Big HOME beta update (with new screens)

theBishop · 04:21 PM

Someone on the Console-Exploits message board has posted information on a recent Home beta update along with some sweet-looking pics. I'm at work now, so I won't be able to test it until this evening (ugh...). This is unconfirmed, but I imagine someone (Wollan?) will be able to confirm/deny quickly.

Quote:

It seems the HOME beta has been updated and ready for download by current testers. With this update the HOME Square that was shown at E3 has finally been made available to testers. From what I understand many changes have been made to the HOME beta and they're very well received by beta participants. One of the changes I was informed of is that they've broken locations down to optional downloads. For example if you didn't desire to visit the theater you didn't have to download it. It make for a much smaller core download and allows users to define their own experiences. Anyhow less talk and more screenshots, enjoy!

SOURCE.

My reaction is the new areas look incredible(!), but separating each area as individual downloads seems like a big mistake to me. And that Divx logo is tantalizing

UPDATE:

GamesIndustry.biz caught up with SCEE's Jamie MacDonald for an interview on Home:

On user-safety:

Quote:

It's not going to be the like the Wild West in internet terms. I'm a great supporter and believer in having a Wild West aspect to the Web, but Home isn't that. It's a challenge to make sure we create an environment that's safe for users and safe commercially for our publisher partners.

On tying Home to the PS3:

Quote:

I would like to think that it might be one of a number of reasons why a consumers might buy a PlayStation 3 in the first place. But the most important thing is that once a consumer has bought a PS3, an always on and connected right out of the box machine, Home becomes part of that good consumer experience.

On releasing Home to the public:

Quote:

It's already out there in a closed beta and we're going to an open beta in the next couple of months and then it will be available on the Cross Media Bar soon after. But it's a constantly evolving thing. Week by week and month by month it evolves. There isn't going to be this big bang launch. That's how you do it in the Web 2.0 world, if you're familiar with the launch of Gmail or something like that.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=28598

Vik_Vaughn · (09-13-2007, 02:42 PM)

Looks like I have a buttload of updates to download.

msdstc · (09-13-2007, 02:43 PM)

cannot wait to get my hands on this, I remember people were pleased with it in early stages it's come SO far now. Hopefully they can keep adding more and more great things.

sprocket · (09-13-2007, 02:44 PM)

We want it now! :(

gregor7777 · (09-13-2007, 02:45 PM)

Looking good...are the games like Checkers and such playable (and free) at this point in the Beta...is there chat while you're playing? Is it easy to initiate?

Splatt · (09-13-2007, 02:45 PM)

Originally Posted by theBishop:

My reaction is the new areas look incredible(!), but separating each area as individual downloads seems like a big mistake to me. And that Divx logo is tantalizing

It's all about the choice.

DoctorWho · (09-13-2007, 02:46 PM)

SWEET. Going to download!

Steroyd · (09-13-2007, 02:46 PM)

hmm.... there's a Home update, I need to check this out.

Metalmurphy · (09-13-2007, 02:47 PM)

WOW @ the Divx logo :o :o Do I smell 2.0?

Really love this pic:

belvedere · (09-13-2007, 02:47 PM)

I'll be testing this tonight.

Nice.

McBradders · (09-13-2007, 02:47 PM)

they finally put Chess back in

kylej · (09-13-2007, 02:48 PM)

Whoo, I'm glad I got into that July Open Beta to check this out :/

Gattsu25 · (09-13-2007, 02:48 PM)

It worked out pretty well in Guild Wars IMO (the only fucking thing that piece of shit did right) so optional area downloads sounds like a great idea IMO

and Divx logo?

Steroyd · (09-13-2007, 02:48 PM)

Oh sweet it's updating. :)

elseanio · (09-13-2007, 02:48 PM)

awesome

theBishop · (09-13-2007, 02:49 PM)

Originally Posted by Splatt:

It's all about the choice.

Well, even if its not part of the initial download, I don't think it should ask you. Walking into the area is making the choice. If you're downloading an area for the first time, it should say "Downloading New Area" along with a progress bar and a message saying this will only happen the first time you enter an area.

Wollan · (09-13-2007, 02:49 PM)

Eventually there will be hundreds, nay, thousands of spaces with time so it's only natural that you download them as you visit them. All of them stored in a cache with the least visited/oldest spaces getting deleted as you visit new ones (if you have reached the cache maximum). Same goes for the video ads..etc. I can't say anything about a update but I guess you can imagine.

Vashu · (09-13-2007, 02:50 PM)

It's updating indeed! Finally!

Also Wollan, what's your PSN tag? Just Wollan?

Steroyd · (09-13-2007, 02:50 PM)

Oh no it's uuuuuuuuupdating. :(

AstroLad · (09-13-2007, 02:51 PM)

So if you pay for a "nicer" place, are there any advantages beyond it looking "nicer"? Should add that I've kind of been following this Home thing from afar, only aware of a few general specifics about it.

gofreak · (09-13-2007, 02:51 PM)

Since new spaces will be added over time, there has to be infrastructure for downloading them when you want to go to them..the initial Home install can't include every space that's ever going to be ;) According to Wollan they're cached to your HDD.

bryehn · (09-13-2007, 02:51 PM)

Looks great, love the PSP integration, and that DivX logo's making me drool.

_leech_ · (09-13-2007, 02:52 PM)

Wow, looking great.

Panajev2001a · (09-13-2007, 02:52 PM)

Originally Posted by theBishop:

Well, even if its not part of the initial download, I don't think it should ask you. Walking into the area is making the choice. If you're downloading an area for the first time, it should say "Downloading New Area" along with a progress bar and a message saying this will only happen the first time you enter an area.

I am sure they will find a good way to implement this mechanism :).

derder · (09-13-2007, 02:52 PM)

For those of you who got into the HOME beta, what did you put for your favorite genre of games in the GAP thing?

deejay8595 · (09-13-2007, 02:53 PM)

good stuff........

McBradders · (09-13-2007, 02:53 PM)

Originally Posted by gregor7777:

Looking good...are the games like Checkers and such playable (and free) at this point in the Beta...is there chat while you're playing? Is it easy to initiate?

The intention was that most Home activities out in the wild would be free unless you wanted a version to take back to your personal apartment. Of course this my well have changed and yes chat should work while you're playing.

gofreak · (09-13-2007, 02:55 PM)

Asides from Home Square, it'd be interesting to here if there's been any functionality updates (e.g. media sharing), or if any stuff has changed in apartments, any new furniture, whatever..

Captain N · (09-13-2007, 02:56 PM)

f I'm not mistaken we aren't allowed to talk about the Beta

gamerecks · (09-13-2007, 02:56 PM)

They always have to do these updates when I wont be home until late. Now im gonna be up late getting this stuff.

Also, my psn is gamerecks, if anybody wants to play some games tonight.

CoG · (09-13-2007, 03:04 PM)

I noticed that the videos at the Sony research site were all in Divx which seemed a little hypocritical to me being the PS3 can't play the format. This might be nothing, but I hope they're embracing the format.

http://research.scea.com/pscrowd/

Goldrusher · (09-13-2007, 03:09 PM)

!!!

Everything else is looking good. Has a bit of a Miami, or even Gold Coast (Australia) feel to it. And gotta love the fifties styled bowling alley, the cinema, etc.

beermonkey@tehbias · (09-13-2007, 03:09 PM)

I like the optional downloads. I want my Home experience to be as small as possible; just give me actual gaming lobby and invite features and keep the bloat out.

consoul · (09-13-2007, 03:11 PM)

Originally Posted by gregor7777:

Looking good...are the games like Checkers and such playable (and free) at this point in the Beta...is there chat while you're playing? Is it easy to initiate?

Yes. Yes. And Yes.

Home Square much improved.
Home Theatre sucks now. (Where's the content gone?)
Apartment invites working well.

Lord Error · (09-13-2007, 03:11 PM)

I'll test this baby tonight. Pictures look great.

BenjaminBirdie · (09-13-2007, 03:13 PM)

Originally Posted by Metalmurphy:

Really love this pic:

"People say it was impossible to put HOME on PSN. I say it was impossible to put it anywhere else..."

DoctorWho · (09-13-2007, 03:15 PM)

Has everyone gotten to the point that they are breaking NDA and talking about the Beta?

Wollan · (09-13-2007, 03:15 PM)

Is that.. plasmid ads?
not really

gregor7777 · (09-13-2007, 03:18 PM)

Originally Posted by Wollan:

Is that.. plasmid ads?
not really

9 out of 10 women prefer the athletic man

chubigans · (09-13-2007, 03:20 PM)

FREAKING AWESOME! I'm off to download! WOOOOO!

krypt0nian · (09-13-2007, 03:33 PM)

YESSSSSS!

Steroyd · (09-13-2007, 03:39 PM)

Originally Posted by DoctorWho:

Has everyone gotten to the point that they are breaking NDA and talking about the Beta?

No.

We can say wow totally awesome wish you were here that's not breaking the NDA.

Ooo ooo fellow homii's add me, the Home BETA's a little dull when your on your own my PSN ID is Steroyd.

Vashu what's your ID?

gofreak · (09-13-2007, 03:42 PM)

Should have taken a picture of the full list of changes in the Latest Update section! I'm as curious about any functionality changes as much as the home square, if there are any.

haunts · (09-13-2007, 03:43 PM)

Is HOME going to eventually replace the Playstation Store?

chubigans · (09-13-2007, 03:47 PM)

Originally Posted by haunts:

Is HOME going to eventually replace the Playstation Store?

No, the PS Store will always be there.

theBishop · (09-13-2007, 03:58 PM)

Originally Posted by haunts:

Is HOME going to eventually replace the Playstation Store?

HOME doesn't replace anything on the Playstation Network. HOME relies on the underlying infrastructure (store, wallet, buddy lists, blocking, etc) of the Playstation Network.

BobTheFork · (09-13-2007, 03:59 PM)

Thank God we get open Beta at the end of July, I still really want to try this for the first time.

Sirolf · (09-13-2007, 04:01 PM)

Sweet!!Can't wait to go home to update this puppy !

Aleman · (09-13-2007, 04:01 PM)

Home is such an awesome idea, can't wait for it to come out. I hope they do a virtual E3 in it :)

AndyD · (09-13-2007, 04:04 PM)

I wonder if the idea with the split downloads is to make the initial area so small as to auto include it into a future firmware update so that everyone can get on out of the box without having to wait and download.

That way you get the initial experience trouble free...

That said, it looks beautiful. And the split downloads make sense since I expect more and more areas to appear in the future, growing like an organic city.