The time is nigh, fellow PS3 owners: Sony has, at last, officially confirmed that two long-awaited (and long-rumored) PS3/PSN features -- in-game friends list and messaging access, and “trophies” -- will be coming in a future system software update! It won’t be the very next one; that update, v2.36, will be another one of those vague “improves system stability when playing ___” patches. But the update that’s ‘on double deck’, to use an esoteric baseball analogy, is the big one: v2.40.
In addition to providing those two major features, it’ll have “some other new enhancements” as well, according to Eric Lempel, Director of PlayStation Network Operations. Lempel also says that Sony will soon be giving us more details on these upcoming updates at the PlayStation.Blog, so watch that space in the coming weeks.
As far as in-game XMB is concerned, all I can say to Sony is this: It’s about damn time. The trophies are certainly a nice bonus, and if Sony implements a system that’s akin to the Xbox 360’s Achievements, they’d definitely attract a lot of new gamers (*cough* Necros *cough*). But I’ve been waiting for in-game XMB access ever since I bought my PS3 nearly a year and a half ago -- it’s really something they should’ve included from the start or patched in ages ago, but I’m glad it’s finally coming.
Perhaps Jim’s “Xbox Exodus” is also at hand...?
[Via PlayStation.Blog -- thanks, Brad Nicholson!]
Contest:
7:28 PM on 06.17.2008
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*strokes beard*
As for the Exodus, I'm already a part of that. I sold my 360 for the PS3 a while ago, and I've been extremely happy with my decision. The in-game features and better online play are the only things I've missed, but 2.40 and Home should fix that.
Bout time, wtf.
As for the exodus, most of my friends bought 360s but I could never work up the insanity to buy a piece of hardware with a failure rate of 30% or higher. That's just ridiculous.
shouldn't we all be using HOME by now anyway?
I'm glad that my PS3 is turning into a 360 now, except less hardware issues.
I wonder if trophies will be stored in a "trophy room" in home. It would be a neat idea to increase the size of your home by how many games you have. Since more games played = More trophies.
Damn, this is actually pretty good news. So, when will they start charging moniez? :P
Soon as I get one.
/me runs around screaming without his pants on.
You get them for free at Sony events. You just have to gargle one of Kaz Hirai's testicles.
But...no music?
I love these type of statements. Truly, they make me laugh my ass off.
However, no in-game chat? No custom soundtracks?
I guess it will be nice to finally get more than just a message notification during a game, so I'm not complaining too much, but do we have to wait another two years to get in-game chat and/or custom soundtracks?
Also, will this be another promise like Home, where they say it will come out soon (which really means two years later)? I read the blog and they were pretty vague.
It is good to hear that it actually will come, though. Sony has a great opportunity to erase their bad reputation of breaking promises by actually releasing this soon...
You hear that, Sony? I know you are reading this. DON'T FUCK IT UP!
2.36 update allows internet XMB!!! >_>;
Hey works for me!
either way, makes me happy for when I buy my PS3. Custom Soundtracks still not implemented? For Shame sony...
@loki d20: It’s funny because it’s true. At least, that’s what I’m assuming you meant to insinuate.
It's funny because it's preposterous for you to make such a claim without having any clue as to the technology involved. You made the statement because you want it, but that doesn't mean it should have or could have been in at any point of time other than now without adversely affecting many other elements.
It's great that it's in, but you're just being the selfish "Me Want This" consumer and making such a statement without really understanding the whole picture. I'm just as glad as everyone else that this is in, but in no way am I going to sit here and think that I know better than the people who developed it or that I can make such ludicrous statements.
But when I say “should have”, I mean that in-game access to friends list and messaging is a feature that has always been the major feather in Microsoft’s cap when it comes to Xbox Live’s superiority over the PSN. Sony has been lagging behind MS for this entire console generation, and this feature is a big selling point for people “in the know”.