Could Home For PS3 Replace The XMB?
Innerbits has salvaged some rather interesting bullets concerning the upcoming virtual community Home for the PlayStation 3.
- Currently, Home limits the number of users in a single room to 64. This seems to be a performance related issue as the frame rate dips significantly with 60+ players. This will surely be addressed before the product is released.
- Based on some beta feedback, developers of Home have made travel between different zones in Home a lot more straightforward. The length of time it took to move from one place to the next became a major weakness in terms of usability. As a result, the different areas have been reduced in size, characters can now run as well as walk, and quick access to any area is available through the PSP interface.
- There are people within both the developers of Home and the larger Sony organization who would very much like to see Home completely replace the XMB. They would like users to directly be put into Home when they boot up their console.
- The version of Home to be released this fall won’t in any way resemble the final version of Home. Work on the primary features of Home is expected to continue for at least a year. Initial versions released to the public this fall will be quite incomplete.
One of the main issues I had when I saw Home was the time it would take your character to navigate each area. While the idea of Home seemed great, it essentially offered similar functionality as Xbox Live, but fleshed out in full 3D. While it is interesting to see people running around the environment, rendering the same functions in 3D that you could access through simple menus, seemed like it would waste a considerable amount of time. I’m pleased to hear they addressed that issue with the ability to run, and zip everywhere with the virtual PSP interface.
It makes sense that Sony will be developing Home for a whole year after the release. At this point a Beta audience is a good judge for the product, but they are generally enthusiasts who may view the application differently from John Q. Sonyfan. This year will allow them to tailor the experience to provide the best experience possible by evaluating public opinion.
Now the notion that Home will replace the XMB is pure poppycock. Why would you replace the streamlined system functions of the XMB with a 3D application that is designed to reinforce the community aspect of the PS3? The XMB is simple and straightforward. Essentially the user is navigating a huge grid that is broken down by a few columns. Everything is organized well, and in one place. I think it would be great to allow the user to decide if they want to forego the XMB experience and go directly to Home without collecting $200, but to get rid of it entirely would be counter-productive.
Home Tidbits [Innerbits]
[via PS3 Fanboy]
Toots
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 9 August 2007
· Comments (2)
Other stuff like this: beta, home, ps3, sony
I totally agree that the Cross-Media Bar should not be abandoned - it's an incredibly quick, efficient way to get around your media, and it should always be an option.
Home is looking better and better. I can't wait till Fall!
I think that not only should they replace the XMB with Second Home, but they should make the user leave his fake house and travel to the fake mall and go into the fake movie theater to watch a Blu-Ray movie, or go to a friend's fake house to play against that friend in a multi-player game, or go to the fake arcade to play a single-player game.
Because I know that would sell a lot of consoles.