SCEE: Home focused on games, not social networking |
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Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's Darren Cairns and Liam Wickham are in the forefront of PlayStation Home development. While in a developer conference in Brighton, the two took the chance to clarify a common but wrong notion about Sony's virtual world to come. They say it's not a social networking site, contrary to most assumptions.
"Home is not a social network - it's focused on games. It's a visual representation of the PlayStation community," they said in the conference.
The focus, they say, is on creating a virtual representation of the PS3's online community. More than socialization, Home is geared towards enhancing online play and other facets of PS3 gaming.
One of the most exciting things that SCEE discussed is how Home can be a good way for starting sessions of online play. They talked about the possibility of viewing things like lobbies and match setup screens while inside Home and eventually being able to launch games themselves from within the virtual world.
After a session is concluded, players can be taken back to Home where they can discuss what went on in their respective batches. The devs, however, said that game developers will have to work towards incorporating this feature into their games if their titles are to take advantage of it.
Cairns and Wickham detailed methods in which XML files and Lua coding will be useful in making this work. SCEE said the closed beta will be expanding as we go along, while the open one is on track for launch this year. We'll give you more Home news as updates arrive.
Related articles:
- PlayStation Home beta gets v0.96 update this week
- PlayStation Home to launch simultaneously in US and Europe
Via Developmag
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Comments [refresh]
Is this their excuse for, "Yeah, this didn't turn out the at all the way we imagined it so we toned it down far below peoples expectations and not realeasing what we have hoped for"?
Actually, I think it's the opposite.
I think this means, "Yeah, this was originally meant to be focused on games, but it ended up working great as a social networking tool, and that is OK."
No I definitely think they're downplaying their failures, RommelTJ.
I agree with RommelTJ. The purpose of Home is to bring players together virtually then go into games as a group. The whole social features are just extras to keep people entertain while gathering everyone in someone's room.
I believe this is Sony's way of shifting away the liabilities associated with identifying 'HOME' as a social network site. It's safer to emphasize and market the gaming aspect of the network channel....but once you open up HOME as a social channel...like facebook, myspace, or second life, etc.... all sort of law suite will start crawling out of the woods....
I would think that Home will work both ways: both as a gaming-lobby, and for social networking. But, I'm certain that Sony also needs to allay any fears from the 3rd Party Developers; that Home might become a time-sucker away from the core intent: to sell games.
But, I doubt that they have 'failed' to achieve something and are toning-down expectations. Let's face it: if they get interactions in a game-lobby going right, than how would they get "social networking" wrong? I mean, you'd still have your avatars interacting, just in a "non-game" location of the virtual world.
I think too many people are hoping Sony is going to fail at this. And I really don't know why (unless you're a Wii or 360 -hugger). This has the potential to be one of the most significant & revolutionary features every delivered to a home console.
tell me one thing did sony not say in most of their home previews that it was a social network but now that they connot finish everything they try to cover it up and home has been in developement for like 1 year and they cant even finish *****
I'm not an Xbox hugger. I own a PS3 and love it but, I have been waiting for this for a year and the description of this feature has changed drastiacally. This is not at all what they began with. I don't want this to fail at all. But, I am dissapointed with what I'm hearing. :(
Like the PS3 Its great for gaming but can expand among other mediums I mean what have they not done they said besides release we can socialize hang out goof off meet new friends contact friends share content view or exibit content make and opinionate homes go to the virtual movies piss other users off umm social netwok? PLUS start group games talk about games and sessions upload (unsaid) vids brag trophies gaming network its a socializing gaming network for networking gamers this article if for the ppl who are confused what Home is at heart its FOR gamers like the PS3 a blu ray player for gamers anyone agree?
why dont you focus on releasing it?
I knew of this from the start same feature just with more now enlighten me please
Dudes, Home is coming, Sure it takes a while but they want the release to cover and exceed people expectations. All things that take long have a great outcome. They dont want the release to have glitches or missing features.