No Home Beta Until Q1 2008

Much like LittleBigPlanet, a beta was expected to hit in late 2007. It was one of the heavy-hitters of the fall lineup for the PlayStation 3, but unfortunately, just like LBP, we won’t be seeing Home in any form until sometime in the first quarter of ’08.

Of course, Q1 2008 is a better timeframe than what we’ve been given for LBP, which has ominously slipped into an unspecified 2008 release. (Purportedly, we won’t see LBP until late next year, which would certainly put a frown on my face, given that was a big reason why I became an early adopter of the system.)

SCEA’s CEO, Jack Tretton, told The Mercury News, “We’re looking to do a beta in the first quarter of calendar 2008.” He went on to point out that Sony is “not 100 percent sure on when the full-blown release will be in terms of an actual date.” Not exactly what anyone hoped to hear.

I personally fall on the more optimistic side of the argument regarding the impact Home could potentially have on the online market. Thinking from a theoretical standpoint, I sure would enjoy having my own virtual pad to act as a springboard to an online community as opposed to the text-based menus that we’ve been using for years between Xbox Live and Xfire. But, as much as I might like it, it’s going to have to be embraced by the community for it to be any fun.