Reflections From the Hub
by Gideon, HSM team writer
Before we begin, I feel it is necessary to get something out of the way to avoid any false hopes or riled spirits:
DISCLAIMER:
THIS EDITORIAL WILL NOT REVEAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PLAYSTATION HOME PRIVATE BETA THAT HAS NOT ALREADY BEEN DIVULGED THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS BY SCEA. THERE ARE NO SPOILERS, SNEAK PEEKS OR REVEALS WITHIN THIS ARTICLE.
Okay. Now that I’ve lost most of my readers, perhaps I should explain what this editorial WILL include. I have found myself considering many things about PlayStation Home and the changes to come since the Private Beta has begun, and these feelings are mostly related to what Home has been since its inception almost three years ago. Within these few hundred words, you will find reflections on Home and thoughts on the changes it has gone through and what changes will and may come about in the future.
When Home first appeared on the horizon of the PlayStation universe, there were many who wrote it off as a Second Life for consoles. Even upon release, the comparisons between Home and existing virtual worlds ran amuck, and the gaming industry seemed to dismiss the new PSN destination, en masse. To the industry, Home is but a small footnote on the history of videogames. With the exception of a few articles here and there announcing some major release or change, the gaming news industry ignores the offerings of Home.
On the mainstream gaming sites there are no reviews of the games within Home, no exclusive peeks at the spaces to be released and they do not write articles such as these, reflecting on the impact of Home on the games industry or the individual who enjoys the virtual world. The mainstream gaming community believes that although the service may continue, it will always sit in the dank corner of the content that PlayStation has to offer. Sony knows this, and this is the viewpoint they are trying to combat with the changing of Home and the release of the Hub.
The Gamers Lounge: A relic from a concept past.
When Home began, it was meant to be a social atmosphere for gamers to gather. Gamers were expected to find other gamers, visit spaces about their favorite games, perhaps purchase an item or two relating to that game, then head out together into one of their favorite games for some rip roaring multiplayer mayhem. It was meant to be a social springboard fueled by advertisement and the desire for external gaming of its members. While this was, and still is, how many utilize Home, it is not by any means how the service is used by most visitors.
Seeing that users were spending a good majority of their gaming time within the digital walls of Home, Sony altered the course of their world’s development. Focus shifted from being a social site to a gaming platform. Within Home, a bevy of games were released which were, by their very nature, exclusive to the platform. This was likely not just to give those within Home something to do (and something to spend their money on), but it was also meant to be a way to entice non-Home players to click on that non-descript blue icon sitting quietly above the PSN Store on the XMB.
Home players love Sodium 2... but what about the rest of the gaming community?
Games such as Sodium, Novus Prime and Conspiracy offered a greater gaming experience than was previously seen possible on Sony’s platform. Many Home users gathered in these spaces and quickly filled the leaderboards. Some Home players have found endless hours of entertainment with these Home-based games, and they have added greatly to the culture of Home. As a gaming platform, Home has proven that it is a versatile tool for developers who are looking to access a ready and willing audience. In this iteration of its virtual world, Sony still enjoyed advertising revenue from disk-based connections with home, but the majority of content that was released was by Home-centric developers. While it’s possible many non-Home users entered the program to play the exclusive games offered by these studios, Home is still largely ignored by the outside gaming community.
Now, Sony is again hoping to turn the heads of the gaming masses with yet another shift in presentation of its schizophrenic virtual world. This fall, The Hub will be released and will offer a more cohesive gaming experience for its visitors. Central Plaza, the social center of many of PlayStation Home’s gatherings, will be replaced with a total of five new spaces. One of the spaces will serve a similar purpose as a replacement for central plaza, and the other four will serve as game genre specific centers of their own. Quests will be developed as part of the Home experience, making Home itself a game which should, in theory, entice gamers to return time and time again. This is all offered in addition to the previous concepts of gathering places for gamers and exclusive games available only in PlayStation Home.
Not unlike many of the games in Home, Midway offers a unique gaming experience.
Home, as it develops, has grown to include a wide bevy of gaming styles. From the social gamer to the hardcore, almost any type of gamer can find something to consume their time within Home. They have retained the limited social aspects of the original release of PlayStation Home and will continue to support the developers who have found an audience, and revenue stream, within Home. What has made Home what it is will continue to be part of the program. Sony just wishes to reach out to other gamers who have either left Home or have yet to experience what it has to offer.
Sony, and many others, may view this multi-faceted approach to Home as a sign of it being a diverse virtual world which caters to its customers, but some might view it differently. Some may feel as if the nature of the development of Home is indicative of Sony’s seemingly intense drive to attract new customers. This world altering compulsion may leave many long-time Home citizens feeling as if their presence within the virtual world is not only taken for granted, but at times, ignored. The past shifts in the focus of Home appears to not have been enough of a transformation to draw the kind of attention that Sony seems to have always yearned for, so they continue to alter the service in ways that they feel will reach that mainstream gaming market.
With each new iteration, Home’s development team seems as if they abandon further development of the current focus of Home and try to re-launch the service with their target customers being those who do not use Home, not those that do. The social aspects of Home have made little headway since the service was first released, and their support of external game properties, while strong and still developing, seems to have taken a back seat to its desire to be considered a legitimate gaming platform. It seems as if the primary intention of Home is to garner the acceptance of those who do not currently play. With each of the changes that are made to Home, Sony is looking to gain what Home has never truly had: the attention or respect of the gaming community.
Xi offered unique real-life engaging quests only a couple months after Home launched
This desire for the attention of those who couldn’t care less about Home is disconcerting for a member of the community which has developed within Home. There is no question that lives have changed because of Home, in real and powerful ways. Websites have been made, friendships have formed, relationships have blossomed, children have been born, businesses have been founded, and careers have been set. All this is because of the environment and interconnection found in Home. Yet Sony still yearns, works, develops, and changes Home to draw in that crowd which has debased the program and its constituents for years.
At this point, it is probably a good idea to recognize that it is perfectly understandable for a company to work toward appealing to larger audiences in an effort to broaden their user base and to increase their profit margins. However, one can’t help but feel as if the business of Home has been put at the forefront of concept development while the culture and history of Home isn’t even included in the equation. The further development of this virtual world does not seem to be geared toward making Home a more integrated experience and instead seems to only add buzz-word features to try to get gamers into its folds.
The Warhawk space was sacrificed to the gods of progress.
Since Home has been released, there has been a regular and impressive release of content, but all the changes haven’t been positive. Spaces have been stripped away, features have been abandoned, focus has been shifted, and growth has been stifled. For a program which is meant to run on a console with a limited life-cycle, it is surprising at just how little Home has developed since day one. There is a vast multitude of possibilities for Home that could bring the service out of its virtual item peddling funk and could provide Sony with an even steadier source of income, but there seems to be a resistance to build anything into Home that doesn’t give a quick and direct financial return. Because of this mindset on quick returns, Sony hasn’t even begun to scratch the surface of what Home could become, or the revenue it could bring.
If Sony were to use a resource which is readily and eagerly available to them, the dedicated regular users of Home, they could possibly produce a product which is truly tailored to its customers. Although they welcome many users into the Home beta process, there isn’t a feeling of true user interactivity and input. One would think the first place Sony would look for inspiration for the development of Home would be to those who use the service, day in and day out. Many of the suggestions that are offered up to the Home team are to fix the very things that have driven many individuals away from the service in years past. Yet, the near constant outcry for specific features fall on seemingly deaf ears as Sony quietly works on some update or enhancement which was neither asked for nor expected by the established Home community.
Home is changing, but who will it TRULY appeal to?
This isn’t to say that the Home community isn’t sitting on the edge of their virtual seats with eager anticipation for the Hub to be released. There is no doubt that the changes coming to Home will be greeted with open arms, and the new spaces will excitedly be filled by all manner of Home users. As always, those of us who are there will return time and time again and will enjoy Home as we always have, for the reasons we always have. The community which has flourished in Home, because of Home, is in for the long haul. Whatever criticisms the community of Sony’s virtual world may have, they are minor to the love we hold for the program. Thankful and eager to welcome new members (well, most of us are eager), those of us who are in Home, with or without some of the oft requested and continually ignored features and content, will support Home in whatever form it is presented to us.
This is a great time to be a Home citizen; we are quite possibly at the precipice of something amazingly unique. Like most Home users, I can’t wait for what’s to come, and I can’t wait to enjoy what the Hub has to offer with my friends. I can’t wait to scour the user created activities for club meetings or parties. I can’t wait to go on regular quests which will turn Home into a more interactive gaming experience, further building upon the history of Home.
Mostly, though… I just can’t get past the fact that I’m really going to miss Central.
Goodbye.
October 19th, 2011 by Gideon | 8 comments
Gideon is a team writer for HomeStation Magazine and likes cheese in all its forms. Whether it be block, slice, cream, wheel, log, string or aerosol, Gideon cant resist the pungent bitter taste of good cheese. Heck, he'll even take mediocre cheese, as long as its slapped between two pieces of whole wheat bread with a little bit of mustard.
Gideon, I loved the article. Yes, Everyone is on the edge of their seats awaiting the next huge chapter of Home’s history. Not much longer though.. at all. Then we will say our goodbyes to CP.
Thanks for another great article.
Nice Panorama at the end!
How did you do this?
Thanks! I like it too… too bad it’s not mine. LOL. Thank you wikipedia!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PlayStation-Home-Plaza-Panorama.jpg
Indeed, thank you. I always enjoy your well-written articles and the thoughts that you share with us.
The Notorious G-I-D strikes again! Great article, man.
HSM champions improvements to the social aspects of Home — making the *experience* of Home more immersive, even with price tags attached to acquire such functionality, is something we believe strongly in. By the same token, I also see the long-term benefit of the Hub and all the gaming emphasis Home has right now; Sony’s asking the gaming public at large to revisit something which came out *years* ago, and gamers tend to always be on to the next big thing.
A broader repeat-user audience means more revenue, but it also, in time, means something else: more people clamoring for social improvements to Home.
Fantastic article Gideon, you hit the nail firmly on the head. Perhaps in the near future, once the Hub and its attending spaces are firmly established, Sony will pick up the social ball and run with it. While games and new spaces dedicated towards them may bring in new people, it is the people themselves and their ability to interact in social ways that will keep them here. This has been true since the beginning and will remain true til the day (if ever) that Home closes its doors.
Thank you for all the positive feedback everyone!
The great thing about Home being an ever changing and developing program is it’s NEVER too late for Sony to go back and re-focus their efforts on past endeavors. No matter what changes are made, there is always room for more!
I enjoyed reading you article as I always do. First and foremost I purchased my PS3 to play games. I am not an online gamer so I am not familiar with social gaming. I am not really a social person in rl so Home is a godsend in this regard, but I still want to game on Home. I am an adventure/RPG player and until the addition of Uncharted there was very little to offer me gaming wise in Home. I think Home needs to be both a gaming and a social experience. XI mazes are a good example. I am really excited to see how Sony is going to do this wit the Hub.