In an effort to try and resolve the network issues folks are having with Playstation Home, Sony has decided to take out voice chat in the 1.04 release. Instead of actually talking to folks, Sony recommends hooking up a keyboard. PlayStation Blog:
Quote:
Additionally, as part of version 1.04, the voice chat feature within PlayStation Home will be temporarily suspended. As soon as we are ready to resume the voice chat feature, we will inform you via PlayStation.com and PlayStation.Blog. In the meantime, we encourage users to make use of the Wireless Keypad for PLAYSTATION 3 or any USB or Bluetooth-enabled keyboard for text chat and also the “phone friend” features to communicate within PlayStation Home.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and kindly ask for your understanding.
Not like anyone uses voice chat on their PS3 anyway...
I'm glad they took out voice chat in general, too. It keeps those idiots who thinks it's cool to tape down their R2 buttons and blast music into HOME in-check. You also don't have to listen to desperate guys trying to hit on female avatars. Those aren't the reasons voice chat was disabled, but thank you Sony.
Leaving voice chat in-tact for phoning a friend is a good idea. I'd like this to be open voice chat, though, where you can keep talking without having to hold down the R2 button. I wish the same were an option in your personal space and in club houses too.
Wow, that was quick. I just got a bluetooth headset for my PS3, too. No VOIP for me.
Voice chat sucked bigtime and it's good it is gone. I also do not believe them that it was removed to stop network congestion, my thought is that is just a convenient ruse. I agree though that they should make it strictly for use between "friends" or possibly limited to say, your own apartment or club. The wide open free for all it was before created a situation that pretty much was only good for griefing.
Keyboard is absolutely the way to go (picked up a cheap USB one with a long cord myself). That is assuming Sony fixes the absolutely borked filtering mechanism. As an example, "Right I think" gets currently gets filtered presumably because there is a type of bird in the middle of the phrase.
Wow, already removing features. Home is off to a rocky start.
How can they take out voice chat? That seems like an essential part of a virtual world. Who really wants to type while holding a controller?
Why didn't they just implement distance/volume relationships. Make it so you can only here people right next to you and you have to walk up to someone to hear them. It would make it more realistic anyway.
Eh, don't care. So far home is a MAJOR disappointment to me. I just don't see ANY reason to get on. Hopefully in the future it evolves as has been said. Right now it just seems like a gigantic waste of time. I'd rather use my PS3 to play Resistance 2, MGS4 or watch Dark Knight on Blu Ray.
How can they take out voice chat? That seems like an essential part of a virtual world. Who really wants to type while holding a controller?
Why didn't they just implement distance/volume relationships. Make it so you can only here people right next to you and you have to walk up to someone to hear them. It would make it more realistic anyway.
The problem with distance/volume relationships is that they make for a clusterfuck. What if someone is talking behind you? off the screen?
The best thing would be to have a party system or something, where everyone in a party can talk to each other, which, apparently is what they have in apartments and clubs?
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