Following CEO Kaz Hirai promise to deliver Sony's PlayStation 3 social world, Home, "towards the end of the year," PlayStation Network senior director Susan Panico clarified that the service will launch as an "open, working beta," according to technology site Wired.

Previously, the virtual world was scheduled to open in late 2007 before Sony put off its launch to Spring 2008, citing "user feedback" for the delay. Sony later extended the delay again last month to Fall 2008, noting that the company needed to spend more time in development with Home. The service is currently under closed beta testing.

Speaking on Home's eventual public launch, Panico described the planned rollout as "similar to Gmail," Google's free webmail service. Presumably, much like Gmail, which has been in beta since its launch in April 2004, Home will receive content updates and additional features years after the virtual world debuts.