Sony: Abusers will be locked out of Home

Sony Europe Home boss explains that it's not putting up with nonsense in its new online social networking space; brands others "anarchistic."

EDINBURGH, UK--Sony's Home will be different to similar social networking sites, such as Second Life, in many ways. Most notably, those who continually abuse others online will be permanently banned.

Peter Edward, director of the Home Platform Group, speaking about the project at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2007, said that unlike other similar online services, Home would be "safe." Although he didn't mention any names, it was clear the executive was referring to sites such as Second Life, which he branded "anarchistic."

Edward said, "It's a safe place for companies to promote their brand. There's no danger of damage to the brand through anarchistic actions."

When questioned on what the company would be doing to combat abuse from people using the service, he replied, "Ultimately, and we don't broadcast this, but we know the machine details, and we know where they live...So you can be disconnected and have to move house and buy a new PS3 before you could get online again...Although obviously, we don't want to do that too much."

Edward also added that the future of Home would be very much what the users decided to make it. He commented, "We don't know how people will use Home in the long term," but added that it was bound to be interesting.

335 Comments

  • kangaroo

    Posted Aug 21, 2008 12:31 pm PT

    Edward says it's "safe" and then goes on to say, "It's a safe place for companies to promote their brand. There's no danger of damage to the brand through anarchistic actions." lol, okay -- it's safe for advertisers, not for players or kids or the parents concerned about their well-being.

  • Big-Rick

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 11:01 pm PT

    Jackpot! This is will be safe place! Man i need to meet a new ppl :'(

  • playstation_wii

    Posted Aug 16, 2007 12:18 pm PT

    Phew!

    I'm glad that jerks will get banned!

  • 99X

    Posted Aug 16, 2007 5:08 am PT

    The scariest part of this whole thing is the line: "It's a safe place for companies to promote their brand." Home is basicly a way for advertisers to get your eyes on stuff while you try and game and meet friends. it's not about giving features, it's about ad dollars. be prepared.

  • GrimBee

    Posted Aug 16, 2007 3:37 am PT

    Nintendo has friend codes for a reason - and xbox live is a pay for service for a reason -

    Nintendo has friend codes to stop this kind of stuff, and xbox live, even though it can be filled with jerks - people who pay for the service will be losing out if they get kicked out of games all the time - so that is an incentive to keep things clean.

    Sony are offering a free for all service, which is alot more complex. You invite all kinds of people if its a free for all.

    You don't pay for the service, so you have nothing to lose if you do wrong. And you dont have friend codes - so you can't manage who you play against or interact with.

    So, I guess through Sony's lack of being inventive - they just want to ban instead.

  • TTDog

    Posted Aug 16, 2007 1:53 am PT

    brianpoetzel:
    @TTdog: Yeah, I can see that. But I guess I'd like them to see what the community will be like first before waving the banhammer. They can still have all the same rules in place and ban accordingly. I just think the public warning before home is even out is a little unnecessary. Do they really think the community will be so bad that they have to threaten bans before there are even people to ban?

    Well, you've seen what GS is like....

  • Serious

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 11:38 pm PT

    I don't see this as bad news. Home will need someone to police it. from Pedophiles and spammers that are going to try to invade it. Even Gamespot has a report abuse drop menu to help make the experience an enjoyable one. What's communist about this? I don't get it. someone explain to me.

  • HaloArchAngel

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 9:28 pm PT

    Well I'm an Xbox Lover, and they are not much better. In fact they don't ban abusers at all. With there Digital Rights media downloads, if you ever thansfer it to another Xbox, you have to be Live-On-Line to ever use the content again, IT SUCKS

  • D3xxRay

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 8:37 pm PT

    So when you buy a PS3, you won't be a slave to just Blu-Ray, but to the whole company (aka Communist Sony). It fvckin' creeps me out that they would say they know where you live. Don't trust the eye toy!!!!!!!

  • JBiker51

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 8:16 pm PT

    I doubt anyone would want to get married in Sony's digital marketing hell. Believe me, people would much rather be married in an anarchist society than a communist one.

  • UrbanMessiah

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 5:51 pm PT

    OtterX "Woohoo, Sony is finally creating a Communist Online Society!"

    lol! I read that and immediately thought "In Sony Home, you don't ban online, online bans you!"... -=x

  • mkurts

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 4:37 pm PT

    There aren't that many people that you can ban anyway Sony.

    Your PS3 is selling rather badly, did you notice ?

  • bently810p

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 4:34 pm PT

    I knew this was coming but I hope they make police people that if you do something wrong you could like a court room session in the game. That would be cool and funny at the same time.

  • other44

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 4:30 pm PT

    good! haha

  • OtterX

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 4:13 pm PT

    Woohoo, Sony is finally creating a Communist Online Society!

  • jogunther

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 2:30 pm PT

    Midwest king just to make sure to put a blanket over the "Sony" eye toy.

  • DonutTrooper

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 2:24 pm PT

    I hope they don't do somthing as stupid as banning IPs. If so, what if some d**k in the apartment next to me acts like a jacka** and gets banned? Hope they think of that, considering Tokyo housing is like a giant apartment anyway.

  • priest17

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 2:13 pm PT

    Don't see anything wrong with that. It's probably like having forum mods, i hope, but what ever it's not like I have a ps3 anyway, or any other this generation console

  • PS3_MidwestKing

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 2:12 pm PT

    OMG i don't think its self to get dress in my room any more sony could be watching

  • EnigmaticBeauty

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 1:36 pm PT

    Ultimately, and we don't broadcast this, but we know the machine details, and we know where they live...

    ....is Sony the Mafia?

  • munsoned

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 1:17 pm PT

    i can hear wedding bells already,alot of ppl like to get married in these fake gaming worlds.

    bingo21502 hurry gurls im still single lol

  • F1sTDaCuffS

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 1:15 pm PT

    i cant wait to abuse it. i hope you can rob peoples homes and stufff, im going to start a home gang. pure evil

  • bcolter

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 12:55 pm PT

    You can hear the hackers laughing, this will be fun to watch.

  • HALOISTHEBEST26

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 12:33 pm PT

    they can solve the problem buy having baseball bats apear into everyones hand except for the guy who is being an idiot and just let him get jumped, or have his credit card # flash on the screen, and another thing is make a video of that guy getting jumped and play it in the theater

  • Squeets

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 12:09 pm PT

    Valen_Ca.... when you first turn on the PS3 you must register...

  • Valen_Ca

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 11:40 am PT

    They know exactly where you live huh? That's impressive since to my knowledge geolocation by IP will at best give you the City you are in and not your full street address, unless of course you have to enter your full address into the PS3 to use some of its functions.

  • Space-Q

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 10:25 am PT

    "To be honest I think home will be quite interesting, it'll make it easy to meet up with people and launch games."

    you know what would be even better? If one person could just start up a game and others could join it by putting there game in the console...without having to meet up in a room outside of the game before-hand.

  • DukeNukeForever

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 10:21 am PT

    Instead of "banning" people, why can't the user(s) have the option to just block the person from seeing them - then the trouble making retards will eventually be walking around lonely with no one to annoy. That would be awesome though! Once blocked - you see like a Star Trek effect and the perpetrator can disappear into Virtual Nothingness!

  • fr33_loader

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 10:10 am PT

    And Sony would all be doing this policing and banning and other stuff for free. Another big promise your making here. Why dont you just put that extra man power to making games as you also promised. Dont care much about Home but do care about games. And how many hundreds of games was that again?

  • Bladeneo

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 9:41 am PT

    "Talking about knowing where PS3 owners live won't give you a good image Sony." - Of course they know where you live, you register your PS3 with address...

    To be honest I think home will be quite interesting, it'll make it easy to meet up with people and launch games. Other than that, I doubt I'll be spending too much time in the virtual world, I did that far too much when I was 12. Regardless, I can't see it as a BAD thing, you dont have to use it, its just a nice extra. The banning thing is good; People saying its a bit extreme obviously dont know how annoying people can be. Id much rather walk around home and see people communicating coherently than constantly being confronted by idiots going "HUR HUR YOURE ALL GAY"...is that really what people want?

  • brianpoetzel

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 9:39 am PT

    @TTdog: Yeah, I can see that. But I guess I'd like them to see what the community will be like first before waving the banhammer. They can still have all the same rules in place and ban accordingly. I just think the public warning before home is even out is a little unnecessary. Do they really think the community will be so bad that they have to threaten bans before there are even people to ban?

  • GrimBee

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 9:38 am PT

    Its a virtual world - the whole point of this is that you can do what you like in it (in your own turf of course).

    Imagine Sony owning WoW - You couldn't attack people of the same sex, everywhere you went there would be an advert - and any attept to change things the NON sony way would result in an instant ban.

    I would much rather PAY for home and do what I like in it, than simply go in there for free and be feared of getting banned completely.

    If you got banned - does this mean you can't play arcade games and view your trophies? If home is designed to collectively keep all these things, isn't banning a bit extreme? Sony seriously need to lighten up, just banning someone is not right. You would think that someone trying to design a worldwide infrastructure like home would be a bit more creative with their rules...

    "banned" indeed...

  • nemes1s3000

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 9:29 am PT

    Do they also have a 25 year old with a 8 year old's immaturity squelch button?

  • SemiMaster

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 8:48 am PT

    Do they have a 12 year old racist homophobe squelch button?

  • Merodach

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 8:26 am PT

    I can't believe there are dudes who are excited about matching their virtual couches with their virtual curtains, all while playing dress up. I'll take shooting racist 12 year olds in the face over live instead of Sony Dollhouse any day.

  • okassar

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 8:21 am PT

    Home is pretty sweet,but it's definitely no reason for Sony Fanboys to go crazy.There's something called chatting on a computer?Nevertheless,it is convient as Xbox Live chatting is too,but a system is for games,so chatting should'nt be a big aspect of PS3 owner's lives,unless they keep away from AIM and text messaging...and,ofcourse,if they have a decent amount of friends with PS3's,internet access for their PS3's,and that spend alot of their time on the PS3...willing to put aside time to chat with their friends...Does that de-glorify Home enough?

  • GilHerad

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 8:18 am PT

    Anarchy is a key element of online virtual communities. If the virtual community is like real life then there is no point in going there. The whole point is to not think about whats "right" or "wrong".

  • TTDog

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 8:12 am PT

    "brianpoetzel:
    i think it's a little odd that they are already assuming the worst and planning for bans. i think it would have been better if they just watched for a bit to see behavior first and then ban if needed. Rather than warning people of a ban first even before the thing comes out. "

    I see it as a good thing, everything like this (chat rooms, online play, MMO's) will always be open for abuse, if they clamp down right from day one then theres less chance that people will shy away from using it, the racist/sexist kids on XBL put more than a few people off playing online with the Xbox and 360, surely if Sony are trying to avoid similar things happening in Home its a good thing.

  • Space-Q

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 8:12 am PT

    "you know what would be funny, some guy put P*rn on his on home. sony bravia tv and keep his his door open. now that would be funny."

    hahaha. open up the blinds and turn the volume up

  • jrod9999

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 8:03 am PT

    Things dont seem as fun when you feel Big Brother is looking over your shoulder.

  • acarrillo

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 7:47 am PT

    Sony have a problems! really we are affected ! , Maybe the new and expected version of ps3 and the new plugs like Dual shock and ohter stuff. complement the History of Records. How the say all Patners

    LONG LIVE TO SONY PLAYSTATION

  • brianpoetzel

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 7:23 am PT

    i think it's a little odd that they are already assuming the worst and planning for bans. i think it would have been better if they just watched for a bit to see behavior first and then ban if needed. Rather than warning people of a ban first even before the thing comes out.

  • boobush

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 6:40 am PT

    Talking about knowing where PS3 owners live won't give you a good image Sony.

  • NinjaMunkey01

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 6:14 am PT

    It is good that they are putting consequences for people who are going to abuse home though it dosent mean you will never be annoyed by someone on home. the penalty seems a bit high, it would be better if the penalty was a week banned from psn not forever. I will not buy the extras on home as I am not interested buying virtual houses or buying anything on home. I will not mind the advertisements as that is what keeps it free and being able to watch trailers with others will be good.

  • cwhistler

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 5:29 am PT

    so the only way to get back on is to "move house and buy a new PS3"!?!?

    So then if you buy a used PS3 that was previously owned by an "anarchist" then you can't get on home!? Sounds like they've really thought this out.

  • Symphonycometh

    Posted Aug 15, 2007 4:49 am PT

    JABSHADOW:

    Another reason I didn't want a 360. I really don't want my sisters playing with users like the one you spoke of. Hiding behind a screen. That'll be on my top 3 reasons in fact.

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