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Home Expects Increase In Revenue Thanks To Gaming Focus

After announcing PlayStation Home had garnered 17 million registered users - it took less than 2 years, by the way - the next step is big revenue growth.

In speaking to Gamasutra, Home director Jack Buser reaffirmed what he told PSXE earlier; that "games are the killer app of the platform," and that once they realized gamers like to play games, they settled on a growth direction. And it's that free-to-play model that is catching on everywhere, and a business outlook that should drive Home revenue "significantly." Said Buser:

"If you look at the first quarter of this calendar year, we actually tripled revenue from the same time period of the year prior. ...the business model works, and we like it quite a bit. It's one of the reasons we're able to offer PlayStation Home as a free service."

More games should mean more people interested in giving Home a try, which should then result in increased revenue for the service. They already have quite a few ways of generating some valuable income and more are to come, but the free-to-play model isn't going anywhere. In terms of growth, Home initially had about 200,000 users and 9 games when it launched in late 2008...that has gone to 17 million and 236 games, along with huge support from third-party companies like EA Sports.

Have you visited Home recently?

Tags: home, playstation home, ps3 home, home revenue

12/23/2010 8:58:59 PM Ben Dutka

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Comments (24 posts)

marcusfrommo
Thursday, December 23, 2010 @ 10:16:13 PM
Reply

Well, it's ok. A lot of new stuff has been added.

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StangMan80
Thursday, December 23, 2010 @ 10:22:20 PM
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I go on it everyone in a while, it's pretty cool but needs a lot of work still, The only thing that keeps me on is playing pool.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, December 23, 2010 @ 10:31:49 PM
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HOLY TRON AD!!

Ahem, but yeah I've checked around Home lately, I don't have much time for it but if I were a youngster who was into all that social internets facebookey stuff I might dig it more.

Kudos to Sony for seeing the desire for this sort of thing and being able to make money off it via microtransactions. I DO love the giant White Knight statue in my apartment.

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Highlander
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 12:28:35 AM

The giant White Knight rules doesn't it?

If you can find a year to play it and finally platinum the game, you get a suit of White Knight armor to wear in Home.

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WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 12:33:42 AM

That would be cool, but those trophies are impossible. Not worth it.

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Highlander
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 12:36:47 AM

I am hoping that they alter the requirements of the trophies at some point to make them a little more achievable. Certainly the Platinum in WKC2 needs to be achievable by the top 1% of players at least.

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GGCAN
Thursday, December 23, 2010 @ 10:51:49 PM
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I have to agree, there are much better games on Home now than previously and each time I go into Home, it's packed.

I have a feeling if Sony implements the Trophy room into Home like they said a while back, that many more people would be visiting Home.

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Highlander
Thursday, December 23, 2010 @ 11:46:56 PM

Definitely, if I had a bloody trophy room, I'd have a reason to have my friends back to my place so I could show off my trophies.

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PorkChopGamer
Thursday, December 23, 2010 @ 11:08:49 PM
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Besides the fellas posing as girls, and the people that just stay in Home non-stop, Home really is a great way to meet some good gamers. Glad Sony's making a good profit on a fantastic idea.

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___________
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 12:23:42 AM
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home has been another massive waste of time and money!
sony, please, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP WASTING YOUR TIME AND CASH AND PUT THEM TO BETTER USE!
to think they could of put those resources to saving there london studio, and i could be playing 8 days and the getaway 3 right now.
:(

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Highlander
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 12:31:46 AM

In your opinion. The fact that there are millions of regular users of Home and at least 17 million have at very least tried it, Home might qualify as one of the most widely played Console titles ever. So, yeah, waste of time...in your opinion.

In my opinion, it's a great experiment and platform, and I honestly applaud Sony for continuing to back it even though it must have cost them up front.

BTW, the Home development team is smaller than you think. Now that it's grown, become stable and makes money, smaller Indie software houses are getting in on the act.

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Qubex
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 1:36:23 AM

"---------------" - I think that is taking it a wiiiii to far lad...

Q!

"play.experience.enjoy"

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___________
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 7:24:40 AM

at the end of the day is the ps3 a gaming console or a social networking device?
i want a home type thing, or facebook, or twitter, or any type of social networking theres a fantastic new invention called a computer!
the ps3 is a gaming device, that is what it was built for, that is what people buy it for so thats where the focus should be.
you cant deny sony would of spent a sh*t load developing home, hell just the servers and server mantinance would be costing them a fair bit!
thats what pisses me off, there bleeding money and have to cut costs so instead of removing what they should they remove what they should not.
what would you prefer?
more exclusives, or home?
i sure know what i would pick!

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FatherSun
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 10:04:40 AM

At the end of the day the PS3 is a gaming console AND a social networking device and more. If you think about it these other features are responsible for some of the growth of the gaming industry. It began with LIVE and has extended beyond all expectations. 17 million is not a number to be ignored.

Nowadays it would be unwise to create a device without this type of functionality. New technology will make much more sense to the generations growing up today. Try selling a phone without Online, Facebook or Texting. It would flop in seconds. DOA! Same rule now applies to consoles.

Social gamer or not there is absolutely no reason why all these features cannot co-exist. As far as exclusives... If anything Sony has many.. so many in fact that it its difficult to determine a proper release schedule to maximize sales.

It does suck that some games never get released but I do not blame HOME for this. There are far to many factors involved when a decision to cease development its made. Its not like the HOME team was creating 8 Days or The Getaway. Were they?
Last edited by FatherSun on 12/24/2010 10:20:29 AM

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BikerSaint
Saturday, December 25, 2010 @ 3:08:54 AM

Ben should award us triple score-bonus points every time we have to give ________ a thumbs-down for overall negativity.


Oh wait, then there wouldn't be any points left still available to give us until the next millennium.....Never mind.

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booze925
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 12:29:18 AM
Reply

im making a new game disease
"playstation home-itis"
symtoms include numerous delays, being 85% useless, and playing it for 10 minutes and not getting back on for months

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leatherface
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 3:01:43 PM

17 million users. i think HOME is doing fine without you.

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Bloodysilence19
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 12:57:23 AM
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ive actually been getting on home more now like i use to back when it first started. home is way more fun than it use to be. people who hate it i just dont think spend enough time actually going to each space trying out the games, talking to people, or even buying lil bit of clothing. think why people don't like home cause home is mainly for mature people. ya you find your immature teens once in awhile. most people Ive talked to are usually 23- 30+. home is where you can meet up with clan buddies or friends on your psn list and relax talk about things etc. home actually helps game developers companies, movies, and music advertised their product more. overall home is great thing sony did, still needs improvements but still great feats to have on the ps3

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Alienange
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 1:35:29 AM
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I think Home is brilliant but I do NOT know who on earth it is targeting as its main users? I understand millions of PS3 owners trying out a free online environment, but who are those hard core Home users? The poor? People living in remote areas who don't have access to a store? Who? Who logs into Home regularly to play games?

Honestly, it's got me stumped.

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Amazingskillz
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 9:33:02 AM
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@ __________ - You are really, really, being short sighted by limiting the PS3 to just being a "gaming device". It is an entertainment/multimedia/gaming hub. Technology has advanced so fast to the point where excellence can be demonstrated in multiple facets of hardware be it blu ray, web,gaming,music,photos, etc. Home is a very, very smart idea for generating additional revenue for Sony. It is also fascinating the way it is evolving. I go there every day and its got unlimited potential. Thats why there are always tons of people in Home no matter what the hour or day. You have to look at the big picture. The PS3 has created a world of its own ever since the PS1. This world is even deeper with Home. Maybe you should try and see the positive side or potential sometimes as oppose to wielding your machete on anything past the visibility of your own nose.

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FatherSun
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 10:40:12 AM
Reply

Home can make money out of almost nothing. I'm ready to contact Sony about a few ideas myself. Even if I sold one item for a penny. Yeah.. That's right 1¢! To ALL 17 million.

Hmmm..lets see:

17m x 1¢ = $170,000.

Yeah... That might help with the bills. Maybe.



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Scarecrow
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 1:23:39 PM

lol...

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Scarecrow
Friday, December 24, 2010 @ 1:24:45 PM
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Yup, the more games and the more interaction between the gamers at HOME the more it will grow and prosper.

I like the fact that they're constantly adding more things to it.

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Fane1024
Saturday, December 25, 2010 @ 3:38:32 AM
Reply

I've personally been in Home every day for the last while, thanks to Novus Prime, Sodium One, and the Xmas space...first time since Xi I've visited this often. And, coincidentally, they just reopened Xi (more or less). I was considering writing a review for Xi, even though it was gone, and bingo it reappeared.

I recommend that everyone who likes Home but missed Xi the first time should check it out. A lot of the games are back and it seems like there might be new mysteries to solve.

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