice chat. The seeming-MMO even includes casual games such as pool, bowling and arcade machines embedded into the world, but at any time you can invite a fellow resident to join in on any PlayStation Network-capable game. As for user-generated content, PS Home allows you to hang your own pictures on your apartment walls and share videos with friends. You can of course dress up your avatar in assorted virtual clothings -- for a price -- all while enjoying "dynamic advertising" of some sort. A large scale beta goes live in April, with the full product to be launched this fall. Make sure to hit up the read link for a gallery of the beautiful scenery and idiotic conversations you too can be enjoying in a few months.

Update: Added a video after the break with more info on the service. PlayStation Home will be a free download, and will eventually include a virtual cinema for watching movie downloads. You can also share videos and music directly out of your media library. Peep the vid for more info.

The rumors were swirling, but the New York Times just confirmed that Phil Harrison is expected to announce the new PlayStation Home service at his GDC keynote, which takes place in San Francisco in a couple of hours. The service is supposed to take elements from Xbox Live and Nintendo's Mii avatars, along with tossing in virtual prizes -- a more tangible version of XBL's achievements -- to wag in the face of fellow fanboys. Phil Harrison also wants gamers to take part in YouTube and Flickr-esque content creation, but how that will tie directly to the PlayStation Home service is unclear at this point. What is clear is that Sony is in dire need of an answer to Xbox Live, which just hit the 6 million mark for subscribers, so we hope Phil has more than just avatars and prizes to show off when he gets on stage at 10:30 PST.

[Via Joystiq]