| 2008 debut for PlayStation 3 Home
Home lets players create an avatar for the virtual world
Sony is delaying the launch of the Home online world service for its PlayStation 3 console.
Originally slated for an autumn launch, Home is a virtual world in which owners of the PS3 create avatars and socialise with others.
The social networking system is a key plank in Sony's strategy to win customers for its game gadget.
Sony said Home would now be launched early in 2008 but gave no specific date for its release.
Console crowd
Sony said the delay to the Home service was needed to improve the quality of the finished product.
"This is going to be a worldwide service that needs to offer a wide range of functions required in Japan, in the US, in Europe and in Asia," said Kazuo Hirai, Sony Computer Entertainment head, in a speech at the Tokyo Game Show.
Mr Hirai also remained tight-lipped about widely expected price cuts for the PS3 but said it was improving the line-up of software for the console in a bid to attract customers.
With Home, Sony hoped to cash in on the wave of interest in online communities that have made successes of websites such as Second Life, MySpace, Facebook and many others.
Via Home, PS3 owners could socialise with other console gamers and acquire and decorate their own virtual home.
The news is another blow to the fortunes of Sony which, until the launch of the PS3, dominated the console game market.
Now it trails third after Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii. Figures released for US sales by the NPD Group show that in August Nintendo sold 404,000 Wii consoles, Microsoft sold 277,000 Xbox 360s and Sony sold 131,000 PS3s.
Sony denies Home release date
Posted Sep 7th 2007 12:30PM by Andrew Yoon
Filed under: PlayStation Network
Although Kotaku is claiming that Home would be released on October 11th, Sony has a few things to say against that. A Sony spokesperson told GI.biz that the list on Kotaku is "not an official release schedule. None of the dates on the list have been confirmed at this time."
"I don't know where Kotaku have taken them from or why they're claiming 'SCEE have clarified dates' as we haven't sent them anything, and neither have our Central office."
The popular gaming blog is famous for revealing Home to the masses, but has also misled readers with an inaccurate portrayal of what the PSP redesign would be. More details on Sony's PSN service will be forthcoming at TGS, but considering the fairly sparse support that the Home beta has received, we predict that the service will need a lot more time to develop into something truly worthwhile.
Home (trademarked as "Home™" and known more practically as PlayStation Home) is a community-based service for the PlayStation Network which has been in development since early 2007. Home allows users to create an avatar for their PlayStation 3 console. This avatar will get their own apartment, which can be adorned by items players can receive in several achievements. In the future the service will also expand, allowing players to have more sorts of clothing, as well as hold pets.[citation needed] When it is available, Home will be launched via its own category in the XMB between the "Game" and "Network" category. This service will be free of charge. Sony is aiming for the initial download to be under 500MB. Home was announced at the Game Developers Conference on March 7, 2007[1] with a scheduled global public release for Fall 2007 (sometime during September or October).[2] During the TGS 2007, Home was announced to be delayed until Spring 2008, though home will still have an earlier "open beta" release.[3]
There's some info for you | 
