We still can’t go Home

Sony has done it again.

And by this, we mean that Sony has once again delayed the launch of its next-gen virtual world, the Playstation Home. Sony originally announced the project at the GDC last year, with plans for an open beta in Fall 2007, but pushed it back to Spring 2008 after it was realized they couldn’t meet the launch date. Now, Sony has announced that they are pushing that date back once again, this time scheduling the open beta for sometime in Fall 2008, with an expanded closed beta this summer.

All these delays lead us to wonder: will it be worth it? Sure, the idea of a virtual world sounds amazing on paper, with easy interaction between people and potential to match the current standards of an online homepage. Yet, Sony may have to stop and reconsider this venture. Microsoft contemplated creating a virtual world in 2003, but soon cancelled the project because they realized the resources such a world would need in order to run smoothly. Is Sony wasting their time in creating this virtual world?

President and CEO of Sony, Kazuo Hirai has said that “…we have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service to ensure a more focused gaming entertainment experience than what it is today.” The problem with delaying a project such as Playstation Home is that, by the time it comes out, bigger and better technology will be available. And companies like Microsoft and Nintendo will compete with Home, making it less “cutting edge.”

Already, Playstation is only a step above the current Xbox Live. As the Sony website says, “Home allows PS3 users to interact, communicate, join online games, shop, share private content and even build and show off their own personal spaces to others in real time.” Xbox Live users are already able to do all of this in a non-virtual world. So will Playstation Home be worth the extra time and resources?

The answer is looking like no.

But all will be revealed when Sony finally releases Home to the world. Until then, those of us anxiously awaiting it will just have to a little while longer.