Home beta opens to Sony's Qore

For a service with a title as inviting as Home, one would think it'd be easier to get the keys in the door. Such has not been the case for the PlayStation 3's avatar-based social hub, however. The service, which was first revealed during the 2007 Game Developers Conference, has been delayed a handful of times beyond its initial late 2007 release. As a result, all but a limited number of beta testers who have been plugging away at the service since April 2007 have been locked out.

Over the weekend, it appeared as if Sony was preparing to throw wide the gates barring entry to Home. The publisher revealed to subscribers of its PlayStation Underground newsletter that an invitation to the closed beta would be extended to "all Qore Episode 06 and Annual customers."

However, that will only partially be the case. "As an update to the PlayStation 3 News email sent on Friday, October 24th, the special invitation to PlayStation Home's closed beta is available only to Qore annual subscribers who purchased subscriptions by 10/29," said Sony in an emendation today. "Qore Episode 06 purchasers will not be eligible for the special PlayStation Home beta invitation at this time. We apologize for the miscommunication."

Sony's subscription-based Qore service for the PlayStation 3 provides monthly media updates, developer interviews, and exclusive perks, such as the aforementioned early access to Home. Individual episodes are available for $2.99, while 13-month annual subscriptions can be purchased for $24.99.

An open beta test for Home is expected to begin later this year. Check out GameSpot's most recent look at the service to see how Home is shaping up.