Eric Lempel, Director of PlayStation Network Operations, has posted 2 videos on the PlayStation Blog detailing the 2.4 firmware update that we'll be getting sooner than expected, July 2nd. The first post is here (detailing the ingame XMB) and the 2nd post is here (detailing Trophies). More from the blog:
Quote:
The update also adds a mini-control panel that you can use while playing music and an internet search feature powered by Google that allows you to initiate search directly from the XMB (similar to what we added to the PSP recently). In addition, when you’re using the XMB or accessing the XMB from in-game, the current time and date will be displayed in the upper right hand corner. There are a few more minor enhancements included in this update, once the update is live you’ll be able to read about them here.
Firmware v2.40 will become available for download on July 2nd. We hope you enjoy these much-requested features, and look forward to your feedback.
Well they got some of it right but there's still issues:
- Only text messaging across games (no voice chat) - EPIC FAIL
- Custom soundtracks only work in certain games
- Pulling up the XMB doesn't pause the game so you'll have to pause first then pull it up.
The first point is the only one that really sucks.
Edit: I will say it might be cool to pull up a browser and search the web for a help or a cheat while you're playing the game.
The trophy thing looks curious. Not that I'm trying to be negative but I'm not entirely sold on the trophy 'levels' - the thing that is nicest about 360 achievements is the simplicity inherent in just having a score. With different types of trophies and levels ... it just sounds messy.
The trophy thing looks curious. Not that I'm trying to be negative but I'm not entirely sold on the trophy 'levels' - the thing that is nicest about 360 achievements is the simplicity inherent in just having a score. With different types of trophies and levels ... it just sounds messy.
As someone not interested in gamerscore, this is not a feature I can comment on well. As long as they don't interrupt play in any way (for instance, I don't want to spend time waiting for these to download if I have to visit another player's "Home" (when that comes out) to play multiplayer, then I am indifferent).
Texting over XMB and no voice is retarded. If this was a PC, then that would be fine, but also antiquated. The whole thing about console games is that you are presumably on a couch and do not have a keyboard handy. Will you at least get alerted when your friends come online now? Will you be able to see what they are playing and join their games in progress or invite them while still in-game? You see, it's not JUST voice that is missing.
Edit: The PS3's best online feature is that it is free, and that hasn't changed.
Edit: I will say it might be cool to pull up a browser and search the web for a help or a cheat while you're playing the game.
Did that actually work ingame? I can't rewatch the video right now to check, but if so, that's completely awesome. Hell, that's worth it to me more than the messaging.
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I seriously wonder why in game XMB took so long to implement. Looks great though.
Squeezing enough memory out of that reserved for the OS to fit it into.
Somebody dropped the ball back in the design stage not planning for these features and the physical memory required to make them happen without robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Cross-game invites are the only must-have on my list. I should watch these videos and see if that feature is part of 2.4.
It is nice to get something big out for the holiday and I'm looking forward to this update but any PM worth their salt knows never to launch something like this just before a big holiday.
While nothing may go wrong but with this is a beefy update with a very high risk of something going wrong. I've seen lots of companies try to do things coinciding wiith a holiday and some of the failures are epic since they rarely seem to plan to have the staff or necessary equipment on hand to deal with it. It may be just a U.S. holiday but thats still a lot of customers to potentially piss off.
I, for one, will be turning off the networking functionality on my PS/3 so I don't get the download till next Monday just in case. I don't want to risk my system being funky over the holiday.
Better late than never. While I really don't care about trophies, the in-game XMB is a most welcome addition. I assume it has cross-game invites, but I could be wrong.
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Originally Posted by Gorvi
That sped right past awkward and set up shop in creepy.
-From what it sounds like, they had to re-write a LOT of the code to implement these features. Remember that all of this was written by Japanese devs, and many online features aren't a priority over there
-Custom soundtracks HAD to be done on a game-by-game basis as to not infringe on Microsoft's patent
-I don't believe that Cross-Game invites are a part of the OS yet, but the ability to switch to anotehr game instantly is on the right track. We'll have to test a game like Rainbow 6: Vegas 2 that allows you to accept an invite from the XMB to take you straight to the game. Again, it seems like this will be on a per-game basis for right now.
One thing that REALLY stands-out to me is how snappy it is. The 360's dashboard is usually so sluggish when I pull it up in-game, and can be frustrating when you're trying to mute someone etc. It's great to me to see his update and the huge difference in usability that's being added.
What's funny is that some folks who only know the PS3 and not any other system are going to be like, "OMG this is amazing! I'm so impressed with the job Sony has done."
When all of us are like, "OMG it's about time! I'm so not impressed with how long it took Sony to do this."
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They didn't show automated cross-game invites, but they did show everything you would need to make them happen.
Pulling up a browser window while playing pixeljunk monsters was pretty cool, wonder if that works for all games? A lot of PS3 units are going to have a browser open to gamefaqs most of the time they are online, if so.
Custom soundtracks looks good.
Having the option to pause/not pause before going to XMB is nice, particularly for those times when you are waiting for some in-game event and actually want some in-game time to pass while you might be browsing or sending a message.
Not a fan of achievements/trophies, but am pleased to see them value completion percentages over raw numbers, something I've brought up in some of our achievement discussions before. Anybody can buy/rent more games to pad their total score, but how many people can hit 100%?
Not a fan of achievements/trophies, but am pleased to see them value completion percentages over raw numbers, something I've brought up in some of our achievement discussions before. Anybody can buy/rent more games to pad their total score, but how many people can hit 100%?
Learning from experience...hitting 100% many times is more of a chore than it's worth. Many times it involves many long hours of searching for something or doing a repetitive task to reach a goal. I've focused more on having fun with the games i play because i already have a job...
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"I hate listening to people's dreams. It is like flipping through a stack of photographs. If I'm not in any of them and nobody is having sex, I just don't care."
There is a VERY limited list of trophy titles so far, so the only thing trophies will tell you so far is that the person plays those games, not that they accomplish alot of things in game. If they have trophy support for EVERY GAME only then will they mean something.
Also one has to wonder if the trophy system is advanced enough to interpret saved games and find trophy requirements within them, OR will you have to REPLAY EVERY DAMN GAME all over again!
Of course NO VOICE CHAT MESSAGE=RETARDED as stated before.
Congrats PS3 that much closer to becoming CURRENT GEN!
For the time being though what trophies mean, I might go back and plays some Warhawk, hopefully the trophies will tighten morons up and make them play as a team although, its hard to do when hardly anyone has a MIC and everyone has MIC channel muted when they DON'T have a mic, then also the great PS3 your mic transmissions are sometimes garbled completely and you just don't know it, wasting valuable time.
I hope they add trophies to UT3 I can see that reviving some games, but theres fat chances of looser games that didn't sell well getting a patch. BUT again IF 3rd parties are SMART(hopefully they are) then they will add trophies to renew the life of their old games with poor matchmaking, one can only hope!
-I don't believe that Cross-Game invites are a part of the OS yet, but the ability to switch to anotehr game instantly is on the right track.
That's correct. Cross-game invites DO NOT work. I can send a text message to a friend asking them to come to my game (seems pretty primitive). However I believe each individual developer can develop a way to invite friends.
