By Brad King LinuxInsider Part of the ECT News Network
04/22/08 1:59 PM PT
Sony's virtual world for PlayStation 3 users, Home, has suffered its second delay since the initiative was announced a year ago. The environment, which doubles as an interface for online content, simply isn't ready, said Kazuo Hirai, president of the Sony Computer Entertainment division.
Sony Computer Entertainment pushed back its open beta test for the launch of Playstation's Home, a 3-D virtual world, from the summer to the fall, marking the second time the company has delayed the launch of the product.
Unlike traditional games, Home is a sandbox world designed to allow players the flexibility to build, create and interact with other players without directed goals. However, Home is more than just a virtual world, it's Sony's answer to the Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Xbox Live online service, which is why the company is reticent to roll out its product before the kinks have been worked out. A disastrous launch could set back the already reeling Playstation 3 console, which has lagged behind Nintendo'sWii and Microsoft's Xbox360.
"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 of the Sony Computer Entertainment division.
Big Launch
The successful Home launch would not only place Sony ahead of Microsoft in the online space but also create new revenue streams for the console, which traditionally has been sold as a loss leader.
Third-party game developers now create games that play, by and large, cross-platform, which means console developers need to find new ways to leverage their existing intellectual property. For Sony, that means virtual worlds, said Christopher Sherman, executive director for Virtual Worlds Management.
"Consumer entertainment companies like Sony are looking at virtual worlds as new revenue streams," Sherman told LinuxInsider. "Virtual worlds are a new media format that companies with existing IP are looking to leverage. Leverage your current IP and customer base in virtual worlds. Revenue opportunities include advertising, subscriptions and micro-transactions."
Enterprise Interest
Sony's dip into the virtual world creation business could pay dividends for other divisions under the corporate umbrella.
IBM (NYSE: IBM), Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) and Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) have been working on virtual world applications that can be used in corporate settings. Tools such as virtual work space and teleconferencing are already being tested in Second Life, a popular virtual world run by Linden Lab.
For Sony, the launch of Home would give the company's other divisions easy access to emerging software tools.
"It's a whole new ball game for the Fortune 1,000 IT department, most of which haven't likely seen the technology come their way just yet," Sherman said. "Just as e-mail and instant messaging came before it, IT departments are going to have to get their arms around virtual worlds."
Will a PS3 Download Service Starve Blu-ray? April 22, 2008
Sony is working to roll out a video-on-demand service for the PlayStation 3, and one report says it could happen as early as this summer. However, most Blu-ray DVD players in consumers' homes are actually PS3s. Will offering an online service cannibalize Sony's high-def format?
Related Stories
A Home Server of Our Own February 19, 2008
"One of the issues is as simple as the term 'server' to consumers. It tends to conjure up nightmares of technical problems and IT support from some people," said In-Stat's Joyce Putscher. "However, when you ask consumers if they would like to listen to their digital music that they have on their PC on a stereo system that is in another room in the house ... most broadband consumers say, 'Yes.'"
The Rise of Home Networking in Europe January 15, 2008
What triggered such impressive gains in home network adoption in Europe? The answer is in the patterns of growth. The number of households gaining a home network between 2004 and 2006 far exceeded the number stating an intention to do so at the beginning of 2005. This pattern held true across the world.
Related News Alerts
More by Brad King
Amazon Tells NY Tax Man to Take a Hike May 05, 2008
Amazon believes New York's Internet Sale Tax Collection law is unconstitutional, and it's taking its argument to court. The law requires e-commerce vendors with any presence whatsoever in New York to pay sales tax on all purchases made by New York residents. Amazon says the law considers independently operating, New York-based sites that post links to Amazon products as engaging in active solicitation.
Sun Suffers a Reversal of Fortunes May 02, 2008
Sun Microsystems saw its quarterly results drop from a profit of $67 million a year ago to a loss of $34 million in the company's fiscal third quarter. The company said it will cut thousands of jobs and expects difficult times ahead due to the mortgage fallout and general economic malaise.
Will a $199 Price Tag Debase the iPhone? April 30, 2008
The latest Apple rumor to circulate has AT&T offering a subsidy on a 3G iPhone when it's released in June, bringing the price into the same neighborhood as all the other commoner phones. Will Apple stoop so low as to allow such a thing to happen?
Headline Feeds
Talkback: 
