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[UltimaKilo]

Welcome... HOME
I won't bother you with more details of Phil Harrison's GDC conference, but I will say that it has got to be one of the best presentations that Sony has ever done. The amount of excitement and applause reached an almost Nintendo-like fan boy level, which is pretty hard to achieve when you mainly have a bunch of developers in the room.

I was simply blown away by the official unveiling of HOME and almost got a bit teary-eyed when the beautiful thing called 'Little Big Planet' appeared on the big screen. By far, that has got to be one of the most visually impressive things I have seen this side of pre-rendered stuff. It was truly breathtaking and I simply couldn't wait to attend the following presentation by Media Molecule (the studio that is actually making Little Big Planet) in order to see how they ended up making such an innovative title.

To put it mildly, the guys at MM are simply cool and very likable. It's amazing how they managed to sign a deal with Sony in such a short amount of time. In fact, they only had a week in order to come up with a working demonstration of the game concepts and managed to pull it together and impress the Sony producers enough that a future partnership was formed.

When asked why they chose the PS3 as the exclusive platform for the "game", the guys basically said that they felt that Sony had the best parties and that they wanted to be a part of that Also, they compared it to meeting your wife. Once you meet that person and things click, there is no need to talk to anyone else. I couldn't agree more.

Kudos to the MM team and Sony for managing to shift countless peoples' perspectives about the PS3 and make me smile. I think that they managed to somehow make people forget about all the negative press that the PS3 has been getting recently and remember that Sony can still manage to surprise and impress when it wants to. It's just too bad that we have to wait until later this year in order to get further glimpses of these ambitious project.

In the mean time, I suggest all of you head over to your favorite sites and download the footage for HOME and LBP right away. I'm sure you'll be as amazed as I am... and I have a feeling that this is only the beginning for Sony. Expect some additional announcements of this caliber to surface in the near future

-Stephen Frost

 

[Wollan]

It's just too bad that we have to wait until later this year in order to get further glimpses of these ambitious project.

www.homebetatrial.com

15000 spots coming this April.

 

[frAntic_Frog]

Kudos to the MM team and Sony for managing to shift countless peoples' perspectives about the PS3 and make me smile. I think that they managed to somehow make people forget about all the negative press that the PS3 has been getting recently and remember that Sony can still manage to surprise and impress when it wants to. It's just too bad that we have to wait until later this year in order to get further glimpses of these ambitious project.

dont worry....your praise will soon be drowned out by tools whining about how "LBP aint worth $600" and all the other zipheads who judge the worth of a 3 month old console by single titles....

these party crashers will come soon enough.....dont you worry

 

[Raist]

I still have some difficulties to understand how it'll work exactly.

So there will be public lobbies, with limited "slots" (i think they said 64 users at the same time). This public lobby will have mini games, movies, but also ad spaces, such as, i don't know, spaces for developpers, brands etc.

So there will be clones of the same public lobby as soon as more users connect ?

But, i guess, if more and more professionnal folks will create spaces in the public area, this will grow ? But we'll be sticked with 64 users max ? If the public lobby grows in size, it should become a bit "empty", users wise no ?

And i guess you won't be able to travel from public lobbies to other public lobbies. So how would it work ? You'll be sticked with the same lobby, then the same people forever ? Or will it be completely random ? When you connect, you go to a lobby with free slots ?

This "intelligent" server that makes you go to the lobby where your friends are is a bit hard to imagine too. If i've got two friends in a lobby that is already full, and connect, will they be warped to the lobby i'm entering ?


Need more infos about how this stuff works D:

 

[Wollan]

It's probably like 'Guild Wars' in that if you're unlucky and ain't in the lobby where your friends are I'm sure you can choose the correct 'dimension' they are located in.

64 users max is per room. There are a tons of rooms connected together. Basically the Central Lounge and the Gaming Lounge are different rooms with up to 64 'players' each.

 

[jiggle]

But, i guess, if more and more professionnal folks will create spaces in the public area, this will grow ? But we'll be sticked with 64 users max ? If the public lobby grows in size, it should become a bit "empty", users wise no ?

64 users is per zone. So the main lobby and the game room are separate areas. 64 each. As are the individual developer's homes.

I would imagine they expand by attaching new areas, instead of making 1 area bigger.




No idea how we will be distributed though. Maybe by our real life location?

 

[Wollan]

The developers area seemed like they were only reachable by the world map though. It would become way too big of a mess if they had to keep adding tunnels to every Developer area. Everything else though that's close to the 'core' of the Home service like the Cinema and Gaming hall will of course be connected.

 

[jiggle]

The developers area seemed like they were only reachable by the world map though. It would become way too big of a mess if they had to keep adding tunnels to every Developer area. Everything else though that's close to the 'core' of the Home service like the Cinema and Gaming hall will of course be connected.

Yeah

maybe...they can display a few of our favorite developer's home entrances in 3D...and the rest accessed through that map...

 

[Raist]

Ha, right, didn't get that 64 users were per room, thought it would be per general public space. Thanks

 

[antiloop]

and I have a feeling that this is only the beginning for Sony. Expect some additional announcements of this caliber to surface in the near future

Interesting.

 

[mckmas8808]

Interesting.

That is interesting. Wonder who that guy is? And what does he mean?

 

[Wollan]

Nothing will be on this caliber again this year.

 

[alterego]

I watched the whole keynote and I have to say I am extremely impressed. I doubt things will be as smooth as the demo suggests (to begin with anyway) but what I'm seeing here is vision and ambition (something that was either lacking or just not communicated before) that makes the PS3 as a platform very exciting.

 

[RyuHayate]

Just popping in to ask a question: Has there been any mentioning that Home will feature game characters (or designers) in the lobby for an upcoming release or something? Shooting the shit with Kratos about GoW3 would be sweet.

 

[jiggle]

Has there been any mentioning that Home will feature game characters in the lobby for an upcoming release or something?

"I think that, having game characters in the lobby is something that we want to do. But whehter it's something that you would want to do in kinda open public space or whether it's in a more discreet confined area. May be the other way of looking at it."


http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/9879

 

[Wollan]

Yeah, if they had player controlled game characters in the public areas it would kinda destroyed the mood imo.

 

[Raistlin]

I'm sure you'll be as amazed as I am... and I have a feeling that this is only the beginning for Sony. Expect some additional announcements of this caliber to surface in the near future

-Stephen Frost

Que?

 

[Bad_Boy]

Que?

Thats what I'm wondering.

 

[Gadeus]

Just popping in to ask a question: Has there been any mentioning that Home will feature game characters (or designers) in the lobby for an upcoming release or something? Shooting the shit with Kratos about GoW3 would be sweet.

You mean something similar to going to Disneyland, and seeing an employee in a Goofy costume, except he talks to you? Yeah that could be pretty cool, but I could see this not happening because of player abuse or something though. I could just see a developer popping up, and then dozens of people swarming him to complain how much they hated that studio's game.

I wouldn't want to see normal customers dressing up as game characters, except maybe under specific rare circumstances. Maybe if you win a large scale online Team Fortress tournament or something, your team could be given some cool unique items, like a headcrab hat or a crowbar that's strapped to your belt. As long as it's obvious that you're dressing up in a costume, rather than your avatar becoming that particular character.

 

[¤Ai®MåSt£®¤]

is it possible to customize the cup size of female characters ?

 

[Wollan]

is it possible to customize the cup size of female characters ?

I'm not sure if you can change your cup size. I just looked at the video and it shows two options 'Change Sex' 'Change Facial Features'. Though there is a choice for Sex in the clothing menu as well with one option being 'Type' which I think refers to body of choice.

 

[AmishNazi]

As long as I can make my character almost this deformed, I'll be happy.

 

[DarienA]

is it possible to customize the cup size of female characters ?

....

<sigh>

 

[Durante]

is it possible to customize the cup size of female characters ?

You need to play Second Life.

 

[TTP]

I'm not sure if you can change your cup size. I just looked at the video and it shows two options 'Change Sex' 'Change Facial Features'. Though there is a choice for Sex in the clothing menu as well with one option being 'Type' which I think refers to body of choice.

Yeah, body shape customitaztion doesn't seem to be an option yet. You can only customize face shape, haircut, skin color and clothes.

 

[Chris_C]

As long as I can make my character almost this deformed, I'll be happy.

Maybe that pig is normal, and all the other ones are deformed. [twilight zone music]. Yes, I just exploded your brain.

 

[brain_stew]

Just watched the LBP video for the first time and I must say it looks wonderful, definitely something that would interest me, big time. One point I think that has to be made though, is that there isn't too much hope in this shifting PS3's in any big number, 2D platformers just aren't a big draw for the masses anymore. I think the game really has the potential to tap into the ultra casual market just notwhen its on a $600 console thats currently only attracting the ultra hardcore. A title such as this would sell much better on the Wii imo because that's a console with a low cost of entry and a demographic that appears to dig simpler titles.

 

[gwiz210]

When I first saw home I thought "This is PSO meets Mii meets Second Life"

 

[TTP]

Just watched the LBP video for the first time and I must say it looks wonderful, definitely something that would interest me, big time. One point I think that has to be made though, is that there isn't too much hope in this shifting PS3's in any big number, 2D platformers just aren't a big draw for the masses anymore. I think the game really has the potential to tap into the ultra casual market just notwhen its on a $600 console thats currently only attracting the ultra hardcore. A title such as this would sell much better on the Wii imo because that's a console with a low cost of entry and a demographic that appears to dig simpler titles.

I think the idea that this is targetted to the casual gamer is the biggest misconception you displayed there. And the Wii part ruined an otherwise nice post in the end.

 

[Wollan]

Home is way bigger than LBP or any PS3 game for that matter when it comes to drawing people to the platform. Visioning where it will be in 5 years is almost a impossibility.

 

[Chris_C]

Just watched the LBP video for the first time and I must say it looks wonderful, definitely something that would interest me, big time. One point I think that has to be made though, is that there isn't too much hope in this shifting PS3's in any big number, 2D platformers just aren't a big draw for the masses anymore. I think the game really has the potential to tap into the ultra casual market just notwhen its on a $600 console thats currently only attracting the ultra hardcore. A title such as this would sell much better on the Wii imo because that's a console with a low cost of entry and a demographic that appears to dig simpler titles.

If you've seen the trailer and not the GDC demonstration, you might want to check that out, it's hard to get an idea of exactly what the game is otherwise. Not speaking to your point about whether it'll sell units here since I can't predict that, just letting you know that the GDC presentation is really interesting.

 

[chubigans]

Its confirmed you can change your height and weight:

http://threespeech.com/blog/index.php

 

[Fusebox]

I don't mind this Home concept at all, standing around like a virtual tard in cyberspace will give me something to do while I wait for the must-have PS3 games to come out.

 

[Mrbob]

Who is this Stephen Frost gentleman and why should I believe him?

 

[Big Shirtless Ron]

Who is this Stephen Frost gentleman and why should I believe him?

i remember a stephen frost from psm... don't know if this is the same person, though.