PlayStation 3 Firmware Snow
A new thing will happen sometime in the future and it will have stuff.
The Interweb is screaming away about the PS3 firmware 2.4 update definitely and totally having in-game communications from the X-Media Bar; releasing today; having a fix for GTA IV and that it will make you tea and bring you biscuits.
The only official word comes from a the US PlayStation 'blog'. It is careful only to talk about one thing definitely - and that's Achievements... damn it, Trophies.
"A new PLAYSTATION 3 firmware update (v2.36) will be launching soon, improving system stability when playing select PlayStation format software titles.
"We’re also happy to officially report that the 2.40 system software update for PS3 will include 'XMB' access in-game.
"The update will also include 'trophies' an exciting new feature that we’ll be providing more details on soon, as well as some other new enhancements."
We've bolded pieces of that statement and will now attempt to translate.
1) v 2.36 is comingsometime this year- well, today actually - and will make 'select' games actually play (hence everybody is yelling GTA IV). We think it means 'specific' games rather than 'select' ones, we hope so anyway.
2) v 2.4 is definitely being thought about quite a lot... really. Now, the 'XMB access in-game' statement. What consumers apparently want is 'In-game communications via the XMB in-game' (for some reason, probably to stop Xbox 360 people prodding them, this is deemed essential). What the statement actually says is that the XMB will be accessible from within as yet unstated games. Resistance Fall of Man, for example, already enables you to see a form of in-game XMB.
3) Trophies, eh? Excellent. We thought that they were going to be called 'Entitlements' (as did DarkSector maker D3 apparently) - still, Trophies are fine.
4) We simply emboldened 'some other new enhancements' because we like the idea of 'old enhancements' - it's also another example of appearing to say quite a lot without actually saying anything at all.
One thing we would like to know is - "Why not go straight to v2.4?".
We've contacted Sony for detail and expect to report it not 'commenting on rumour or speculation' - despite the fact that we haven't speculated - very soon.
The only official word comes from a the US PlayStation 'blog'. It is careful only to talk about one thing definitely - and that's Achievements... damn it, Trophies.
"A new PLAYSTATION 3 firmware update (v2.36) will be launching soon, improving system stability when playing select PlayStation format software titles.
"We’re also happy to officially report that the 2.40 system software update for PS3 will include 'XMB' access in-game.
"The update will also include 'trophies' an exciting new feature that we’ll be providing more details on soon, as well as some other new enhancements."
We've bolded pieces of that statement and will now attempt to translate.
1) v 2.36 is coming
2) v 2.4 is definitely being thought about quite a lot... really. Now, the 'XMB access in-game' statement. What consumers apparently want is 'In-game communications via the XMB in-game' (for some reason, probably to stop Xbox 360 people prodding them, this is deemed essential). What the statement actually says is that the XMB will be accessible from within as yet unstated games. Resistance Fall of Man, for example, already enables you to see a form of in-game XMB.
3) Trophies, eh? Excellent. We thought that they were going to be called 'Entitlements' (as did DarkSector maker D3 apparently) - still, Trophies are fine.
4) We simply emboldened 'some other new enhancements' because we like the idea of 'old enhancements' - it's also another example of appearing to say quite a lot without actually saying anything at all.
One thing we would like to know is - "Why not go straight to v2.4?".
We've contacted Sony for detail and expect to report it not 'commenting on rumour or speculation' - despite the fact that we haven't speculated - very soon.
Companies:
Sony
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Comments
oldestGamer 18 Jun 2008 11:51
1/9
Nice to see Sony is still pushing out updates. Nothing like a console sitting around with nothing new planned for it. Anyway, this will shut up non PS3 owners that Sony does improve and expand it's hardware through software updates regularly. In game XMB for in game chat, and Trophies. Why would anyone still pay for online play on another console (the only console / PC that charges for online play in case you did not know is xbox 360 and xbox live)?
Andronix 18 Jun 2008 12:00
2/9
Thank God that Sony have seen sense and have decided to go with TROPHIES as the name of the PS3 rewards system.
A number of useless names were touted, with accomplishments & entitlements being the most laborious. I'm very happy my campaign was a success!
A number of useless names were touted, with accomplishments & entitlements being the most laborious. I'm very happy my campaign was a success!
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realvictory 18 Jun 2008 12:26
3/9
"Why not go straight to v2.4?"
Yeah. Maybe internally they see "minor" changes as being significant (especially if there many of them per version) - but the average user won't really care, because they won't notice the amount of work put in.
Although these things are still important, they need to come with bigger, more noticeable changes (i.e. the ones users are waiting for) so that users notice the improvements - so they might as well wait until the big things are ready and release all the minor updates at the same time.
Yeah. Maybe internally they see "minor" changes as being significant (especially if there many of them per version) - but the average user won't really care, because they won't notice the amount of work put in.
Although these things are still important, they need to come with bigger, more noticeable changes (i.e. the ones users are waiting for) so that users notice the improvements - so they might as well wait until the big things are ready and release all the minor updates at the same time.
tyrion 18 Jun 2008 12:50
4/9
realvictory wrote:
Yeah. Maybe internally they see "minor" changes as being significant (especially if there many of them per version) - but the average user won't really care, because they won't notice the amount of work put in.
Game stability isn't a "minor" issue. It's good that Sony roll these bug fixes out as quickly as possible. Waiting for big features to be ready in order to stop games locking up is not an approach designed to keep user satisfaction high.
Scy 18 Jun 2008 18:17
5/9
With a 360 you pay for the service because its the best. Its where all the innovation comes from. Sony are just copying bits and playing 'catch up'.
But they still have a long way to go. XMB?? Yep its not coming this update. Maybe the next one.
How long have the 360 gamers had it for?
But they still have a long way to go. XMB?? Yep its not coming this update. Maybe the next one.
How long have the 360 gamers had it for?
realvictory 18 Jun 2008 19:49
6/9
tyrion wrote:
Game stability isn't a "minor" issue.
We're not talking about "game stability" in general here, we're talking about occasional crashes/bugs, etc - games aren't likely to be released with "major" game stability issues, and if they are, then they're pretty rubbish and, in fact, probably don't suffer these due to problems with (current) firmware.
I doubt for any one game (most games, anyway), fixing a bug is going to please the majority of people. Whereas, new feature additions - that users are asking for - probably will.
Also, I wasn't saying "don't bother releasing those fixes" - the point is, release a firmware update with something notable in it - a bunch of fixes for the previous version is hardly exciting, nor does it give a professional impression.
tyrion 19 Jun 2008 07:34
7/9
realvictory wrote:
I doubt for any one game (most games, anyway), fixing a bug is going to please the majority of people. Whereas, new feature additions - that users are asking for - probably will.
And yet if it got out that Sony (or Microsoft) held back on a fix in their firmware that enabled a fix for a game to be distributed, they would be nailed to the wall with the bad feedback. For example, the firmware update that was required so the patch to Assassin's Creed would work.
I agree, it's not an easy sell that things are progressing when the new features list of a firmware update is "System stability during use of some PlayStation format software has been improved." and there are no further features. However, I've always found Sony's "when it's ready or needed" approach to firmware updates to be better than Microsoft's "one big bundle" approach.
Now if only Sony could make the update process for the PS3 as fast as it is on the 360, I'd be very happy indeed.
realvictory 19 Jun 2008 12:31
8/9
What I really want to know is, what happened to the idea that something being released implied it was finished?
fry3r 27 Jun 2008 21:57
9/9
playstation 3's r top quality