Housecall

[Shamus Young]

Housecall

Even if you love your PS3, you probably don't care much about PlayStation Home - but if Sony made just a few simple changes, you would.

Read Full Article

 

[PayNSprayBandit]

"I'm saying that their first job should be to allow a player to earn that stuff by playing PlayStation 3 games." Genius.

I love my PS3 and I tried Home right away. I found it boring and lame; this is why. You nailed it exactly.

How do we make Sony read this?

 

[Krakyn]

I agree fully with this article. I visited Home for about half a minute then got the hell right out of there. Rewarding me for playing their games would definitely give me a reason to go back.

How do we make Sony read this?

Kidnap them.

>.>

<.<

 

[DeadlyYellow]

I've never had an incentive to visit Home in the first place, much less set-up a worthwhile account. Doesn't seem to be any real benefit for me, yet.

I do like some of the ideas listed, achievements that actually do something are rewarding and likely triggers compulsion. (Slight fear of people learning what I like to play though.)

And I'm sure Sony has some secret police that will stroll through here, and flee out of fear of prospective success.

I also wonder if Home is putting Sony on Thom Kidrin's list of potential rape victims.

 

[Virgil]

I both agree and disagree.

Home isn't really built on the same foundation as the Goldshire example. The characters in Goldshire get to deck themselves out, chat each other up, and generally idle away time in that virtual area because they're paying a monthly entry fee. That doesn't directly compare to Home. Home more closely compares to games like MapleStory or pretty much anything coming out of eastern Asia these days. They're the free-to-play virtual property games. And they do pretty well for themselves.

The biggest problem with Home is one of attachment. The reason all the players are hanging in Goldshire, and all the kiddies are playing Webkinz, and MapleStory is selling virtual money by the bucketful is that the players are attached to their avatars. They feel ownership. They have a stake in their presence. And Home is not selling that.

There needs to be more customization without purchase (trophy unlocks would be perfect), and generally more 'default' options available by doing nothing. The 'game character' promos they've been doing recently are great additions - it pulls fans from the games into Home, and immediately helps bond them to their avatar by making them resemble a favorite game character.

The purchasing doesn't need to be dropped, but they should also provide a much wider range of prices. Sure, Ecko might insist that their imaginary T-Shirts are $1.50 each, but there's no reason they can't have a pile of more generic imaginary clothing available for $.10 each. The biggest selling point for PSN over Xbox Live is that it's free - turning around and gouging for pretend sunglasses (while MS is giving them out free every week) is hurting that. Ease of entry is a big thing. I would definitely make the 'real money' purchases different from the 'unlocked' purchases though - there is a different status associated with each.

More activities are good too - and there's no excuse why a virtual bowling alley should run out of lanes. That's just stupid. While the social aspects of Home don't need the activities, the players need the activities to build up the attachment that will make them want to hang out and socialize. Especially if these activities also reward the players with some sort of additional customization options.

Finally, they really need to work on the interface and control scheme. Last time I was in there, Home was extremely clunky to use. They need to have controls that are as responsive as a modern platformer or MMO. If the 'game' is frustrating, they lose most of their potential audience very quickly.

 

[whaleswiththumbs]

If Sony would stop being a prick and make it easier to program games for it's monolith ugly doorstop then they could probably do it. to be honest I hate Sony, but like anyone, success is something I take recognition for, the Wii has it and thats why i just finished another fun session of Boom Blox.

Even the Xbox(360) has alot of success, but primarily there goal was alot of good games for a low cost.

If Sony would give up to their regime of we-are-right-by making-game-devs-work-harder-to-get-things-running-than-they-did-for-cartridge-days(remember you never really saw an awful game, te "bad" ones just faded from memory and you went back to GoldenEye), and let programmers take a break they wouldn't have such problems and people would buy more games, because between how long it takes to reprogram a game just for the PS3, and how low-grade they end up being, it's ridiculous. The only good games Sony has for there console were made first for the PS3 and second, or possibly not at all, for other consoles.

Then, only then, could Sony even jump into the stream of success instead of riding around in the weirdo's pool of gaming, who think they are 1337 for owning a PS3. If they do that and then drop prices to say 360 levels, nobody is asking for Wii prices, really you got what you bought there(I'm satisfied though), then i might even buy one, or stop making forum folks read my long half-rants about Sony is sucking the weidos-of-gaming's dick.

Anyway thats my story, and I'm sticking to it.

 

[Grampy_bone]

This is a really good idea. One of the reasons why I have no ambition to increase my "Gamerthcore!" is because there isn't anything you can actually do with it. I've always said Xbox achievements should provide some other perks within xbox live. If Sony did it first it would make Microsoft feel stupid for not coming up with it themselves. Then again the achievement systems seems to be doing well enough on its own, so they have no reason to change it. Especially now when Sony keeps crapping out piles of shit and insisting it's gold, and then when people tell them their gold is gross and messy they claim we somehow are not smelling it right.

 

[SmilingKitsune]

Great article, I haven't downloaded home yet as I don't really see anything to do there, I'm also aginst paying real money for virtual shirts. Your idea about having trophys earn you credit which can then be used to buy stuff in home is fantastic though, now if only we could get Sony to listen.

 

[Brotherofwill]

Some nice points here.
Never played Home but I'd be wicked if you could directly link to games through Home, like you meet someone, hang out and then decide to link to LBP to have some fun.

I'm not a social networking game person, so I'm not sure about the overall appeal of it, but from what I've heard they could definetly improve it.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I thought the idea of home WAS to have the games you purchase affect your experience.

Wasn't one of the first screenshots we saw of an avatar admiring a locoroco trophy displayed in someone's Home?

My wife opens up home every once in a while but only for a little bit while she decides what she really wants to play. She says it's like they started making a game but stopped when they couldn't decide weather to make a sims ripoff or a gta ripoff. But I think what she finds most annoying are the hordes of pathetic virgins.

But you're right Shamus, installing GTA4 should net you a Claude Speed outfit and Fallout 3 should pop a little butler-bot in your home... well maybe a roomba at least. Then again, once it got out MS would probably just pay the publishers loads of money to not do that.

 

[rabbitambulance]

Well said.
I never understood why GamerPoints on XboxLive aren't there for anything. I thought I'd at least be able to get some gamerpics with it (but even those cost actual money), but it turns out it's just my virtual Xbox penis size. How utterly, stupidly useless.

 

[zoozilla]

What are some other ways that Home could generate money, though?

 

[Noone From Nowhere]

If they followed your suggestions and implemented some of the choicer suggestions from this list about 'The New X-Box Experience' http://editorials.teamxbox.com/xbox/2344/Team-Talk-Whats-Wrong-with-Avatars/p1/
then I'd start cranking out some cheesy artwork Thomas Kincade style to afford a PS3 as soon as possible.

 

[Jumplion]

Condense

You completely avoided what this article was actually talking about, rambling about the price, how hard the PS3 is to work for, blah blah blah. A lot of this was flame bait, talk about the real subject at hand instead of other, albiet equally important, subjects and stay on topic.

Personally, I played HOME, and I find it okay. It's not AMAZING but it does fill your time for what it needs you to do. Every time I jump on their I always have a crazy conversation with random people, one time with someone saying I was wearing the teeth of God (I was wearing an Echochrome suit, won it at the arcade).

HOME does what it's supposed to, which is keep you occupied for for a few minutes at a time. It's not meant to keep you hooked like WoW is, it's like a built in calculator in your computer, it occupies you for a few minutes then you move on. If you're bored again, just jump on, and see what's up.

That doesn't mean your points have any less impact, alot of what you said is true. Trophies are supposed to earn you HOME stuff later on, though I have no idea when, and who knows when that will happen. But HOME is slowly evolving, right now there should be a WarHawk room, and a Gamerlounge, and a couple dozen new things in the mall (I saw a guy wearing a pirate outfit, neat!).While I'm not trying to be a fanboy, anyone who says HOME has no potential is being delusional.

 

[spyrewolf]

home is good for what it is but it lacks polish, when it gets released and up and running (out of beta) it should be really pretty cool, they're starting to add events more often now like chats with developers, but it needs more exclusive content, like pre-release trailers only available in home, more game tie in's, like if you buy god of war you unklock collectables like kratos's chains, or drakes costume. ratchet an clank was hinted at.

more dev's need to add stuff to this. it will make the whole experience that much more enjoyable. and all these extra downloads like the res-evil home space, when you have the game, you get extra hidden content previously unaccessible.

there are already rumblings of this type of support, it's just it's taking too long between updates, if home had a little more too do i probally be on there a bit more than i are currently

Never played Home but I'd be wicked if you could directly link to games through Home, like you meet someone, hang out and then decide to link to LBP to have some fun.

warhawk and resident evil have these features

 

[whaleswiththumbs]

HOME does what it's supposed to, which is keep you occupied for for a few minutes at a time. It's not meant to keep you hooked like WoW is, it's like a built in calculator in your computer, it occupies you for a few minutes then you move on. If you're bored again, just jump on, and see what's up.

Well, I guess you just enjoy complex calculators then. Nice back-flame btw, really it's nice to see there actually are people left who defend stuff we could live without, like communism.

And yes I just compared Sony to Communism, and I enjoyed it.

 

[Jumplion]

HOME does what it's supposed to, which is keep you occupied for for a few minutes at a time. It's not meant to keep you hooked like WoW is, it's like a built in calculator in your computer, it occupies you for a few minutes then you move on. If you're bored again, just jump on, and see what's up.

Well, I guess you just enjoy complex calculators then. Nice back-flame btw, really it's nice to see there actually are people left who defend stuff we could live without, like communism.

And yes I just compared Sony to Communism, and I enjoyed it.

What are you trying to do, stir me up or something? Your original post didn't say anything about HOME, just the tired arguments about how the PS3 is expensive, and how it's difficult to develop for, and how the online isn't as good as LIVE, blah blah blah. We flip over the 6 in 2006.

And if you want to go as far as saying that I'm defending something that we could live without, then go ahead and throw all your video games out the window right now since you don't "need" them. HOME does what it's supposed to do, it lets you chat with friends and random people and have a good time in general. That doesn't mean it can't improve (vastly if I do say so myself), but it's good for what it does.

It keeps you occupied for maybe 10 minutes at a time. It is not a game, but a neat application that you can toy around with. If you don't like it and think it's boring, fine, I won't begrudge you for that, to each his/her own. Just don't go crazy on the hatzorz and understand that HOME can and hopefully will improve.

 

[Abedeus]

I agree fully with this article. I visited Home for about half a minute then got the hell right out of there. Rewarding me for playing their games would definitely give me a reason to go back.

How do we make Sony read this?

Kidnap them.

>.>

<.<

I'll kidnap for 100, deprogram for 300 and kill 'em for 500.


...Okay, I'll throw in killing for free.

 

[WIUtomato]

I think the author nailed this one on the head. It 'could' be cool, but it just isn't. There is NEVER anything free that you can add, and, I'm sorry, there is no point to paying for anything, none of it is worth it. I don't wear Diesel clothing in real life, why would I pay to have a digital rough approximation of myself wear it? There is no reason to hang around my "apartment" in game, especially when my real house is so much nicer... and has a hot girl living there to boot...

I was a long time 360 fan boy, I got a PS3 for this past Christmas from my wife, and I have to admit, I've really tried to like it, as it stands, I only have 4 games for it, and every time I try to give "home" a chance, I always am left with a resounding feeling of "meh". It just isn't that fun, you see a dozen punters trying to hit on one of the "girls" in any odd area (girls is in " b/c I'm sure its just a weird guy with a girl avatar...). While XBL doesn't have a social networking area, the avatar system is a vast improvement... mostly b/c you don't have to buy new clothes. I've also read that several new games are working on connecting achievements with special outfits, so when you earn one, you get the outfit for free. Kind of dorky, but I like the earning idea. Which brings me to the trophy system. I'm something of an achievement whore, I like earning them, and am willing to put in a little extra work to hear that blink noise, and see my score go up by 10 points. Trophies, on the other hand, aren't connected to anything, and don't show up any where unless you specifically look for them. They have always felt to me like an after thought (as they pretty much were, odd since the PS3 came out like 2 years after 360, which launched with achievements...)

I guess what I am saying is that I think some more free gear would be nice. Don't make everything free, but enough to give the world a little flavor. And the idea of connecting trophies to earning stuff is a great idea. It might be nice to have some kind of trophy score that showed up w/ your PSN name too...

 

[jimduckie]

i hated home sony dropped the ball on this one ,it looked like it was made for ps2 as for creating a character that was ok except if you picked a female then the bs begins ,all the little boys never leave the girls alone and why would anyone sit under a standing girl ? grow up , the idea is neat but needs serious make over to bring me back and the article was very insightful