PlayStation Beta Rooms Wrap-Up

02 Aug 2010 at 11:00:29 by James Chalmers

“What we want to do is make the Beta Rooms a place for the community to get the chance to play unreleased titles and then start talking about them with other members” explained MusterBuster, as we sat down on one of the plush leather sofas that filled one of the social areas of the PlayStation Beta Room event.

“The aim is to bring community gaming back to the masses and sometimes we feel online play can be an impersonal experience” and this is Sony’s answer. The Beta Rooms ran over this weekend in Birmingham where around 200 specially selected members of PlayStation Community were invited to try out some of the up-and-coming games for the PlayStation 3.

It was an event for community members to finally meet each other face to face while also getting their first hands-on experience with games such as Killzone 3, LittleBigPlanet 2, MotorStorm: Apocalypse as well as the PlayStation Move.

Along with the chance to get try out 3D gaming we also had had the opportunity to leave Birmingham with a 3DTV firmly tucked underneath our arm, something the small IncGamers contingence that headed up to the event failed to do.

So sit back and enjoy our experience of the Beta Rooms from start to finish, and find out exactly how one member of the IncGamers team cost us the chance of winning that fabled 3DTV.

2.55 pm Saturday 31 July – We’ve finally set off for Birmingham, loaded up with the camera, a sat nav and a car full of high expectations for the Beta Rooms, we make journey up the M5 in record time. Well it would’ve been record time if someone weren’t so adamant of stopping for energy drinks every so often (unbeknownst to us at the time that they would be our diet for the next few hours).

5.24pm We arrive in Birmingham, having a camera case to wheel behind us we set off for The Custard Factory, tonight’s venue for the Beta Rooms. Except there is one little problem we encounter as we leave the car park…where exactly is The Custard Factory? Asking some of the locals and being given probably the roughest guess in history we were off in the right direction…we hoped. We soon found our way to the location and joined the already growing masses of community members eagerly waiting for the event to start.

6.00 pm – THE DOORS ARE OPEN! However along with the other 200 community members we have to queue. Thankfully the sun is shining, everyone is friendly and we are all soon chatting about our expectations for the evening. Apologies now to the one person I completely blanked in the queue, I was more focused on getting this camera to move with me and only realised you said hello as I walked past. Now we play the waiting game.

6.23 pm –We are in, after being at the back of the queue for a while we are ushered through as Sony see we have a camera and using the excuse “they need more time than everyone else to film” we are moved straight into the front of the queue. I think Sony really want this community event to succeed and the coverage we hoped to achieve meant we were interacting with the community, getting their insight into the event and giving them a platform. We are greeted by a couple of lovely looking ladies, who take our details and hand out wristbands, finally we are free to explore.

6.48pm – Wow! Just having a quick mosey around I’m astounded by it all. The layout is modern and really gives the whole experience a clean, fresh feel. It wasn’t until I chatted to one of the community ran sites later on in the night that they likened it to the PlayStation Home service and I can definitely see where they get that impression from.

Gran Turismo 5 ishe event witx 3D"elavCtatwofhBet versions of the game as well as two special versions that incorporates full feedback steering wheels and pedals. LittleBigPlanet 2 is hiding away in the corner and not many people know it’s there, will definitely be taking advantage of that in the next few hours.

There is also a no filming zone that houses Heavy Rain Move, Killzone 3 in 2D and 3D as well as the upcoming PSN title Dead Nation. The queue for the MotorStorm: Apocalypse 3DTV competition is beginning to grow already, WE WILL WIN THAT TV!

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