Playstation Home Beta Pushed Back
"There's no place like home... there's no place like home." Unfortunately, it seems like the slippers aren't working just yet at Sony and so they have decided to extend the closed beta time for Home until sometime this summer and then hopefully will begin an open beta for the service shortly after. Sony CEO Kaz Hirai gave this explanation as to the reasoning behind the extension:
We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer, but 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. Our overarching objective is to provide users with new gaming experiences that are available only on PLAYSTATION Home. Spending more time on the development and on the Closed Beta testing reaffirms our commitment to bringing a quality service, maintaining the PlayStation tradition.
Hopefully the extra time will give them the opportunity to work out all the kinks, well unless kinks are encouraged in your home like they are mine. Press release after the jump.
22/04/2008 06:00 SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF CLOSED BETA TESTING FOR PLAYSTATION®HOME IN SUMMER 2008 Opening Of The Service Scheduled For Fall 2008Tokyo, April 22, 2008 - Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) announced today that it will expand the Closed Beta testing for PLAYSTATION®Home in Summer 2008, inviting a further number of registrants from the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3®) users. Following completion of the Expanded Closed Beta test, the PLAYSTATION Home Open Beta service will commence in Fall 2008.
"We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer, but 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," said Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "Our overarching objective is to provide users with new gaming experiences that are available only on PLAYSTATION Home. Spending more time on the development and on the Closed Beta testing reaffirms our commitment to bringing a quality service, maintaining the PlayStation® tradition."
The PLAYSTATION Home Open Beta service that will become available in Fall 2008 will be built around providing new and fun community gaming experiences, such as connecting PlayStation games with Home and providing places and items from the games.
Details of the Closed Beta testing features, registration for the test and the opening of the service will be announced as they become available.
PixelPoet
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 22 April 2008
· Comments (4)
Other stuff like this: home, playstation 3, sony
No yiffing?
(Sorry for the VGCats reference)
While I (like everyone else) hates to wait, I'd mmmmmuuuuch rather have a product that works and is well thought, even if it takes a little longer.
Not that this is a shock or anything, but seeing the reaction in forums and from news sites has been pretty sad. Even USA Today is calling the delay a "major embarrassment." I want to be excited about Home, Little Big Planet, and all the other stuff Sony has cooking for the PS3, but it just comes so slowly and the delays are out of control.
I get the feeling that Home is going to be one of those things that never gets really finished. They may have bit off more than they could chew here.
Oy, I want to go home :(
Well if they do put out a better product I can wait. I'm sure the upcoming releases and current titles can keep me occupied till then. I really just can't wait to decorate my new "Virtual" apartment... with the virtual... stuff :)