I got into Home Beta!

[jjmoohead]

Hey guys and gals, just wanted to say that I got my invitation into the home beta today. I have not had much a chance to do much with it so far but I will let you all know my thoughts over the next couple of days! I'm so excited!!

[Soul Angel]

Congratulation on being able to try out the Home beta, be sure to tell us what its like when you get the chance to. :)

[jjmoohead]

Ok as per the terms of agreement in being in the beta, I can't really discuss much more then whats already been stated by sony themselves. So with that being said I won't say much on whats all going on inside the beta but what I will tell you is this.

Its brilliant!

I mean what more can I say. The entire idea is simply amazing on so many different levels. Admittedly their is not a large amount of things to do yet, but where most people show negativity towards whats happening, I see an incredible experience.

I am not sure how to explain other then saying that sony has created an environment full of sony gamers playing PS3 games. They have made a place where strangers become friends with a simple push of a button. I have met so many people in Home in just a a few short days. People that have similar interests in mine. People with the same positions on the gaming industry and people who play the same games as me. It has allowed me to be in a positive environment where I can be myself and enjoy things that I already do, but at an all new level.

Home is not about playing a game. If you have that in your mind, you won't like it. Its that simple. Home is more then just a SIMS or Second Life. In fact, my opinion its not even on the same playing field. SIMS or SL are games. They are games with a purpose. That purpose is to make money and do with it what you will. Yes those games are social networks in that you can find people with simular interests and pretty much live in whatever fantasy world you want to create. The only thing Home has in common with games like those is that it is a Social Network. However its a network that I have never had the privilege of seeing before.

Like i said, its a place for PS3 owners. Its a place where Sony people get to communicate with other sony people. In my time there I have yet to run into a single raging Microsoft fanboy for example. Not that I don't except that sort of thing, or do I think there is actually someone out there now thinking of buying a PS3 just to go into Home and declare PS3 and Sony suck, but for the time being we have a place were 100% of the people there have something in common, a PS3.

Its important to note that what people are seeing right now in the 1.0 version is only the skeleton of what we should see in the Open beta that should be around real soon.

I will close in saying this one more time, Home is brilliant. The entire concept has so many advantages to it. The options on growth are endless and if Sony does what I think they can do with it, it just could change the way we game for a long long time. Don't expect amazing outragous things on day one, but if you keep an open mind, Home will be a fantastic experience for you. Think its a game, and you will be dissapointed. Its that simple. It can be boring at times and after the intial "holy crap look at this place", it will get a slow. However the entire idea of Home is simply brilliant.

I can't wait till everyone here can join me and we can get a PSFantasy Club House going.

[goodman]

Congrats, buddy! Id join you, but it will probably be next year. I searched high and low for the best deal on a ps3 (although there will be more im sure) and as it turned out my first next gen console ends up being a 360. Couldnt pass up the arcade system and a game (dance dance revolution yeah gonna sell it) for a total of $130. Even after i get it it will be a while before i do much with it since i have a overload of very good ps2 games to mess with. But i have Sony financing and will look into 2009 to be enjoying the experience of the ps3! Anyways have a great holiday season and dont let the true deals pass you by!

[jjmoohead]

I know I am going to get some rebuddle from this post, but its simply my opinion.

Goodman, I am glad you stepped up to the next gen consoles. There are a great number of games out now that you will more then enjoy. I am however a bit shocked you went with the arcade system. Let me say that the 360 is a great system, however the arcade system is something I wouldn't touch even if it was free. Ok, maybe if it was free.

The reason I say this is due to the way its gimped. Things like no HD or no WiFi (that might be there now) makes it not worth the value. For me, now that I have had the luxury of wireless everything, I couldn't go for what I now call "last year technology". I know that comment is going to get me in trouble but hear me out. I personally think that games are going to go in a direction now where Hard Drives are going to be a plus to have. Already with the new 360 dashboard you can install games right on to your harddrive. Something you won't be able to do with that Arcade system.

Sure this might not effect you personally and also you may not care with your setup, but for someone like me, the arcade system isn't worth the box its shipped in. For me, I honestly think the Arcade is over priced. I think at the price you got it its close to the real value at this point. Especially with the games you got. $199 is to much for what you get though.

On the other hand the other 360 systems comes with things like HD's and WiFi which make it a better value for your money, but then you get into the debate that its really not that much more for a PS3. A PS3 that even at the lowest end, comes with everything ready to go and a blu-ray player that rivals the best in the business. Even CNN claimed it to be the best Blu-Ray on the market.

Don't get me wrong. I think you made a great decision and got yourself a good console. Me personally, I want a 360 eventually, but I won't pay $199 for a machine thats missing what I really want. I won't pay extra for harddrive for that cheep machine cause it then makes it more then the next model and I wont pay more for a wifi cause now its more expensive then a PS3.

When the Elite system gets down to $199 i think it will be a reasonable price, but right now, value for your money, I just don't see how an arcade at $199 is better then a PS3 at $399.

Like I said at the start, this will get me some flack because I understand people don't share the same belief as me when it comes to this, but when it comes to anything in my life I like to look a value for your dollar and value tells me that the Arcade isn't worth it. I know for most families looking for a good christmas gift it fits, for a gamer with a passion, its just not worth it.

I know it sounds silly to many here, but its like this. I wouldnt buy a $300 Zinkling Television over a $900 Sony/Samsung/Panasonic any day. The price is great but the value you is terrible.

Either way, congrats on your new purchase Goodman. I can't wait for you to get a PS3 and we can do some gaming together though.

[goodman]

Its kewl, moo, yeah the arcade uses Wifi. I can get a hd on the cheap, maybe $20-$40. Honestly i wouldnt have jumped on it if i couldnt get a system and a game, and shipped, for a total of $130 (already got the game on Ebay for $55) . I got the system last night and have already got it set up for online play, took like 5 minutes to set up. I have this weekend off (normally work weekends) and will be celebrating two birthdays, but early next week i should be fully set and ready to rumble! Im not completely out of the ps3 hunt maybe for this year (got a real big Xmas present coming) so if the right deal comes then sweet. Im just glad that the right situation came along to get a new system for a song, let me know and i can hook you up with a forum where im getting great deals on games/movies, etc, etc! Peace brotha! And goodwill from goodman!!

[jjmoohead]

Your able to get a MS 360 harddrive for $20 - $30? Thats actually pretty sweet. Are they not normally largely overpriced?

Personally I wont be getting one for a long while. Just to much to play right now and I really don't like paying to play online. I know its cheep, its just the fact that I have a means of playing for free. If sony ever changes that, the 360 might look more appealing at that time. However like I said, thats pretty sweet.

Does this forums you speak of work for Canadian Residence?

[goodman]

Hey Moo,

Yeah as it turns out im getting the 60 gig hard drive starter kit, that comes with the 60 gig hd, head phones, and 3 months of xbox live and a ethernet cable. Its like $80, but im using Gamestop store credit so its all good. The site is called cheapassgamer and its got a huge canadian representation, the current membership of the forums is around 42,000 people from all over. There are a lot of canadian deals going on right now, go to the regional section and find canada, its near the top of the forums. When i ship out Dance Dance Revolution today that i sold for $55 dollars and then sell some parts of my 360 to gamestop, i will have gotten a xbox 360 arcade system brand new for $60, you can see why i did it, right. Let me know what you think of cheapassgamer, im on it all the time now, really love it! See ya!

[jjmoohead]

Hey Farf, I never did come back here and thank you for the website. It doesn't seem to have a lot of great stuff for Canada, but I was able to find a 2 games for $40 deal at Rogers Video over Christmas break.

I picked up Fallout 3 and Motorstorm:Pacific Rift for $40. Not a bad deal by any means considering Fallout 3 was sold out almost everywhere and even the used copies where going for $55 alone.

I almost sold Fallout 3 to a used games place cause of the value he would give me. Guess he had a friend who had been wanting it but couldnt find it anywhere in town. He was going to give me new game trade in value. Basically give me a new game for exchange. However, I wanted to know what all the fuss was about so I kept it. Just started playing it yesterday.

The sale at Rogers was great, they had all kinds of new games in the bin, sadly I owned all of them already other then those 2 and 1 other one I had no desire to play. There were games like littlebigplanet, Metal Gear Solid 4, Madden 09, NHL 09 and GTA4.

[goodman]

Heya Moo, great to hear you got some enjoyment from the site, ive already made several great deals there. If your into movies, and stuff they have a lotta great deals there for that sorta thing. Its much more than a gaming site, but they will have any deal on games for sure. I just got a Xbox Live 13 month card for 29 bucks american, cant beat it man. Takes a lotta the criticism outta the cost of some of the Xbox Live conversation doesnt it since basically its dirt cheap at Cheapass! Anyways guys and girls hope 2009 is looking to be a great year, its amazing now that weve been here so long, grown older (and hopefully wiser) together!!

[jjmoohead]

I don't buy dvd movies anymore, but I do get the odd blu-ray. I have about 10 right now I think. Really want to pick up the Bourne Trilogy this week. Maybe I can find an online Canadian deal? Is there much for blu-ray? I will have to go and check it out again.

BTW - Does it matter if I have an account. I could see the most of the forum without one, but should I sign up?

[Frozen]

Hey jj,

Are you still roaming home around?

[jjmoohead]

Sorryfor taking so long to respond

Yes I still spend lots of time in there these days. Especially since the EA SPORTS area was released. I love texas holdem!

[goodman]

Mooo you gamblin fooo, wassuppp???

[goodman]

Sorryfor taking so long to respond

Yes I still spend lots of time in there these days. Especially since the EA SPORTS area was released. I love texas holdem!

Hey Moo, just took two months lol...

[jjmoohead]

Figured why not make it another 2 months. LOL I always come to the site, I just never post for some reason :).