Comments on: Home Isn’t Where the Heart Is…At Least Not Yet

By: Cesar Gonzalez

Cesar Gonzalez — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 07:19:07 +0000

I was very excited about home since for me it was the easiest way of making friends online and more of a virtual world where the game world came as a whole and be able to interact with your favorite video game characters. As the beta stands is poorly done for one you can only send text messages and not being able to talk to other avatars via a usb or bluetooth headset and also unlike the many videos that demonstrated home you are not able to move seamlessly from one space to the next. You need to download. Hopefully, after the beta all of Home's flaws are fixed and it would also be cool to move away from having a virtual life with local people and doing things that are possible in real life virtually does not appeal to me. This is a chance for Sony to come out with something different like be able to talk or form a relationship with your favorite movie star, singer, whatever (virtually at least). Like I always say is easy to go out and meet new people but is difficult or impossible to go out with a movie star unless you have the right connections in real life.; however, virtually is possible. It's also the chance for Sony to bring video game spaces where the gamers are able to interact with their favorite game character in mini-games. Just imagine the star wars world and metal gear world in one place. I totally don't want to spend real money in virtual clothing, furniture, etc. Since, I won't be able to own it in real life. It would be best to either have the gamer unlock it via playing video games or get fake money from passing a video game or for getting all the bronze trophies. Yeah that would be great and if anyone is listening they may agree with me.

By: JacobS

JacobS — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 09:23:43 +0000

I'm very much against the idea of online socialization, so it's hard for me to get past that initial barrier. To me the interaction is kind of meaningless. I can't even get excited about the idea of 3D avatars that all three companies are touting. Like I don't even use Miis except to find out how surreal it is when Shaq boxes Gandhi.

By: fdinolfo

fdinolfo — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 09:37:27 +0000

The trouble is this beta is open to everyone. A lot of people are going to come away with a bad impression because there isn't that much to see right now.

As for me, I'm looking forward to seeing it develop. I can also imagine Sony's E3 Keynote being streamed through Home. That will be completely awesome.

By: TheForgotten0ne

TheForgotten0ne — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:46:32 +0000

Well it's still a beta. So it's not weird its missing things. They don't show of the entire app in a beta stage.

By: fdinolfo

fdinolfo — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 01:42:03 +0000

The problam is that Sony's been saying this was going to change everything. They promised all kinds of features, none of them which are in the current build, but had been in past betas. The potential for Home is there, it's just that what we have to play around in right now, isn't very much, and isn't very interesting either. I do like the concept, it's just going to need to mature before it'll be to the level Sony hopes it will be.

By: TheForgotten0ne

TheForgotten0ne — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:14:05 +0000

I have to agree, you can't look at it as if it were a game. It's like the new Avatar in X360, or something like it anyways.

By: TonyP

TonyP — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:20:14 +0000

There probably is more opportunity to meet brand new people through Home than with Xbox Live, and I suppose that's the success of Home. It wants to be a social application, so to that extent I feel like it could be a success. That of course is the intent of virtual worlds like Home and Second Life. It just needs user base that grasps onto it.

I don't think lackluster impressions of Home is an indictment of Home itself, but rather of the whole virtual world idea. There are just a LOT of people that it won't resonate with. It doesn't really resonate with me, personally, as I don't find it all that much more immersive if I enter a world, walk up to someone, and start playing a bowling game with them as it would if I chose a friend from a list to do the same.

By: TheForgotten0ne

TheForgotten0ne — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:20:04 +0000

I agree with a lot of this, and it's still a beta. But a lot of people don't really get that, and as I belive Sony stated, there will be much more when it's ready and not a beta anymore. You will never get the entire "game" in a beta. And I belive it's the same with Home.

I loved bowling, I had a wonderfull time bowling, and I met new friends. I know I'm getting a keyboard, because it was really fun to chat with people, and you had something to do at the same time. I agree with the Arcade games, why the line? To wait for so long isn't really THAT fun, and how many Home servers are there? Everyone really can't be on the same and we only have about 6 arcade boxes to play with. Same with pool, you need more of them, because I'm tired of waiting in line.

Overall, I belive that Home is a great success, lot's of fun, great to chat with and thats what I want it to be

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:41:56 +0000

Seriously dude what do you want it to be. Its not a game, its a frickin app. Also like your description of just a glorified this and that. Lets describe the 360 as just a regular old xbox with minor improvements. WTF at people like you