Home is finally here. Well, sort of. Home version 1.03 was released on December 11 as an open beta for all PlayStation 3 owners. Sadly, the only thing this barren version of Home is doing is adding to the growing worry that Sony have created something that no one wants. So, how can Sony give people a reason to care about Home? Here are ten quick ways to do exactly that.

Sort out the server issues ASAP

OK, so Sony are probably already trying to do this, but I doubt it’s ASAP. As if Home’s build-up hadn’t underwhelmed everyone enough, when it finally launched only a handful of people could actually log on. It’s nearly a week later and PS3 users, myself included, are still having troubles logging into Home. You can call it an ‘open beta’ all you want, Sony, but your user base regards it as the real deal and they’re annoyed they can’t even explore the damn thing when they want to. This issue also begs what’s an unfair comparison with Microsoft’s NXE, which launched almost flawlessly. The whole ordeal casts Sony and Home in a bad light in already worrying times, and needs to be fixed, pronto.

Once the servers are sorted, make Home the boot-up interface

Microsoft’s NXE has a high attach rate because it replaces the old interface. It’s essentially an upgrade and doesn’t feel optional. Right now, Home feels very optional. If PS3 users could turn on their PS3s to find themselves sitting in their apartment, maybe holding a copy of the game that’s in the disk drive for a bit extra chic, it would feel more like an interface and a starting base, and less like an optional Second Life copy. Sony could overlay the XMB over it, so that it doesn’t feel like a total overhaul, and ensure every game can be launched from it. Add in one quick button to take users online and suddenly Home’s more tangible. Simple.