PS3 Home on track for autumn release

Friday 4th July 2008 - 17:00

PSN Director commits to 2008 launch, Stock shortage fears for new PS3 controller and Eledees: The Adventures of Kai and Zero DS screens

Sony just can't keep out of the news at the moment. If it isn't problem with the company's latest firmware upgrade for the PS3 (see yesterday's news) it's today's story on how gamers can expect a full launch of Home in the autumn.

Home allows gamers to build their own 3D avatar and enables 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.

In an interview with next-gen.biz, PSN Director Eric Lempel said "The Home open beta is still on schedule for release later this fall. Gmail when it launched in beta was a fully functional email service. I personally was using it and it offered everything you'd expect, but was in beta just to say that there's more to come and maybe it's not fully polished. The reason we've been delaying Home is so that we can deliver a high quality service that the users will enjoy. Even though it will be in beta, it will be a fair representation of what the service can be and its potential, so it won't be a 0.5 release, it will be a fully robust service."

Lempel also spoke of Sony's upcoming movie downloads service, saying: "I don't have any more specifics right now, but it will go live in the US this summer and I think it will offer consumers everything they're looking for from us. It will offer everything they expect from us and probably a little bit more."

Meanwhile, there's a real fear that stock shortages may plague the launch of the new Dualshock wireless PS3 controller. Mark Howsen, PlayStation's UK sales director, told MCV: "It's going to be a close call as to whether we can guarantee enough stock for everybody day one, however, we'll be making regular shipments thereafter, in order to satisfy demand."