Hirai not happy with current Home; OK with new PS3 without backwards compatibility

The delay of PlayStation Home is positive according to Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai, reasoning out that he is not satisfied with Home’s current build. It’s still coming out this Spring 2008, but for now, what Hirai considers to be a big project for the Sony PlayStation 3 is expected to be delivered when it’s sure to live up to the hype. In an interview with Famitsu, he also talked about the strategy behind removing backwards compatibility to make consumers realize the Sony PS3 is more than a gaming machine.

From the looks of it, there’s meat behind the long wait for PlayStation Home to arrive. Even Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) CEO Kaz Hirai said in an interview that he’s not satisfied with the current version of Home. As a big project for the Sony PlayStation 3 with PlayStation Portable integration, Hirai wants Home to be released when Sony is content with it.

“If anything, we believe the delay would have a positive effect,” Hirai told Famitsu in an interview. He continued, “I personally am not satisfied with the current version of Home. This is a very big project for the PS3 and we want to make sure that we deliver to our hearts content.”

One senior producer from Sony previously revealed during the Tokyo Content Market 2007 event that Home is scheduled for Spring 2008 in Japan, and Hirai was able to confirm that much.

On another note, he mentioned that removing backwards compatibility from new PS3 models isn’t only a cost-cutting measure, but also a step to show consumers the other features of Sony’s console. “By removing backwards compatibility and be able to sell at a lower price point is just another strategy of ours,” he said.