Comments on: From the President of Game Mechanics

By: Home, Fun, and Games | HomeStation Magazine

Home, Fun, and Games | HomeStation Magazine — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 02:13:38 +0000

[…] Game Mechanics, in the future? Almost anything that we want and let them know that we want, because they are listening. They are actively soliciting our input for future Home items and estates. If it’s possible […]

By: SealWyf_

SealWyf_ — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 17:45:04 +0000

So many ideas, so little time…

We are already used to configurable items that return to a default setting when we leave, even in a private space. (The LOOT Fog Machine is one example.) So I think the idea of an item that remembers its setting in a personal space but loses it in a clubhouse is not a huge issue, as long as people know what to expect. Could the customization dialog detect it was being run in a clubhouse setting, and change its text accordingly? Perhaps just having this information in the item description in the store would be sufficient. “You have been warned!”

I like some built-in furniture. Despite our new furniture options, I think that kitchens and bathrooms work best if they are built-in when we arrive. However, living rooms and bedrooms should be left to the owner. One possible exception is when the built-in furniture is active — tables you can sit at, beds you can lie on, and so forth. Having these items baked in saves us furniture slots, and opens up some interesting custom behaviors that may not yet be available as stand-alone items.

I think more games we can play together in private spaces and clubhouses are a great idea, in numbers from one to eight or more. We especially need games where we can see and talk to each other while playing, so the game becomes part of the social interaction. I’m imagining something like Alice In Wonderland Croquet, with live flamingo mallets and hedgehog croquet balls, which uncurl and wander around creating havoc. A “Wonderland Garden” personal space or club skin would appeal to many of us. The closest we have is Gnome Curling, which is actually a pretty good game, although you can’t see the other players while you are playing.

One “missing item” I keep running into is a way to display images or extensive text (more than the few words you can display in a bulletin board note) in a clubhouse. Even if such an item reset when the owner left the club, having a portable easel that could display an image or a paragraph of text would make art shows in clubhouses a real possibility, and would help with organizational meetings. (PowerPoint in Home, forsooth!)

We could use something like that in personal spaces as well, especially if the item saved its status. Most spaces have picture frame spots, but some don’t. And there is no way to display text except to make a graphic of it and put it in a frame. This was the first thing I thought when I saw the personalized canvas chairs — “Hey! Text displays!” Could it happen?

By: Misternaughty

Misternaughty — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 08:42:26 +0000

First off i agree w burbie we need walls or predecorated kitchens and bathrooms. Personal spaces are too big and not enuff slots to fit remotely half of what i’d like to put in them so make furniture less slots or add more slots to personal spaces. Built in furniture is nice but the option to move it to preset parts of a room would be cool. Also this is digital stuff, lower the prices lol. For the games in spaces anywhere from 1 player to 6 or more for the clubs would be nice depending on the game. GL in the future,look forward to seeing wht u put out.

By: Bobsfed

Bobsfed — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 04:45:20 +0000

I like the look of the new furniture items being released by Game Mechanics. I actually prefer tables that come with chairs as part of the whole item. It takes less furniture slots that way. As for question number 1, I’d say just give users a warning in the description first. And if they fail to read it, that’s their problem and not yours. I have a club house but I don’t use it enough to really have and opinion just like Kaptain said already. I do like some apartments that already have the furniture in it already. But on the other hand sometimes I want to decorate it all myself, and the built in furniture just gets in the way. As for things I’d like to see in Home, well I’m a big fan of rpg’s, so I’d like to see some more rpg type public space’s. Merica was ok, but I didn’t like the tight space’s in it. I prefer rpg’s that are more huge and open world like. I’d also like to see more interactive vehicles in space’s like the Ghostbuster’s firehouse. I’d also like to see some sort of car racing game as a public or personal space. But nice to see a new developer on Home and good luck to you guys.

By: Burbie52

Burbie52 — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 03:11:58 +0000

When it comes to making more items that reset in clubs I say go for it. Once people know this is an issue, not a bug, they won’t care, and the chairs work easily anyway. Any person sitting in it can change the name on it, so what if it has to be done each time in a club, that is easy enough.
Apartments with built in furniture are okay as long as it isn’t over done. If the apartment is large it is actually a blessing as long as the furniture isn’t placed in such a way as to interfere with decorating. I think it is best not to include things like built in beds, people generally like to place larger pieces by themselves.
When it comes to personal spaces one of the things that is missing in Home, especially with the new bath stuff from Lockwood, is the way rooms are built in the space itself. There are simply no bathrooms and having to construct them can be a real pain.
Another commodity that is sorely lacking in Home is walls to make rooms in already created spaces. If someone could make a series of walls in a variety of heights, in pale or pastel colors, and a few with working doorways you could walk through they would sell like crazy. It would allow us to make bathrooms in the spaces we have among other things.
I love the new stuff John, hope you are successful.

By: KaptinFathead

KaptinFathead — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 02:03:12 +0000

Let me first say that these items you plan on releasing this Wednesday look great and the features that they have are also different (In a good way). Now to your questions…

1.)There is always making certain that kind of information is in the description of the item/s before a user purchases them. I can see MANY people on the NA PlayStation Home forums do take the time to read the description of the item to see what it can do. And of course there is telling a group of people (such as HSM, playstationhometoday, and other notable people/groups) so they can inform their readers and followers.

2.)For myself, I dont visit my clubhouse that often so I cannot really comment on a fair basis.

3.)I do like apartments with built in furniture, although truth be told it really depends on the look and or design of the furniture thats being built into the space. Overall, I like built in furniture because you dont see It too often.

4.)It depends on the game. Like most arcade cabinets are single player, but other games like pool would be better with 2+ people. Personally I would like to see PingPong, but I can imagine making that would be difficult due to the limits of PlayStation Home.

5.)At the moment, there isnt anything I can think of to answer that. Maybe a public space or personal space based of a pool theme park or maybe some vehicle locomotions mounts. Like a mini car in which your avatar would shrink down to get in it (much like those clowns in older cartoon shows) and you can drive around. There are endless possibilites but none of which I can really say “I would want so and so in PlayStation Home” at the moment.

Thank you for reaching out to the community and asking what they would like. I hope the best for Game Mechanics and I will be looking forward to see more content from you!!!