Home To Always Remain In Beta?

The long-awaited PlayStation Home finally arrived in December, and although most will say it's a little bare-bones, few will argue against its seemingly limitless potential.

Given the fact that it will be an ever-expanding application, some were starting to wonder: how long will it be in "open beta" form? When can we expect the finalized roll-out? Well, according to what Home director Jack Buser said in the latest Kotaku podcast, it may never happen. He said there's a "good chance it will remain in beta indefinitely," and although this may sound like bad news on the surface, just think about it for a second... Does this really have a negative impact on Home? Or any impact at all? As we all know, Sony will continue to work on this innovative social community; they've got a long way to go, tons of content to add, and yes, even user feedback to gather. Why even bother taking it out of an open beta format? Users won't notice one way or the other, and this isn't really a video game; Home could feasibly change significantly on a monthly basis in 2009, because we've heard the whispers of big plans in the near future.

So either way, provided Sony is working on it to make it a better experience, we're happy. And by the way, holding Podcasts in Home is a damn good idea, and one that's bound to catch on amongst other gaming sources. What else will we see in Home in the coming years?

12/30/2008 Ben Dutka

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Shatterday
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 10:55:36 AM
Reply

Makes a lot of sense. I dig the podcast idea too.

0 up, 0 down

whooka
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 10:59:53 AM
Reply

I still stand by my original feelings about Home, 'meh'.

1 up, 0 down

0_o
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 11:46:23 AM
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home is really good but i dont know there is something missing hmmm

0 up, 0 down

crapreviews
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 12:00:17 PM

yeah an actually reason to log onto it

2 up, 1 down

NoMoreWar
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 2:19:06 PM

i'm with mixedkidbx.
i do not feel like there are any incentives for me to log into home. its cool that other people like it i guess, but its not my cup of tea. when i turn my ps3 on, i just assume be playing a fun game rather than walking around bored in a virtual world. i don't mean to sound too negative here, but if i want to go around meeting new people and whatnot, i prefer doing it in real life where you get a much better idea of who it is you are talking to. and what's the incentive to spend real money on new virtual clothes?
i just dont think home is all its cracked up to be. i'm pretty much sixes on anything to do with it. idk, maybe sony will surprise me in the future with some really cool additions that i can't fathom at this time.

0 up, 1 down

cegmp
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 @ 10:49:44 AM

@mixedkidbx

lol!

1 up, 0 down

Joe_III
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 11:59:18 AM
Reply

Well, it depends, imho.

Is it goign to be like a Google Beta? Or a Home Beta?

If Google, then sure its fine. If it's goign to keep going the way the 'Beta' is right now, can it already.

0 up, 0 down

Schmitty
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 12:09:27 PM
Reply

if home is always in a beta doesnt that mean its never in a beta? think bout that

1 up, 0 down

www
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 3:12:13 PM

Hahahaha....true!

0 up, 0 down

Sir Shak
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 12:10:56 PM
Reply

this means i will never experience HOME ! :(

1 up, 0 down

www
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 3:12:53 PM

wat?........u CAN experience it!!!!!!

0 up, 0 down

HUSO
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 3:43:54 PM

dude sign up for a US psn id already. home is out there. and its upto u to get it. don't think its gonna drop by to india any time soon. didn't u read the latest PlayStation India bosses interview? he says they are gonna be concentrating on getting new PS2 games out to the indian public and when asked about new PS3 support he just brushed it aside like it didn't even exist. lets face it, a few ppl might have a PS3 but in india the majority ppl are still going for a ps2.

so that means unless they make PSN for the PS2, its not gonna be available for the indian region any time soon.

Last edited by HUSO on 12/30/2008 3:45:16 PM

0 up, 0 down

SerendipityDeus
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 12:14:37 PM
Reply

@shak_44

Dude Home is available to evryone, ur not in it?

0 up, 0 down

Ultimadream
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 12:26:23 PM
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.......... a Beta is just a test version. well i hope they plan to improve things, im still awaiting on how the trophies are ment to relate to HOME.

0 up, 0 down

HOODGE
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 12:35:56 PM
Reply

I'm impressed with home. The possibilities are endless with what Sony can do with it. Thing I find funny is there are some that still whine about the application. "Oh it's bare bones","It's boring", "There's not much to do on it","What a waste of time". I look at those individuals who really don't have a clue what home is about or it's real purpose for being there. It's like they are expecting a video game or something not understanding that it is a social platform for people to hang out on and get to know potential fellow gamers, chat about whatever, have fun chatting while playing a game of bowling or pool, have some good laughs, etc. And that's just scratching the surface. Podcasts is something new I've heard. Being able to play you're own burnt tunes on the Virtual jukebox in the future is gonna be sweet, or watching video's on you're own bigscreen with you're buddies is just the tip of it. Way I see it is if you compare this service to the avatar based service Xbox live offers, there is no comparison. All you can do is dress you're (cartoony looking) avatar and move you're right analog stick left and right for no and up and down for yes. That's it. I own a 360 as well and other than a few cosmetic changes to their dashboard, addition of parties, netflix (which is only available to American customers), and MII based avatars, that's all you get. And you pay for that!! Sony is truly spoiling their customers with giving all this content for free. Home is also a awesome advertising tool as well, and we are just looking at the foundation. So for all you negative critics out there, think about what you got and what Home is about, and what the competition offers, and I think you will understand the picture more clearly..Happy New Year.

0 up, 0 down

Thinker
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 1:33:04 PM
Reply

While I agree that Home has a lot of potential, I think there is a difference between a product being in Beta and actual roll-out. A Beta is typically offered as-is with no guarantees or liability. If it were to ever inadvertently brick anything, Sony would have no liability. An officially rolled-out Home might be different as they would probably have to support that.

0 up, 0 down

Sir Shak
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 2:08:29 PM
Reply

it is not available in my region .

0 up, 0 down

www
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 3:13:50 PM

how's that???

Ben, help a brutha out here!!

0 up, 0 down

HUSO
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 3:57:04 PM

btw i do have lots of friends in india who are in home regularly.

0 up, 0 down

city96
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 2:27:51 PM
Reply

HOME is amazing when you first go in go through the few spaces then it boring unless you have clubs and are bothered to pay 60p for a virtual LAmP. i beleive HOME should put a ps3 in your summer house and HOME replaces XMB. wen the PS3 turns on it has XMB ther that way you can invite freind much easier to a lobby. Or just say " i dnt have 2 controllers sorry."!LOL

0 up, 0 down

OU812
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 3:02:28 PM
Reply

I completely agree with HOODGE about Home's potentials. Its just the beginning and limitless possibilities to this idea (home). Ideas in its infancy will always look limited until you think outside the box. And HOME is just that " its a social virtual world ".

Its also the perfect vehicle for all kinds of commerical ideas; store fronts, all kinds of rentals, vacation plans, instant communications with different kinds of people around the globe. Interactive business meetings and different forms of "skyping" etc. I could go on and on. Based on my experiences Ps3 is used by all age groups I have encounted. The fact that alot of business groups are talking about using Home to deliver products to customers fast and effeciently makes ps3 and Home a very real future endeavour. We have to approach and view HOME in an entirely new way; totally unconventionally. ahahahahahhah; Sony is a genius as they probably had this idea from the get go, and built ps3 to fully realised this vision. Remember a time when everyone thought the world was flat.

I understand the concept of its beta form as beta is always testing as well as forever changing. To actually put HOME in a final format would not be right as it would "mislead" users; maybe one day but its not now as HOME is totally in its infancy and for years to come. And of course would save Sony's butt if anything were to go wrong; although highly unlikely.

Peace

0 up, 0 down

LCF
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 3:35:26 PM
Reply

I just want to be able to share my audio and video files with friends and family over the net.Share as in listen and watch not transfer data for them to keep.

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HUSO
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 4:01:23 PM
Reply

Home has amazing potential. But currently it just sucks. unless we wanna play a game of chess, pool or bowling with loony guys doing the weird dances as the background.

I just hope they give our avatar the ability to slap someone silly. Some ppl in home are just too infuriating.

and SONY i'm still waiting for customizable picture frames and the ability to stream music/video from my ps3 to my flat in HOME. hope they implement it sometime soon. coz currently other than the avatar, the customization possibilities are too less.

Last edited by HUSO on 12/30/2008 4:03:24 PM

0 up, 0 down

ffrevenge
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 4:07:18 PM
Reply

Beta doesnt mean that it will be updated continuously. If that is what Beta meant, then you might as well call all software "Beta"

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shaydey77
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 4:14:42 PM
Reply

Or else just drop the word BETA?

1 up, 0 down

city96
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 4:24:09 PM
Reply

Playstations and tits.

Both made for children but used by adults.

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HUSO
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 4:36:16 PM

and vice versa

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city96
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 4:36:41 PM
Reply

Hung Chow calls into work and says, "Hey, I no come work today, I really sick. Got headache, stomachache and legs hurt, I no come work.’

The boss says, "You know something, Hung Chow, I really need you today. When I feel sick like you do, I go to my wife and ask her to give me sex. That makes everything better and I go to work.. You try that.’

Two hours later Hung Chow calls again. "I do what you say and I feel great. I be at work soon.........

You got nice house’

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karneli lll
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 6:06:14 PM
Reply

Home like the ps3 is underestimated but a time will come when even g4 will bow down to Sony. Currently, Home depends on Sony's speed to get things done.I think the theatre should be like the one in the european home,having only 1 screen sucks

0 up, 1 down

Dingodial
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 6:57:55 PM

PS3 sales haven't been as good in the U.S. as they have been in Europe and Japan. As a result, Sony caters to them more than they do to us Americans.

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karneli lll
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 @ 7:43:59 PM

True,but this is'nt silver or gold membership crap, such a move acually affects Sony negatively

0 up, 0 down

Zorigo
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 @ 8:45:30 AM
Reply

as long as it gets better, i don't care.

0 up, 0 down

PS3_Wizard
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 @ 9:22:17 AM
Reply

Yeah i put 90 rap videos and about 20 CD's on my PS3 just for home...when can you stream music and videos from your hard drive?

PSN Id: Tron_04

0 up, 0 down

ceedot
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 @ 9:44:03 PM
Reply

It will just turn into a world of warcraft thing. They will just update it and make it better.

1 up, 0 down

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