There's really no need for in-game XMB access on the PS3. Why?
1. Developers have had access to the ability to show the XMB in-game for some time. That's why it is already supported in games like Resistance and Warhawk. If the developer feels they can offer the feature, they have the tools to get it done.
2. Most PS3 games have a perfectly good online multiplayer mode with a lobby that allows you to see whether your friends are online and invite them to a game or to join your clan. Again, this removes the need for in-game XMB access to the Friends, Chat or Message areas.
3. Home will be out in early 2008 and totally re-writes the rules on multiplayer gaming. You can meet up with people in a public space or invite friends back to your private area. From there you can all go straight into any Blu-ray or HDD game in multiplayer mode and play. No hanging around, no messing with chat, IM etc.
4. Custom soundtracks are a little pointless in titles that require a certain type of atmosphere. I don't think Heavenly Sword would benefit from allowing you to play Spy Break in the background. And in any case, you could just turn the music off in your Audio preferences and play some music on your HiFi anyway! For those titles that need it, the developers can make it possible using the current dev kit. High-Velocity Bowling is the first title to offer this, and it is right to given the nature of the game.
So - as far as I'm concerned, just bring on Home. In-game XMB will be pointless and less than 10% of the fun of Home when it launches.
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Yep. I heard Duke Nukem will be fun too...
#4. is a big bag of bullshit.
I can't tell you how many times I go to custom soundtracks. Every game that EA makes practically is brimming with shitty in game music that is from licensed bands. I would turn a straight edge razor towards my eardrum if I had to play Madden with "FallOut Boy" on the soundtrack, or some of the garbage that's in .Skate's soundtrack.
/spit
bleh. No thank you. With custom music, EVERY game I have has the potential to be made better.
The point of being able to do it in-game is one of convenience. Yeah, I could turn up my hifi, if I had a record player...? But as it is, I have all my music on my computer, which syncs up nicely with my 360 to provide music on my computer or on the 360, whenever and wherever I want it.
And besides all that, Nuon, the built in visualizer for the 360 is awesome anyway. Nuon is far more fun to stare at than a virtual avatar listening to music on a virtual stereo with goofy audio spatial effects.
How's it rewriting rules? No public games implement it yet, so you don't know how it even works.
Wait, you said you meet up in a public space. That's the same as a lobby. Same freakin' thing dude, you're just looking at an avatar instead.
Maybe your biggest complaint should stem from the fact that Sony hasn't found anything useful to do with the XMB yet to make it necessary to have during the game.
Until Home launches, you can't convince me that the whole "Second Life" thing is the way I'm supposed to be playing video games. It's far from perfect, even in Second Life.
EA Sports titles would be one of the games I mentioned in #4 that qualify, and EA could (if they could work out how to program ANY next gen title right now) include custom soundtracks if they wanted right now.
Assassin's Creed and Heavenly Sword would be two examples of games that would not need custom soundtracks.
The only exceptions I normally make to my music selection is if the game is a music game anyway, or if it's a game that's very atomospheric, like Bioshock. I haven't played AC yet, so I would imagine that would be a similar circumstance.
I'm reserving judgement and worthiness of Home much later after it comes out. At this point, I don't see it being as much of an improvement over quickly flicking through a text list of people I'm going to game with.
I completely agree with dvddesign as far as #4. Custom soundtracks is where its at. I love being able to pick my own music for a game. There are a few titles that I wouldnt do that with, like Bioshock and Mass Effect for example... games that rely on atmosphere. But for something like .skate, or Call of Duty 4, its all about rocking to my tunes.
You must not own an Xbox360 because if you did you would know what Sony's online template is missing. It's ok to love up on the PS3, I'm a proud owner but I'm not going to negate the fact that it needs to offer more in ways of it's online service.
In-game XMB and custom soundtracks are vital for the PS3 and having those things that LIVE users have on the PS3 for "free" to boot would be a feather in Sony's cap.
You tend to think Home is the cure to Sony's deficiencies..thats a little overreaching if you ask me from what they have shown of it..which is very minimal.
This post is called 'no need in-game XMB on the PS3'. Not 'I love my PS3 and turn a blind eye to any other console'.
FFS people, put your fanboy nonsense aside and read the post for what it is.
This isn't a PS3 vs. X360 post, and neither are most of the articles I read on the web but somehow the lunatics are taking over the asylum nevertheless.
Go read my post on how using the word 'fanboy' is not an argument winner, then come and actually talk about the post rather than using it as a way to spread your nonsense.
What I'm saying is that they are good in some games and not others. And that the developers can build them in with the PS3 dev kit if they want. One developer already has.
I disagree that custom soundtracks improve any game. But that's my opinion.
So - back on TOPIC - the PS3 doesn't need in-game XMB to access custom soundtracks because the developers can do it anyway. Cool?
You must have a god complex or something. Just because people disagree with your point of view doesn't mean they're fanboys. If you read my post you would know I also own a PS3 so throw that bullshit term out the window.
"the PS3 doesn't need in-game XMB to access custom soundtracks because the developers can do it anyway. Cool?"
Just because that may be so doesn't solve the fucking problem that not ALL developers do it. Actually 99.9% dont do it. Cool?
Look at the Wii, they should force everyone to use widescreen/480p but they don't sadly.
Sony NEEDS to make a mandatory, across-the-board requirement for third party publishers to incorporate the XMB into games so we have a unified standard for the platform, instead of three games doing it and seven not.
Same goes for voice chat.
Your post wasn't the one that got me riled... nevertheless I was not having the best day and get sick and tired of seeing BS like some of the other posts above yours.
The fact that we have differing opinions doesn't cause me an issue, and I understand what you're saying.
Many of the replies here just didn't get the point of the post and rambled on about other issues that weren't up for discussion.
What annoys me most is when you set out to say something specific about one platform, and people take it as an opportunity to comment about a completely different issue or use it to mention PS3 vs. their-fav-console again...