Hi again! It’s great to see the positive reaction to the unveiling of system software update v2.40. We can’t wait for you to finally go hands-on with XMB access in-game and the Trophy system – and it’s less than 2 days away. Not surprisingly, a number of you have posed questions both here and on other forums. Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions.
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Will voice-messaging/private chat be featured in 2.40 as well? If not, can we expect to see this feature added in the future?
We are evaluating the opportunity to offer voice chat, but for this update, we wanted to focus on text messaging as the key priority for communications that our users have asked for.
Can you use the web browser in game?
No, you must exit the game before browsing the internet.
Will In-Game XMB come up during playback of PS2 games, Blu-Ray discs, and DVDs?
The XMB is an exclusive feature for PS3 game titles. Accessing the XMB during gameplay was the top request from our users, which we focused on for this update. However, we continually engage PS3 owners for feedback and will evaluate the opportunity to offer XMB access during movie playback in the future.
Can we go to the display settings and change anything there in-game (resolution, input, etc)?
No, you must exit the game before changing these settings.
Will it be possible to change in-game the sound output?
Yes, sound output changes are supported.
Will we be able to access the PLAYSTATION Store while in-game?
No, but you can view your downloads in progress.
Will we be able to stream music (either via media server or USB drive) for custom soundtracks or is it relegated to music stored on the HDD?
Currently only music stored on the HDD is accessible in games that support this feature. We’d also like to reiterate that Firmware v2.40 merely enables custom soundtracks. It’s up to developers to include this feature in upcoming games (or to patch existing ones).
Does 2.4 enable cross game invites? Will it down the line?
No, cross-game invites are not available in this system software update. We are evaluating opportunities to expand on the new features delivered in 2.40.
Will trophies be mandatory for all games release here on out?
We are working with developers to ensure that Trophies are supported across the board in the future.
Where is each player’s trophy stat info held? I am going to upgrade my hard drive and I don’t know if the trophies will still be on my account if I earn some and then get a new hard drive.
Trophies will be attached to users’ PSN ID. Trophy data needs to be synchronized to the online account on PSN to be transferred to the new PS3 system.
Will the patch automatically allocate unlocked trophies according to your saved files or would you have to do it again?
No, Trophies aren’t retroactive.
Can we view PSN profiles/Trophies from a PC using a Web browser? Will there be an API for web developers to access the PSN data, so online profiles can be created?
We’re evaluating these opportunities to expand where Trophies can be experienced.
Can you only compare trophies with friends that are online?
As long as a friend has a PSN account, you can compare trophies with them regardless of their online status.
Is there a limit to how many trophies the devs can put set by Sony?
There’s not a limit on number of trophies, but there’s a value assigned to each trophy. Developers must balance out the trophies that are available to stay within an overall value based on whether the game is considered large-scope or small-scope. Essentially, a user that has unlocked every trophy in one game would have the same level as a user that unlocked every trophy in another title, all titles (depending on scope) have the same overall impact on a users’ level.
Will new games have a cool little icon on the back saying “trophy compatible?”
We’re currently working on how Trophy support will be messaged to the consumer on our software packaging.
When you get a trophy, does it make a noise?
Currently, no.How quickly things can change – there *will* be a sound effect when you unlock a Trophy.
What is Eric’s favorite cheese?
Mozzarella
Once again, we will continue to evaluate opportunities to enhance the PLAYSTATION 3’s system software throughout the console’s life cycle. Consumer feedback has contributed greatly to the contents of Firmware v2.40, and continues to be appreciated. Don’t forget, this Firmware will be available for download on July 2nd.
Ok dude, you make XBOX 360 seem so good, when in fact, its not! I agree on some points though.
It’s becoming ore and more clear that everything xbox 360 can do Ps3 can…………umm….. it can um…. Well, it can do concepts of what xbox 360 can do. Yeah!
I totally get where your coming from TONX. I would love to see how these people react on their birthday or a gift holiday when they didn’t get what they want.
@ 592- Janos2615
Hahaha lol
Great job guys! This is really great news, and I can’t believe it’s happening so soon! I just have one question, when can we expect WipEout HD and what kind of price range will it fall into… Thank you! Oh, and please count my vote for cross game private voice chats ;)
@ Janos
Ummm no. Go find me 1 post let alone many post where I wanted in game xmb.
I wanted: Clears throat
Sleep timer
Custom clock w/option to skin it yourself
Resolution swap
In game music never leaving the game but an option to pull up your hdd within home button.
Those are the big features I wanted. I could care less about texting anyone. Also, we have in game xmb… what does this do if you can’t do anything? Why the hell would I ever go out of my game to look at my xmb? It’s stupid. Sony should’ve made you want to use this. I see the xmb enough as it is, only when I use it now I can access stuff after 2.40 I won’t be accessing anything on my xmb during a game cause there is no need.
It’s stupid. This whole update was worthless.
@gamesblow
Honestly be the amount you posted here you must have been here for hours I could simple find out by looking at the posted times but Im not going to bother cause you honestly not worth that extent of time. Everyone’s entitled to your opinion but all your clearly trying to do now is convert people to XBOX as you contiuously keep saying “Sony as disappointed us”.
Mainly get the us out of their if your going to be a complete Fu**ing idiot just leave honestly what are you attempting to accomplished? Are you really trying to convert Sony users to XBOX users? Sony has been great for quite sometime and I’m sure they realize they are making some mistakes but I do realize eventually they will recover from this poor time and become better again, as XBOX will eventually start to slip up when Sony pulls back ahead. But seriously give it up why are you trying to advertise for a company that doesn’t even pay you what could you possible get out of it … Please go find a hobbies a sport, maybe get a self help book, eventually start dating if possible and move on with your life ……. (Find something more productive)
I don’t know why people are bashing gamesblow for telling the truth. Sony posts videos of them using fewatures that they say WILL be available, and then the NEXT DAY add stipulations that render those promises false. They aren’t losing from sales, because the people awaiting the release already have PS3s, but they’ve definitely lost respect and support from it’s userbase which is HUGE.
It’s sad when a multi-multi million dollar company can’t do any better than giving it’s customers the runaround on features that the competition has had readily available for YEARS now.
Lets all chill, at least we are getting a very decent update and yes I am disappointed with all the custom soundtracks and voice chat. Lets all hope we get it in the next firmware updates, If not I would be very disappointed.
No gamesblow your not getting the point that everyone here is telling you.
YOU are the one that thinks this update is worthless. I think this update is great, and it has a lot of room for growth.
How can you not see why people are bashing him there’s a difference from expressing your opinion and going way fu**ing over board. Hes been deaming down on 4:12 to his last post 10:33. That’s nearly 6 1/2 hours, and by the times between each post he has clearly not left his computer very long its honestly sad someone has that much time to waste.
@Hooked on Tronics #587
I totally agree with you…as well as (sadly) your last sentence.
@600 what is even more sad is that he actually has the ignorance to think that the trophy unlock sound was added because of him complaining so much.
Both are not something to be proud of IMO.
@ Gooche
Alright, so you tell me why in game xmb is so important now? Go ahead. 97% of everyone who wanted it wanted it for 1 reason and 1 reason only.
“in unison folks”
To access their music and play it in game!!! That is it. nothing more, nothing less. Sony showed us they can do it and then took it away the next day.
You tell me why we even need to go to the xmb in game now. You can’t do nothing there!!!! You can only send a text message using your damn controller! How intuative is this? you can’t look at pics, vids, web browse, change display settings, can’t go to the store.
What the hell is this for? They should’ve just had a little option when you hit the home button that brought up messaging.
It is counter productive to go out of the game and into xmb when you have nothing to do there but text message. See what I mean?
More over they say you can see where your downloads are at if you’ve qued them up. ahahahhahaahhahahahahahahahaha Do they understand that if you’re playing online or even most ps3 games for that matter off line they don’t move. They stop downloading.
I have valid arguments and you all know it! I’m just ballzed enough to say whaT is on my mind.
oh and the viddler thing….OMG you have to be kidding. that guy must be embarrased!
@ 600 lol I know seriously, I make my post here expression how I’m glad for this update and am hoping for trophy sound (which we got all of a sudden :D ) and hoping we’d get a couple other features like cross game invites & in game voice chat (hopefully voice chat will be in the next update), leave for a few hours, come back, and I still see him here posting, jeez lol someone needs to get out more :P
Its ok Sony we’re all happy with this update, don’t let this partypooper get to yah ;D
@ 600
Don’t worry about where I am and what I’m doing creep. I happen to be working right now and I have 2 hours to go if you wanted to know, hobo.
@ Everyone
Anyone know any PS3 games that won’t have In-Game XMB?
@607
about 95% of them.
@gamesblow
Ok but really go to bed…
And i didn’t even say anything about in-game xmb. You take any opportunity to bash away just people respect the people express your opinion but learn when to stop.
And besides i didn’t bother to read the demonizing comments about the in-game xmb because I think it’s a great feature and they will expand on it in the future. And let me guess next thing is well XBOX already has this and that, just please post that your going to sleep..
@607
All games support the ingame xmb just not all games will support trophies or ingame music UNLESS a developer releases a patch.
BTW I just e-mailed the Sony Blog team about adding a ignore and report feature so then we would not have to deal with people like gamesblow and they will eventually fall out of existence where they belong.
Anyways guys, although some of us are disappointed, you have to admit that this is a good update. Yeah I got my hopes up by yesterday’s video of in-game music, and its disappointing to see it not happen, but it is better than before, where Sony wouldn’t even say a thing about the update. This is a descent update that everyone needs. Hopefully they will fix it by the next firmware to meet our needs.
BTW- M$ has a patent on in-game music, how can Sony put in game music?
@ VenomX nope …….only game that is out now is on the PSN and thats super stardust and i dont even have that game on my PS3 ..so to A your Q is no theres zero PS3 games that use In-Game XMB just onlt you IM people but thats something i dont want or even use when im playing a shooter like lost planet .
Lol I’d want to employ you your a really hard worker.
@ 610
If you’re asking Sony for something you might get it next year or have a simultaneous release.
I suggest everyone write a similar e-mail. The more people demand a ignore function on the blog the quicker it will be implemented and the quicker we will never have to hear from gamesblow or his legion of trolls either.
I just hope more third party games take an advantage of in-game XMB, trophies, and custom soundtracks. It would be a shame if they didn’t. We all know all first party games will. I’ll look forward to playing multiplatform games on my PS3 if they do.
@614 actually i think Sony is sick your your garbage too so it might be sooner than you think.
@ 607:
It will support most of the PS3 games. Gamesblow you are so wrong about this one.
I read that some PS3 games would give us the old black list.
@614
Waiting for him to shut up, (Is he really employed, dough it).
(Would you hire someone who is more concerned with posting negative comments on a blog for no apparent reason, you must be getting a lot of work done)
@ Gooche
I try my best. It’s not hard work a lot of number crunching when I get here but it eases up around 8:00
If you’d like, since you’re so up in my business, I’ll send you pics and send you on the virtual tour of the place. you might be shocked at what I really do and why my voice actually matters.
@ K2016 its a good update but not what people wanted …….not 1 person said they wanted a in-game IM ……they only said they wanted in-game XMB
Xenosaga is the only one here who knows what is up right now. Everyone else is blind sheep.
Anyways, since you all are crying foul on me like little kids I’m off to make my rounds. < that means the kitchen where mommy has milk and cookies waiting for me by the way.
“rolls eyes”
Have fun with that update tonight guys. muahhahahaha
@621 It makes sense that around 8:00 where you work the work load lightens up.
Being a cashier at McDonald’s must be hard…
One advantage Sony has ..is its free. Thats all gravy and everything but honestly if it took an annual subsription of $50 (which I’ve paid happily to Xbox360) to get excellent quality and a better social gaming experience for the ps3 i’d do it….honestly put, as an xbox 360 and ps3 owner, ps3 doesnt hold a candle to the xbox. I’m sorry, it just doesnt. I have high hopes for the ps3, but with every uupdate, esp this one, it seems only half expectations are being met. In game XMB-awesome! what? no chat functionality? No cross game invites? A Trophy System! Awesome! What? not all games offer them? (maybe i’m wrong about that-we’ll see) I mean the level rank system seems cool. Something Xbox doesnt do. Hopefully, like some others have said, these things will come along later, but how much later, Xbox had this i believe at launch, why on earth is it taken so long to catch up?
LOL Gamesblow ur kinda weird
Don’t forget he needs that outstanding voice of his. Would you like him to send you a demo tape.
Midway should update Mortal Kombat 2 to support custom soundtracks & trophies. That game hasn’t been updated since it’s release and it’s selling pretty good.
@xeno, well on XBL I dont even use the custom soundtrack feature, I’m a big fan of these 3 features, cross game invites, in game messaging, and in game voice chat. With 2.4 I now have 1/3 features I’m interested in
In game voice chat I’m sure will be the next thing to come, and cross game invites later this year hopefully if not sooner.
So for me personally, and I know I’m not the only one out there cause FYI there are other PS3 owners outside the PS Blog, who are happy w/ this update
You saying/thinking otherwise is just being ignorant and if you wish to continue to think that way then I have nothing further to say to you as I don’t talk to ignorant people hence why I simply ignore gamesblow ;D
2.40
it’s real
The feel good update of the year!
Concentrate. Concentrate harder.
Look closer…
Alright guys, I’m out. You can argue all night long, but I gotta wake up in the morning so cya guys later.
I hope we get it cleared up tomorrow. Sony always builds up but doesn’t meet expectations lately on the PS3. Anyways, I like my PS3 and will NEVER trade it for a 360…
@ Voozi your just being a Troll to tell me that what im saying is wrong ….
Honestly now your just resorting to spam, Look closer? What the Fu** am I looking at. And yea anyways I agree I’m off to bed I actually got work to be at in the morning.
Okay everyone… I just read something that sums up how EVERYONE FEELS. On Kotaku’s site, in regards to Eric Lempel’s video showing the features of Firmware v.2.40;
QUOTE….
“Here’s Sony’s Eric Lempel. Eric’s taking us through Sony’s 2.40 firmware update for the PS3, and in particular, how the much-requested in-game XMB is going to work. Pleased? You’re no doubt the sensible type, who knew not to expect too much. Disappointed? You’ve got nobody to blame but yourself (specifically, your unrealistic expectations).”
I have to admit, I must have had “unrealistic expectations”,and expected Sony to put out what was the much anticipated update.
But what started this whole thing for me was NOT even the ability to watch the video on the PS3 (I usually read the this blog on the PS3 web browsner, but Eric and them wanted to post using Viddler that their own web browser does NOT even support. Why did they abandon YouTube, we PS3 users can watch YouTube videos on the PS3). SO I grabbed my laptop and now I have to b*tch about Sony.
All I will say is SCEA needs to clean house. If Eric Lampert is exited about this, he needs to get out. Their competition has a much better SOCIAL Media console… I think they should (just advice here), look at what the competition is doing, specifically Microsoft XBOX, and how they allow users to interact with each other. That is all I am saying.
Anyone who disagrees does NOT obviously have a competitive product to this. I have all 3 recent consoles… Wise up!
For those who say “It’s a start”. Well, heck, anything they do to improve it is a start, but we are not talking about anything hard to do or that is not uncommon. Their competition has been doing this for a long time. Sony, needs to focus on the SOCIAL component to gaming, in game voice chat, mutting other players, adding friends, etc., and XBOX DOES have this down very well. No one can dispute that. This makes XBOX a better gaming system overall.
If Sony does NOT want to be a gaming console, but a tool for friends to mingle (Home) and a tool to watch your DVD’s and Bluerays, then fine.. that is what it will be. But I think Microsoft, will smoke ’em. Microsoft is very competitive. I worked for them and they will do what it takes to win.
I want Sony to do well, they just need to stop over promising, and listening to their users.
http://kotaku.com/397421/240s-in+game-xmb-walkthrough
Wow! thanks for this FAQ, was funny whit the last question haha.
@xeno
How? You said that not 1 person asked for in game messaging when there were people on the blogosphere including myself who were asking for it to come w/ in game xmb. So you saying what you said in a previous comment was ignorant to say, prove me wrong
i was looking forward to in-game soundtrack/music…….lost planet online matches dont have music at all and i play that 95 % of the time …i need music to get me in the zone i need to kill lol …
Gamesblow is bipolar. Seriously. Dudes got problems. I don’t even try with him anymore. He’ll say the same [DELETED] over and over. Gamesblow I know you’re Silogon from N4G. I proved it once. Anyone can tell because you both have split personalities and you’re the only ones (one) who wants to change resolution in game. Quit your damn negativity and hating. You make the Blog a miserable place. Seriously WTF?
@ Voozi where where you on gamefaqs ? i mean alot of people on the boards dont want in-game IM’s …..would you stop in the middle of a gun fight just to im a person and end up getting killed .