Issue 5
Issue 5
Aloha, and welcome to the fifth issue of HomeStation Magazine!
This issue of HSM offers a very unique and exciting cover story: we got to peek behind Home’s curtains.
John Ardussi, the subject of our cover story, leads Sony’s development group within VASG that writes the code for the Active Items, spaces and mini-games that go into PlayStation Home.
Let’s put that last sentence another way: we talked to the guy who creates a lot of the stuff that goes into Home.
To quote Steve Irwin: crikey!
Now if THAT isn’t a story worth reading, then I suggest you check for your pulse.
PlayStation Home isn’t just some technicolor vending machine; it’s an entire virtual reality, full of wonders and delights created by some truly talented people. If you have ever held a properly crafted, authentic katana — tamahagane and all — or listened to the wonderfully sonorous exhaust note of a Ferrari 599, then you know that sometimes a creation is more than just the sum of its parts.
The artistry and development that goes into crafting Home — its worlds, its commodities, everything — is astonishing. And what makes it even more impressive is that, in large part, what shows up in Home is based on our feedback.
Stephen Covey writes that businesses move at the speed of trust. And, in this day and age, it is a worn-out cliché when someone says, “We listen and we care.” Our ears, it seems, are no longer inclined to believe such a thing. In fact, it is a platitude that often rings false.
The developers who create Home, however, walk the talk. In the process of putting this cover story together, we here at HSM have learned point-blank that the developers care. And they’re listening. No, they usually can’t overtly acknowledge it. But they’re constantly on the lookout for community feedback.
In addition to our cover story, you’ll find some truly remarkable articles included in our fifth issue. CheekyGuy has a great article dealing with branding and advertising in virtual worlds. DarthGranny interviews one of Home’s most accomplished glitchers. Burbie52 interviews the Lochwoods about the future of Team RHO. Stryctnin contrasts Home and Free Realms. Cynella takes a look at how re-skinning an avatar in a different gender can produce different social interactions. SealWyf gives us insights into how the Homeling Collective coped with the Great PSN Outage of 2011. Queen_Eli, in a guest contribution, offers up a hilarious look at the Homeling zodiac.
And, at long last…we finally reveal the winners of the HomeStation Magazine poetry contest!
HomeStation Magazine, which just celebrated half a year of operation, has grown stratospherically quickly; we repeatedly average between five- to six-thousand visitors per month to our website. We are currently read in 4,487 cities across 137 countries. We’ve gone from being the underdogs that no one had heard of to suddenly being a go-to site for unique Home stories that can’t be found anywhere else.
From all of us at HSM, thank you for coming with us on this ride.
Editor-in-Chief, HSM
Can anyone read the new issue? It shows a pic of the cover & says “Not available to view” ,.. any info would help
Issue 5 will be online very soon, The image of the cover should have read ” coming soon ” across the front. If that was not the case when you visited the site,chances are we were testing the cover image quality at that time. Sorry for any confusion.
Aloha,
The new issue hasn’t been released yet. We’re doing our usual last-minute checks on everything before we publish it.
Ahh i see the “Coming Soon” banner now, guess i was too impatient & yall had just posted the new issue’s cover pic cause the banner wasnt there last nite,.. thanks for answering my question & ill try & be more patient lol TY again ¦^)
No wonder people are getting impatient. It is hard to sit on this type of story and not let it leak out ahead of time. NorseGamer hasn’t even told the HSM staff what is in this thing. All I can tell you is it’s worth the wait.
I know right, its gunna be the story of the year people!!!!!!! lol j/k folks i have no idea what story the lovely Mrs DG is referring too, just figured i’d make myself sound like an insider for a sec lol, but seriously theres always a great article in every issue, truthfully usually multiple great articles,.. I want to see the contest results 1st & then i’ll read the entire thing as usual, gl too all the entrants
Issue #5 is now online.
Aloha Norse…just finished reading the mag….I love it…I was really impressed with your staffs ability to get a grasp on whats going on in Home..I am trying Free Realms per Stryctnins advice and for my future GT5 competitor I’m putting in the wall,for me advertisement on Home was/is inevitable and does not or will sway my attention span to purchase something..Nice thing about Hawai’i is the no buildboard law.I thought Cynellas article was perfect thyming…Keara,I love glitching..I am perturbed I cannot merge spaces like I used to or have my private server to host bowling games or private poker tourneys.. The Poems made me cry,period…Mahalo Nui Loa to HSM Aloha Oe,Sue
Just love this quote from John Ardussi. And yes they know women spend money and that Fashion is something that people enjoy and want!
“Unless teenage boys have changed a lot since I was growing up, I doubt they are buying enough haltertops to justify the sales numbers. The one thing to note is that AlphaZone4 says that in North America, the male/ female ratio of clothing for sale split is pretty even. Another point is that in the mostly male-dominated games industry, a lot of the people I have run into in the development processes at Sony for Home are female. It seems that everyone is recognizing that women are important in Home. The one thing I have been consistently pushing for is more support for fashion in Home.”
Loved the issue! So very well done. Keep up the good work!
Joanna
Issue #5 is great thanks HSM Anubis the great is awesome yea he’s great too! now if he could just show me how to walk on the Central Plaza benches.
very interesting issue