GDC: Who the hell uses Playstation Home? via IGN

There are 19 million PlayStation Home users, according to Sony. My question is simple -- who the hell are they?

Four years ago, I went to my first GDC and my first Sony keynote speech. There, the company debuted a new game called LittleBigPlanet and
promoted the social feature known as PlayStation Home. LittleBigPlanet went on to be a mega-success and spawn this year's sequel. PlayStation Home got delayed a bunch, found its way to every PS3, and has been quietly moving along ever since. Today, Sony debuted PlayStation Home Client version 1.5. It's a tool for developers to make better games in Home -- real-time multiplayer, improvements to the physics engine, and better graphics. You know, typical GDC stuff that doesn't matter much to the average player now but
will when developers make games with the tools. The game that showed this off was Sodium 2, a free-to-play racer that looks a bit like WipEout and puts your Home avatar in the cockpit.

Still, the interesting stuff came when PlayStation Home Director Jack Buser began talking numbers. Since launch, more than 19 million people
around the world have logged into Home and the average session is now 70 minutes long. There are more than 230 games in Home and more than 8,000virtual items on the Home marketplace.



How many people play Buzz in Home?

Withouta doubt, all of that sounds impressive, but I couldn't help but question it. I play a lot of PlayStation 3 and I have a full friends list, but never see people playing Home. Clearly, I wasn't the only one wondering about these figures. People started asking questions, and Buser said the 19 million refers to the people who have registered and entered the world -- those users could be like me that have played once and never touched the thing after that. Someone asked for the average number of users on a day-to-day basis, and Buser said Home shares that information with developers but couldn't divulge that number to us.

Then, Buser said something that caught my attention: PlayStation Home users are "the most engaged, most active users on the PS3." Could that be the case? I'm on the PS3 daily, and I don't use Home. I have a full friends list, and I never see people on it using Home.
WHO ARE THESE HOME PLAYERS?

I don't know, so I Tweeted and posted on My IGN looking for people who do and don't use PlayStation Home. Now, I have 24,000 My IGN followers and 11,000 Twitter followers. I got about 40 email responses in two hours. In short, these responses are not statistically significant. However, if you're following me on one of these social networks, I'd think it's pretty safe to assume you're into video games and an "engaged" user. So, what did my respondents have to say about Home...

YES, I USE HOME

"I use PlayStation home at least once a week. I use it to hang out with friends who my parents don't allow me to see in real life since
they live too far for them to take me there."
- Geoff Shapiro

"I use PlayStation Home quite frequently, whenever an upcoming game comes out and there is promotional content in Home for it, I use it, especially if using the home service leads to me receiving something in the actual game, like Killzone did."
- Koal McMillan

"Do I use PlayStation Home? Use might be a strong word. I go on PlayStation Home from time to time, usually just to check out what is new and cool. I don't "use it" per se. I think Home is a great idea with somewhat untapped potential. Long load and download times are certainly a barrier to entry, not to mention a UI which I feel is somewhat clumsy."
- Phillip Costiagn

"I still log in to Home maybe once a week. It's always interesting to me to roam around and feel like I'm part of a larger community. It can be fun to mess with people and have really strange conversations with strangers. The experience as a whole has also grown exponentially since it launched. For those who dismissed it early, I'd say it's worth revisiting."
-Sean O'Brien

"When I'm there, I have things to do and people to talk to, but the main issue is I have no real reason to go in, screw around, and most importantly keep coming back -- and the longer I'm away the less interest I have going back. That and I'm too busy playing games."
-Ahmadu Gidado

NO, I DON'T USE HOME

"I have been on it a few times. I don't really like it, and uninstalled it over a year ago. It doesn't really do anything for me in the sense that it's just a place where people walk around following all the girls, say stupid things and dance around. I liked playing chess with someone, but it's not my idea of a good time... I'd rather just play my PS3 and not go around social networking with a bunch of random people."
- Graham Waldrop

"In my opinion, there really is nothing that Home offers that is new and/or unique. If I want a social network, I have Facebook and Twitter. If I want trailers on upcoming games, I have IGN... Don't get me wrong, I like what Home is trying to do in the aspect of social gaming, but there really isn't anything in Home that I can't find better implemented somewhere else."
- Sam Howard

"I have never used Home. Nothing about what I've seen in demos or heard from other users made it sound in any way desirable. There have
been a few times when I clicked on it in the XMB out of boredom, but as soon as it said it needed to install software, my curiosity was overruled."
- Pete Thomas

"The PlayStation Home theater is a pretty awesome idea, and it works very well. The games that they give you to play like flash game are very good idea but are not all that fun usually, and let's be honest, without Trophies? Come on."
- Kyle Leppek

"The simple, to the point reason about why I don't use PlayStation Home is because I find the entire application cumbersome and slow. Loading times are ATROCIOUS. Why not just have a giant chat room? Why doI have to have avatars running about everywhere?"
- Adam Roy

Are you a Home user?

HOW DO YOU IMPROVE HOME?

"I think that you should be able to hook up a digital PSone to your TV in your apartment and invite people over -- you then can play online multiplayer with anyone in your apartment on any PSone game you bought from the PS store."
- Josh Hughes

"I want the game launching that was promised and the Trophy rooms. Yes, there are some games (i.e. Warhawk) that use the game launch
function, but not enough. And where is the Trophy display room that was promised? I want to be able to display my Trophies proudly in a room for all to see!"
- Phillip Costiagn

"I could be persuaded to get back into it, but the fact that it is something you have to run separately is a big reason for my disinterest.I would likely use it, and maybe enjoy it if it was replacing the cross media bar."
- Stephen Haberman

"It might sound weird but the only way I see Home ever being viable, is if they replace the XMB with it. When you turn on your PS3, it'll take you to your apartment where you could check messages on the laptop, go to your TV to play the game... etc. As it is, Home is little more than a shallow marketing tool void of any true relevance."
- Justin Raney

"If I had a wishlist: Virtual rooms for games where you can see DLCs, forums, etc. Use of your trophies (ie, VIP area in game rooms if you
achieved platinum). Integration with social media; for example facebook (and more than just post I'm here)"
- Chris Venantius

Source

i am with all the people that do not use home.

still love home even though i been here since 07 love home more now then ever before

Vicky wrote:still love home even though i been here since 07 love home more now then ever before

lolz

Playstation Home is a great platform for people who have been 'chat room' type people. And if they also like to game, you get the best of both worlds. Home has come a long way from the simplicity it started out with. If you compared the application from then until now, and as most have been there every step of the way, you'll realize that it's a social gaming application with endless possibilities.

The Playstation 3 console is originally intended for gaming, but when you add such features as bluray capabilities for movies, synced social networks, internet browsing, and online chat features displayed through PSN and Playstation Home, it makes one pretty awesome machine. People get on their PS3s to game and accidentally stumble upon the Home logo out of curiosity and discover this Sims like environment. If gamers actually took the time out to check out the application and see what Home has to offer, they might just love their PS3s that much more.

Because Home has been so successful, it's built a little rep and name for itself, to where people actually buy the console just FOR Playstation Home. I've come across a few people in Home that have mentioned that they don't really game. It's hard to believe, but there are some out there that will spend a couple hundred bucks on a console just for Playstation Home. Eventually some non-gamers who are surrounded by fellow gamers may become interested in gaming with their friends who actually game.

What I can say though is, sometimes getting on Home has its ups and downs. Don't get me wrong, I love the application; it can become very addicting. I just think from the people you come across or meet and befriend, you start to build relationships with these people. You look forward to getting on, hoping that the lot of them are signed on so you can chat it up or do what ever it is that you do together. That can go on for a good amount of time, and then eventually it starts to fade out. People end up having to tend to real life or go back to gaming and aren't on as much, then the cycle starts all over again. Some completely disappear from Home, others pop in to greet old friends.

Home may die out for some people, but with all the features it has to offer and the active community that makes it what Home actually is, Home itself will never die out. It's the community that makes up Home that gives it its own flow.

omg i agree home can be slow loading and theater still has hickups and some of there areas r dull and have no meaning to me but tell u what i play everyday on home and text chat too omg home does have problems but name one project that doesnt have kinks to work out i how ever miss the great ea sports complex yyyyyy sony we loved the car races poker table games and loved the golf there it was fun oh ya and fight night club hum was funner then farcry and those other none used areas and starwars omg lucas yyyyy nothing there no games no interactived items what a let down as for newer space conspirancy is fun i like nemus prime space im almost a captain ddr is fun omg killzone3 in plaza now that was great i loved that tehe in the theater it would be great to see more movies trailer or movie shorts but my fav places r burn zombie burn old school version,red bull beach, singstar with 80's&90's music, and siren love to be scared tehe oh ya dead nation kinda kool area not so good but game is nice lol

I like IGNs videos and what not, there cool. However, to say "who the hell uses Home" clearly means IGN needs to get their facts straight. While I myself may not use home every day as I use to, I was an addicted member for over 2 years and a ton of people get on Home everyday, not sure how people wouldnt recognize the massive community on Home. Especially where the majority of the activity on the official PS Forums was because of Home.

ign is extemely bias and there review about who play's home is crap bs like the other parts of website said sony doesnt paid ign to said nice things about home it is not going to happened until get head out ass over here

IGN has reason to doubt their numbers. They have never EVER released any statistics about activity other than "we have 18 million users!111" which is a blatant lie, as it's more like 18 million people tried the service but didn't like it. They say the average user spends 70 minutes in Home, they don't specify if it's within the small percentage that uses it or the supposed large numbers.

I dig Home, but fact is, IGN is right to question their ridiculously inflated PR numbers.

Titan wrote:IGN has reason to doubt their numbers. They have never EVER released any statistics about activity other than "we have 18 million users!111" which is a blatant lie, as it's more like 18 million people tried the service but didn't like it. They say the average user spends 70 minutes in Home, they don't specify if it's within the small percentage that uses it or the supposed large numbers.

I dig Home, but fact is, IGN is right to question their ridiculously inflated PR numbers.

I agree, the numbers do seem a bit exaggerated, but there's a good portion of people that use it. I can't see 18 million people though. Multiple accounts, same people, possibly.

SPADEZ wrote:I like IGNs videos and what not, there cool. However, to say "who the hell uses Home" clearly means IGN needs to get their facts straight. While I myself may not use home every day as I use to, I was an addicted member for over 2 years and a ton of people get on Home everyday, not sure how people wouldnt recognize the massive community on Home. Especially where the majority of the activity on the official PS Forums was because of Home.

thats because Most of people who uses home arent real gamers, and home was made for gamers on the first place.
i doubt there is a massive community on home, when i go to home, i always see the same people, filled with noobs.

6 million people a lone used japan home so we know that much i dont think japan lie about there numbers japan alway pack in event so much that need try several times before i am allowed instance aslo just because less people using na home because bs dram losers that go around saiding your girl or boy who give a fk many if they stop more people used na home stop with damn drama fams and hcv that so no needed and more people be on na home too ;p

Btw i have several friends that used japan home for same reason i do get away from the drama of north american. Either be pervs or the straight morons that act like there 5 when there 25 still living with mommy and only held job at block buster for two weeks not naming any names here :p A lot more people used home then back in 2008 and more and more people start used it because just going get bigger and bigger and soon IGN be kissing it ass

well, i dot know if people in japan fight cux i dot know wtf are they saying. they could be reporting me for idk what and i wont even notice

Meesh wrote:

Titan wrote:IGN has reason to doubt their numbers. They have never EVER released any statistics about activity other than "we have 18 million users!111" which is a blatant lie, as it's more like 18 million people tried the service but didn't like it. They say the average user spends 70 minutes in Home, they don't specify if it's within the small percentage that uses it or the supposed large numbers.

I dig Home, but fact is, IGN is right to question their ridiculously inflated PR numbers.

I agree, the numbers do seem a bit exaggerated, but there's a good portion of people that use it. I can't see 18 million people though. Multiple accounts, same people, possibly.

That's true as well, and that's the problem with statistics of this sort when you're dealing with something that is at its core free to use. They could be including repeats in their statistics among other things. I have no doubt there are a great deal of active users on Home, but I know that it isn't anywhere near that high. Also, they probably will never actually release the exact statistics, and honestly, it's probably for a good reason. For example, one million active users doesn't sound as good as eighteen million registered users.

hum i wonder about something time for new topic i agree with ya lots of pplz have multipule accts and how r they counting this number to get 18million really how number of log ins number of pplz signed up for home geez how do u really count how many pplz are on home sounds impossible

iRaz wrote:well, i dot know if people in japan fight cux i dot know wtf are they saying. they could be reporting me for idk what and i wont even notice

No japanese have respect for one and other and will not fight for sake of flighting ever specially in a virtual world no japan has too much culture values to do that stupid shit

i agree it is so much peaciful in japan tehe but u know i am starting to learn a little of thier language got a buddy there trying to teach me we have fun tehe

yes it very nicer feel in japan way differ then any other region that for sure

yes it is different