Sony's long-awaited Home is released today! Only joking ... it was never awaited. Nevertheless, Sony has invested a lot into something that nobody ever really asked for, and its sort-of-social-thing is now ready to be enjoyed by PS3 owners the world over. Microsoft's Aaron Greenburg, however, is unimpressed. Looks like he won't be rushing to download it.
"What Home to me feels like is Second Life for hardcore gamers," stated Aaron, not mentioning how the New Xbox Experience feels like a Wii for hardcore gamers. "It doesn’t feel like it broadens the experience and invites people in. When they unveiled it, it seemed innovative. I think what's happened is now here we are a couple of years later and we feel beyond that.
"It feels like 2005 tech in 2008. I'm not sure that’s what people want."
I don't think it's the "tech" aspect of Home that people find uninspiring, more like the fact that it looks like a console-based advertising network at worst, and a waste of everyone's time at best. Still, it's probably going to be a bit more useful than Microsoft's own avatars have been so far. At least there's that.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
10:11 AM on 12.11.2008
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Seriously, produce one good, non-joking reason why you'd use Home instead of performing actions quicker through the XMB and other functions, and I'll be impressed.
The scandal.
Don't use it if you don't want to. Don't pay for the stuff if you don't want to. For those who want to use it, they can. For those who want to pimp out their Home-Space and their Avatar with micro-transactions, they can.
It's not like it's replacing the XMB, so if you don't want to use it then you don't have to. I see it as non-invasive technology. The kind I can choose to ignore if I want.
#2 socom room
#3 media sharing for movie nights with friends
#4 chess
#5 free arcade games
#6 background advertisements that will make sony the money to keep the psn free
#7 its free and optional ( you don't look a gift horse in the mouth but everyone is )
#8 clubhouses to meet up with d-toiders on fnf
#9 game launching from said clubhouses
#10_in_the_hood_G!! that's 9 legitimate reasons.
HOME though will go largely unused by me. If it was integrated into the main ps3 page, and used so you had to enter your home when you turned on your ps3 that woud be cool.
It would be better if when you turned on your system it showed you in your custom virtual pad. Then to play a game you would turn on your virtual bravia and ps3 which had an in screen "remote-play" on the virtual bravia where you select your ps3 game to play for real. Or if you wanted to socialize then you could do that,etc,etc. But to have it a separate link on the main page will keep it highly unused. I think it could have been more fun if they entered you into your pad everytime you turned on your ps3. More clever and you would have to do it and then more would see how it has some fun features, word would spread,etc.
But seriously guys stfu with the Xbox 360 vs PS3 arguments, take it on the chin.
*GASP*
I love my PS3
*GASP*
Not a fan of the 360
*DOUBLEGASP*
At least the Red Bull game looks better than Yaris's one.
Hating on the PS3 is getting old.
-your home is boring, generic and empty
-you have like 3 choices for clothing
-there's nothing to do; no way to meet people (I assume that's supposed to be the main draw) once in there
-you have to fucking WAIT to sit at a game table...wtf sony really? only 6 people on the entire network can play at a time?
obviously Sony wants us to cough up some dough in order to flesh out the experience - but I'd be much more receptive to the idea if I was given something more substantial to start with.
The L4D SERVERS were not being hacked. People were hacking files on their 360 hard drives, which did affect online play. Valve issued a server update to prevent those folks from playing online. But it was NEVER Xbox Live being hacked.
Reading complete articles FTW.
@Da5StarRMD
Funran said what I was going to. Complaints were somewhat justified because upgrading to the CXE was compulsory.
Secondly, the argument doesn't really matter, since it is optional and free. However, if the Dtoid club is any proof, there are quite a few people using home. I can't check now, because the servers are prepping for the big opening, but I want to say I had something like 30 or 40 people request to join. That's just destructoid readers. So I think, between the Club Functionality, being social with my other PS3 friends, in home online game launching and the occasional stroll for no good reason, I will get some use out of it. Plus I'm a total sucker for decorating, so I'll buy the occasional new clothes or new apartment item.
Oh, and one more thing, those of you who say you'd like it if you were forced to use it, like the new xbox experience, you're crazy! I like it being optional.
MS needs to check them self before making these criticisms, seriously.
Let's not act surprised here. M$ bad mouths everything.
You talk about the perception that Sony is tripping up. What I think it comes down to, as far as the general hate for sony, or the perception that they are doing bad, is sour grapes. I think people try to sour grapes themselves out of wanting the PS3. They most likely already have a 360 or a Wii and maybe they dont want to drop the cash for a PS3 and they don't want to feel like they are missing out, so they convince themselves that the system sucks, when in all reality, it's just as good as any other. However, they have this perception that it isnt. I mean, they are all just gaming systems. I've seen people with just a PS3 do the same thing to the 360. But I think that is why you've seen so much hate. You'll notice that it's usually driven by people who just have a wii or just have a xbox or just have a ps3, or any 2, but not the third.
Either way, people will crap on home, they'll crap on on the new xbox experience, theyll crap on Miis. But really these are all just interface tools in the end, wtf does it matter? Use them, don't use them, who cares?
"Someone from Microsoft talking bad about a Sony product.
The scandal."
QFT
Mix:
"Yeah beacuse making an avatar that looks like an upgraded MII is fucking HARDCORE and sweet."
QFT
I tried HOME and I didn't think it was all that great. Its just a fancier, and unnecessary way to get media for the PS3 with some social interaction thrown in. Its so damn boring walking around getting to stuff or decorating your virtual space. I'd much rather be playing a game on my gaming system than playing dress up or watching my dude dance around with other people on my gaming system. I like the fact that this is optional, if you had to do everything from HOME I think I'd switch over to my 360 as my primary system. Its a novel idea but its so damn unnecessary.
a) Childish. Its one thing I really don't like about MS is their propaganda machine. Greenburg, Major Nelson, et al really should stop the constant bashing. Its ridiculous.
b) Threatened. If MS wasn't concerned about Home they wouldn't be wasting time speaking about it at all, let alone telling people how much it sucks before most people have a chance to use it for themselves. Home may turn out to big a colossal waste or it might end up being a popular edition to PSN. But when MS releases a 'New Xbox Experience' that is basically a UI ape of the XMB and Nintendo's Mii's I don't think they have alot of room to talk. At least home is optional.
As for the age of the tech making a big difference, WOW seems to be doing pretty well... Good applications will usually find a user base, regardless of trends. Emphasis on good.
To me it just seems like a version of Second Life without all the furrys and horsecocks.
Granted, I shouldn't have made a female avatar. And I did spend a little too much time on her makeup. And yes, her outfit is color-coordinated...but why the fuck as soon as I step out into the main plaza, a million horny gamers start running man humping me?
Fuck Home, fuck NXE, fuck Miis...I turn on the system, game/message from within the game, and turn the system off. Can't get more streamlined than that.
Ooo peer to peer online play without real servers that is so, 1996 and lame and it only cost $50 a year for this fantasic crap.
No wait a minute I think we had better online service in 1996, and battle.net was free and it did the samething.
People need to take ques from Harmonix, just make a better product and shut your fucking mouths.
I have a feeling if this was on the xbox, the fans wouldn't stop talking about it being the next best thing. But instead we get people like Jim Sterling, reporting yet another hate spewing story. Its getting tired, and its getting old.
I'm starting to wonder when Jim will grow up and actually act like a journalist, instead of pushing the same ol' bullshit hate stories day in and out.