Sony Computer Entertainment has announced it is delaying the launch of its 3D online community “Home” until the third quarter of 2008. The delay marks the second time the company has postponed the much-anticipated service; Sony initially announced the service over a year ago, but last September announced it would delay Home’s launch until the the first quarter of 2008.
“We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer,” said Sony Computer Entertainment head Kazuo Hirai, in a statement. “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.”
Sony’s “Home” online service will introduce a Second Life-like 3D virtual world in which PlayStation 3 owners can interact with each other via customized avatars in a virtual environment. The service was greeted with much fanfare when it was announced, heralded by some as a “Second Life killer” and an innovative way to bring online community aspects to the PlayStation 3. However, industry watchers now generally feel that unless Home is packing extraordinarily innovative features, it probably won’t pose much of a threat to virtual worlds like Second Life, at least in its initial form. Instead, Home is more likely to focus on letting gamers set up online matches and enable customers to purchase video, music, and games through Sony.
