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.
so I got the update, so now I can… and…. well I can text.
Well seems like ingame music does not work. All those basic features (at least if they were working) should have come 2 years ago, with the ps3. anyways just fix ingame music, bring ingame playstation store, and finally fix the bloody disc-reading issue that breaks all playstation3 units.
@safaa09
all jokes aside fam..are you serious? how can you not know the major issues and flaws of the 36 but u claim to own one? lol…what happens when your system goes in for service, comes back repaired from M$ or replaced and all that downloaded content on ya HDD cannot be used anymore unless ur logged into live? huh? i can’t hear you? oh you dont know? them go jump in the MS forums and educate ya self son…trollin A$$! whats ur PSN ID? since u got one i’ll add u right now…
Gamesblow, are you a MS shill?
Can you please at least send us a cheque for having to endure your negative viral marketing from MS? I’m pretty sure you are! How many posts a day here?
Honestly, sell your useless PS3 already so we don’t have to listen to your constant nagging.
@Kenaue
Agree totally with the last line in your post…well said…that’s the type of attitude we need…being negative wont get you anywhere..
Forgot one thing:
The clock is awesome. Now I don’t have to open up my laptop to see the time. I have one request though, in the next update, would it be possible to move the clock down a little since the Controller Battery meter overlaps it?
@gamesblow
way back you talked about the laggyness of ssdhd, you are correct. it takes a hell of alot longer to load now. i’ve obtain many trophies and not a one shows up in my trophy box. the game keeps forcing me offline, after every game i have to re-sign in to access high scores. i smell a flop in the making. maybe a quick 2.41 to fix the errors that are already arising.
Hiya all,
I have to say I am really disapointed there is no in-game music. Why should it be up to devs to patch games to support this feature? Surely it should just be a case of pressing the ps button and then selecting your tune(s) for playback like on the 360. This console doesn’t need devs to patch their games for in game music so neither should Sony. They should have left it up to us the loyal PS3 gamers to choose whether or not we want in game music or not.
Also, only a couple of games I believe will support trophies today. Wouldn’t it have been better if you updated/patched all the first party games at least before the launch of firmware 2.4 to support trophies/custom soundtracks. This would have given us something to play with while we wait for the third party devs to patch their games. But no, we only have a couple of games patched for trophies and with no prospect of any other titles being patched anytime soon, I feel a bit let down about that.
A good effort though and at last we have in-game xmb access, it just isn’t the complete package for me just yet.
Sony we need in-game music (for selection from the xmb manually ourselves), access to the Playstation Store while in-game would be nice, cross game invites and in game chat.
Please can we have these features in 2.41, if we do I’ll be really happy.
I just updated & now my system won’t load the tollbar!!!!!!!!!!! All it does is wave at me!!!!!!!!!!
@STEVE 08
Uncharted should be receiving a patch soon:
http://kotaku.com/5021318/uncharted-next-game-to-receive-trophy-support
Great update ! Loaded it just after midnight Eastern and then tried Super Stardust which also had a patch when loaded (think this is the trophies one). I went into the Options and there’s a new add on which features Split screen multiplayer mode. Also has a new feature that you can modify your ship with and another sound track. Again I thank the developers and Sony. And for all the people complaining again, think about it, we have XMB and it’s a start right ? More will be added to it as the developers start coding for what we want. Instead of waiting another year or two, we have something now. It may be basic XMB, but it’s a start. I for one love what we’ve gotten this year and can only see more and better to come.
Oh well looks like 2.40 is breaking some Playstation3 units.
@STEVE 08
Uncharted should get a patch soon:
http://kotaku.com/5021318/uncharted-next-game-to-receive-trophy-support
So 2.4 is a No on everything except the trophies & clock. Awesome amazing glad we are all finally getting exactly what we’ve wanted for so long woohoo can’t wait! If I could camp outside of Best Buy tonite to spend $500 for this update when the doors open I’d be 1st in line woohoo 3 cheers for Sony & PS3 the best system ever hip hip hooray! I love my hyper-enthusiastic parody of everyone else’s comments don’t you? Barf
um….my posts aren’t showing up….
@Dondada
Listen up no hard feelings i love the PS3 and its pretty great that the online is free, its just that i hate being lied to like that, I mean come on, when trophies come out its obviously supposed to have ALL games compatible with it. Are you really telling me that you arent the least bit angry, by the way my PSN ID is Safaa09.
of course, that one did…..
This is the third time I’ve had a large post get completely lost because the comments went to a new page before I decided to post it. That really, really sucks. If I browse back, my text is no longer in the “Leave a Comment” box.
Anyway, all I really said was that you whiners and complainers are a bunch of ignorant morons. Most of these stupid questions are about things that were clarified IN THIS BLOG POST.
You got what you wanted. Sony did their part. Now developers have to do theirs to allow it to happen. Understand this…Developers made their games with the idea that this stuff wasn’t able to be done. It got added now. Not sure why you dill weeds thing it’s magically going to work with everything super-neato-automatically.
Sad that the average gamer is nearly 30, but all of the babies post here…
I don’t get it! What part of free service don’t you understand? I would have more sympathy if we paid for the service,but we don’t, so would it be to much to ask if you could close your trolling mouths.
@ slick:
you’re trying to copy-paste a link right?
no…no link
@ Slick Amen bro! I’m with ya on that one!
I realized what I did…
I said Bit.ch
You people who are complaining now after being so overjoyed prior to the update deserve to burn in hell you have no right to complain you have been telling everyone to shut up that this update was the end all beat all and how we should all be ever so grateful so dont be a crybaby whiner Now its too late just stfu & enjoy your awesome update.
thanks for the let down, once again sony!
I sure do love this hypestation 3
but another thing when the 360 does go in with repairs it doesnt happen again and they can gurantee that, but with the PS3 there is always a problem for some reason, like GTA4, disc reading problems, MGS4 paying for online WTF!
@ NetheRealm
I don’t want them to burn in hell. I just want someone to nag them about something for months and then complain about it when they get it until they gouge out their own eyes.
AND SLOW A55 UPDATES FOR THE PS3! EVERYTHING IS ALWAYS UPDATE THIS, DOWNLOAD THIS, LOADING, INSTALLING, COME ON!
For those of you having problems download it…
Here’s a direct link:
http://dus01.ps3.update.playstation.net/update/ps3/image/us/2008_0702_96e9def601672c5abcbb46
04bb2346f1/PS3UPDAT.PUP
Enjoy!
And have in mind that it’s 130mb.
Wow. This whole “let the developer patch the game” nonsense is ridiculous. Why isn’t there a universal system that allows us to play our music in-game ? Why are we now left waiting for patches in order to listen to music ? And trophies , sure they are great — in the ONE game we have to gather them in.
Overall , 2.40 was a gigantic let-down.
I don’t expect any of our concerns to be addressed any time soon. Sony needs to get their crap together.
@safaa09
Welcome to the Internet.
Troll.
Ah , the PS3 is really starting to live up to its “HypeStation” nickname. What a shame.
I find it hilarious, that when they demo’d the ps3 prototype or w/e, in 2005, how it had all these cool “fake” features that looked so awesome, then I remember watching all the epic commercials, of how fast the processor was “tearing thru this wealth of data at nearly 2 trillion calculations per second” or whatever, an was so excited, and impressed. i didn’t realize i would be waiting 2 years for “present gen” technology to be half assed an added to this heavy blue ray player i bought.
@epacs
Have you ever coded anything? Do you even know how programs and software communicate?
(that’s a rhetorical question, YOU may need to google that)
You are another Troll. I’m going to start compiling a list of them.
1. safaa09
2. epacs
3. gamesblow (maybe not a troll, just generally sucks)
WTF is a troll you low life nerds
This is a fantastic start, miles better than what we started with in November 2006.
My two cents on the whole issue is very simple: Custom Soundtracks ( including streaming from the PC ) should be MANDATORY for every game. This should not be a developer choice.
The same thing goes with Trophies. I hate to say it but Sony needs to start acting like Microsoft a little bit more on these two issues.
Downloading the update now. This is gonna be sweet.
@Slick
Sure , I’m no programmer — but the folks over at Microsoft managed to figure it out. Why is it so hard for Sony to do the same ?
I’m not a troll either, just a paying customer , with concerns.
@ safaa
A troll is someone who constantly posts negative things to get a rise out of people. Some live under bridges, some live in caves, but the most deadly ones guard those dangerously narrow mountain passes.
@ mistororange
I find it hilarious that you don’t educate yourself on something before you spend 400/500/600 bucks on something.
Yes, I too remember those early videos and claims. I also bought, and enjoyed, a PS3 that I knew didn’t have that stuff after all. It’s PS3 people like you who criticize the PS3 harder than figgin X-Bots….Go away.
Ok, so what good are trophies if they don’t show up on your Gamer card? This makes no sense at all. This whole update should’ve took 2 more weeks to get better features and more redefined features we already have. This is an unfinished update. All there is to it.
but then you would flame about it taking longer to be released…
@ Slick
That idea works for me too
Will there Be any chance that the Output for the sound to be changed and what I mean is between the optical and the RED and White wires ?
@ epacs
Trust they know how they just decided it’s in their best interests not to allow it
@epacs
The only thing MS figured out was that they had custom music from the start. It still needs to be allowed by the developers..it’s just that the developers knew the 360 could do it.
Now they know the PS3 can do it, so it will eventually even out. Your troll tag will be removed, BTW.
1. safaa09
2. gamesblow (again, just cause he sucks)
3. gamesblow (really, and always is, a troll. The narrow mountain pass kind.)
Microsoft has a patent on custom soundtracks preventing an identical PS3 implementation. Developer based custom soundtracks make more sense… custom soundtracks are not always appropriate in some games.
@slick
your the biggest F4G in the world, you have absoulutely no life, do you thing calling people trolls will get to them? you damn rat!
lol @ slick
Them narrow mountain pass ones are deadly.
I updated today…and i agree that this is an amazing update…but my favorite game is Call Of Duty 4:Modern Warfare….and i couldnt play any music…while playing the game…now the update was cool but why cant i play music while playing my game…..what games can you do this in