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PlayStation Home updates to 1.04, temporarily removes voice chat photo

Sony has announced that it will be taking PlayStation Home beta offline for temporarily maintenance, and when it returns, it will be all grown up from version 1.03 to version 1.04. 

While the reason for this maintenance is said to be related to connection issues "due to high demand for the service," there will be a slight change when it returns -- there will be no voice chat. Sony is calling the move temporary, and is encouring people use the Wireless Keypad, or any USB or Bluetooth keyboard. 

It seems like you'll also be able to communicate via voice using the "phone friend" feature, one-on-one communication that's private between two users. No reason was specifically stated for why voice chat was temporarily removed. My guess is that maybe Sony is trying to work out a way to keep the bad apples from screaming potty-mouthed bloody-murder in your ear while you try to play Echrochrome, but only time will tell what changes will be made.


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23 comments | showing # 1 to 23

gamadaya's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 08:31
gamadaya
"Sony is trying to work out a way to keep the bad apples from screaming potty-mouthed bloody-murder in your ear while you try to play Echrochrome"

How about not giving those potty-mouths a poorly conceived marketing tool that lets them do exactly that in the first place?
zeroword's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 08:37
zeroword
The removal of voice is probably bandwidth related as well.
CALkulon's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 08:48
CALkulon
Great! How about they patch it to make it worthwhile whilst they're at it?
Rhoq's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 08:51
Rhoq
Moving from area-to-area, seamlessly, would be a great improvement. Worthwhile content would be even better.
mykie's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 08:54
mykie
voice chat is one of the things i disabled straight away the first (and last) time I got into Home.

I don't want to hear your nappy-ass mouth-breathing voice.

Get a keyboard.
Joe Burling's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 09:14
Joe Burling
So basically, Home is a chatroom now? I gave those up when I was 16 after I got my drivers license.
Coltronathon5000's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 09:15
Coltronathon5000
The only way it could be done (I would think) is to have an army of mods patrolling around. Maybe have an adults-only rant lounge for people to scream at each other all they want. Anything to get THOSE people ELSEWHERE.

Does it really matter though? How many DToiders are ACTUALLY using home regularly and not just signing on once in awhile to see if there is anything new and bust off a quick running man
John B's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 09:23
John B
"Sony is trying to work out a way to keep the bad apples from screaming potty-mouthed bloody-murder in your ear."

Good! Look, I'm no verbal purist by any stretch, but I certainly did not appreciate hearing some anonymous jackass announcing "So where the f#$k is Sony? What's uo with this sh%t?!" on the beta release a few Fridays ago. I'm glad my kids were in bed when it happened. If anything, this accentuated why I despise on-line gaming scenarios like Halo and the rest.

People who absolutely must have the microphone right in the path of their exhaling breath are another lot that need a serious case of Roshambo against them. F*%k them all.

That said, there is still not enough in Home to make me go back to it on a regular basis anyway. But finding out that verbal chat has been removed is definitely a welcome step.
Joe Burling's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 09:23
Joe Burling
The best thing they could do is provide cross-game party chat and let Home die.
nicojay's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 09:28
nicojay
I haven't tried HOME yet so haven't too strong an opinion aside from my general opinion of over elaborate networking apps. I will say this though, voice chat should be disabled by default and only enabled when the user wants to hear specific individuals.
SunRa73's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 09:52
SunRa73
How did you find Perez Hilton's avatar?
Trowble's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 09:55
Trowble
They should have just called it Home: Sponsored by AOL, cuz it's the same mindless bullshit I remember from the chatrooms back when AOL and 56k were my only way of getting online and I had nothing else better to do.
elysse's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 10:26
elysse
Or how about the surprisingly high amount of blatant racists on voice chat? I was amazed.

I hope they fix the profanity filter's logic if they intend us to use the keyboard. srsly.
parrothead's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 10:48
parrothead
That picture is great
Nick Chester's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 11:00
Nick Chester
I've been informed that the update is now live, and that they've also apparently added "beards" a two new clothing stores for you to spend your cash at. But without being able to have random strangers tell you how hot you look using their voice, what's the point of buying new clothes?
MaxVest's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 11:30
MaxVest
They also removed the feature that killed BuckF1tches' parents.

If Home never gets any better than it is now, or gets only marginally better, then it was a waste of time. I'll give it a few updates before I write it off. If they can integrate media and multiplayer lobbies in a decent way, and (even better) create decent virtual arcades and streaming video, I'm in. But buying outfits for a digital doll? No thanks.
MaxVest's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 11:31
MaxVest
Whoah, I have to re-download every area? They must have changed more than voice chat.
Takeshi's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 11:40
Takeshi
I'm with MaxVest. Both comments.
CALkulon's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 12:27
CALkulon
On the plus side, Asia are getting new rooms, for Tekken, SC etc - including arcade machines for Pacman et al. That sort of thing would be cool, along with the trophies room. In its current form however, it's a bit shit.
Muddy Waterz's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 13:19
Muddy Waterz
This is actually a good thing.
ArrestedDeveloper's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/18/2008 14:07
ArrestedDeveloper
@Muddy Waterz

Agreed. I say they allow the one to one chat and then open chat when you're in someone's apartment.
Aberen's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/19/2008 03:00
Aberen
My ice-breaker T-Shirt! IT'S GONE! NOOOOOOO!! :(
Mohawk's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2008 22:10
Mohawk
I had complete ice breaking clothes nakedness. All gone. Any new clothery I win goes too... how I be the individualemity now?
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