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Can you explain the reason that Home has been delayed until Spring of '08 instead of a few months ago, as previously announced?
One of the main reason for not releasing the game yet is a bug that all beta people find fun for some reason. Its where you walk up on a platform that you'd otherwise not be able to reach and from here you can walk in the air as long as you walk between the path of flowers and a lake that goes through the HOME square. If you do it wrong you go wooosh, falling down below the level and the only way to get away is by using your in-game psp to change position. This tends to make the PS3 freeze once in a while though. At the moment HOME has alot of freeze issues that needs taking care of.
Although we're in the beta we haven't seen TV's and Stereo's yet and some testers think it might take another year to get it into HOME. So don't expect to see it the day HOME is released. Also, when your in your own home there are some problems with furniture that your supposed to sit on. Sometimes it doesn't work at all, and there's still some bugs that allows you to move your stuff outside your home and onto the roof for example.
Is there anything else in the beta that you can do?
We're able to look at a huge glass door which seems to lead to a train-station. This might be the way you get into the developers spaces, other home squares and your award room. Beside the glass door we have the game space and movie theater. The movie theater isn't that interesting since its never really updated. People tend to meet up in the arcade for a game of pool or bowling. These games are really fun and a good way to spend time with people on HOME. There is a problem however. Whenever there seem to be alot of people online there just isn't enough games for everyone. If theres already someone at the arcade game you want to play then its just tough luck, you'll have to wait untill they are done.
Besides the arcade machines, pool tables and bowling courts there is also chess and checkers that can be played outside in the HOME square. Though they tend to be very buggy at the moment.
How about the whole "avatar" thing?
There is alot of different clothing at the moment, for the beta, but not enough to make most people feel like they are using a digital avatar of themselves. At least not for me, anyway,
How exactly does the messaging system for the Beta work?
The messaging works like this: you can bring up your virtual keyboard anywhere you want and write a message. People will be able to see it even if they aren't close to you, but only people that are where you are will see it in their chat log. Besides that there is private messaging. Headset chatting is also something you can do in it, and it works great. If you walk away from a person talking, you'll hear their voice fade away, like it really would. You can also call a friend with the home phone system (This also has alot of bugs though) .
We have been able to write to people or get mail from outside HOME by pressing the PS button and finding them in our friend list, like you normally would. Its just like how your able to browse your PS3 when listening to music. This has been disabled though so now it has the normal "quit game", "turn off controller" and "turn off system" messages. I kinda hope they change it back though.
Can you launch PS3 games from the Beta?
We're not able to launch PS3 games from HOME through the PSP menu yet but I think we might get to see it before the actual launch.
Is there anything in the Beta that you dislike?
Sure theres plenty of people to talk to, but besides that theres really nothing yet that keeps beta players in there for long. Also people just bashing into conversations, with the one purpose to destroy it can be rather annoying, but then luckily we can just continue the talk at our own home in "HOME". I think we might get the action we've been waiting for when the developers rooms and the award room goes online. We've actually been able to see developers on the other side of the sealed glass door testing whatever they have going on back there in monkey suits.
As request from the interview-e, its name will remain anonymous.
One of the main reason for not releasing the game yet is a bug that all beta people find fun for some reason. Its where you walk up on a platform that you'd otherwise not be able to reach and from here you can walk in the air as long as you walk between the path of flowers and a lake that goes through the HOME square. If you do it wrong you go wooosh, falling down below the level and the only way to get away is by using your in-game psp to change position. This tends to make the PS3 freeze once in a while though. At the moment HOME has alot of freeze issues that needs taking care of.
Although we're in the beta we haven't seen TV's and Stereo's yet and some testers think it might take another year to get it into HOME. So don't expect to see it the day HOME is released. Also, when your in your own home there are some problems with furniture that your supposed to sit on. Sometimes it doesn't work at all, and there's still some bugs that allows you to move your stuff outside your home and onto the roof for example.
Is there anything else in the beta that you can do?
We're able to look at a huge glass door which seems to lead to a train-station. This might be the way you get into the developers spaces, other home squares and your award room. Beside the glass door we have the game space and movie theater. The movie theater isn't that interesting since its never really updated. People tend to meet up in the arcade for a game of pool or bowling. These games are really fun and a good way to spend time with people on HOME. There is a problem however. Whenever there seem to be alot of people online there just isn't enough games for everyone. If theres already someone at the arcade game you want to play then its just tough luck, you'll have to wait untill they are done.
Besides the arcade machines, pool tables and bowling courts there is also chess and checkers that can be played outside in the HOME square. Though they tend to be very buggy at the moment.
How about the whole "avatar" thing?
There is alot of different clothing at the moment, for the beta, but not enough to make most people feel like they are using a digital avatar of themselves. At least not for me, anyway,
How exactly does the messaging system for the Beta work?
The messaging works like this: you can bring up your virtual keyboard anywhere you want and write a message. People will be able to see it even if they aren't close to you, but only people that are where you are will see it in their chat log. Besides that there is private messaging. Headset chatting is also something you can do in it, and it works great. If you walk away from a person talking, you'll hear their voice fade away, like it really would. You can also call a friend with the home phone system (This also has alot of bugs though) .
We have been able to write to people or get mail from outside HOME by pressing the PS button and finding them in our friend list, like you normally would. Its just like how your able to browse your PS3 when listening to music. This has been disabled though so now it has the normal "quit game", "turn off controller" and "turn off system" messages. I kinda hope they change it back though.
Can you launch PS3 games from the Beta?
We're not able to launch PS3 games from HOME through the PSP menu yet but I think we might get to see it before the actual launch.
Is there anything in the Beta that you dislike?
Sure theres plenty of people to talk to, but besides that theres really nothing yet that keeps beta players in there for long. Also people just bashing into conversations, with the one purpose to destroy it can be rather annoying, but then luckily we can just continue the talk at our own home in "HOME". I think we might get the action we've been waiting for when the developers rooms and the award room goes online. We've actually been able to see developers on the other side of the sealed glass door testing whatever they have going on back there in monkey suits.
As request from the interview-e, its name will remain anonymous.
This has been oO The Jukebox Hero Oo bringing you an EXCLUSIVE interview with a user of the Home Beta, for your seeping knowledge.
