Sony Corp. had a terrible 2006, punctuated by fire-prone batteries and the expensive and difficult process of manufacturing its PlayStation 3. Buoyant-sounding PS3 execs say the worst of it is now
over.
"This is the year of software," Phil Harrison, president of Sony's worldwide game studios declared, "about developing new services and, crucially, the migration from pure
packaged goods ... to something that blends the network and online services into the game experience."
What does that mean, exactly? Harrison is referring to Sony's hitherto mysterious
plans for the PS3's online service, called PlayStation Home, set for this fall. The company is developing software that enables gamers to easily create and share virtual content a la Second Life.
Players design their own avatars whose gaming records they can broadcast to others throughout the network. As users progress through certain games, they can unlock and show-off their virtual prizes.
Eventually, Sony plans to enable users to create their own content within games on the network.
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