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Sony expands Home closed beta

More players will be invited to take part in testing the PS3's social hub over a longer period of time

Sony Computer Entertainment has announced that it will expand its closed beta of the PlayStation 3's social networking feature Home.

The beta is scheduled to take place this summer and, under the expansion, Sony has said it will be inviting more people to take part and over a longer period originally planned. The company plans to launch an open beta of the virtual world and social hub later in the Autumn.

"We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer, but we have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service to ensure a more focused gaming entertainment experience than what it is today," said Kazuo Hirai, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.

"Our overarching objective is to provide users with new gaming experiences that are available only on PlayStation Home. Spending more time on the development and on the Closed Beta testing reaffirms our commitment to bringing a quality service, maintaining the PlayStation tradition," he added.