File this one under "Really Stupid Moves Not to Make".

Apparently missing the point of creating an online social network in the first place, Sony have announced that public interaction areas in the upcoming PlayStation Home will be locked by region.

What does this mean, exactly? Read below.

"If you want to meet up with your pals from abroad, then you’ll be able to invite them into your apartment, but warping into the game space to bowl or play chess is not possible. This is allegedly to make sure that each region receives an “experience most suited to their tastes” as well as, no doubt, to keep advertisers happy. The last thing they want is Europeans seeing an advert directed at Americans."

So basically, Sony want to provide a unique tool to allow gamers to interact with their friends... only they don't want to allow them to enjoy half of those features with their friends.

Smart Sony. Real smart.

Tags : e3 : E3 2008 : Electronic Entertainment Expo : Home : PlayStation 3 : playstation home : PlayStation Network : PSN : Region Locked : Sony

Comments

By: Pendelino On: 07:10 Jul 17th, 2008 Offline	That seems like an ideotic move to make, surely being a social interactin space means you can socialise with your friends in it no matter where they are? Why cant they just make the adverts change depending on who is looking at and where they are looking at it from, like how advertisements can work on internet

By: Evren On: 07:51 Jul 17th, 2008 Offline	Oh, thanks Sony, I still cant talk and play with my American friends. Thanks. A lot. Change the freaking adverts for each region, that isnt that hard. Guh Sony...FAIL.

By: Dragonsoul On: 03:11 Jul 17th, 2008 Offline	This is another mistake for Sony. How many is that now? I've lost count. I really don't follow this line: "The last thing they want is Europeans seeing an advert directed at Americans." Why? Is an advertisment that big a deal? With the advent of the internet, people all over the world see all kinds of different advertisments. Keeping people's ads from being seen by more than one country is an antiquated notion, IMO. And even if it was deemed a necessity, why can't they change it accordingly, as mentioned? Methinks there's another, more bottom-line minded, reason for this.

By: Pendelino On: 03:48 Jul 17th, 2008 Offline	yea, properly some unknown reason, like they are too cheap to enable different regions lol unless the socalisong is going to that ntwork havy which seems unreasable

By: Samuel On: 04:07 Jul 17th, 2008 Offline	THUNK THUNK THUNK What's that? Oh, that's just another nail in sony's coffin.

By: boa On: 05:47 Jul 17th, 2008 Offline	God damn it sony, stop shooting yourself in the foot. I hated you with the PSX, you won me over with the PS2, but now you're making it real hard to like you with this kind of crap...