Sony: Home launch 'imminent,' will arrive this month in the US

by Randy Nelson on Dec 8th 2008 4:25PM

Amid rumors of a December launch for PlayStation Home, SCEA has confirmed to Joystiq that the social platform's public, open beta phase will arrive before the end of calendar year 2008, as we've been hearing for some time. "We've been saying it will launch by the end of calendar year 2008," PlayStation Home director, Jack Buser, responded when asked about a December release. "And that's getting very, very close," he concluded, laughing.

"Launch is imminent," Buser confirmed – although neither he nor an SCEA rep were willing to divulge an exact day of the month or method of delivery. When asked how, exactly, Home will get onto user's consoles, Buser responded with nothing but a wide grin that gave us the feeling it isn't going to be via a mere firmware update or PlayStation Store download.

Tags: breakingnews, home, js-twitter, playstation-home, PS3

Reader Comments (110)

Actually, it's a pretty smooth service. Though ideally there shouldn't be loading when going from the Central Plaza to any other location...

I was going to post something about how it's about time, but then I realiezed that I sold my PS3 about a month ago...It's kind of sad that I didn't remember that, I guess it just hasn't got much use.

You can down vote me all you want, I bought mine on launch day and loved it. With all the multiplatform big releases though there just isn't any reason to have 2 systems right now. Resistance 2 helped me make that decision as well. Sure LBP is great (kind of), but I'm doing just fine without it. I barely have had enough time to keep up with everything, I still have Fallout 3, Gears 2, and a bunch of other games to beat.

Sweet, finally...maybe.

I don't care.

Give me some goddamn RPGs for my PS3 Sony.

With Home, you can roleplay as a khaki wearing, knit-cap donning, bubble blowing hipster to your hearts content.

It just requires a little imagination.

White Knight Chronicles looks GODLY.

Otherwise get a 360...it's the RPG machine of this gen.

Well if you're desperate enough for ps3 rpgs to believe rumors...there's supposed to be 5 being made right now and I heard that two are Legend of Dragoon 2 and Dark Cloud 3. So begin the hoping and praying.

"I heard that two are Legend of Dragoon 2 and Dark Cloud 3. So begin the hoping and praying."

I'm a firm believer that Dark Cloud could have been Sony's Legend of Zelda.

As for Legend of Dragoon 2: YES. I didn't think anyone else liked that game!

Well I personally enjoyed dark cloud 1 and 2 more than any zelda game other than OoT, so I'm praying that this rumor's true.

If you want RPGs (especially of the JRPG variety) get a DS. It seems like every other week you get an Atlus game or a high-quality Square remake.

If you want RPGs get a DS.

That MS's territory now boy.

Sorry, but no

You want to play RPGs? if you are into jRPGs, then get a PS2, it still the king of the RPGs:

- it had so many good quality RPGs that I doubt you will be able to play them all

- It still pumping out high quality RPGs, for example, Persona 4

Yeah. If you love RPGs get a PS2, both handhelds, and then a 360, in that order. HD RPGs (besides Vesperia) are still pretty rough around the edges.

Get Eternal Sonata, it's awesome.

That is what they say anyway...But my Ps3's BluRay drive just shot out on me...I am starting to assume that Sony expects peoples system's to malfunction after 5 months of when the Warranty expires. Similar to that of when Microsoft moved their flawed 360s out to move ahead of the competition. This conspiracy will be uncovered...

I'm interested to see what Sony has up their sleeves...being that i'm in the HOME beta now...I KNOW (HOPE) it isn't going to launch as is....so I wonder what treats will await us on "launch day". Hopefully video and audio capabilities within your HOME...and of course game launching...and some first/third party game areas...should be interesting...

Sony really is getting a lot of media attention with HOME eh?? It may just work out to their benefit in the long run...only time will tell!

Why would they add a bunch of untested features to Home right at the launch? That's what beta testing is for, so I wouldn't expect much beyond what was available there.

Wow I got voted down for being honest a level headed...ummm OK

Anyway...You don't test EVERYTHING in beta...online beta's are mainly for stress test and some functionality...with that logic nothing will ever get released because it would have to go into a beta first...psshhh....what do you think TESTERS are for?? REAL testers...that get paid. Besides, SONY has already said that there will be more than in the final launch than whats in the closed beta...some of you guys Kill me with the blind, idiot fanboy crap!

Keep in mind that there is Alpha testing a studio game testers. The main reason behind Home closed beta is to test out the servers not the material.

Lots of content can be added to the current stores I think is what he was talking about. It can launch with the infrastructure that is there and be fine. Just need some more content.

@ Marty

well this is still the beta. now its just open. so in theory, it is possible if a bit stupid.

I voted you up, but voted down your second post for complaining about being voted down. That's childish.

Home is pretty neat. The dancing is kind of fun with the way you can do gestures and the mini game are real fun but lack polish and a proper online structure. However, it add to the realism of the service to have is set up like wait in line to bowl, play pool and arcade games.

I like playing chess in the mall allot. I think it a good service for social networking. It will be a real winner once Home is populated with more spaces and content. The avatar create is top notch for realistic depiciton. They need to work on the facial hair, clothing and accessories. Much more true to life than NXE charactures/avaters.

Not only do I think that the avatars in NXE are not supposed to be realistic, but I find it appalling that in this day and age someone would herald waiting in a virtual line to play minigames as a good shot at realism, and (assumingly) a step in the right direction as well.

Waiting in line, waiting in a lobby...What's the difference? In either case, you converse with others while you wait your turn.

I shouldn't even have to explain the difference. But I will.

Waiting in a lobby, you're only waiting for the host (or server) to start the game. You're not waiting for other people to get out of the way or finish before you can go.

Waiting in line, when you're just waiting to initiate some kind of online game, is pointless. Gentlemen, we have the technology. All players can play simultaneously. Waiting is not necessary.

A system that tries to be realistic by asking you to wait in a virtual line is as pointless as waiting for the race team to fuel up and replace the tires on your kart in Mario Kart. It makes no sense.

"A system that tries to be realistic by asking you to wait in a virtual line is as pointless as waiting for the race team to fuel up and replace the tires on your kart in Mario Kart. It makes no sense."

I'm sorry, but why would you mention Mario Kart as an example of virtual realism? Why not something like Gran Turismo? there are in fact pit stops on it

Marty,

We all know you hate the PS3. You can stop trying to convince everyone. If you have tried Home then you can actually form an opinion instead of throwing out bullshit. My point was that it's much better to have a realistic depiction of an avatar instead of some Mii rip off like the NXE offers which os pseudo realistic. Sort of in between Home and Mii if you will.

It does add to the realism of the environment to have it act like a REAL bowling alley. Don't knock it until you try it.

But isn't "escaping from reality" one of the reasons we turn to video games in the first place? And something like that is just pushing it, to the point where its just plain annoying.

Yes, Im going Home for the holidays, :D

*GROAN*

WOW People are being downvoted left and right!

This is truly great news!! Now everyone else that didn't get invited to the BETA can mess around in HOME for 30 minutes before deciding it sux. Consider it your lucky month folks.

Beta was weak. My PS3 is collecting dust...

Agreed.

I was kinda excited when I got invited to the Beta...but after spending another 30 minutes downloading and installing the game only to create my character and get ordered to go to the "Mall" where I then had to spend another 20 minutes downloading and installing another 40MB addon...eh.

What's the point of it? It's an MMO without any actual gameplay, right? Is it that?

You guys need more friends with Home then. The social interaction aspect of this is actually quite impressive.

Think of it as Animal Crossing without grinding and all the characters in the game are actually real people.

"It's an MMO without any actual gameplay, right?"

Actually, it's like a universal game lobby, where you meet up with people then go play games. Being able to watch trailers or play virtual arcade games is just icing. If you wanted to play some games with other people from Joystiq, you could go to the Joystiq club/space/whatever and meet people there and maybe play virtual pool if you're waiting for someone.

That's the interesting part about Home: none of them have to be on your friends list to join up with you. You go to X place and meet people with interest in the same game or movie or whatever. If your plan is to go "play" Home you've totally missed the point.

My main problem is that the 360 already allows you to do all of those things through simple menu's. Why do we need the 3D interface to organise party's and such? It seems irrlevant, awkward and just completely uncessesar.

The amount of hype it's been getting for something for something that's essentially a 3D chat room is ridiculous. If I want to meet up with some friends to play a game, I can do that easily enough without a chat room.

And just how long is it going to last before it deteriotes into nothing but a bunch of kids looking to "cyber". It's going to get bad, really quick.

Last I heard, the party parts of home were supposed to be available in the XMB too (obviously not now, since it hasn't seen formal release), but that still doesn't let you meet with people that aren't on your friends list.

If I want to play some Socom with people from another site, for example, I'll go to the club that they already have set up and join up with people that I may not actually know, but since they're there I know they want to play Socom and are part of the same online community, and I can do this without sending invites or confirming anything. I just go there. The NXE doesn't let you do all that.

@trev

Why would you need to go to Home to find people who want to play Socom? Couldn't you just launch Socom and find players that way?

DredTatum,

Actually, you very well could, but that an in-game lobby is smaller and more restrictive than Home

But if the rooms in Home are limited to 60 people, isn't it better to find players using the in-game matchmaking?

I understand that it is more social to find players in Home, but some of us hermits just want to play games. =P

I like the NXE party system, where if you find players that you like, you can invite them to your party and continue to play with them in other games.

I understand the fact that some want their gaming experience to be more straightforward, but that is no reason to not give credit to the path that Sony has taken.

"I like the NXE party system, where if you find players that you like, you can invite them to your party and continue to play with them in other games."

Yah, but the same can indeed be done on Home as well, the thing is, Home is not as restrictive as NXE, meaning that you could even meet people in this virtual world without having met them before.

i dont see what everyones crying about, it does exactly what its supposed to.

Nothing?

meet new people in a more social environment.

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Sony: Home launch 'imminent,' will arrive this month in the US

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