PS3 Firmware 3.0 poll showing Home's Failure…


While the Playstation 3 does what they can to enhance your experience with the 2.60 Firmware update, by adding a new photo gallery application, DivX 3.11 support, and a few other minor enhancements, a recent poll was released discussing features users wanted to see in the 3.0 firmware.

Compiled from over 4,200 responses to a poll on ps3blog.eu.com, the Firmware 3.0 Roadmap shows what people might say is a level of dissatisfaction among PS3 owners.

Their number one requested video game feature is backwards compatibility. Remember, hardware BC has been removed from newer Playstation 3 models, and is not planned for several current and future models. Now, a whopping 31% of voters want 100% backwards to be implimented via software – which will impossible. 1% of them want improved game launching from within Playstation Home. Maybe they aren’t requesting the feature because they are already anticipating it. But some (myself included) may see this as sort of a negative response to Playstation Home in general.

The award goes to Sony for most creative Spin!


I had a late day at work, then relaxed with a HD-DVD viewing experience on my beloved Xbox 360. But as I powered on my Playstation 3 tonight, I was greeted with a message – it wanted me to perform a system update. It seems that Firmware 2.41 has been released today.

I expected to fix those nasty problems we heard about, late last week. Well, rest easy, now that SCEA is back from the holiday (what was SCEJ doing?). Well, before installing it, I wanted a little more assurance that it was ready to go, so I loaded up the official Playstation blog. In the most carefully spun story of the week, Sony wrote:

“As many of you know, we released PS3 firmware update v2.40 last week, but had to take it offline temporarily because, for a limited number of users, the XMB wouldn’t display after the update was installed.

And they aren’t just talking about the new “in-game” XMB (Cross Media Bar) – they mean the main menu of the console. 😉 No games, no BluRay movies, no nothing. Creative wording, trying to downplay the seriousness of the problems – but at least a fix finally arrived. As I was writing this, I was downloading and installing the update, myself. I’m at the main menu (which finally has a time and date!) – and it appears that not a single one of my friends has found any trphies, yet. Looks like we all have to get started!

Additional note, anyone looking for me on the Playstation network shouldn’t have a hard time finding me, I go by NuAngel on there, as well.

PS3 Firmware 2.40 requires a reformat? Sometimes…


We have been hearing about the strange problems with the PS3’s 2.4 update – available, working, exciting, trophy giving… then pulled from the PlayStation Network?

Little has been said about the problems, but users are starting to report their experiences. Kotaku reports that the fix requires a hard drive format. Isn’t that fun? Reinstalling all your games, losing your downloaded content and saved games… yikes! Sony is still remaining tight lipped, and hasn’t posted an update in almost 24 hours.

Here’s hoping for some good news for the holiday weekend in the USA – I think many people were looking forward to a long weekend of trophy hunting!

PS3's In-Game XMB & "Trophies" system not far off…


Firmware update 2.36 for the Sony Playstation 3 should be live as I write this, and contains minor bug fixes, stability enhancements, and more than likely some still un-needed anti-piracy patches (or maybe that was just Nintendo’s latest update). But talk of the latest update was quick and to the point, looking ahead to the 2.40 Update (which, by my count, can’t be far off). The official Playstation Blog confirmed what we have been hearing for a while… that the 2.4 update will have the in game Cross Media Bar (XMB), as well as the Achievements… I mean… Trophies system. I’m sure I’ll have more on that topic, later. Until then, go get 2.36, it’s like a free sample of updating to 2.40!