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Socializing in the Global Lounge of PlayStation Home
Microsoft doubts Sony's ability to implement and execute PS3 online

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is the leader in the current home console market – a place that the company was never able to reach with its previous machine. At the top of the chain, Microsoft now has the perspective to make certain comments and critiques on competitor’s efforts to reclaim marketshare. Microsoft Game Studios corporate VP Shane Kim recently spoke with Shacknews, giving his take on various aspects of the games business.

Although it is a paid service, Xbox Live provides the leading experience in online console gaming. Instead of just cloning the service for PlayStation 3, Sony Computer Entertainment plans to offer a different spin in PlayStation Home with a free online model that incorporates the social networking aspects of websites such as MySpace, along with an interface not unlike Second Life.

When asked if Microsoft is considering introducing such elements into Xbox Live, Kim replied, “No. I don't think we need anything like that. I've spent some time with the Linden Lab guys [developers of Second Life]. To try to build Second Life on Xbox Live—or YouTube, Facebook, any of those big social networking services and sites—it's a lot of work. It's all software, and we're the software company in this market here.”

Kim goes on to express his doubt for the PlayStation Home concept. “I doubt [Sony's] ability to implement it and execute it in a really rich and compelling way. PlayStation Network is not Xbox Live, it's not even close,” he said. “To think about layering [Home] on top of that—wow. The hardest part is not even creating the system, it's regulating the behavior and all of that too. Boy, that's a massive investment in infrastructure.”

In a previous battle of words, Sony stated that its PlayStation 3 online service will be far more compelling than Xbox Live. “Home is a first of its kind, 3D community that allows for open interaction between consumers, SCE and third party partners. It is a truly interactive, global community of users,” said a Sony representative. “Xbox Live is a static, 2D, text-heavy environment that can’t match the rich community features found in Home. Xbox Live community interaction is much more passive and limited to the members on that friend’s list.”

Whether or not PlayStation Home succeeds at marrying the different social concepts together with online gaming remains to be seen. Regardless of PlayStation Home’s non-gaming aspects, Sony intends to provide gamers with the core matchmaking concepts found in Xbox Live. PlayStation Home is expected to launch this October.

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Who cares
By h0kiez on 5/16/2007 11:41:45 AM , Rating: 5
Am I the only one who just wants to pop in a game and play it? Am I the only person in America who doesn't have a MySpace page? Am I the only one who thinks "social networking" sites are lame and more for trying to find skeezy people to sleep with than anything else? Just make some good games and relax with the buzzwords and latest trends. Geez...




RE: Who cares
By RogueSpear on 5/16/2007 12:15:01 PM , Rating: 5
Nope you're not the only one. I'm waiting until GTA4 comes out to see which system plays that better. If everything is equal on that front, then I'll start to look at other things - like has BD taken the lead or will it flop? Is the 65nm 360 out yet and did that help with the heat and noise situation. Stuff like that.

There's enough bickering and taking sides in politics. I don't much need that in gaming also.


RE: Who cares
By darkpaw on 5/16/2007 12:48:54 PM , Rating: 4
I wish I could rate you up further, complete agrement there.


RE: Who cares
By FITCamaro on 5/16/2007 12:49:12 PM , Rating: 2
I'm with you man. I won't even click on a link to Myspace. I have a profile on facebook but I rarely visit it. It's more for people who actually know/knew me to get ahold of me if they want to and don't have any other means.

Myspace is nothing but a site for underage teen girls to impersonate legal-age chicks so they can seem cool and for teenage and older guys to find said girls so they can try to sleep with them. And Myspace does nothing to stop it unless someone actually says something to them. There is no age verification, you just have to say you're of a certain age. I think you should have to give a drivers license number or state ID number which Myspace should then verify with the authorities of that state before allowing them to create a page and post pics.


RE: Who cares
By FITCamaro on 5/16/2007 12:53:29 PM , Rating: 2
And to actually comment on Playstation Home, it will be nothing but a ton of kids doing stupid crap, trashing talking each other, and doing the same emotes over and over and over.

I don't have Xbox Live but a simple, easy to use, 2D interface is all thats required. I don't know about you but if I wanted to say buy something on either service, I'd just want to be able to go to the appropriate menu, pick it, possibly see a quick video (if applicable), and purchase it. If I had to run around a virtual world looking for it, I'd be pissed.

"Where is the portal to buy a game demo?"

"STFU Noob"

And the trashing talking would start.


RE: Who cares
By theflux on 5/16/2007 2:05:41 PM , Rating: 2
They have repeatedly said that anything you want to do in home will be able to be done from the XMB. YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO WALK SOMEWHERE TO BUY SOMETHING. I don't know how many times people will have to post this tidbit, but people still seem to drag it up. You can use Home as little or as much as you want.


RE: Who cares
By Proteusza on 5/16/2007 2:35:52 PM , Rating: 2
Ha ha ha ha! Yes, I think you are right, I can picture it now:

"Parents demand Sony police PS Home"

It will be full of lamers just going out to irritate other people. Forum trolls given artificial life? No thanks.


RE: Who cares
By mars777 on 5/16/2007 11:51:24 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
it will be nothing but a ton of kids doing stupid crap, trashing talking each other


You said it all, accent on TON.
Sigh, this will be popular :(


RE: Who cares
By AstroCreep on 5/16/2007 12:53:41 PM , Rating: 1
True, social networking has a bit of an 'Image' to it, but this (Home) will add a bit of a "The Sims" level to the mix, and I bet that it will sell systems. Did you see anything from the keynote video a few months back? It sounds really, really cool.

As far as Microsoft goes, they can doubt, belittle, and chastise Sony's plan for Home, but do not underestimate it (especially with it being free).


RE: Who cares
By CBone on 5/16/2007 4:37:00 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
and I bet that it will sell systems. Did you see anything from the keynote video a few months back? It sounds really, really cool.


Unless "selling systems" translates into "I just bought this PS3 (loss of money for Sony) and I spend a little bit of time on the really, really cool free (to me) service and the rest buying and playing Sony games (makes Sony money)", they will lose money big-time on Home.

The only way this will be a success is if people want to spend time there and buy in-Home things because of it. Otherwise, why bother? If it's cooler than a game, people won't buy games, just systems. That loses money for Sony.


RE: Who cares
By AstroCreep on 5/16/2007 4:45:18 PM , Rating: 2
I didn't question Sony's methods for making (or losing) money, I was simply saying that the Home service looks way cool. Hell, it received a standing-ovation at the GDC.
But on the topic of 'making money', they'll have advertisements all over the place too. I don't remember what was mentioned about advertising on Home, but Sony would be silly to not sell advertising space on it.


RE: Who cares
By mars777 on 5/16/2007 11:55:52 PM , Rating: 1
I give 8 to 12 months until Sony starts making money on the PS3.
Since it will be sold for years, you are using 1/4 of the brain when commenting like this:
quote:
they will lose money big-time on Home.


RE: Who cares
By Teletran1 on 5/16/2007 4:36:30 PM , Rating: 2
Sweet. 1 less jaded online personality using Home. Seriously anyone crying about how this Free, Optional online service won't work out well can simply not participate. Its funny how that works.


RE: Who cares
By dome1234 on 5/17/2007 5:46:34 AM , Rating: 4
as you are, I too just play games. I don't even play online games (I don't have the time). I don't even use aim/messenger etc.

But having said that, just because you don't enjoy spicy food doesn't mean that others who do are a bunch of masochistic fools.


more trash talking
By dome1234 on 5/16/2007 9:41:22 AM , Rating: 4
the usual trashtalk you'd expect from competing companies.

below is the very same shane kim who couldn't tell the difference between 50 bucks vista version and 60 x360 of a game of identical content.

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/archive/200...




RE: more trash talking
By lukasbradley on 5/16/2007 9:49:04 AM , Rating: 5
Vice President of Company A says Company B won't do well. Film at 11.


RE: more trash talking
By fliguy84 on 5/16/2007 9:49:05 AM , Rating: 2
Yeah, after saying the Xbox 1 is 'graphically' better than the Wii. And then this?


RE: more trash talking
By jtesoro on 5/16/2007 10:09:23 AM , Rating: 4
The interviewer asked a good question and I think the Microsoft guy kinda dribbled around a little bit to avoid giving a blunt answer, but I think what he is saying is: "There are lots of factors in pricing games, but in the end it's arbitrary."

Sad but true.


Number One?
By Kevil on 5/16/2007 9:48:30 AM , Rating: 3
I was under the assumption the PS2 was still holding the number one spot or has that changed?




RE: Number One?
By cochy on 5/16/2007 10:05:27 AM , Rating: 2
You are right. This is the second time I've noticed Daily Tech not specifying "next-gen home console market" when stating the 360's leadership position. Most of the market hasn't adopted a next-gen console yet.


RE: Number One?
By ioKain on 5/16/2007 10:13:09 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is the leader in the current home console market


Damn this anti-Sony sight, damn it to hell.


RE: Number One?
By Zurtex on 5/16/2007 10:31:45 AM , Rating: 4
I think calling it next-gen at this point is a little disingenuous, as the above post points out, they did use the word current.

The 360 / PS3 / Wii are out in all major markets now (Europe, America, Japan), so it's hardly 'next' when talking about the current iterations of the 3 big companies in the home console market.


RE: Number One?
By cochy on 5/18/2007 9:00:30 AM , Rating: 2
Current just means it's the leader in the "home console" market at this point in time. I'm sorry but the "home console" market includes more than just the Wii, 360 and PS3. How hard is it to properly specify?


RE: Number One?
By Chaser on 5/16/07, Rating: -1
RE: Number One?
By vze4z7nx on 5/16/2007 8:25:53 PM , Rating: 2
Man, shutup. Didn't you get flamed and called a troll on some other topic like yesterday or the day before?

If you don't like DailyTech, just go visit some other site.


By ZimZum on 5/16/2007 11:48:40 AM , Rating: 3
If it weren't for Live I probably would have sold my 360 by now. Its one of the few things Microsoft did right from the get go. But they spent over 2 Billion dollars on the infrastructure to get Live up and running. Sony is losing enough money as it is. There is no way they are going to put forth that kind of investment just to compete with Live. Sony realizes they have to have some sort of online presence but if people are waiting for a PS3 equivalent of Live their in for a major disappointment.




By ArneBjarne on 5/16/2007 12:52:57 PM , Rating: 4
Both you and Kim should realize that Sony has much more experience running online services through SOE (Sony Online Entertainment) than Microsoft has with Live.


By Master Kenobi (blog) on 5/16/2007 1:06:11 PM , Rating: 1
Take note that every SOE game to date (With the exception of Everquest, but thats because SOE just bought it after it was launched) has sucked or gone the way of the DoDo. Planetside, Star Wars: Galaxies, Everquest 2... need I say more? Experience SOE has, good experience nope. They have failed time and time again to deliver anything worth while, and heck they even destroyed games like Star Wars: Galaxies. It was better BEFORE they changed the whole game.


By ArneBjarne on 5/16/2007 1:34:11 PM , Rating: 2
The have been running them all quite successfully (as in without major problems).

Whether or not you like the gameplay of the particular games is completely different matter and says nothing about SOEs ability to operate online services.

The same is true for the commercial succes of the games. Just because WoW has the most subscribers of all online games, it does not automatically mean that Blizzard has the smoothest operating one.


By theflux on 5/16/2007 2:03:50 PM , Rating: 2
Shane Kim seemed to say that they were incapable of executing their vision. You are more interested in the quality of the vision. Whether home is a quality product remains to be seen, but you have to admit that they are capable of *producing* home -- which is in contrast to what Kim implies.


All about the Blu-Ray
By Daverino on 5/16/2007 12:29:49 PM , Rating: 1
Strangely, Sony will pull this out I believe because of Blu-Ray. Blu-Ray is slowly pulling out in front of HD-DVD and Sony will find themselves in front of everyone with the PS3. Sad that a game console couldn't be known for playing great games. But I think although Sony botched everything else with the PS3, Blu-Ray is going to save them in the end.




RE: All about the Blu-Ray
By MasterTactician on 5/16/2007 1:18:29 PM , Rating: 3
You do realize that using Home is a CHOICE. If all you want is text and video chat or online matchmaking, Sony does and will continue to offer it separate from the 3d world of Home. Just look at PS3 now. Just because you may have Home in October doesn't mean you need to use it instead of the methods all ready in place to communicate or join games. As Microsoft likes to say, "It's all about choice..." If you don't want to be annoyed by spaming 8 yr olds while trying to download a demo, do it outside of Home just as you always have! Why in the would do people complain about getting EXTRA functionality for FREE?!?!


RE: All about the Blu-Ray
By theflux on 5/16/2007 2:11:27 PM , Rating: 2
Good post. I'm glad I'm not the only one trying to put a stop to the spread of misinformation.


RE: All about the Blu-Ray
By CBone on 5/16/2007 4:46:34 PM , Rating: 2
Who's complaining? Most people are just saying that it's a stupid idea.

My problem with Home is that unless Sony can convert Home users into microtransactions, recoup the cost of new users buying PS3s just because of Home, AND recoup the cost of the service by getting them to buy something, this will lose tons of money. As annoying as they can be, Sony is needed to keep Nintendo and MS honest. They don't need more bad publicity or failures. Meaning they will drop it or it will become an AD-fest. In the end, they should have just left it alone instead of trying to "me, too... but BETTER!" everything Microsoft has for the 360.


Sony is going about this the wrong way.
By CBone on 5/16/2007 12:14:34 PM , Rating: 2
I think the fact that Live is 2-d is good for business. What will happen is that the people that are fiends for Second Life and other community type games will spend all of their time costing Sony money. They bought the PS3, didn't get any movies and can suck off Sony's bandwidth and servers for free playing Home? Live is somewhere that you don't want to hang out at. MS wants you buying stuff, playing their games, and checking out stuff that you might buy, not hanging out in the lobby on their dime.




RE: Sony is going about this the wrong way.
By bkm32 on 5/16/2007 12:43:06 PM , Rating: 2
Great post and incite. Unless Sony can get ppl who are participating in Home to buy tremendous amounts of its 'wares, Home will cost Sony more than the PS3.


By Timeless on 5/16/2007 1:20:37 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Unless Sony can get ppl who are participating in Home to buy tremendous amounts of its 'wares, Home will cost Sony more than the PS3.


Unless of course, Sony puts up ads. I can see Home being like the AIM of consoles, but there will be ads...I can almost assure you there will be ads.


Home?
By vhx on 5/16/2007 4:59:36 PM , Rating: 2
At first I thought home kind of sucked because it 'seemed' like a Sims-MySpace type thing. But the more I look at, the more interesting possibilities there are. I think the best part of it is the private rooms, making your own area and also having trophies. Also makes a better matchmaking system as in finding people to play with, clan recruitment, etc... easier. If I can meet the people I play, I will try to limit it to mature people rather than kids who constantly use the word noob. Which I find to be quite rampant on Xbox Live.

Also if you don't want to 'socialize' or interact with the lobby thing, you don't have to, it's completely optional. AFAIK It's not like you are forced to use it. The point is, people will use it, even if you don't. BTW I don't even own a PS3, and some parts appeal to me.




RE: Home?
By nerdye on 5/16/2007 10:41:30 PM , Rating: 2
I for one have a 360 and live, and like it. Yet sony may be on to something with the mmorpg element of socializing within their online service, I can see the social tech people that lost their jobs over "evercrack" digging it, and perhaps losing themselves in it. I may not totally love sony but I will get a ps3 one day (I got a psone on launch day, and a ps2 shortly after its own launch). I'm not about to give up my 4 year strong live account though which is good to me...


By EclipsedAurora on 5/17/2007 8:47:50 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is the leader in the current home console market


The sales of 360 is not comparable with Wii and PS2. And her success is in USA market only, while the 360 hardly can make any sales in Asia-Pacific region and Japan. How come it become a "leader"?




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