TGS: PlayStation Home delayed

By Patrick Garratt Published 20 September, 2007

Next spring, says Hirai.

PlayStation Home, PS3's online social networking "thing", will not release this year as planned, Sony Computer Entertainment president Kaz Hirai has confirmed in his Tokyo Game Show keynote this morning.

Unlike E3, where the application was shown up and running, Hirai merely showed the Home logo on the Makuhari Messe stage and said that the service had been pushed back to "truly meet the needs and feedback of the users." Home was originally scheduled for a "Fall" launch this year, as announced by SCEE dev boss Phil Harrison at GDC this March.

During a Q&A session after his speech, Hirai said the delay wasn't down to technical problems, but was because Sony wants Home to be a worldwide service and to have functionality suitable for people in different regions.

He thinks it can be satisfactory to all kinds of users when it launches, he said, adding, "We want to make sure we have a full range of services."

PlayStation Home is an avatar-based, MMO-style networking application for PS3 users, allowing console owners to have their own virtual spaces, trophy cabinets for their game achievements, and so on. Players will be able to access features like downloadable content and play games with friends through Home.

We'll have all the TGS action as it happens. Right here. RIGHT NOW.

Comments (37) Latest comment 5 years ago

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  • JYM60 #1 5 years ago

    This is pretty shite.

    Sony you twats, stop delaying things.

  • jynxce #2 5 years ago

    "Beyond" indeed. Sony couldn't have picked a better catch phrase. Goes perfectly with the apologists', "Just wait until..."lol

  • Beano #3 5 years ago

    The delay is not surprising when considering the recent news that the "open beta" would not be quite as open as expected. But another stupid "fumble" on Sony's part - people are tired of PS3 software delays.

  • JavaJawaUK #4 5 years ago

    "My name is Hiro Naka-!"

    Oh wait - it's THIS Japanese guy.

  • morriss #5 5 years ago

    oh dear oh fucking dear

  • numptyboymatt #6 5 years ago

    Was actually quite interested in seeing what this turned out like and was also hoping it might give me a bit more usage out of my PS3 but I guess I will go back to my Xbox/MSN for while!

  • BartonFink #7 5 years ago

    So now it's Spring 2008 so we should see it this time next year :(
    Pity really.

  • BartonFink #8 5 years ago

    Any news on LBP?

  • bioreit #9 5 years ago

    I'd rather they try and iron out a few more bugs and make it work right than rush it out and balls it up.

    Obviously if it was delayed until Christmas next year, I would probably change my mind - there is a limit to how long you can delay these things, after all.

    Let's be honest here - once it's all up and running and the Home standard has pretty much been settled and used for a while, no-one will care one iota that several years in the past, it got delayed for a few months, or had x problem and y issue.

    Things like this only matter until they get resolved, then everyone finds something else to moan about.

  • mkreku #10 5 years ago

    Can't they release a small Home now then? And then patch it up with new functions as they become available later?

  • DonnieDarko333 #11 5 years ago

    Great...was looking forward to that!

  • belziah #12 5 years ago

    Todays theme is Not Ready, the letters P and S and the number 3. do do de do do do da dit do, booo.

  • Arwin #13 5 years ago

    Hopefully they'll at least increase the beta at a steady rate. Wasn't their plan to do it like that, expand it to a larger group slowly but steadily?

  • Artemis_Matsas #14 5 years ago

    Home?

    In Greece we still don't have access to the freaking SHOP you @$%$^#$ Sony $%^$#@^#ckers.

  • rock27gr #15 5 years ago

    Don't worry.

    The next release will be the complete product, this was just the beta.











    PS4 that is.

  • Darren #16 5 years ago

    This news doesn't surprise me at all... it seems like everything PS3 related is subject to some kind of delay... most of its game and now Home. A total non-surprise for me. It's like Sony launched the machine six months too early. They really need to get their act together because there seems to be fewer and fewer reasons for owning a PS3 with each passing week as the Xbox 360's games catalogue expands with all the great titles its been getting of late and there's still Halo 3, Mass Effect and PGR 4 to come. And, yes, I do own a PS3 but it gets used mostly for watching BD and DVD movies on these days.

  • rock27gr #17 5 years ago

    No Darren, it's like they launched 18 months too early.

    PS3 really IS just a Blu Ray trojan horse afterall.

  • brooza #18 5 years ago

    Delayed on PS3, still on track for 360 :p

  • moggsy #19 5 years ago

    I suspect that there's a real risk that this game console generation will be over before Home is released and gets up to speed. Sony may want the PS3 to last for 10 years but that's going to be difficult to do when MS release the next Xbox in a few years time.

    Let's hope they make more sensible decisions with the PS4...

  • zuljin #20 5 years ago

    rock27gr
    "PS3 really IS just a Blu Ray trojan horse afterall."

    How is it a Trojan horse when people know what it is?

    Its like the Trojans saying "Hey, that horse is full of Greek soldiers, lets put it in our courtyard and go to bed".

  • rock27gr #21 5 years ago

    Well, the horse was a "gift" from the Greeks, everyone knew that, they just didn't know it's true purpose.

    Just like the PS3 was a half-baked "games" machine that was rushed out early to increase all those bluray sales before HD-DVD could. Everyone knew it could play Blu Rays, it's just that noone knew it would ONLY be for blurays!

  • Chaote-Imagicka #22 5 years ago

    Oh for fuck's sake.

    It's entirely software and they have enough of it working to run a fucking beta. Why the hell can't they let us all in and keep on updating it as we use it?

    They didn't have any problem with releasing the PS3 and PSP with only a fraction of the intended software features. And all those of us who bought one didn't mind either. I'd be fine to have a semi-functional home now with a promise of it getting improved.

  • dave06 #23 5 years ago

    oh thank god, i was actually considering buying a ps3 for this, but now its delayed all that money can go on 360 games...and hookers. thanks sony whooo

  • Goban #24 5 years ago

    They haven't exactly hit this ground running this gen.

  • Ryze #25 5 years ago

    Gutted for you, Sony.

    Latest Sony fuckup.

  • Ryze #26 5 years ago

    We will do this this this this this and DOH!!!

  • Twincoil #27 5 years ago

    "people are tired of PS3 software delays"

    But they're happy, nay ecstatic, with them on other platforms and mediums?

  • spookyzombie #28 5 years ago

    Something regarding the PS3 delayed you say?

    What a shocker.

  • Machiavellian #29 5 years ago

    With the infrastructure needed for Home, I really would like to know how Sony plans on funding this beast if downloaded stuff doesn't take off. Will they seriously be able to use ads to fund something that will probably cost a billion do get right. It cost MS about that much just for Live. In certain areas, Home is more ambitious which could be a lot of traffic.

  • Kropotkin #30 5 years ago

    I think this delay is all due to feedback from the current beta testers. I suspect their comments run along the lines of:

    "Well it's an interesting idea but it looks like Second Life which we all know is total w**k that Nathan Barely like marketing types really find amazing. Sadly Syou appeared to have listened to them and tried to show-horn it into the PS3. The result is a charade of a user interface that could be compressed into a simple series of screens like, oooh I dunno, XBox 360 blades. Yeah, they work quite well. Can we have that instead?

    Love and Kisses,

    Home Beta Tester"

    Well that's what I would write if I was a beta tester...

  • White_Westie #31 5 years ago

    Bought a ps3 a couple of months ago and one of the reasons was because of the forthcoming "Home" (and blu-ray)

    Although I have a 360 I was really looking forward to the PS3 Home (and some of the releases for next year) and thought the ps3 was the way forward for the future....

    I still believe it is, but I cannot feel slightly "shafted" by sony for buying the console now... I should have waited another year or so for for home and some exclusives to be released....

    Serves me right for being greedy (and I guess Sony too as they will lose market share until they get their acts together) :-(

  • JYM60 #32 5 years ago

    I suppose it will be a lot better because of the delay.

    Fucking better be.

  • Kryon #33 5 years ago

    DelayStation3.

  • Carrybagma #34 5 years ago

    Kryon wrote:DelayStation3.
    Another wretched post from the site spaz.
    SPAZLOL
    Edited by Carrybagma at 21/09/07 @ 01:52

  • Ryze #35 5 years ago

    This is Sony we're talking about here.

    Sony can't do services - they can only do cool, expensive hardware.

    They'll probably release it - minus any people / avatars, or an offline version - or something else blatantly Sonyesque.

    Home Home - the LAN edition - works using a USB VGA adaptor for twin 1080p local multiplayer! - Bravia only!

    Connect several PS3s for party play!

    It will replace talking - I tell ya.

    [/sarcasm]

  • M_Woody #36 5 years ago

    this was why i started hacking my PSP, i gave up waiting!

  • M_Woody #37 5 years ago

    this was why i started hacking my PSP, i gave up waiting!