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Gadgets PlayStation 3 Firmware Hits Version 2.0
Marcus Yam (Blog) - November 8, 2007 3:03 PM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 89 comment(s) - last by bobobeastie.. on Nov 27 at 12:27 AM

The new "Pixels" theme gives the XMB a neo-retro feel

The "Nature" theme makes the XMB seasonal

The Information Board feature sits under the Network section

Loading up the Information Board

Information Board provides a news feed with the latest PlayStation happenings  (Source: SCEE)
New PS3 software adds themes, news feed, progressive video downloading, custom playlists, web filters, PSP Remote Start and more

Just shy of its one year launch anniversary, the PlayStation 3’s system firmware has jumped a full version number. New features in version 2.0 include remote play, unlimited playlists, more Xross Media Bar customization and more.

Those with PSPs can make use of the improvements to the Remote Play linkage between the handheld and the PS3. With the latest firmware for both systems, PSP users have the ability to turn their PS3 on and off from a Wi-Fi connection, adding the opportunity to listen to the music, look at the photos and watch the videos saved on the PS3 hard drive from anywhere in the world.

Version 2.0 also improves upon the PS3’s functions as a media player. The new firmware allows users to create custom playlists for its music and photos – a feature that will be handy for those using the PS3 as a slideshow creator or digital music player.

Another new feature, which was first seen in the PSP 3.70 firmware, is support for custom themes. Previous PS3 firmware allowed the user to select a custom background, but the latest firmware allows for changes in color, brightness, font and the overall look for the XMB.

According to the video demonstration made by Eric Lempel, Sony’s director of PlayStation Network operations, new themes will be available for download tailored to certain gaming and non-gaming motifs. Likely this means that PSN will be mirroring Xbox Live’s use of themes, with somebeing free and the others available for a small charge.

Three sample themes are now ready for download and can be placed on a memory card or USB device for installation. While not yet officially supported by SCEA, Sony of Japan has released a tool to allow users to create their own themes.

As first seen in the 1.94 firmware update, which was included with the game Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, today’s firmware update also has support for force-feedback controllers. The PS3 appears unable to distinguish between a SIXAXIS and DualShock 3 controller, so those curious may press the PS button on any PS3 controller to view the new vibration toggle option.

No longer will those who download trailers and other videos from the PSN have to wait until the transfer is complete to view the content. A new progressive download feature allows the user to view a video as it is being downloaded from the PlayStation Store.

The new update also introduces Trend Micro web security for the console, allowing parents to block the viewing of inappropriate sites from the PlayStation Internet Browser.

The most noticeable addition for PS3 owners is the new Information Board, which adds a panel onto the XMB interface with expandable items on the latest PlayStation news. The new firmware may now be obtained using the PS3’s network update feature or downloaded directly from SCEA’s Network Update page.

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Possibly a valid question
By InternetGeek on 11/9/2007 12:58:43 AM , Rating: 2
Why does it take Sony a firmware update to install new themes and functionality to the PS3?. These are functions that, IMO, can be handled by the underlying OS. Normally you associate a firmware update with improvements to execution, stability, etc.

Or are these updates called "Firmware" in a broad sense and they include a lot more?

In the case of 360 its easier to understand because it is basically running Windows on a lower Ring. So MS would be just 'patching' the OS and adding whatever program they need.

I don't own any console for the moment. This is a technical question.




RE: Possibly a valid question
By crazyblackman on 11/9/07, Rating: 0
RE: Possibly a valid question
By enlil242 on 11/9/2007 7:46:08 AM , Rating: 1
All I want is a killer "must have" app. So far that is the one thing Sony has not provided.

Right now, I can get any game I want on the 360 or PC . There is no compelling reason for me to pick up a PS3. Releasing a new firmware update is good for the curent owners as it gives them something to do in between watching movies, but will not make me spend $400. Heck not even $300.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By michal1980 on 11/9/2007 10:05:21 AM , Rating: 3
Ratch and Clank.

Thats a killer ps3 app.

now you will come back and say well its not what you want. Dismissing the fact that it is a great game period.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 10:13:25 AM , Rating: 3
Perhaps he meant one that causes the masses to finally decide the cost of the PS3 is worth it and go buy systems en-mass? I'm not going to put down rachet and clank, particularly since I've never played it there for I have no place to... But (say what you want about it), the game didn't have the same effect for sony that Halo 3 did for the x-box. While I'm interested in the possibility of getting a PS3, $400 is a bit steep for me right now and I'll need something that I know is going to keep me playing it (not just for Disney BD movies).

At the very least the 3rd party situation seems to be improving a bit for sony... I just read (here on DT) that COD4 is just as good on PS3 as it is on 360, which shows that at least some game studios are finally getting the hang of programming it. Who knows, perhaps after another round of price cuts and a larger more varided game library I'll finally make the leap and go all purple and grey.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Chaser on 11/9/2007 10:52:50 AM , Rating: 2
I don't think anyone could reasonably complain about how agressive Sony has been with delivering significant firmware updates and new features for the PS3.

And now this month's complaint is the need for a "killer app" um game, from the Halo 3 crowd. Yes Rachet and Clank is an awesome game which distinctively highlights the PS3's very impressive graphic rendering capabilities. So much so I think its a showcase game to lay to rest a couple of baseless myths that floated around this forum: the idea that the PS3 is "a good number cruncher, but has lesser graphics capabilities" or that it's "too hard to program for developers". I'd say the list below appears to settle that notion nicely:

Rachet and Clank, Assassin's Creed, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, COD4, GTA4, UT3, God of War 3, DIRT, Oblivion, MSG4 and many more.

And on the PSN these were announced for the holiday season:

the following titles are expected to launch on the PlayStation Network this holiday season:

Aquatopia
Go! Sports Skydiving
High Velocity Bowling
Mesmerize 1
Operation Creature Feature
Pain
PixelJunk Monsters
Snakeball
Toy Home
Trials of Topoq

Merry Christmas.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By michal1980 on 11/9/2007 11:28:30 AM , Rating: 1
most of the games that play better on the 360 vs the ps3 tend to be ea games.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By deeznuts on 11/9/2007 1:23:24 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
most of the games that play better on the 360 vs the ps3 tend to be ea games.
This is true, but I think early Ubisoft was guilty as well. Ubi I think is making headway with Assassins Creed

Infinity Ward came in and bitchslapped all those lazy devs, by producing a beautiful game on both platforms, and said developing on the PS3 was fun, and not hard, just different and challenging.

And now Kane and Lynch dev just said the same thing, contrary to the whining of John Carmack (well gripes, he didn't whine that hard, just griped, but he got it done), that Harmonix developer just recently (Harmonix? Seriously?) and Gabe Newell


RE: Possibly a valid question
By BansheeX on 11/9/2007 8:55:26 PM , Rating: 2
That's because John Carmack and Gabe Newell develop games on the PC first and foremost and are partial to the easier port. Which console do you think provides that? Hmmm, do you think it's the console made by the same company who makes Windows? For initial development, the PS3 is just fine as recent titles have proven.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By sxr7171 on 11/10/2007 6:41:21 PM , Rating: 2
If they are so fucking aggressive where is the BD 1.1 capability? I bought this thing only for Blu-Ray since there isn't a game worth a damn on it yet (alright maybe Ratchet and Clank, but that's not my cup of tea) and I know that devs will not favor the PS3 over the 360.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By SirLucius on 11/9/2007 12:30:35 PM , Rating: 2
*Sigh* Please stop with this argument. For the first year of it's life, there was no "killer app" for the 360. That's right. Nothing. Zilch. Nadda. Gears of War came out 1 whole year after the 360 was released. Halo 3 2 friggin' years. So the two most popular 360 exclusives took some time to come out.

The PS3 is coming up on the 1 year mark. Ratchet and Clank was just released and, IMO, is a far better game than Halo could ever hope to be. But even with my bias against Halo aside, nearly every review of the game out there, save Gamespot, rates the game well over a 9. It is a "killer app", or can only FPS's be considered the best?

There are good games out for the PS3. If you don't own the system, then of course you wouldn't know this. But the fact is there is a solid lineup of games out that is comparable to what the 360 had in it's first year of existence. And there are more great games coming out. Who cares if some of them are available on both systems? That doesn't detract from the fact that the PS3 is building a solid lineup of games.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 1:12:23 PM , Rating: 3
That's fine and dandy, but what you seem to miss is that many of us making this argument (and who have since bought a 360) didn't bother buying an x-box 360 until there *was* a killer app, further some of us (me) until there was a price reduction from $300/$400 (PS3's current entry cost).

So at least for us, the lack of killer app (and for more price sensitive people like me, price) are still valid arguments to not buy a PS3, just like they were valid arguments to not buy an x-box 360 until last september.

This doesn't mean the PS3 is crap hardware, it's not and only a complete x-box/wii fan boi would deny this... It just means given it's current selection of software, and it's price point, there still seems to not be a very compelling reason to make the purchase.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Chaser on 11/9/2007 1:21:55 PM , Rating: 1
And your personal budget limits are fine and dandy also. But thankfully they don't speak for a majority. As everyone knows the PS3 has been out for a year less than the 360 but if you compare sales numbers over the same period of time the PS3 is way ahead.

Cheers


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 1:28:57 PM , Rating: 3
If what you say is true then why is sony being creamed?


RE: Possibly a valid question
By SirLucius on 11/9/2007 1:57:32 PM , Rating: 1
Sony isn't being creamed. They aren't selling as many units as the 360 currently, but as I've said over and over, the 360 has a 1 year advantage on the PS3. It makes sense that they'd have more games/a bigger install base.

Sony's sales figures for the first year are comparable to that of the 360 for the first year. They aren't doing as well in the US as the 360 did, but worldwide they're doing better. And there's more to gaming than the US.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 2:14:28 PM , Rating: 2
Apparently you're another gamer discounting nintendo? Microsoft and sony are both being creamed... I happen to be a fan of x-box 360, but that doesn't change facts... The Nintendo did an excellent job with the wii... Heck, I own one my self (though a lady friend of mine has custody of it at the moment).


RE: Possibly a valid question
By SirLucius on 11/9/2007 2:32:24 PM , Rating: 1
I honestly don't count Nintendo with Sony and Microsoft. Nintendo is in a league of their own when it comes to the gaming industry for this generation. I mean they don't even have their biggest titles out yet and they're already running away from the pack.

And yeah I have a Wii too. But if things continue the way they have been going for Nintendo, it's really just a battle for second place between Microsoft and Sony. I don't see either one really coming close to Nintendo.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By bangmal on 11/9/2007 4:24:29 PM , Rating: 2
your info is out-dated. Nintendo got its supposed killer title out already, that is, Super Mario Galaxy. The sad fact is it took this title one full week to sell 1/6 of what Halo 3 sold in 12 hours.

BTW I have a wii too, it is collecting dust right now.

"I don't see either one really coming close to Nintendo."

I assume you are not a heavy drug user,so i assume you are kidding.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 4:30:15 PM , Rating: 3
He is neither, Nintendo owns this generation... Just because the style of games on the console doesn't appeal to you, it doesn't mean they don't appeal to the vast majority.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By SirLucius on 11/9/2007 5:22:22 PM , Rating: 2
Super Mario Galaxy is big, but there are still plenty more. Smash Brothers Brawl and the next Mario Kart are two big ones that come to mind.

And Halo 3 is out. The game for the 360 is out and over with. Sure, you've got Mass Effect, but what's after that? Most of the other really big name games are coming out on multiple systems. The 360's biggest title has come and gone, and Nintendo is still out front showing no signs of slowing down. And games like Smash Brothers and the next Mario Kart haven't even been released yet.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 5:37:01 PM , Rating: 3
As I've said else where, there are a host of great x-box 360 games.... Your Killer apps are Gears, Halo 3 and Mass Effect... Currently Sony has none, so it struggles compared to x-box... You know it's funny... Last Gen Sony won with lesser hardware than x-box by being out a year early.... This time around x-box seems to be winning (the battle for second anyway) because they're out a year earlier... Whether or not the x-box is lesser hardware can be debated, IMO it is not at all but the main point is that the console market is all about price and timing, therefore it was a mistake for Sony to delay the PS3 to incorperate bluray (making the PS3 super expensive) which according to howard stinger stands a resnoble chance of losing the HDM format war...


RE: Possibly a valid question
By BansheeX on 11/10/2007 12:34:14 AM , Rating: 1
Locutus, you are a broken record on these forums. I don't even want to count how many times you've brought up the lame "killer app" argument or criticized the PS3's game selection. You'll be doing it forever, I can tell. I've told you a million times that the PS3 and 360 libraries are near identical. Exclusives are the minority of games and you would be an absolute idiot to shell out anything over $300 for a few hyped games, and that goes for MGS, Halo, whatever. When I sit here and consider what to buy, I see all the non-exclusives I want to play like Oblivion, Orange Box, COD4, RE5, Assassin's Creed and the slew of other non-exclusives, and then I see the PS3 pull away with loading times, blu-ray playback, less noise (I'm extremely annoyed by background noise), linux for retro emulation, and a controller that is more comfortable to me. For nearly the same amount of money including netplay fees, I personally think the PS3 is a better value at this point. I wouldn't have said that last year. At all. But you need to acknowledge how other people can come to this conclusion this holiday season.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By KingViper on 11/11/2007 11:08:36 PM , Rating: 2
Lets not forget the software sales numbers, as opposed to the hardware sales numbers.

Xbox 360 users buy on average about 6.6 games.
PS3 users buy on average about 3.5 games.
Wii users buy on average about 3.4 games.

So, most of the multiplatform games people think of such as Sports games and FPS's will be sold on either the PS3 or the 360, NOT on the Wii. With the current lead over the PS3, the 360 will get most of those sales. This doesn't even include the 1st party games that will be sold. The Wii is in it's own league, but that doesn't make it a clear winner. Majority of the games developed for the Wii are crap, only the 1st party games are worth a hoot, so unless the Wii can ramp up software sales to keep up with their hardware, things won't always stay as pretty as they are.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By michal1980 on 11/9/07, Rating: 0
RE: Possibly a valid question
By bangmal on 11/9/2007 4:33:49 PM , Rating: 1
Those ps3 games are all crappy.
ninja gaiden is just a ported from xbox, no nina gaiden 2 for ps3.
heavenly sword is another piece of junk.(i have it and tried it and threw it).
and the Resistence sucks due to poor online play.

There is a lot of games available on xbox 360 that ps3 dont have. The list is long. And I have no time to educate you. The most recent one is Ace Combat 6. Which causes the xbox 360 out-sells ps3 in Japan.

Be realistic, ps3 is even losing in its own country.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 4:45:37 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
The most recent one is Ace Combat 6. Which causes the xbox 360 out-sells ps3 in Japan.


I find this to be supprising though I won't question what you say since I don't have the data... I wouldn't expect that kind of game to be a "Killer App" in Japan, something more akin to Blue Dragon is what I would expect.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By SirLucius on 11/9/2007 5:16:38 PM , Rating: 2
The 360 outsold the PS3 by 239 units for one week. The question is can Microsoft sustain the 17,000+ sales they got going forward? I doubt it. Unless they come out with some more Ace Combats and Blue Dragons.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 5:39:31 PM , Rating: 2
Well, according to what I've heard they are... They've even "hired" some famous Anime directors to work on an exclusive title. Ace is still supprising to me, but at anyrate... Yes microsft is a distant thrid, in Japan, but this is something they are working on.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 4:38:39 PM , Rating: 2
Ninja Gaiden® 2? That's an x-box exclusive... Or is there another one that I'm not aware of? Anyway, if you want I could post a host a great x-box titles that are x-box exclusive... Much like just about every title you've listed off for PS3 none of them enjoy "Killer App" status, there usually aren't that many "killer apps" for a console since typically these are considered to be exceptional games (halo 3/gears), I think the point is that the PS3 doesn't have one yet...

Yes, the PS3 is still young, but this just helps illistrate the number of mistakes that sony made with the current generation.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By SirLucius on 11/9/2007 5:11:42 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
If you want I could post a host a great x-box titles that are x-box exclusive...


Please do. Outside of Halo 3, Gears of War, and Bioshock (the latter two of which are available on PC) I'd be interested to see what your take is. Most of the other 360 exclusives I'd say are of comparable value to the PS3 exclusives. Games like Dead Rising, Saint's Row, Lost Planet, and Crackdown all come to mind, but I wouldn't consider any of them must have games.

As for the killer PS3 game, I said it before, and I'll say it again: Ratchet & Clank. Just because it's not an epic shooter people seem to be quick to ignore the game. But it's probably one of the best platformers of recent years, easily the best game available on the PS3 now, and definitely a must have.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 5:44:17 PM , Rating: 2
That's just the point I'm making... I keeps seeing lists of games being thrown out there to prove the PS3 has great games, but none of the games on lists I see are "must haves" or "killer apps".... For instance I love Fusion Frenzy 2, and DOA is always a great party game... Personally I find lost planet to be addicting, but none of these are killer apps that make the 360 worth the investment in and of them selves... The same could be said for the PS3's entire lineup of great games... Sure they're great if you happen to have a PS3 already, but are any of them a reason for me to plop down $400 for one? PS3 needs even 1 Halo/Gears/Bioshock for it to really start gaining real momentum.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By SirLucius on 11/10/2007 1:17:44 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
PS3 needs even 1 Halo/Gears/Bioshock for it to really start gaining real momentum.


And I keep saying Ratchet & friggin' Clank. Platformers have been Sony's bread and butter, and Ratchet & Clank really delivers. The game has been well received by reviewers everywhere and everyone I know who has played it considers it to be one of the best games this generation across all systems.

Now if you only play first person shooters, then fine, I can accept that R&C may not be for you. But for most people, especially those who have played the other games in the series, R&C is a great game.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By SirLucius on 11/9/2007 2:08:58 PM , Rating: 2
But the PS3 does have a must have game (Ratchet & Clank) at a reduced price ($400).

The point is it seems like most people here won't be satisfied until they can get a PS3 with a DualShcok 3 controller, MGS4, and GT5 all packaged together for the price of a PS2 slim. Until then they will look for every little excuse to bash the system.

No matter what Sony does, they can't win. They drop the price and people complain that it isn't a fully loaded system for cheap. Good games are released on the system, but there has to be dozens of must have exclusives. When a must have is released people just ignore it. It's really just gotten old.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 2:16:52 PM , Rating: 2
A version priced competitivly with Wii/Arcade (even if it's a bit stripped) is more accurate, $120 above the closest compeditor is too steep of a price delta.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By SirLucius on 11/9/2007 2:29:06 PM , Rating: 3
But at this point what can they sell for that price? A Blu-ray drive, a hdd, and 1 USB port? Aside from WiFi, I don't know what else they can take out of the system.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 2:41:39 PM , Rating: 2
That is kind of the point... The PS3 is a design that may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but in the end it was a mistake to think consumers will pay the kind of premium they're asking to be entertained...

So here sits the majority, waiting for Sony to refine the manfacturing process enough to reduce costs further (for us, not them as microsoft pulled initially), and for games to be realease that actually makes the average consumer more than mildly interested in buying the system... I think for me the new Gods of War might fit that bill, but then there's still the price issue that god knows what can be done about it. Perhaps it sounds rather cheap of me, but a great game and even a $50 price reduction might be enough to get me to bite, if they go all out with a $100 price reduction then I probably would buy.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By tomthehand on 11/9/2007 11:24:27 AM , Rating: 4
I got a chuckle out of how you got leapt upon by a fanboy who didn't even understand what you were asking.

"Firmware" is a misnomer, and Sony tries to push the term "PlayStation 3 System Software". It's an update to the OS.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By InternetGeek on 11/9/2007 4:56:28 PM , Rating: 2
Yeah, my question was completely ignored. They took it as if I was attacking the console. He simply scraped the surface and then went on. For god's sake they are even talking about sale numbers!.

Anyways, hopefully someone will take pity on me and answer the question. If I understand correctly the PS3 is running a version of Linux. That would explain some things but at the same time complicate others.


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 5:48:46 PM , Rating: 2
Probably because the Firmware *is* the OS, there for for to include functionality like "themes" which an end user (god I hate those) will no doubt expect to launch at system start up it *MUST* be integrated into the OS/Firmware. You'll find the same is true for any embedded device, in order to add functionality at a core level like this it has to be at the firmware level. Yes I understand the PS3 has a hard drive, but I wouldn't be at all supprised if little to none of the "PS3 OS" is actually stored on it, it's far more typical for that to be in ROM with this kind of device... We're not talking PCs here after all (unless you want to talk original x-box ;))


RE: Possibly a valid question
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 5:55:22 PM , Rating: 3
And sorry, you know people get so worked up when you attak their religions...errr...game consoles...errr HDM media? ;)


RE: Possibly a valid question
By bobobeastie on 11/27/2007 12:27:25 AM , Rating: 2
This acronym you keep speaking of "HDM", would that be High Definition ..... Media? And then you say media again? Anyways why do you get to make up TLA acronyms?


Divx and the browser
By Schadenfroh on 11/8/2007 9:39:31 PM , Rating: 2
Man, that browser is horrible on the PS3. They need to just have a setting that you can toggle to where you can enable / disable the flash (i assume that is what the popup is about) support if you do not want it. I cant go to new pages (or navigate some) without the PS3 popping up "Do you want to run this plugin" every 20 seconds.

Also, this thing is supposed to be a midrange movie player, yet lacks divx support? That is something that a $50 magavox dvd player can do, yet the PS3 cannot? Any chance of them adding some more useful features like divx or xvid support in the future? I thought some Sony DVD players supported Divx, so it would not be that far of a leap. If they are worried about licenses, why not include xvid support?




RE: Divx and the browser
By gus6464 on 11/9/2007 1:32:46 AM , Rating: 3
Uhh PS3 already supports Divx, FLAC, and whatever else you can think of through TVersity. Why fill up your PS3 hdd when you can just stream everything from a PC.

http://tversity.com/home

Also works for 360, Wii, PSP, Media Center, and any other type of media extender.


RE: Divx and the browser
By SirLucius on 11/9/2007 1:37:55 AM , Rating: 2
TVersity is a great solution, but it would be nice to be able to load audio and video directly to the system. There are times when I don't want to have to run TVersity in order to access media on the PS3.


RE: Divx and the browser
By MGSsancho on 11/9/2007 3:17:47 AM , Rating: 2
not the PS# does not support them. tversity transcodes the streams to mpeg2/pcm. yeah you can tell it to goto 1920x1080 but the LAN bandwith is huge. up to 70mb. not only that but the quality is blegh. even if you have 720P video or a HD rip from a tv show. it still looks *barf*. i have never tried flac on the PS3 directly. but i will try it thats for sure.


RE: Divx and the browser
By Schadenfroh on 11/9/2007 10:14:48 AM , Rating: 2
Yep, Tversity just transcodes them on the fly. I am currently using tversity and I wish that Sony would provide "native" support for those formats on the PS3 (so I can play my divx / xvid files directly off a CD / DVD).


RE: Divx and the browser
By gus6464 on 11/9/2007 12:23:32 PM , Rating: 2
What kind of crappy router do you have that it bogs down when streaming divx files to the PS3? Of course it is going to look like crap when you have a 480i file which is already compressed and then upconverted to 1080p by the console. I just have tv shows which are 720p and they look just fine on my 50" plasma when I set the PS3 to 720p. Same quality when I used to play them on my divx dvd player. But I guess it's fine to trash the PS3 since it's the popular thing to do.


RE: Divx and the browser
By sxr7171 on 11/10/2007 6:48:07 PM , Rating: 1
Yeah transcoding is bullshit. It is for the less discerning members of the public.


RE: Divx and the browser
By MrPickins on 11/9/2007 9:29:53 AM , Rating: 2
I'd settle for Xvid.

They shouldn't need to pay any licensing fees, either, just port code, IIRC.


RE: Divx and the browser
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 10:20:32 AM , Rating: 3
I can't imagin DiVX is anything sony is interested in supporting... "Sony Pictures"...


RE: Divx and the browser
By Schadenfroh on 11/9/2007 4:21:09 PM , Rating: 2
Sony already has many DivX players:
http://www.divx.com/products/products.php


but...but....
By maverick85wd on 11/8/2007 8:24:18 PM , Rating: 2
what about profile 1.1 support? Getting that on the PS3 may convince a few more people to purchase one... especially with the holiday season rapidly approaching...

hell I'd buy one myself if I had a 1080p TV :-/




Sony's act is right
By AlphaVirus on 11/9/2007 3:26:35 PM , Rating: 2
I like how no matter how much bad karma sony is receiving, they are still tending to the PS3 owners. I still see some of the owners are upset they dont have as many games as they would like but can you blame Sony/PS3 for that problem? The developers must release games, this isnt nintendo. Nintendo is pretty much the only developer for pretty much all its consoles (exageration but not far from truth)

Sony has been putting in effort to here everyones cries out and that shows dedication and good customer service. I am not saying its perfect but knowing your product will constantly be updated makes you feel confident about owning it. Knowing the firmwares will eventually get you want you want is good, hopefully they will add the in-game xmb soon.

Check the Playstation 3 site on upcoming titles, about 6 new games next Tuesday, Nov13. Enjoy PS3 owners, enjoy.




DTS-HD
By Link on 11/9/2007 5:35:38 PM , Rating: 2
Where is DTS-HD decode capability?
There are more and more BD movies coming out with this sound codec and PS3 still doesnt fully support it.




Ok stop arguing
By Sungpooz on 11/10/2007 1:56:44 AM , Rating: 2
Just Wait for MGS4 and FFXIII and we'll see if Sony climbs the mountain they claim they would.




Time will tell...
By carage on 11/10/2007 9:27:06 AM , Rating: 2
I am surprised that I haven't seen anyone mention the dreaded RROD yet. Only time will tell if the $1.3B that M$ just shelled out and/or the move to 65nm processes actually solves the problem for good. If not, perhaps we will see another $1.3B expense coming along in a while, or possibly a lot more if any of the possible class-action suits actually goes forward. Lets see how much more dough M$ will shell out to fix this or quit. This is something fanboys may ignore but really should think about. Perhaps some will think M$ is sitting on a pile of cash anyway, but I am not sure shareholders will agree with this strategy.

Alright, before XO fanboys start leaping on me, I should disclose I own a 360 too. I don't want it to die, but according to my friend's experience, RROD for the 90nm machines is only a matter of time and luck. I will decide whether I will stick with it or jump boat to PS3 when that happens.

Now back to PS3. I think it is a bit early to call PS3 a failure at this moment. 360 has a 1 year headstart, and possibily because of that we have a fine and dandy console that can turn into a brick any moment. It's a great machine when it works, but sucks when it is paralyzed. OK, perhaps PS3 will also show mass hardware problems once the user base grows. Some PS3 owners are already whining about BD drive failures.

In addition, there is a sad but true factor that dictates console sales outside of US called PIRACY, or perhaps a more neutral term will be MOD CHIPS. This seems to be a factor ignored by American gamers, but at least in China, Taiwan, Korea, and Southeast Asia this can be a decisive factor. In this aspect, PS3 and the 360 are not on even footing at all. To them, the math is simple, 1 PS3 game = 30~50 XO games. So unless you are so rich that you don't care anymore or you have a Bluray obsession, there really isn't much incentive to buy a PS3 now. You will hear that statement in pretty much every video game store in China and Hong Kong. A lot of people in this part of the world are waiting for widespread availabilty of cracked PS3s and pirated BD media. When that happens, PS3 might actually become a killer gaming rig if not just a BD movie player. Perhaps by the time M$ will release a model with built-in HDDVD functionality. Of course, the process seems to be complicated because Sony has a firm grip on BD production licenses and the technology seems to be more sophisticated for rouge factories to start mass producing, but only time will tell. If people wait too long, perhaps PS3 will be dead.

Back to the story, it feels good to see updates (hopefully more than bug fixes) continuously released by the manufacturer, at least it shows they care. I heard 2.0 is really slow. Wait for 2.01??




By ChipDude on 11/10/2007 12:51:42 PM , Rating: 2
Flame me all you like and rate me down. But if you look at the numbers all the momentum is with the wii. With the fitness board coming and a slew of new games Wii should keep its sales leads.

The xbox360 got a nice pop with Halo3 and probably will see the addition of that game to keep sales going thru holiday with the cheaper arcade version.

The PS3 with price drops and more games should see similar sales growth. Damm even the recent price drop will help things a bit keeping sales ahead of the PS2. Yes PS3 will likely actually beat its far cheaper father the PS2 in fancy white. Sony's silly resistance to not leverage its huge PS2 installed still makes no sense. For a few more dollars in hardware cost they could shout from the roofs of full BC and they have a huge base of PS2 players with stacks of games that they could intice to buy a PS3. Look at it another way why should SONY not add full BC, and shutdown making the PS2 from the line. Sure you'd lose the value crowd, but you'd probably entice a lot of the PS2 buyser of tomorrow to ante up and buy the PS3 for all the cheap PS2 games and the promise of sometime getting some good hot PS3 games and a BR for 200 bucks more.

In the end will the PS3 go away? No, just like the Gamecube and original xbox that weren't money makers they didn't go away. But come 5 years from now when you go to BestBuy or Gamestop you'll still find that section of PS3 where you'll see lots of games, and some good games. But you'll see the exact reverse of what you see today. 1/2 of the game section will be wii, 1/4 xbox360 and 1/4 or less PS3. Today things are reversed with Sony dominating the display space.

In the end PS3 will make money for them. But its a strategic and product disaster. Sony dominated the gamebox last generation by a ton, all the games as a rule were on PS2 platform. Things are reversed now, MS got the hot highend games, Wii dominates the numbers and the casual gamer. That is huge change of fortune for the company and by any and all measurements of failure of the CEO, the head of the game division and the engineers to go from first to last. The bungled the price, bungled the schedule and bloated the features. They could have gone out the gone with a fully BC compatible at a reasonable price and people would have snapped it up for BC and forward looking games. Instead the added expensive features that slipped the schedule and now they are looking at the A$$ of both the MS and Mario




PS3 is just getting started...
By crazyblackman on 11/8/07, Rating: -1
RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By sweetsauce on 11/8/2007 11:35:20 PM , Rating: 2
All I see between the lines of your wall of text is blah blah sony rules, blah blah microsoft sucks. Only took me 3 sentences. Work on condensing your verbal diarrhea.


By sweetsauce on 11/8/2007 11:36:08 PM , Rating: 2
Or 2 as its shown...


RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By crazyblackman on 11/9/07, Rating: -1
RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By mikefarinha on 11/9/2007 1:56:39 AM , Rating: 1
Wow, crazyblackman your comment score is the lowest I've ever seen!

'-0.16'

A score this low can only be achieved through sheer determination and dedication... or, perhaps, through sheer stupidity and blind fanboism...

Either way, congratulations, you definitely earned your score!


RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By BansheeX on 11/9/2007 2:13:10 AM , Rating: 1
Can I be the first one to call fake on this guy? I'm guessing it's a less moralistic 360 supporter who thought it would be fun to roleplay as a raving Sony fanboy, which would obviously get rated down to hell and make real PS3 fans look bad. Pretty smart if you think about it. The blatant lavishing of the PS3 on a laughably epic level in a firmware thread with no incitement just strikes me as totally insincere. He's got an unrealistically low rating because he is a fabricated personality. I've seen genuine fanboy lunacy and this isn't it. Even those guys show signs restrained thought.


RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By crazyblackman on 11/9/07, Rating: -1
RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By amandahugnkiss on 11/9/2007 5:33:11 AM , Rating: 2
And my 4:30 AM response, after a few drinks is:

"Or...maybe I'm telling the truth? Your response shows your blatant denial of the facts that I've represented."
You've represented no facts, just a rediculous diatribe of fanboy allegiance, the fact (as you call them) that it took Sony a year longer to release a sub-par piece of technology is a testament to that 'fact'.

'Sticks and stones on all the other comments. just the facts. rate me down. I could sincerely care less about the ratings. The truth hurts. I speak the truth. And yes I am a PS2/PS3/PS4,5 and 6 fan. just the truth. admit you've been burned by Microsoft. admit it. and still continue to take it with sand in the vaseline."

The truth is out there, I don't expect you to ever find it, but I think it is there, just for other people. BTW, PS2 sales, as awesome as they are, even after the release of the 'next technological advancement from the same company' will never be good enough to support the development of a PS 4 or 5. It's a dead duck, the Sony stockholders will want a payout and would never vote to reinvest in the next Sony gaming fiasco. Fuck it all you want,it'll never kick again.

"There is so much promise on the horizon for the future of this excellent, extremely reliable, quality piece of hardware."
Yep, I have to agree wioth you here, folding is what I bought my game consloe for, have at it you bad ass folding mf.

I think Sony has a long term plan for this console that they are barely just getting started implementing. Developers are now starting to understand the power/flexibility behind the hardware as well as the unlimited space on the discs and will soon start to think bigger than what they've been limited to on other inferior, "buy this addon to do this and modify this input to add that", problematic consoles. The PS3 was designed from launch to do everything that other, "less
ambitious", consoles only dream of some day attempting. It was built for longevity just like it's predecessor. It make take a short while longer to catch hold, but with a few more of these firmware updates, we will all know the difference between a champion and a bum who threw the first lucky sucker punch and has been constantly falling on his undertrained, sorry ass and faking a smile while loosing his crooked teeth, since launch day. We will soon know who the real underdog is. That fancy black, glossy shine on the PS3 is looking even prettier now. All this HDDVD vs Blueray crap means nothing after the holidays. I really don't know of any other manufacturer other than Toshiba offering their hd player at that price right now. I really can't attest to the quality of Toshiba's hddvd player. It just sound's like somebody got paid off to me. Sounds a lot like desperation in the 360 camp as this truly is a console war, more than a format war. Both formats could survive without the gaming angle. This, as well as Microsoft's expensive, "get our inferior, overheating, disc scratching, console out to the market first", launch is about Microsoft doing everything it can to make sure the PS3 w/built in blueray combo doesn't succeed. BUT...RROD's came back to bite them in their fat, greedy buttocks, costing them big time. Just like EA Sports making an inferior Madden game version on the PS3. I'm sure the corrupted bastards did it on purpose, seeing as one of Microsoft's head honcho's, Peter Moore, I think the name was, went to work for EA. The price of the PS3 was high, but I remember a time when people paid for quality design, as well as the promise of reliable, solid state performance. It's obvious now that only one console manufacturer had that mindset when designing their system. Seems to me that anyone who bought the other console paid way, way too much. And more than once. And...as far as these cheap hddvd players being gobbled up... Walmart shoppers aren't known to be the savviest, techiest, people on the planet, so I don't read too much into them selling these $100 hddvd players. Better save those receipts. Oh well, I'm done. Now go ahead and vote me down for telling the truth as always.

holly crap that's more than I bargained for. I'll settle for saying (in my opinion) most Dev's will say fuck you Sony, provide a decent dev platform and I'll write code to support it, give me a shitty SDK and make me do the larger share of work for your underselling game platformn and you can write the games yourself (or hire crappy coders like the guys who wrote your rootkits).


RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By robinthakur on 11/9/2007 5:49:05 AM , Rating: 2
OMG LMAO "The PS3 is about to blow the f--k up!!!"
I think that trait is usually associated with Microsoft's console...This dude is demented.

The PS3 has more versions of updated formware than decent games at the moment. Seriously! Assasins Creed is out soon and woe betide that game if the 360 version turns out to run better!!!! I love it for being my blu ray player, but even with that proviso, its not doing what I bought it for very often...


RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By robinthakur on 11/9/2007 6:04:05 AM , Rating: 2
I know the PS2 also had a slow start due to being difficult to program for, but this is now starting to get very worrying for the entire industry, more than a year on, when there's still virtually nothing out there! High cost of development coupled with small installed user base = no developers. I would actually say that us PS3 owners are the ones being shafted with sandy vaseline (can i have it without the sand?) rather than 360 owners on balance, as although their console is poorly built, noisy, too focused on online and with a major design flaw at least its a games console delivered early with decent games now available and plenty of marketing. This gives you a clue how badly Sony have dropped the ball on this one, even the 360 is better!! As for the Wii, Mario Galaxy is out on the 16th (in the UK) and I'm looking forward to playing what's already been called one of the greatest games of all time. Even Halo 1/2/3 can only claim to be a bit of a turd which has had several layers of lacquer applied, this is the real deal.


By Bioniccrackmonk on 11/9/2007 9:27:29 AM , Rating: 2
I bought a PS2 when it first came out and there were no good games either for awhile. Just look at the lineup of games to be on the PS3 and you will see what is coming soon. The PS3 will be on par if not greater then the 360 as far as gaming libraries are concerned.

As far as hardware is concerned, it is easy to go back and forth over and over again like so many people continue to do, but the truth is, they are 2 entirely different systems so it is not comparing apples to apples. The only thing I can say is that Sony at least developed it right from the beginning in regards to heat issues.


By SirLucius on 11/9/2007 12:42:31 PM , Rating: 2
Again, short memories. The 360 had a 1 year advantage on the PS3. That is, everybody is comparing the PS3 now to the 360 now. Of course the 360 is going to have more/better games by the sheer fact that it's been out longer. It's silly to try to compare. If you look at where the PS3 is now and where the 360 was at a similar time in it's life cycle, the PS3 is doing just fine. More developers are starting to code for the PS3. Look at COD4. Infinity Ward coded for the PS3 separately from everything else.

It's one year into the PS3's life cycle. Things are just starting to pick up. Just like how it was 1 year into the 360's life cycle before things really started to pick up. I'm sick of people whining and complaining because the PS3 isn't dominating right out the door.


By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 9:38:43 AM , Rating: 2
It probably will since because of Microsoft's install base games are typically developed first for 360 then ported... The PS3 is good hardware, it was just too agressive of a design for the time, period... Sony "bet the farm" so to speak that consumers would be willing to pay anything with PS3 on slapped on it, particularly with integrated bluray and media functions... They're just now slowly coming to realize that isn't true at all, cosumers are very price sensitive.

Microsoft on the other hand made the much more prudent choice of putting together a nice little package, which while it didn't integrate every media option under the sun (lack of integrated hd-dvd), it is still extreamly capable. This allowed Microsoft to seriously undercut sony (though not Nintendo obviously, but seriously who saw Wii coming?) as still allow end users the options to add all of the bells a whistles at a later date if they so choose. This is important because on the whole it's much easier on consumers if they can get a low cost of entry, then upgrade later to add additional functionality, even if it does turn out to be more expensive which is only true since the most recent PS3 price drops.


By BansheeX on 11/9/2007 11:31:37 AM , Rating: 2
unlimited space on the discs

Truth, huh? You gave yourself away when you started exaggerating to levels that not even the most insane fanboy would go to. I honestly thought you were going to start praising folding@home on the PS3 as the cure for cancer by the end of your speech. Not even the biggest Sony fans talk like that. You're a fraud.

these firmware updates, we will all know the difference between a champion and a bum who threw the first lucky sucker punch and has been constantly falling on his undertrained, sorry ass and faking a smile while loosing his crooked teeth, since launch day.

I rest my case.


By Locutus465 on 11/12/2007 12:23:30 AM , Rating: 2
There's a thrid possiblity... he just get's his kicks getting people all riled up online and really doesn't care either way as long as he feels he's angering as many people as possible... Or in other words is a classic, stereotypical troll...


RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By Savvin on 11/9/07, Rating: -1
RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By Chaser on 11/9/2007 1:57:15 PM , Rating: 2
You obviously are in the know on gaming development. That's why you have the time to give all your sage global marketing advice away for free on internet forum sites?

But really these dreams of doom and gloom predictions of the failure of the PS3 are getting old and tiresome.

To um give your vast knowledge of console marketing genius some credibility you might want to take another look at the games that are out and soon the be released for the holiday season for the PS3. That's if you can break away from your developer meetings.

I might sound a bit delusional but the world is ready and wants the next gen Playstation. People around the world want upgraded hardware from the PS2. So just as there are people that would probably buy empty 360 boxes when it was first released there is a loyal following for anything that's Playstation.


RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By Savvin on 11/10/2007 12:51:43 AM , Rating: 2
And you consider your comments to have more merits than anyone else's? As usual, "fans" have to make personal attacks on people that don't share their opinions. Big surprise there. I'm glad you know me and know what I do for a living.

Nevertheless, if you would read my comments closely, and with an unbiased mindset, you would see that I in fact do not want the PS3 or Sony to fail. What I said was that I was unhappy with the PS3, because as of yet, it has not justified it's purchase. It has very few quality, exclusive, must have games at this point, in my opinion and does not have much of a must have line-up in the near future.

Sure, the world may be ready for the next gen Playstation, but they were ready this time last and they are still ready. It just hasn't showed up yet. It's a matter of economics, you can have all the "fans" you want, but when that number amounts to very little, the "developers" have to pay their bills. I didn't say it was going to happen, I said that it "might". Are you so positive as to claim that it could never happen?


RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By Locutus465 on 11/9/07, Rating: -1
RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By gus6464 on 11/9/2007 12:27:11 PM , Rating: 2
No one can afford it? Last time I checked the PS3 was $50 more than the 360 Premium and with built-in wireless. Check your facts first before you start spreading FUD.


By sweetsauce on 11/9/2007 1:17:01 PM , Rating: 2
... and it can cook a mean burger, all while draining away the fat!!!


RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By Locutus465 on 11/9/2007 1:50:28 PM , Rating: 2
Unfortunately the price is $120 more expensive than the X-Box 360's actual cost of entry which is very significant... A geek/enthusiast like me who has no real priorities other than making sure rent is paid on time might be able/willing to spend extra for more packaged goodies... Unfortunately this does not describe the market at large.

Given the lack of success the PS3 has relative to all the launch buzz/hype and the domination of the PS2 in the last generation one would think that sony would get a clue and try and find away to make the cost of entry a bit less steep...

And just to put it out there, I also posted on these very forums prior to the September x-box price cuts wonder why Microsoft wasn't "getting it" as well, when you considered how both MS/Sony were (still are) being dominated by Nintendo... At least microsoft (finally) clued in and re-oriented the x-box 360 core as a family system, added considerable value as far as a packaged wireless controller, 5 games and a 256MB memory card in order to make the system more appealing to the masses. Sony on the other hand has had a more lackluster response... Perhaps partly due to the cost of manufacturing the PS3, perhaps they don't see this kind of response with the current generation viable at this time so they're using the aging PS2 to compete in the family sector... But if Sony wants a PS3 success (ah la Wii) they need to seriously start researching how to make the system more affordable and appealing to the masses.

So before you start posting about "FUD" (god I hate that buzz acronym), why don't you try taking a second to analyze the situation from the perspective of trying to move playstation 3's into the homes of the average consumer worldwide. Until last September both MS and Sony were seriously lacking in the department of making their product desirable to the average consumer... Microsoft has managed to do quite a bit (though perhaps not enough to steal Nintendo's thunder in any appreciable way) to this end... Now it's sony's turn try and make the PS3 a success in the mass market.

In the end I think the lesson learned for both MS and Sony is that you can't make a game console product that caters only to "hardcore" gamers and media enthusiasts and expect it to actually succeed the way they want it to, that is make a product that dominates console sales. If you want you can post back with an argument about how "well the Wii isn't really an x-box/PS3 competitor, they're not is the same market blah blah blah"... That's a cop out used by both Microsoft and Sony fan boi's... Yes, the Wii is very much a competitor because they're all *GAME CONSOLES* trying to secure the largest share of the *GAMING* market that they can... Nintendo Succeeded, while both MS and Sony have made varying degrees of effort to rectify the situation (again, I think MS has a more solid marketing strategy), probably what they both really need to do is take a good look at how they decide to position themselves for the next generation, primarily when it comes to what price brackets they're going to position themselves in... If things keep going the way they are, games will be developed first for Wii, then ported to 360 and PS3 from there... I think that would be sad for those of us with some form of HD console.


RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By BansheeX on 11/9/2007 8:43:38 PM , Rating: 2
And yet one of the reasons for that discrepancy is that Sony was unwilling to offer a HD-less model, because doing so would mean that developers wouldn't be able to take advantage of it for lower loading times. Agree or disagree, it's an acceptable tradeoff for people who know about it. So one of the things working against Sony is consumer ignorance. Which brings me to my next point about hidden costs that often go unconsidered. Let's not completely disembody the cost of the netplay, which is free on the PS3 while $50-60 a year on the 360. Anyone who bought a 360 and used netplay from day 1 has already paid an additional $100. You just don't realize it because, like credit card interest, it's in the background. It's absent went you make the purchase.


RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By Locutus465 on 11/10/2007 12:34:44 AM , Rating: 2
Yes, but to win the console wars you have to win the casual gamer... To win the casual gamer, you really don't need to care about online play at all do you? To be quite honest for a certain breed of "real gamer", my self for instance, online play is still not very important. I do pay for XBL gold because it's fun once in a while, and the monthly fee's are $7.99, much more affordable than say, World of War Crack... As far as any accessories (hd etc)... If you *wish* to add these capabilites you can, but you don't have to if you really don't want to.

As far as the hard drive, frankly I think that's where MS went a bit over board with their product levels... I think they should have included the 20GB in the core, but oh well MS made the choices that they did. At least the Arcade comes with flash memory for the same price the Core used to be at.

It's clear that Sony had MS have very different philosphies this time around, IMO the Microsoft Philophy is the better one this generation (though far from perfect).


RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By gus6464 on 11/10/2007 2:18:52 AM , Rating: 2
Seriously who buys the Xbox 360 Arcade? Oh wait I know...... No one!!!!! All these points you make are pointless and no one really cares since you just make yourself look more and more like the MS fanboy you are trying to hide.


RE: PS3 is just getting started...
By BansheeX on 11/10/2007 5:09:06 PM , Rating: 1
I don't care about success if it involves siding with "philosophies" on tricking people or compromising a great feature that doesn't get a lot of press or sensationalism. It is appreciated by the people who know about it and unwittingly appreciated by those who don't. Your arguments always boil down to what is cheapest, what companies can get away with to make their product cheaper without average customers being able to figure it out, so that all they see in the PS3 is a more expensive 360. You think the average person goes to a store and THINKS about future costs like netplay when they compare shelf price? You think they even realize that the PS3 can't offer a version without a hard drive or blu-ray without making both features unusable by devs since owners of such systems wouldn't be able to buy games that utilized them?

Stop calling them casual gamers and start calling them ignorant gamers. I could care less if they all flock to other consoles. Let them choose a Wii and have them not play for months on end. Let them choose a 360 and pay $250 over the console's life for netplay, wait forever for levels to load, get stuck without HDMI and have to buy a new console if they want to go digital with their new tv. You think I wanted to save petty cash to bring these possible situations upon myself? I didn't, so I didn't buy a 360. You think I'm wrong to do that because there are more people who don't realize that shit than there are people who do? Was I wrong to do that because a bunch of people who already purchased one are now coming on forums trying to defend their investment decision out of a desire not to be wrong? You think I see "success" on these people's terms? I'm not going to buy an iPod or Britney Spears' latest album because everyone else is telling me how financially successful it is. I think for myself and I buy what I think is best. Not what people are telling me is the hottest item on the market. I don't feel stupider for going to great movies that bomb while everyone goes to Spider-Man 3 and Transformers. And you fucking shouldn't, either. So I don't want to hear this crap on the forum anymore. It's fine if you bought a 360, but don't tell me you prefer something because it's selling better than another product. That's fucking lame as hell and you know it.


By SirLucius on 11/10/2007 6:27:04 PM , Rating: 2
Very well said. Any time you bring up the fact that XBL is $50 people ignore it say it doesn't matter. Much like how people ignore the fact that the PS3 does have a "killer app" with Ratchet & Clank.

Even if you get the cheapest 360, you're looking to spend $500 assuming the life of the 360 is 4 years. And that's just on the system and the ability to play online. If it acts anything like the PS2 though, the 360 may end up having a longer life, especially since I believe Microsoft already said they plan to provide better support for the 360 than they did for the original Xbox after the next generation of systems comes out. And I don't see Microsoft moving to free netplay for the next console. XBL makes a killing now, why change a formula that works?


w00t!
By phaxmohdem on 11/8/07, Rating: -1
RE: w00t!
By Marcus Yam on 11/8/2007 8:46:46 PM , Rating: 2
Most people really want XMB access in-game. That's something I'd like to have, as long as it doesn't come at the expense of overall system memory available to developers.


RE: w00t!
By mmntech on 11/8/2007 11:22:58 PM , Rating: 2
The concern over in game XMB is that the PS3 doesn't have enough system memory. I doubt that's true. However, It's not a necessary feature IMO.
Kind of a disappointing update for 2.0 since it really didn't address any issues people have with the PS3's system software. I personally would have liked to see a proper RSS reader rather than the Playstation news ticker. The PS3 also still lacks other features that the PSP has such as variable speed fast forward/reverse for music, scene search for videos, and better codec support. I've found that some AAC audio files (DRM-free) I encoded using Nero that play fine on my PSP won't work on my PS3 for some reason. Also, something as simple as date and time being shown in the XMB is badly needed.

As a side note, someone on Wikipedia's PS3 System Software page has posted that in game XMB support is coming on Nov 15th, but it's been flagged as lacking citation. Page history gives the poster's ID as an IP address. Likely just wishful thinking on the part of some PS3 fanboy. Still, some have theorized that Sony may release another update to coincide with the first anniversary of the PS3. I doubt it though.


RE: w00t!
By SirLucius on 11/9/2007 12:40:26 AM , Rating: 2
I agree that this update was disappointing. While the new features introduced are welcome, they definitely weren't high on my list of issues I'd like to see fixed. The media capabilities are what I'd really like to get a nice overhaul the most. For a system touted as a multimedia machine, it's rather limited/forces you to do a lot of work to get things functioning nicely. The 3 things you listed, variable FF/Reverse, scene search, and better codec support are high on my list. A clock in the XMB would also be greatly appreciated. Sony has been pretty good about updating the firmware so far, so hopefully they'll listen to what people are saying for the next few updates.


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