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.
i know Eric continually says “this is only Phase 1” and “We don’t have in-game voice chat YET”
seriously guys, most people will not accept waiting until Home comes out for these features, (from what i’ve read home will have open beta later this year. it would be a miracle if it got pushed to 2008)
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CROSS GAME INVITES
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CROSS GAME VOICE CHATTING AND MESSAGING
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IN-GAME XMB WHILE PLAYING PS1 and PS2 GAMES AND WHILE WATCHING BLU-RAY OR DVD MOVIES
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sorry if you may think i’m being ungrateful Sony. i’m truly grateful, especially for the trophy system. its just that I expected the features above to just be….well…… AUTOMATICALLY OBVIOUS when thinking of the point of in-game xmb. you know what i mean? in-game xmb but you can’t voice chat with friends or at least send individual voice messages? how much sense does that make? in-game xmb where i can adjust sound but cannot adjust display settings? what sense does that make? and its up to DEVELOPERS to implement custom soundtrakcs? is Microsoft’s patent that thorough and limiting? i mean, i can understand that developers must patch their games for trohpy support (although i can’t imagine why Sony doesn’t already have these patches ready), but for custom soundtracks that seems a bit unusual.
some things i love in this update though. access to bluetooth devices. a CLOCK! TROPHIES!!
Sony, please deliver on these features soon. if in-game xmb is the #1 requested feature and trophies are #2, then i would undboutedly think that cross-game invites and voice chatting is definitely a tie at #3
Sounds awesome. Cannot wait until tomorrow.
dude we are in 2008
You can’t make everyone happy, it’s impossible, if they bring cross game voice chat some other request will pop up and so on. I’m perfectly happpy with this update though, and don’t think anything else is needed.
@ 1052
It most likely does NOT have an impact on the RAM, if so, it isn’t anything too significant. Seeing that the earlier versions of FW 2.4 ran on all games universally (see the walkthrough, or the countless rumors before the confirmation), so its probably just an on and off feature, or somewhat similar to that.
@ 1053
All that stuff is for phases 2 and 3. :P
I think people need to stop complaining about what isn’t included in the update, and be grateful that Sony is doing it at all.
Do I need to delete all of my game data if I want to earn Trophies?
SENTRY:
If you’re still kicking around this blog, I want to apologize for insulting you a few pages back. I got a little hot under the collar, and I felt that you weren’t actually listening to my replies to your questions.
Anyway, I agree with most of what you’re saying. I’m actually quite excited for the text messaging and trophy capabilities. Those alone are a GREAT reason to be happy with 2.40.
I’m just VERY disappointed in the approach Sony is taking with the in-game music thing. I have no idea what the real story is behind the whole deal, but obviously something is happening that we’re not being told. And I just think it was a bad decision to show video of something that we’re not going to be receiving with the 2.40 update.
Anyway, my apologies again. I shouldn’t have resorted to personal insults. You deserve better than that.
Oy, look, I have a feeling that the main thing they’ve accomplished with 2.4 is the addition of an interface for games to interact with the xmb OS in order to play music over the game without using up the valuable system resources that were alloted to them for game creation, which is probably how it was able to do it before for games like PAIN and HVB. They worked their butts off to get this implemented, and all anyone can do is complain… STILL. Here, I thought that with 2.4 being out, the “where’s my in-game xmb?” whining would end.
Don’t get me wrong, I had been looking forward to playing GTA4 with my own music playing, and I KNOW Rockstar isn’t going to bother patching it when they’re all working on the DLC for the OTHER version… but, at least it will now be there for devs to use, and future games will probably have close to 100% adoption of custom music support.
Question about unlocking trophies:
If I download and install 2.40, boot up a pre-2.40 game save and THEN complete any prerequisites for a trophy, will I receive said trophy?
There are several games that do now award their respective achievements until a play through of the game has been completed. If I have a save from just before the end of the game and finish after installing 2.40, will I receive the trophy or must the entire game be played through again.
Either way is fine with me, but I’d like to know if I can get a jump start now or wait until tomorrow after installed 2.40.
Thanks
@1049
That’s actually very acurate. ;)
I’m in the 20% that’s happy about in-game xmb but disappointing with lack of features (voice messaging, private chat, and cross invite system).
ok my question is why doesnt sony reply to anything after the first 4 pages ? i mean this is 1063 comments and rising do they have any interest ?
@1063
im the same with the but with the dissapointment of custom ingame music :(
@1053
_______________________________________
CROSS GAME INVITES
_______________________________________
CROSS GAME VOICE CHATTING AND MESSAGING
_______________________________________
IN-GAME XMB WHILE PLAYING PS1 and PS2 GAMES AND WHILE WATCHING BLU-RAY OR DVD MOVIES
_______________________________________
This is exactly what Sony needs to implement! These features should of been implemented since the launch of the PS3!
@ TouchyEd (1060)
It’s no problem bro, I got what you were saying and where you were coming from, and yeah I agree too.
@ DarkWolf (1061)
Yeah I agree, I think this is a great advancement, and like I said before this is just laying the groundwork for the future and what they, and devs, can do with it as time goes on. Trophies are really going to be huge, and a big factor in what games I buy or not, now.
I would also like to know if we can work on games’ achievements (assuming they will port over to trophies) after 2.40 is release but before a patch for that game is released.
I’d like to start getting all the MGS4 emblems again when 2.40 is released. Nobody knows when a patch will allow trophies for the game.
now all we’ll need in ingame cross voice chat, and home. then xbox fans cant pick on us. this is no doubt the year of the ps3.
this is why we paid 500 or more!!!!
o yeah i got a question not regarding this topic. ive been looking at the ps blog for a while, but i just created this account, are there any settings on this site for our accounts? like change email or something?
These are all great steps. I do have some more suggestions on features that should be added.
Inviting friends to games via XMB
In game private voice chats/sending voice messages
iPod compatibility without doing that Display All trick
Being able to change your PSN ID
The PS3 is a great system but Microsoft really did it right with their firmware. (I own both systems) I think more of those features Xbox Live has should be added to PS3 like the ones I mentioned.
WOOOOW…ALL THE BULLS__T AND UNHAPPINESS ABOUT 2.40!!!!
you f’en children need to grow the f*** up…if you ungrateful pieces of s__t actually had a launch PS3 with version 1.0 like myself then this should be heaven for you….if not you need to go cry back to mommy and ask mommy to return your “piece of s__t” PS3 and tell her to spend her hard earned money on a MS product and stop coming here and whining like the little b_tches you are!!!
wow that was a bit harsh…LOL :)
Great update. It’s always the whingers that are most vocal. I for one have been very happy with each and every update (I was originally 100% satisfied with my 60gb console from day dot). Anything additional has been a bonus. I think the trophy system will certainly add replay value to many of my titles. Also glad to read that both Burnout Paradise and Uncharted are likely to get patches. Fantastic titles. Thanks for the hard work on 2.40 Sony.
I DO have a launch PS3 and I am grateful they finally have this stuff available. But if Sony wants to compete with MS than they need to step it up. Sony is 2 years behind MS with this stuff.
any time been released for when we should expect the update?
Being able to change your PSN id is a good one.
@1075
Appreciate that things have to move on. I like the approach Microsoft with Live but there are areas of the PS3 that are vast improvements of the 360… mainly in the hardware area. A friend had to shell out AU$140 for the wireless attachment for the 360 and an additional 250gb storage costs way too much for that console. By the time you add reliability and Blu-ray into the mix… well, you get the picture. Horses for courses.
I think these elements of the PS3 could have been marketed better though.
this update is gonna be great but there are some other things that i think would be kool:
be able to take avatar pic with the ps3 eye toy and be able to play a downloaded game on all your accounts and be able to support vob type files
well im in britain lol and its past midnight and no update LOL nah im kidding god i hope it comes soon though. :P
@1078 I agree with you there… When I was originally pondering what console to get I had some previous time with my brother in laws 360.
People told me not t buy a ps3 because it was too expensive and because it couldn’t match the 360 in terms of online community but the way I looked at it was this.
The 360 may have nailed the software aspect but the hardware was god damn annoying, the dvd drive was loud, the fact you needed to shell out extra cash on rechargeable batteries for the controller.
The fact the thing overheated, The fact Microsoft had shut out third party hardware makers so they could profit off of overpriced hard drives, The fact that the wireless doesn’t come with the console etc. The fact the power supply was attached to the cable instead of internal.
Sure the ps3 didn’t quite compare with the 360 software wise. But the thing is, software can be updated free.
Hardware costs money. If I were to do it again today I would do the same.
I recently played GTA over at my brother in laws and was shocked at the loudness of the dvd drive.
The main thing that I hope Sony take away from the 2.40 feedback is that they need to get the features out there to developers right away. Anything that will require a patch e.g cross game invites must be put at the top of the list. Unless they get these api’s out to developers they will find themselves in the same situation as they are in with 2.40, its a great update but the problem is that current titles don’t support it.
If developers find the resources to go back and release one final update to patch in the features of 2.40 that does not mean they will have the resources for the cross game invite patch.
Please god let Sony understand how to prioritize and learn from this.
One last thing, I read allot of posts speculating on why games devs need to add patches. For in game music I am only taking a guess here but I think its more down to the problems with just having the feature detached from the game. Maybe now when your in a game and you hit a point when a character says something important it will lower the volume of the music, or when you hit a cut seen the music will pause. These type of features would not be possible if the music was just slapped on on top of the game.
…finally an on screen clock…. I was beginning to think the “cell” processor was incapable of showing the time !!!!!
Is there any exact time that this update should be releasing tonight/tomorrow?
WHAT!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You guys anger me SO MUCH!
MOZZARELLA? NOOO!
Okay, in all serious, thanks for the FAQ! Greatly appreciate it. The only thing I’m dissapointed about is the lack of ability to access the web browser. MGS4 has so many secrets, and my computer is down the stairs and on the opposite side of the house!! Oh well, when I think about it I realize how hard it would be to have in-game web browser.
@1083
the only thingi know is that its probabaly coming out worldwide according to american timezone.
japan is already on the 2nd
im in britain its just turned the 2nd
and the update isnt available.
They usually act around Pacific Time.
It’s only 6pm or something there on the 1st right now I think?
I might be 100% wrong.
But yeah any idea when we can expect this?
@1085
Ok, thanks for the lightning fast response. So if it didn’t turn with Japan, and Sony hates Europeans, then I am guessing midnight Eastern time over here in the US.
I know that it will be released by tomorrow but…. Do you know what time it will be available? Cause if its Midnight I plan to stay up till then to get it.
Oh, if it is Pacific time, then it is not even 5 P.M. yet. So we may be waiting a while.
what time is the software uploadable
Look this isn’t the last update you are gonna get out of sony, I bet the next minor update will allow you all to talk to your “friends” through your voices. MP3’s in game is simply to get around a patent and to give dev’s choices. They are planing for the future if you have a game using all the CPU (or Cell) Cycles for its thing you don’t want to have to sacrifice lagless gaming for some music. The major problem I believe is that it takes resources because it was not planed at launch if PS3 had a dedicated hardware MP3 decoder then there would be no need for software modifications because that would offset the overhead. Now the reason its not universal is because you don’t want your games to crash the middle of something because the game was not designed to do this, If you have never written any kind of code you will not understand because it comes as a precaution when you are programing anything. Another likely reason is so that the game releases the MP3 “codec” so that it can be used to decode your custom media. Software is tricky if you don’t get it you most likely never will not calling anyone stupid its just the way the cookie crumbles. << Cliche FTW :P
And the reason why 360 games don’t need to be patched for this feature is because it was available at launch hence every game already prepped for the feature.
@1087
no probs :D,
seriously cant wait for the update now. its just going to look cool seeing the xmb in game anyway lol
You guys are amazing, you ALREADY addressed a complain even BEFORE the firmware came out (sound when you unlock a trophy).
What will the sound be? Can you upload it on the blog? :D
I will spend the entirety of my July 2nd collecting trophies.
will the update be out at 12:01 am on wednesday june 2 or will it be later?
@ 1060
I completely agree :/
i thought developers were already able to do this (custom tracks) if they chose to
looks like americanosss will gets the updates at normal time and us europeans will get it around 8-10am today :(
japans like wtf. :D
@1091 – One spu has always been off limits to the developers. Whether the developer decides to use in game music or not is irrelevant because the in game xmb will use that spu not the game unless Sony give games developers the option to not use in game xmb which wont happen.
@1092 – Finally someone gets it
i agree with goroflack. im really looking foward to downloading this update tonight around 12:00 am :) lol its gonna be
AWESOME!!!
please think about adding voice chat while playing a game and the ablity to play two games at once… LOL
jus joking bout two games at once
@ 1097
Yeah they were able to do so, but it was more of a pain (harder to implement) then it is now. Now it is much simpler, essentially taking less then a day to put in.