Microsoft Hinting At Home-Esque Spaces
Give your Avatars more to do.Published 08/10/2009 at 8:00 by nofi
Avatars Unleashed [4]
Pets Come To Xbox 360 Avatars [103]
Clothe Your Microsoft Miis [25]
Gamestooge is reporting on a recent survey by Microsoft asking Xbox 360 owners what they thought about a PlayStation Home-esque virtual Space in which their Avatars can meet and play video games. A few names are suggested: Game Room, RetroCade, AvatArcade (nice) and RetroGame, suggesting that the coin-ops themselves would be more akin to ports of Missile Command than House Of The Dead 4, and the Atari branding certainly adds weight to that theory.
It’s a pretty nice idea, the Rare-designed Xbox 360 Avatars are already much better integrated into the Xbox Dashboard than the Home equivalent will ever be (and your Avatars carry over into various games too, complete with anything you buy) and portray a much higher sense of character than the rather dull hipster style inhabitants of Home, so it makes sense to give them more to do. If this pays off, maybe we’ll see more areas for the Avatars to wander around in and more publishers getting on board. Interesting stuff.
Comments
Please note that all comments are the opinion of the individual author and not TheSixthAxis.
Raen | 08/10/2009 08:46
Team TSA: Writer
3720 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
AvatArcade is by far the best name. Be pretty cool if they pull this off.
cheekyMcB | 08/10/2009 10:30
Member
728 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Really?! It made me cringe first time I read it.
Raen | 08/10/2009 10:32
Team TSA: Writer
3720 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
I dunno I like it, it’s silly and fun. Otherwise RetroCade. The others are a little bland.
bunimomike | 08/10/2009 10:33
Member
4787 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
They should call it gRoomspace
Raen | 08/10/2009 10:37
Team TSA: Writer
3720 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Not bad, but a bit wordy surely
bunimomike | 08/10/2009 10:56
Member
4787 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
I was more thinking about middle-aged men pretending to be kids in there.
I’m sure I read about something like that happening in Home a while back.
dirtyhabit | 08/10/2009 11:11
Member
1444 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
‘I’m sure I read about something like that happening in Home a while back’
Shhyeah right! I’ve seen you wandering around Home in your ass-less chaps. waiting for people to bend over the pool tables!
mynameisblair | 08/10/2009 17:06
Member
3876 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
Love that name too.
Had to say it out loud to get it, though
Raen | 08/10/2009 17:07
Team TSA: Writer
3720 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Don’t worry, I half did. It’s the capitilsation.
Sympozium | 08/10/2009 09:01
Member
1646 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
lol rip off
Raen | 08/10/2009 09:04
Team TSA: Writer
3720 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Not really a rip off. It’s how the industry works. In fact it’s how every industry works. I suppose because modern cars use anti-lock breaks they’re “ripping off” Gabriel Voisin?
ricey787 | 08/10/2009 11:27
Member
274 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008
just like how tropheis rip off acheievements?
Shlomi1995 | 08/10/2009 15:58
Member
488 TSA Points | Member since: Jun 2009
Weird comment you make there Sympozium.
As Raen points out, this isn’t the first time rip-offs occur and very common in business.
Do you seriously think SONY didn’t rip-off Microsoft in one way or another?
BlingOnMyWrist | 09/10/2009 03:00
Member
1485 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
It may be a rip-off, but they’ve gone and made it better (more interactive).
tyrant161 | 08/10/2009 09:03
Member
422 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
Yes good name but can’t microsoft come up with an original idea of their own, or do they just prefer to copy off Sony and Nintendo. I have to be honest and say that i think the xbox avatar is a waste of time, your virtual you just sits there on your dashboard, or on your friends list if your’e in a party chat…the only good thing iv’e seen so far is the use of your avatar in the kingdom of keflings game (it’s the best use of an avatar on xboxlive and it’s a good game too). I just wish microsoft could come up with their own idea’s instead of seeing someone else’s and then copying it.
nofi | 08/10/2009 09:07
Wants a custom tag.
4302 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Avatars are available to any developer (even Indie stuff) so thats way above anything the Home avatars can do already. They’re also far better animated, with lots more character and less stupid dance moves, IMO.
Raen | 08/10/2009 09:14
Team TSA: Writer
3720 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Yeah I actually really like Avatars. The fact that they’ve got a little bit of life without any interaction makes them seem a little bit more human. They’ve also got a little bit of emotion in their interactions which is nice.
Avatar Drop is a silly little indie game with them in, but it’s fun. Bouncing around with rag doll physics is entertaining. And it’s only 80 points.
kevatron400 | 08/10/2009 14:09
Don't call him Kevatron400.
1756 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008
What is this currency of which you speak?
Raen | 08/10/2009 09:07
Team TSA: Writer
3720 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
“Man I wish Sony could come up with an original idea! I mean Home is just like Second Life!”
“Man I wish Second Life was original! It’s just like Habbo Hotel!”
hannes_truce | 08/10/2009 09:15
Member
2919 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2008
bajere | 08/10/2009 09:15
Member
1067 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
i think we no that companies copy each other, but the point people are trying to make is that Microsoft seem to copy others more so…Cover Flow, mii’s and now Home (maybe more things, im not sure). Yes companies copy each other, but nothing seems to be original from Microsoft anymore.
Raen | 08/10/2009 09:34
Team TSA: Writer
3720 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
I’d disagree that the NXE is the same as Cover Flow (which wasn’t an Apple innovation anyway, they bought the idea from another developer, so they were hardly original anyway), although it is (of course) similar. I can remember hearing that one of the reasons for the NXE’s interface, design and size of boxes is that they’re the same resolution as a number of internet adverts, meaning that advertisers can simply and easily buy ad space in a format they’re already working in.
They innovated on Miis more than anything. In my opinion while the use of Miis in games is better (not surprising as it was there from the start of the system and is part of the core user selection on the system), Avatars are a better design, more interesting, and feel more personal. Miis always seem a little lifeless, and I don’t feel any real connection. On a couple of occasions my Avatar has made me smile, particularly since Microsoft added the object interaction stuff.
bunimomike | 08/10/2009 09:15
Member
4787 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Sony, MS, Nintendo… they all end up furtively copying each other to a certain degree. However, if MS do a Home for the 360 then hopefully they’ll blow Sony out of the water and finally prompt Sony into throwing some proper weight behind its development. Let’s be honest… Sony have been so busy playing catch-up (both with promoting the PS3 itself and with Home in general) it sometimes seems to take someone else to show them how to do things.
bajere | 08/10/2009 09:22
Member
1067 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
Yea, but i still think the whole concept of HOME is a waste of time…everything they talk about seems long winded. cross game chat, group chat, launching into a match/race/battle, being part of clubs/clans etc could all be done from the XMB…booting up HOME, with its constant downloading, walking and waiting about, makes life harder for what people would like to do.
Also i still think the PS3 market is predominantly made up of men aged 18-40…men who couldn’t really care less about creating a Sim-style person and walk around watching people doing the running man! (and i know other demographic’s use a PS3, but the Majority are men from around 18-40)
Raen | 08/10/2009 09:28
Team TSA: Writer
3720 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Sony figures on Home usage would disagree with you. It’s got quite a large user base now, hence the ability to sell space to advertisers.
bunimomike | 08/10/2009 09:37
Member
4787 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
I know what you’re saying but you have to avoid personal experience opinion. Think about it. It’s all about choice. I’m a gamer. No need for social networking so will always use the XMB unless something drastic changes in Home (and with my friends). However, Sony are still out to make money from the more casual crowd and that age group grows accordingly. Gender too. With this in mind, I want Home to succeed. To be a stunning place for wandering around with friends (chatting on voice) and taking in the sights. To sit down and discuss games, current affairs, etc. To have a thriving community where real-world events are suitably portrayed and reported in Home itself. To see mini-games and events struck up all the time. To see launching of the more classic games with the perfect lobby system for before and afterwards. It’s all possible but takes time, effort, and money.
To top it all off… I don’t want any of that for me but I see it being an option for anyone that fancies it. It could also be a great hook for marketing as the press loved the idea before we got to see the true horror of the initial beta and subsequent release.
bajere | 08/10/2009 09:41
Member
1067 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
In all fairness it cant be that much of a raging success as i have never seen ANY of my friends on it…Think i have around 30-40ish, and i have only seen a handful go on when it 1st launched. I have also yet to see sites like TSA or other gaming sites where the members are going crazy over the features or the new top they just bought or any thing else Home related.
And i’m not up on my figures etc, but are the usage reports of day-day running, or the total number of people who have used it? as i know nearly everyone boots up HOME to see what it is at least once…so having a few million registered users isn’t a big deal.
Anyways, back to the point of the new MS Home-type-space. If it make the advatars more interesting, and people will use the service, then its a good thing…and it may make Sony up their game with HOME to give the many users (as Raen tells me ther figures say
) something better.
bajere | 08/10/2009 09:47
Member
1067 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
@ bunimomike –
I agree with all that mate. it would be nice if HOME did all those things you have just said, and maybe after all those add-on’s id go and have a look, but at this point in time it’s not. so thats what im basing my rant on.lol
But yea your right, time will tell. If Sony and MS create competition for the HOME/Avartar market, then the users should benefit.
bunimomike | 08/10/2009 10:09
Member
4787 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Agreed, bajere. Having a monopoly (MS OS anyone?) is not good. However, in the console world it’s a far more even playing field and this current level of competition is good for the consumer. Hopefully, MS won’t win due to simply having more money in the bank to buy-up things with. I wouldn’t want any of the current console manufacturers to leave the game.
bajere | 08/10/2009 10:33
Member
1067 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
@ bunimomike
This is my main fear with MS being in the console market, i would hate the console market to go in the way of the PC market, and MS buy all that’s needed to sink everyone else. They are already are doing it with DLC (GTA:IV), they are doing deals to get things 1st (MW2 maps), and i think that the MGS:Rising was an under the table deal to bring it over to the 360 platform as well.
(and before anyone jumps in and says that all company do it, yes they do, but no company can out bid Microsoft! and MS stance on competition is to eliminate it.)
It would be a sad day if we only had the Xbox to choose from…hopefully if that day ever comes, Mr Jobs will release details of an iConsole.lol
Raen | 08/10/2009 10:40
Team TSA: Writer
3720 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Actually MS’s stance on competition isn’t to eliminate it. Whilst it may seem like that they have (in the past) supported Apple when it was on the verge of going under, which is why they used to own stock in the company. Now that Apple are doing better (and due to anti-trust stuff) they were required to sell the stock, which is fair enough. But yes, that was essentially keeping the competition alive.
Raen | 08/10/2009 10:45
Team TSA: Writer
3720 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Of course that’s not to say that they are a glowing example, but a company that directly supports its competitor isn’t the worst company in the world. And I would imagine that almost every major company is (at some level) trying to eliminate or at least weaken the competition.
hazelam | 08/10/2009 11:28
Member
3950 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
bet you it’ll have a trophy room type thing and working game launching, both things home was supposed to have had, but didn’t
BlingOnMyWrist | 09/10/2009 03:10
Member
1485 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
Yeah, they can already watch movies together.
BadBoyBoogie | 08/10/2009 12:34
Let There Be Rock
2689 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
All this debate about who is copying who with what etc…. As far as I’m concerned, I think/hope it’ll drive each of them to improve their respective offerings, which at the end of the day, is going to benefit us, the people that use them!!
Raen | 08/10/2009 12:40
Team TSA: Writer
3720 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Exactly
kevhardy | 08/10/2009 12:55
Member
167 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
It may be my cynical sony-fanboy side coming out but I have to ask if the arcade machines in this new area will be accepting microsoft points to play them
Quinlank | 08/10/2009 22:17
Member
661 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
What happened to Home “Not being the sort of thing online gamers want” or whatever they said?
Then again, you might as well ask whatever happened to the 360 not needing HDMI/1080p/Motion sensing etc.
Not the biggest surprise to see something like this happen really.
Raen | 09/10/2009 01:10
Team TSA: Writer
3720 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
I don’t know how much this is really like Home anyway. This could even be almost an extension of your friends list and the group watching of films/Sky TV. I see it as you select which game you want to play from the NXE and you see which of your other friends are playing arcade games at the same time (and if none are then maybe some randoms also playing arcade games) before you zoom into your particular machine. Not particularly similar to Home at all really.