GDC08: Home tools released, new images revealed

by Andrew Yoon { Feb 25th 2008 at 4:15PM }

James Cox, Warren Keyes, and Liam Wickham from Sony Computer Entertainment are currently hard at work on Sony's upcoming online initiative, Home. At GDC, they spoke to interested developers about creating content for the online service, and revealed a few new images of the service in action.

The Home Development Toolkit (HDK) is currently available for all developers, and includes the things necessary for 3D asset creation, object creation, and creation of arcade and mini-games. Support for 3D trophies is also available, although its currently as an "evaluation." Samples are included in the HDK, and documentation is offered in English, Japanese and Korean.

Players will press the START button to launch their virtual PSP systems. From there, they can hit "Create Game." Options can be set, such as max players to join a game. Other users can be invited whilst online, as well.

The roadmap for toolkit 1.2 shows new additions, such as Maya 2008 and 3D Studio Max 2008 support. Game launching should become more advanced, and stable. The roadmap to toolkit 1.4 was also on display. Here are some more images from Home:

In addition to the brand new environments showcased (above), a new tool was also shown: a camera, which allows users to take virtual photos of their virtual friends doing virtual things. You can place these virtual pictures onto virtual picture frames in your virtual apartment, as well.

Not only is there a new bubble machine for users to play with (above), the Home team highlighted a fun problem that users may have: too much junk. For furniture freaks, perhaps their living spaces will look a little something like this:

Tags: gdc08, home

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

_spike @ Feb 25th 2008 4:29PM

haha looks and sounds like fun. can't wait to move in.

rv @ Feb 25th 2008 5:03PM

thats what she said

kinshadow @ Feb 25th 2008 6:05PM

meh... it looks like a Second Life knock-off with no floating penises.

I'll reserve further judgement until they unveil the Furry options.

Tiptup300 @ Feb 25th 2008 7:13PM

Wheres the sdk? They said everyone has access...

sensei assassin @ Feb 25th 2008 4:30PM

Looks sweet, Can't Wait. Being a PS3 owner I can't wait to NOT pay for this. And I like the direction Sony is taking with Home. It is not copying Xbox Live, which is amazing, but rather they are trying to envelope users in a whole new online experience.

NATO_Duke @ Feb 25th 2008 4:44PM

Ah ha ha, I see what you did there. Oh man, that was great.

Oh, nevermind the issue with paying for perks - we can just ignore that for the sake of being right sounding.

Anyway, seems that the trophy idea is the one that really is needed and seems to be dragging.

Marty @ Feb 25th 2008 4:46PM

And I'm sure that, in your refusal to take part in any Home-related micro-transactions, your "Home" will be barren and empty, and nobody will want to visit it.

XanthouS @ Feb 25th 2008 5:07PM

I just can't understand the mindset behind using your spare time to defend your "decision" to pay for the "right" to play your 360 games online.

And if you're going to harp on microtransactions, that's just poetic.

Marty @ Feb 25th 2008 5:09PM

I'm not harping on microtransactions at all. I'm harping on a guy who is trying to convince himself that Home will be a completely free affair, when it seems pretty obvious to me that it won't be.

el serpiente @ Feb 25th 2008 6:32PM

Wow, Marty is in a panic. Duck, the bullshit is flying!

Don't hate just because PSN is free. And has no advertising. And doesn't have outages over the xmas season. And that sony provides dedicated servers for their games. Did I mention it was free?

maverick_saturn_626 @ Feb 26th 2008 6:49AM

Marty is right, you will have to pay for items, they already stated that, a lot of stuff will be free, but whats free everyone will have, if you wanna be unique, you need to pay :) Home itself is free, but the merchandise to do up your rooms and get larger rooms is gonna cost ya, dont bash Marty :)

Noshino @ Feb 25th 2008 4:31PM

at some extent...this seems to be what the .Hack// world was supposed to be....

Hopefully they can pull it off

deaftly @ Feb 25th 2008 4:31PM

Can't wait to pay for all that virtual clothing and furniture!

A-Troll-Named-Slickback (Yes the A Troll Named part, and yes every time!) @ Feb 25th 2008 4:57PM

You must own a PS3

deaftly @ Feb 25th 2008 5:07PM

/sarcasm

I'll prob never use Home honestly.

maverick_saturn_626 @ Feb 26th 2008 6:52AM

Suuuurrreee....

Mr_Awesome @ Feb 25th 2008 4:34PM

I heard that Sony was bundling the update for Home with copies of Duke Nukem Forever.

A-Troll-Named-Slickback (Yes the A Troll Named part, and yes every time!) @ Feb 25th 2008 4:56PM

Can't top that... I got banned from the PS forums for my Home joke

Mr.ESC @ Feb 25th 2008 6:37PM

What was the joke?

It must be one funny ass joke (or a very dumb one) to get you banned.

ZeroCorpse @ Feb 25th 2008 4:38PM

I hope this works-- I might get a PS3 some day, and I'd like to see it be a little more social and friendly. Right now, it's like interfacing with an ATM.

The Boo @ Feb 25th 2008 4:46PM

Being a PS3, I have to say that you are correct sir.

PSN: KillaKornbread (the shirt is a lie!) @ Feb 25th 2008 7:50PM

holy crap. ur a PS3!?

maverick_saturn_626 @ Feb 26th 2008 6:53AM

lol

ThornedVenom (Ludwig Defense Force) @ Feb 25th 2008 4:43PM

Home Development Kit today, Second Life tomorrow!

The Brit @ Feb 25th 2008 4:43PM

Looks sweet, Can't Wait. Being a PS3 owner I can't wait to NOT pay for this.

Wrong - You will have to pay for upgrades to your home - the actual home environment is free but content is not always free.

Lets see if it works without crashing HOME, unlike the browser that crashes simply by browsing espn.com (memory errors galore)

XanthouS @ Feb 25th 2008 5:11PM

Your argument makes ABSOLUTELY no sense. Anyone can can play their friends online, download demos the day the release, and use HOME without paying an additional cent.

Nobody is being forced to buy anything in HOME. Sony hasn't even released specifics about microtransactions. There's been talk that new furnature/clothing may be unlockable through games or can be paid for using "Accomplishment points."

And even if you do need to use cash to buy new stuff, if you don't want to pay, you don't pay. You can still use HOME to chat/play/interact with friends and meet new people.

John McPoop @ Feb 25th 2008 7:53PM

@The Brit

I smell jealous envy.... I think the 360 Fanboys are doing all they can to make lite of the service... Pretty pathetic actually.... Kind of like trashing it for micro transactions when they openly pay for LIVE ( I do as well!) .... I think if Sony gave out free houses to orphans the 360 Fanboys would say it is all an elaborate rouse to brainwash them into paying for bills .... You guys are grasping for straws.... Home is FREE & PSN play is free.. And at least the PS3 has a web browser (unlike the 360) and last I checked it plays Youtube videos fine & oh yeah the web browser was free to..And FYI you do not have to spend any money in HOME if you do not wish...

maverick_saturn_626 @ Feb 26th 2008 6:55AM

Why do people always put 'being a ps3 owner' or 'being a wii owner' or 'being a 360 owner'.

I think people get the general idea you're a console of type owner if you know what you are talking about ¬_¬

ganrob @ Feb 25th 2008 4:45PM

Yeah, bout time to release this. Another five months and another 3 blurry screenshots don't cut it.

Nick the Hero of Canton @ Feb 25th 2008 4:46PM

So, it's Second Life HD?

Marty @ Feb 25th 2008 4:53PM

Second Life is already in HD. Aside from that, I doubt you'll get to see in Home any of the user-created customization that is at the core of Second Life.

copa @ Feb 25th 2008 5:08PM

Kind of, but there are a few important differences:

1) Second Life is a true persistent world. As you come and go, the world stays. So whenever you log in, there is always going to be something going on.

Home, on the other hand, requires you to set up a temporary instance of the world, and invite your friends into it. The world can only support a set number of users.

2) In Second Life, authoring tools are available to the end users. So you and I can create objects and clothing, and do all kinds of interesting customization.

In Home, authored content can only be published by licensed developers. A baseline of content will be available for free, but outside of that you must purchase Sony-approved content to customize your avatar or your space.

3) Sony's revenue model for Home relies on bombarding you with advertisements.

------------

I applaud Sony for being aggressive and trying out something different here, but I haven't quite figured out what the 'hook' here is. Right now, it feels like something that I would monkey around with my friends for 90 minutes, and then never log into again.

Of all the buddies I game with, I can't think of a single one that would want to log into my Home environment, walk into my apartment, and gaze at all of my 'trophies' so they could see my achievements.

Noshino @ Feb 25th 2008 5:18PM

copa, you are spot on about Home.

Home is meant to be an online lobby, like you are going to make a party with a few friends, just get to your space and then launch the game from there, and you are all on the same party, and Sony was smart enuogh to get exclusive contract with NCsoft to make 3 MMOs and I think also their own, The Agency, would enforce that way of thinking...

And as for the method of revenue, I don't think the advertisement will be as bad, yes you ll find it often, but remember that companies will most likely invest on an actual space, there was in interview in which Sony talked about even having shows of some sort inside the "spaces"

Anyway, we pretty much just have to wait and see, I was expecting something of this degree to be available on a .Hack// MMO...but one can dream :]

seasidebaz @ Feb 25th 2008 5:29PM

yes, but without the weird fetish shit and porn channels

Matt B @ Feb 25th 2008 7:42PM

THis is what I'll use HOME for.....

I'll log on, go to the courtyard, yell "who wants to play 'insert game here', jump into said game with the takers, add the nice people to my friends list.

THere you go, HOME in a nutshell for me. How can that not equal win?

qo_op @ Feb 26th 2008 12:13PM

@ Copa, What? You arent starting individual instances, more than likely you are logging into a server that Sony is monitoring. You're own personal apartment, now that might be saved onto your ps3 and when people connect to your ps3 they are able to join your apartment. Other than that youve got home all wrong.

defektedtoy @ Feb 26th 2008 1:33PM

Yes. Second Life is a persistant world where one can create flying cock cannons, magenta fox transvestite fuck chairs, virtual highschool anime pedophillia role play buildings, and many many more usefull, creative and fantastic things!

"In Second Life, authoring tools are available to the end users. So you and I can create objects and clothing, and do all kinds of interesting customization."

First, see above. Second, the textures, lighting, "physics", among other things, are circa 1992. The object creation process is so convoluted, i would rather try to eat waffles with a cobra instead of a fork.

How can you honestly say:

"Of all the buddies I game with, I can't think of a single one that would want to log into my Home environment, walk into my apartment, and gaze at all of my 'trophies' so they could see my achievements."

So what would make that more plausable, if they were to allow you to create fuck chairs that looked like they were bought from Ikea? Or maybe the creation of some "dance here for 10 linden dollars every 6 hours!" pods. No? How about if you could place massive wobbling FLEXI dildos alll over the land that also spewed forth 2000 FREE EYELASH PATTERNS!!

Seriously. Don't try to compare Second Life to Home.

Home is for interfacing with the PSN, playing games, and maybe gathering some cool stuff along the way with your buddies.

Second Life is for fucking said buddies in the ass with animal cocks while you pretend to be a 12 year old japanese girl who is also a vampire and a cat.

Vidikron (FU) @ Feb 25th 2008 4:55PM

Hmmm... looks like someone attempted an upskirt shot.

Kryptinite @ Feb 25th 2008 5:01PM

I no longer have faith in this coming out ever. I mean I hope it does, I really want to play with it, but I'm no longer actively hoping. If that made sense.

Poddie @ Feb 25th 2008 5:01PM

I don't really understand all this Home stuff. Is this really expected to be popular?

It reminds me of Burnout Paradise, except worse. In BP you can't just select what type of race or game you want to start... you need to first drive around and find it.

If I want to play a certain arcade game, I don't want ot have to launch some pseudo-reality simulator, walk to the arcade, and put a virtual quarter into it... I want to quickly go to a menu and pick what I want to play.

I don't understand why adding all these layers of interface is considered a good thing. There is simply nothing appealing about Sony's approach here to me. Will there be a simple, alternate interface? Or will people be forced to use Home? Yuck.

I see myself getting a PS3 at some point but I really don't want to have to deal wiht this junk... much prefer Microsoft's easy to use menus.

Can someone explain what I'm missing?

deaftly @ Feb 25th 2008 4:52PM

A 3d chatroom that lets you play mini games and buy virtual bullshit.

Vidikron (FU) @ Feb 25th 2008 4:58PM

I'm not sure how popular or fun it will be, but I am looking foward to trying it out. Either way, it's completely optional.

A-Troll-Named-Slickback (Yes the A Troll Named part, and yes every time!) @ Feb 25th 2008 5:03PM

So why bitch about it, it irks me that people comment on stuff they don't own or won't own... and if you're buying a PlayStation and wont use Home, who [the fuck] cares?

Poddie @ Feb 25th 2008 5:10PM

To blah-blah-Troll-blah-blah:

May want to brush up on your reading skills. I wasn't bitching about it. I was explaining why it doesn't appeal to me from what I know about it, and asking two questions: (1) Can anyone explain the appeal/what am I missing? (2) Will it be optional?

I'm genuinely curious as every article I read on it contains nothing that seems appealing, yet there are always lots of comments from people that they are looking forward to trying it.

A-Troll-Named-Slickback (Yes the A Troll Named part, and yes every time!) @ Feb 25th 2008 5:39PM

"If I want to play a certain arcade game, I don't want ot have to launch some pseudo-reality simulator, walk to the arcade, and put a virtual quarter into it... I want to quickly go to a menu and pick what I want to play. "

No, games purchased on the PlayStation Network are available to you on the XMB... While certain games (i.e. Bowling via bowling alleys, pool via pool tables) are only available via Home. Home is an optional, free service.

"Will there be a simple, alternate interface? Or will people be forced to use Home? "

The Cross Media bar (XMB)

"Can someone explain what I'm missing?"

Home is for people who want to share videos, pictures, and music with others from their own personal space with the friends they already have and/or the ones they meet in the Home space, again completely option.

my "bitch about it" rant was for "Deaftly", who is obviously trolling about a subject he'll never deal with or use.