Hirai claims Home's release date doesn't really matter

by Nick Doerr { Jul 24th 2008 at 11:00PM }

Let's not take the subject line without some context, okay? Kaz Hirai stated that Home will truly resonate with consumers and they will love its online services. In that respect, its release date really doesn't matter. He said in an interview with MCV: "I'd much rather make sure we take the time to have a great service rather than rush something into the market ... If we have the right service, it doesn't matter when we launch – so long as it's in a reasonable timeframe." That said, Home is still scheduled to launch this Fall.

Tags: home, kaz-hirai

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Dwag @ Jul 24th 2008 11:06PM

It might not matter to him but it matters to me. Pretty much sounding like he's gonna announce that the open beta has been delayed until Q2 09 and right now he's trying to keep us calm with his BS.

kevin @ Jul 25th 2008 12:37AM

im a beta tester ur not missing out much its boring i gave it away to my friend and he thinks the same if u wanna try it out or somethin idk we can figure somethin out

psn is keviseg15

MrEverdred01 @ Jul 25th 2008 1:12AM

I'm tired of hearing that same excuse from the beta testers. It's boring because only 10,000 people are allowed to use it right now, and none of them do. Once it's opened to everyone, it will be more entertaining. All they need to do is make the trophy room and music and video streaming and I will be more than happy with Home. I've heard that they ran into copyrights issues with streaming music and videos, but a simple fix for that would be only allow videos and music downloaded off of the playstation store to be streamed. It's only a matter of time before we see a music store accompanying the new video store. Anyways, seeing this interview is very disturbing after the constant delays that Home has already endured, but I guess we've all already known this is their thinking behind the project. I'm a little outraged that they have so little motivation. If I were them, I'd be working my hardest to make Home good enough for launch and confirm to the angry fans that it will come this time, not confirm their fears by saying home will be done sometime later when I'm motivated enough to maybe work on it a little bit.

Lars @ Jul 25th 2008 1:53PM

"home will be done sometime later when I'm motivated enough to maybe work on it a little bit."

I don't think you realize just how much work is involved in programming the minutest detail of a new IP. They aren't pouring millions of dollars into it and using dev teams of thousands of people, therefore to you it seems like they're twiddling their thumbs... that is far from the case.

kentuckyfried @ Jul 25th 2008 3:18PM

How did the beta people even get into the beta? Whenever I see comments from them, I just get irritated b/c they all seem like a bunch of whiney fools. You guys are a primary tool for testing and trouble-shooting....you don't just sit there and complain that it's garbage. It's a JOB, treat it like one. And get some appreciation while you're at it, alot of us would like to help out with the beta but can't.

kevin @ Jul 25th 2008 10:11PM

@ kentuckyfried

yeah well so many idiots messaged me to try the beta out that now my console is "suspended" WTF!!

justice @ Jul 24th 2008 11:07PM

for sure, i agree that they dont have to rush and ruin home.
but would be ok with home come out before the end of the world or something...
anyway i just hope that home can be worth for taking so long to come out.

TinyTim121 @ Jul 25th 2008 8:49AM

Didn't free radical say Haze would be worth taking so long to come out?

I hope Sony prove me wrong but i can see Home being a giant flop, especially if what Kevin says is true. I mean, the MGO beta wasn't boring, thus the game wasn't boring...but if the Home beta is boring then...

HAAS599 @ Jul 25th 2008 10:58AM

I think the big hold up is content at the moment.

Imagine sony releasing the vidoe service with only 2 movies to rent.

Sony is just building up content and fine tuning the enviroments and such.

TinyTim121 @ Jul 25th 2008 11:40AM

"Sony is just building up content and fine tuning the enviroments and such."

Its a nice thought, but i somehow doubt it, otherwise the eurpose and US PSN stores would have equal amounts of contents.

And again, free radical were fine tuning mantel and rebel troopers.

I really don't want another PS3 disapointment, but i can't see this service being as revolutionary as i once thought.

Nick @ Jul 24th 2008 11:18PM

As long they expand the beta to the public this year I'll be OK.

Johnny Lasley @ Jul 24th 2008 11:26PM

Ever get the feeling you are a long way from HOME...?

grimlock26 @ Jul 25th 2008 7:26AM

I'll count it, i shouldn't, but i will

Deadpool @ Jul 24th 2008 11:28PM

I think they're aiming for HOME to surpase LIVE. So they really want to get it right from the get go. It's like a card game. They're waiting for the right moment to get the right set of cards, then they'll have the upperhand. Understand, mon ami?

Why am I talking like Gambit?

Gambit07 @ Jul 25th 2008 1:07AM

U say somethin' ?

vask @ Jul 24th 2008 11:28PM

i can see where hes coming from with home i would like to see it come sooner than later but at the same time this is just a side feature. I'm actually much more concerned with the games that are coming out this fall/winter and next year than i am with this service.

McBonk @ Jul 25th 2008 7:32AM

Bingo! The PS3 is making inroads without Home. It will be a great added feature - but by no means is my gaming enjoyment dependent upon it.

Popfrogs @ Jul 25th 2008 9:29AM

I'm just waiting for the "get your friends together in a group and launch a game" functionality.

linebeginstoblur @ Jul 24th 2008 11:29PM

The release date does matter. They could wait until they have all the features in the world, but it's been so long since they've first announced it, that if they don't actually come out with it soon, they will completely lose their audience. For example, with all these delays and lack of any news of any betas or anything, I'd be surprised if any work is really being done on it at all. Also, I'm almost to the point where I don't care anymore about Home.

So yes, the release date does matter. If this were a disc-based game, sure, delay it until it's perfect. But it's not. It's an Internet-based "game" that RELIES on needing patches. It SHOULDN'T be perfect when it first comes out.

ChodalBerryWagon @ Jul 24th 2008 11:29PM

The main things I want from home are game launching and media sharing. I don't give a crap about 3D trophies or playing with remote control boats, so please don't delay it again for stupid little things like mini-games!

And the game rooms - I don't really see the point of them, but if they aren't distracting the developers from actually adding functions to Home then I don't mind.

JAH75157 @ Jul 24th 2008 11:52PM

i used to really care about home, now i'm pretty sure it will never live up to all the hype it's got so it's going to be a let down no matter how good it is.

Wrathbringer @ Jul 24th 2008 11:55PM

Whatever, I don't really care about WHEN Home is being released. I know I'll be using it to some extent when it does come out, and I'm sure a lot of people will be no matter how long it takes.

Volomon @ Jul 25th 2008 12:02AM

I totally agree with him. Its like any MMO if it doesn't come out fast enough people whine if it comes out to early its bugged and people whine. Just let it come out when its ready.

Tim Parsons @ Jul 25th 2008 12:24AM

it'll be nice to finally see what this is really like

boobs @ Jul 25th 2008 12:31AM

this reminds me of Chinese Democracy

Zombie Huggles @ Jul 25th 2008 12:31AM

I always assumed Home's main purpose was to be a social tool. Just a program that allowed PS3 users to meet and greet while showing off their saved-media in the "apartment" section. The pool gams, bowling, and arcade gams; that's all just like what they are in real-life, an excuse to hang out. So if they released home only allowing me to make an Avatar then walk about a virtual city and meet other PS3 users, I'd be satisfied. But that's me.

Tez (PSN: Tezasaurus) @ Jul 25th 2008 12:33AM

Why don't they just get the base features and functionality done, and add on to it as they go? They do it with the XMB...

Zombie Huggles @ Jul 25th 2008 12:40AM

I agree buddy. I assumed the point of HOME was just to allow us to come together in a community. To boost the social aspects of the Playstation experience. Even the pool, bowling, and arcade games are just "excuses" to hang-out but not "real" reasons for Home.

So if they just released the game with the ability to interact and that's all, I'd be satisfied.

Volomon @ Jul 25th 2008 1:15AM

That doesn't make any sense what would you consider base features. Looking pretty and being able to talk to someone? Just hold up a mirror and talk to someone on the PS3 friends list.

Tez (PSN: Tezasaurus) @ Jul 25th 2008 1:19AM

Game launching and your apartment/trophy area, I guess. And chat. It has chat, right?

TypeF @ Jul 25th 2008 1:18AM

lies! i want home! grrr

kawzi @ Jul 25th 2008 12:43AM

thank u kaz. it doesnt matter to me anymore as well. the competition will have started their development on home-like service after you, but they will beat you to market once again. take your time.

Brett from Atlanta @ Jul 25th 2008 12:44AM

Look what happened with 2.4, they kinda rushed to get it out, (I mean not that they rushed getting on to actually addressing that their online system needed a big boost, but from the time they started development on it til it was released) and it went up with flaws and still lacked cross game voice chat, invites etc. I think Sony now wants to release stuff that not only meets our expectations, but exceeds them. I would rather have a feature complete home on my system rather than a crippled version that we have to complain about. I dont think we can complain too much though. If you look at a competing system, the 360, it took them three years to get a dashboard overhaul which still doesnt compare to home. So after only two years, I dont think we can complain too much.

Burns11 @ Jul 25th 2008 12:55AM

I feel like Odysseus

Squid7085 @ Jul 25th 2008 1:48AM

Thats fine, they can take as long as they want. The thing that is making me mad is the PS3 ads that show Home as a feature and walking into Game Stores where a Home demo is running. I don't think they should be marketing Home as a feature until it is a feature. Period.

TasukiNekoi @ Jul 25th 2008 3:44AM

They'd rather set a fixed release date so the whole development would get a bit of pressure. If they don't, they will change, and change, and change (fading echo) till the end of time.
As in the special BD for MGS3 seen even Hideo couldn't change and improve things forever.
You can't delay it over and over again, you will have to release it once and you may then going on with the cip.

Dwag @ Jul 25th 2008 3:57AM

This is just an excuse like, a previous poster this is su[ppose to be able to get updated regularly so if it comes out with bugs it gets fixed like 2.4. No big deal but right now I'm starting to believe they're either gonna ditch it or delay it until the 5th birthday of the PS3. They should be able to update date this to fix bugs and and glitches.

Also I wanna add that MS will keeps updating and right now they're at Dashboard 2.0(in fall) soon they'll be at 3.0(in future maybe 2010) but right now the only big update Sony released is 2.4 but they still haven't released Home which is suppose to be a direct counter to Dashboard 2.0.

Phantom @ Jul 25th 2008 9:16AM

other way around

kamiboy @ Jul 25th 2008 6:23AM

I don't call waiting 2 years rushing.

Dwag @ Jul 25th 2008 5:59AM

Home was in development since 05 so its more like 3+ years now.

Gervin @ Jul 25th 2008 9:00AM

Someone tell me what the point of HOME is? To me it seems like a virtual world (oh yea... another Second Life), and built in advertising.

farfisa @ Jul 25th 2008 9:17AM

The real reason he's putting it off is that he likes to have it all to himself and hang out there naked with the gang from Uncharted.

DeforMAKulizer @ Jul 25th 2008 9:20AM

PLEASE GET RELEASED THIS YEAR PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE AWESOME!!!! WE NEED YOU!!!!!

H0stil3 N4tiv3 @ Jul 25th 2008 9:32AM

PSN is a free service. So basically, we'll take whatever they give us, when they feel like giving it to us. And, I think HOME is an attractive selling point for the PS3 - perhaps more-so as an exciting to be released feature than a mediocre in-hand product...

adolson @ Jul 25th 2008 9:39AM

I claim Home doesn't really matter, period.
Any hype they had was lost. They shouldn't have announced it so early, it just makes people angry at the wait. Hopefully they learned their lesson and don't take 2-3 years with God of War 3.

CEEarl @ Jul 25th 2008 2:21PM

This guy lost my vote after Eight Days and The Getaway was cancelled. Go on myspace and look up The Getaway footage. Everything they were working on was breath-taking visually.

Bottom line, if you're going to continue making excuses then don't make anymore promises for dates.

I'm very excited about home but at the same time I've heard so many promises at this point, all expectations or much excitement for many it's coming has been diminished. Coming from someone who works in the film industry I think it does matter. Anyone buying a ps3 may become upset and move on to another game system.

With that being said Sony is doing a good job with the video selection, the demos and the store has never looked better. Still, working in an industry where distributors that constantly feed you bull 24/7 I expect better from Sony. And we should.

Best,

Craig

chris.westermann @ Jul 25th 2008 10:41AM

Bah, whatever. When home comes out I will dabble in it, but I think Sony is completely overestimating the impact Home will have on their users. It will be a pleasant diversion for a few months, and then people will ignore it and long for some new decent games to be released. Had Home been released at the same time as the PS3, or even shortly after, I think it would have had the impact Sony was hoping for, it certainly might have driven faster sales of the PS3. Now, Home is like a long running joke to PS3 users, the tasty carrot dangled in front of us yanked away repeated because Sony doesn't think it tastes good enough yet. The problem is that even if its the best tasting carrot we have ever had, we will still be dissapointed in it because of how much longing we have had for Home. But I am hungry and moved on to other fare and that carrot doesn't appeal to me anymore.

TheSh0wstopper @ Jul 25th 2008 1:42PM

Now I have a craving for a carrot. Thanks Chris, thanks a lot...

-TheSh0wstopper

dadanman @ Jul 25th 2008 10:51AM

Even though he said it would be delayed until it is right did I still read him say that that they wanted to have it out or plan to this fall?
I can agree I would like to have it but it does not affect my gaming today. It would be a lot better than texting on the XMB or a limited voice chat.
PSN: SPY-V

Mattchewie @ Jul 25th 2008 10:59AM

after 2.4, I don't blame them for waiting. If my memory serves me right most anyone really wanted from 2.4 was the ability to "not exit a game to read/reply to friend messages".

I thought they went beyond that and I saw 2.4 as a good "base line" update, laying the grounds for future features that we have requested.

Then I look at the boards, they where a flame with "wtf, where is in game music"...or "wtf, where is my cross game voice chat"...."wtf, where is voice messaging". If I was sony and saw those posts, I would of decided right then and there that future products have meet or exceed the stated feature list. If not, then It won't get released.

| 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 50 Comments