New Gadgets and Gizmos

The launch of Sony’s Home 3D online community for the PlayStation 3 is being delayed again, this time until autumn. Last year, Home was also pushed back, with a now-postponed launch set for early in 2008. As with last year’s delay, Sony executives said the reason is to improve the quality of service.

‘Never Surprised’ at Delays

Home is a Second Life-like virtual world, where PS3 users can create online, visual representations of themselves called avatars. A user’s avatar can chat with other visitors, add personalizing touches, and play games, among other activities.

Mike Goodman, an analyst with industry research firm Yankee Group, said he is “never surprised when game software is delayed.” Rightly or wrongly, he added, delays are part of the process for software development, so the second delay should not have a great impact on Home’s acceptance.

But, he noted, it does need to be released in the not-too-distant future, and the company needs to get it right. “It’s a very important project for Sony,” he said, adding that PS3 could use the leverage of exclusive offerings that its younger sibling, PS2, was able to use to drive sales of its platform.

PS2 had “all these exclusive games,” Goodman noted, but the PS3 is not getting that many exclusives, while Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is. Sony is being forced to follow the route that Nintendo has been using to boost the Wii, he said — launching its own software.

“Home gives them an exclusive, something that no other platform has,” he pointed out, and Sony sees it as a clear differentiator.

‘Pretty Cool’

Goodman said he has seen Home in earlier versions, and it was “pretty cool.” But he said it wasn’t completely clear, in the versions he saw, why someone would use Home rather than some other virtual world.

The PS3 is locked in an intense…