PlayStation Home Impressions (Verdict: Needs Content) [PS3]

In case you're curious as to the progress of the PS3's upcoming PlayStation Home, the 3D Second Lifeish world in which you can interact with others, watch movie trailers, play games or just decorate a virtual apartment, one of our own readers was invited to participate in Sony's closed beta program and then kindly drafted up his experience for the world to read. His account confirms our skepticism while painting a pretty clear picture of exactly how Home works. And if you've got a second and a PS3, read on for his account. Character Creation:

The first thing that I noticed when you go in is that the sliders for character customization move slow as shit. They move so slow that you can't really see the difference in the changes that you are making.

General Play

After you create your character, you jump right into your apartment. The controls are pretty intuitive and the integration of an in game psp is pretty cool (basically in game xmb with extra home options)...[you] really need a keyboard to communicate, but it is still functional with multiple emoticons and preprogrammed messages.

Zones

Each different zone you enter you need to download a new file they range from 18 to 33 MB (They should integrate this into the main download). From the main area you can visit the following places: 1. Movie Theater - A movie theater that you can walk around, sit enjoy...more lapdances, all while the trailer of the last guy is playing. Its kinda funny seeing the text bubbles pop up above peoples heads as they see the trailer. "Game Sucks Ass"...."cool music"..."soundz like bad porn tunez". 2. Shopping center - Visit store for more clothes, furniture, and "stuff". I bought everything I could within 2 mintues. Very limited suppy of "free" items, currently nothing for "sale" with actual dollars. 3. Music zone (no download required, part of the main area) - Listen to 1 of 3 tunes and dance appropriately for the style of music. Get made fun of by other dancers. 4. Game zone - Play crappy arcade, pool and bowling games (absolutely no motion integration, very crappy controls, meh all around)

Closing Thoughts

20 minutes and you get the full experience of Home. The only entertaining thing that keeps me logging back on is stalking other people and doing the twist dance maneuver while saying "grind me hard". I basically chase people around and shake my booty at them and they try to jog slowly away from me, its pretty amusing. Home just needs content. It is currently a 3d chat room.

It should be noted that the PlayStation Home beta does not include areas with PlayStation 3 title game integration as we'll see with games like Warhawk and Resistance 2. Thanks Randy!
[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]

GamePark Wiz hands-on from Engadget Spanish

We've already seen early pictures and heard a release date for GamePark's newest handheld -- the Wiz -- but now Engadget Spanish has gotten their hands and eyes all over the device, and they've brought back photos to prove it. As you can see from the pics, the portable console will be offered with more than one style of casing, and apparently the company is setting up some type of App Store-like service which will allow users to purchase and download software, as well as share their own homebrew apps. According to our team, it looks like that October 8th street date will be pushed back till sometime in November due to issues with the right control pad (which GamePark is working to correct). Until then, you can just feast your eyes on the gallery below.
[Via: Engadget ]

Sony sorts out the UK PSP-3000 release situation

Fear not, UK friends, you will be getting the eye-pleasing, battery-draining PSP-3000 just like everyone else, but it seems you won't be getting quite as many bundle options as others in Europe. According to GamesIndustry.biz, the silver PSP-3000 bundle with Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters and the black PSP-3000 bundle with a 4GB Memory Stick won't be making it to the UK, at least initially, leaving you with only the Go! communication, FIFA, Harry Potter, and Buzz! Master Quiz bundles to choose from. That, as you may have noticed, doesn't include a stand-alone PSP-3000 option, but Sony assures us that'll be arriving as well sometime after the bundles are released.
[Via: PSP Fanboy ]

Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display creates haptic 3D objects you can poke

Sure, you may have your fancy vibrating controllers and liquid-injecting touch screens, but Takayuki Iwamoto wants you to play with the air. Iwamoto and some of his buddies at the University of Tokyo have come up with a way to use focused ultrasound to create manipulable virtual objects in space. Using multiple transducers, the "Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display" creates an acoustic radiation pressure field. Holding your hand in the field allows you to "feel" the object, manipulate it, and feel response. Right now, the system only creates a vertical field, but you had better bet that Iwamoto is working on that. As for suitable applications, interest has already been shown from both industrial and gaming developers. No word on the hentai industry taking note, but that can't be too far away. Check the video after the break to see this tech in action.

[Via: BBC News ]