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.
What was the decision that made you give the Game Devs the option to include custom music?
Were there hardware limitations, Software?
Or would it be possible to include full custom music for all ps3 games (past & future) no matter what the game devs decide?
Im not a person to really use this feature, i would just wondering about the process.
Are there any plans to update the trophy notifier to be less screen intrusive and maybe even animate (ala’ 360 achievements)?
Also, what if another player (controller) unlocks something in a multiplayer game? Obviously my profile is being used but it would cool to allow him/her to log into their account also so they can get credit for the trophy(ies) they unlocked.
Maybe for a later update but I’d settle for a refined notifier.
Otherwise, this is awesome.
Here’s a somewhat technical question; You know when you download a US and a EU demo of the same game, say snakeball, you can have them both on your PS3 at the same time. They even create 2 separate savegames. Lets chalk this up to the games using different “Game-ID’s”.
Now what I’m wondering, will the thropies use the same “Game-ID” system? Will it be possible to see my EU stats compared to the stats of my US buddy with his US version of the same game?
Wait. I’m a bit confused.
You reiterate that 2.4 merely enables custom soundtracks and that developers would need to enable it, but as far as I can tell in the walkthrough, all you did was turn off the background music and play music from the HDD.
Does this mean that some titles will ask you to quit the game when you try to play music, or does this mean that titles that don’t allow you to mute the background music will play both soundtracks?
Hey Eric,
I have an idea that will be great if you guys can work on it for the next major update. You know how we are talking about pirvate chat with your friends while playing different games. while with that feature I think it would be a great idea(if it can be done)to have like a picture in picture with that feature. Meaning am playing a game and my friend sends me a chat invite and we both have the playstation eye we can contiune playing the game and have a small screen somewhere so we can see each other. Now i know this sounds crazy but this will crash anything thats on other consoles. Just a crazy idea to mk the ps3 better.
Thanks for listening to us and keep up the good work on crashing the competion.
wow they did it .. nice one Sony … keep the innovation coming.
@ Sentry
Yawn, you couldn’t be further from the truth. I never said Sony sucks blah blah blah when someone asked about visual notification. I, like the guy who asked “ED”, only seen the vid once and it appeared to me there was none.
After finding out there was I retracted, applogized and said “yeah, but a sound would still be nice. Sort of like Uncharted does when you get a treasure”
Take a look around, turnip. Everyone is complaining, not just me. Only, you don’t like me so you’re only looking at me. I could care less myself, Sony has a lot to account for here and 2 years on we’re still not even half way to where the competition has been for 3 years.
I have never put anyone down here on this blog. I’ve never told anyone to shut up or demeaned them in anyway at all. You do it daily because you can’t stand someone who actually takes notice of the things we’re getting screwed out of.
It’s hush hush around here if you’re against the grain even slightly. I think, paying 600 for the ps3, I am owed a little bit in return. I have supported Sony 100% for over 10 years and will continue to do so without you or this blog.
I think that when Sony says 2.40 and shows off a feature in a video and then retracts that and takes it away but keeps the video up showing off a feature they know we’ve all wanted since day 1.
Please.
Great update, been looking forward to it for awhile!
My only concerns are about in game XMB during play of ps1 and ps2 games, since I’ve been playing through some ps2 games lately and missing out on game invites from friends.
I also have a friend using a 40 gig system, would be great to get BC functionality for these users too!
@ The_Rick_14
From all accounts, the video is full of crap. Any game MUST be patched (or coded for future games) in order to enable this feature.
Awesome, huh ?
Nevermind. Got my answer from post #65.
Tristanmike is 100% right on the money with everything he has said. Yet, none of you want to challenge it.
Hold on, NOT retroactive? Wow that sucks.
Why would they show something in the video if they are not including it in the update? They got my hopes up.
nice job Sony
@398. I’ve been asking this afew times now. There are a lot of people who share PS3’s with other family members or perhaps a friend. It would be nice if when you have a 4 player online game of Warhawk or another game going and you all do a team effort that each one of the users get’s thier own trophies/ stat building and you don’t all share the same profile. It’s rediculus going online and sharing the same profile in online games. I would like to see multiple PSN login abilities at the same time in a future firmware if it’s not in 2.4. You can do it on the other box so why not on my favorite console? Come on Jeff please let us at least know you guys are thinking about this.
i think u forgot to answer the most important question of all: WHEN IS THE RELEASE DATE?!?!?!?
I dont understand why there is so many questions ask… All answers are in the videos or in the FAQ post.. Read before posting
oh and btw Shut up GAMEBLOW
Please put some things on this blog to prevent those kind of people of saying useless things and make this site more enjoyable. Thanks
First off.. I don’t have any problem with this update at all.. I’m very excited…
Just wanted to ask as I don’t think I see it requested by anyone..
I’d like to be able to buy a PSN game for someone.. not someone in my family where I may have access to their system.
Just someone on PSN. Say like I wanted to give a tourney where the winner gets a PSN game.
Would be cool if we could do this. I was thinking it could be like a Promotion Code that’s linked to someone PSN ID we could purchase and send to them so they could redeem the game.
Or shoo.. what am I thinking.. if there’s an option added to purchase a game as a gift from the store (even if you already have it) and link it to someone’s PSN account and it could just be added to their download list. That would be cool…
Just thought about this since I got Qore and CAC came with it but I already had it…
PSN – ThEosSiE
@412
Are you joking?! R”E”A”D is all you need…
i like to save battery on my controller so i turn it on using the ps button, will i still be able to turn my controller off?
also it there a way to turn the controller off on the main xmb screen?
Thanks fior the FAQ! It settled all our questions! Plus it seems we will have to start over for trophies. HA! That should make stat padders have to work all over agian!
There clearly must be some kind of serious hardware limitation (RAM?) or a serious design flaw in the PS3 architecture if Sony isn’t even able to get the system to play MP3’s while games are loaded (without requiring game developers to actually code the functionality on a game-by-game basis).
It’s bothersome news — and I’m guessing that we’ll never see many of the features that we’ve been begging for.
Hell, if they can’t do it in 18 months, they likely can’t do it at all.
But of course, Sony is Sony. And they’ll just leave us twisting in the wind, always wondering if it’ll ever come. Because heaven forbid they actually tell us anything in advance.
@ 409
Yeah, I know. Makes no sense to me either. It’s like their little In shirt xmb gag. As I said, this whole 2.4 update is little more than an in game instant messanger and nothing else.
In game music is still up to the devs
Can’t cross talk
Can’t access pics full screen
Can’t web browse
Please.
What can you do with this update? I mean really? We have 1 game that supports trophies and that’s it. Stardust isn’t the best game to showcase this either as not everyone has it. Atleast have a game that sold over a million copies, oh wait that might be hard to do on the ps3.
This is really lame because the developers have always had the CODE to add custom soundtrack but they never added it. Basically we are back to square one.
( @ K2016 ) i know dude ….im pissed off b/c of that …i have over 25 Cds ripped on my PS3 just b/c of this in-game soundtrack they said it was going to be in 2.40 .
No, we’re at square 2 now.
For everything that you’re “evaluating the opportunity” to add into the ps3, when could we expect them?
#418
if Xbox360 does it, im sure Ps3 has no RAM issues..
If you want to blame someone for no REAL custom soundtracks, don’t blame Sony. Blame Microsoft for patenting it.
Ed you’re 100% right. It is in the memory. As I said pages back.
Try running a ram heavy OS like Vista for instance on 256mb of memory, then play media player and play a game at the same time. You can’t do it. Vista won’t even run on 256mb of ram and 512 is even stretching it.
What do I mean by this, and hardware is right up my alley, trust me. The Ps3’s OS/Cell is very heavy, man. It takes the exact code to run like a top. Why do you think they’re constantly doing updates, man? They’re doing them to rearrange their memory allocations.
256 mb is to the os and 256 to the RSX. That is how the ps3 runs and the cell, and only the cell can grab that ram from both pots and thatis only “IF” it is allowed and told to do so.
Why do you think we haven’t seen a game using more than 4 SPE’s yet?
Trust me, the PS3 is gimped in the ram department.
DO you think it would be possible in a firmware update for the PSP to add out PS3 accounts? For example: I’m on a PSP, I can sign onto my PS3 Profile and view my friends and stuff on the PSP ( then send messages ) That would be awesome cause you are always connected.
@ 424
No, the xbox 360 has no problems cause they run 512mb of ram unified. The ps3 runs 256 unified.
That is a big problem.
Who cares if its patented, just release a FW and when they get sued they will have to to another FW to remove it? HAH we just wont download it. I think Sony owes us for this $600 we gave them.
So not all games will have in-game music…
Of course, i forgot this is Sony.
only thing i was exited for, i guess always expect the worst, cause that’s what you’ll get
@ 430
No, only the games the developers actually care about their consumers will have in game music. Don’t ask Sony for anything, you won’t get it.
I don’t mind restarting a new game to earn trophies, but half of those titles that you guys prior mentioned that will support trophies is not even out yet.
My question is what are some of third party titles (that are already released) can we see that will support trophies system?
Please, answer the above question.
Now i’m not one of those crazy people who asked EVERY TIME some blog came out about when XMB was coming out. But as a gamer i’m very excited to see it finally arrive just cause of the simple things like if a friend sends u a message when in game and now you don’t have to quit your game to check it out. Also if i’m in a game now i can shoot a friend a message and say jump on with me. The one thing though that i may be the most excited about is the Trophy application because although i’m NOT a 360 fan, the 1 thing i always wish we had, that they did, was game trophies. It’s just one of those cool things that you can compete with friends over and compare and just have a good time trying to achieve and being able to kind of show people what you can do. So a VERY big thanks to all the guys who worked on making all this possible…i’m sure you have not only mine but the appreciation of every PS3 gamer out there.
Now for a couple questions:
1. I think i’m a bit confused when ya’ll were talking bout the whole streaming music for custom soundtracks…what’s that mean?
2. Will every PS3 title currently out and upcoming let you play your saved music during game play?
3. You said trophies “aren’t retroactive.” What exactly do you mean by that? So that means whatever patches come out, say for Warhawk…and you might have already met those requirements a while back, does that mean the trophy will automatically be given to you for having done that back before the trophy patch or do you have to somehow earn that requirement again?
4. MGS4 will be getting trophies, right? Cause that’d be prolly the number one game players would want to have trophies for…except maybe GTA IV.
Thanks again Sony and all the workers on this. After watching those 2 firmware videos i’m seeing why people were wanting this so bad for so long, cause it looks GREAT!
First of all, I just wanted to thank you for the amazing update. I noticed the features that are missing are being evaluated and waiting for consumer demand. If that’s the case, count me in because I will want in-game voice, game invites, and DVD, Blu-ray, PS, and PS2 in game XMB :). Thanks.
hey Eric, thank you for keeping us posted and showing us what it all can do.
I have no complaints because we didnt have any of this before , so anything added to the ps3 is always improvement and im sure you guys are working on more for to make it even a better experience.
you have any room in your friendlist, im down to compete with stardust:-)
People, people, people please… you all are worried about playing your old games all over again? Why? you’re not going to even have trophies for those games, trust me. This is just another thing that won’t happen.
Naughtydog isn’t going to go back and put a new set of trophies in for Uncharted. Insomniac won’t for Resistance. Motorstorm won’t get them either.
Get over it and move on. What is more important is what games will come out that will? MGS4 just hit and it’s not getting them. When can we expect a good game to get the support since this is a mandatory thing? Super Star Dust isn’t exactly the greatest game in the world.
awesome! now the only thing i ask for is in-game chat no matter what game it is!:D
@ xenosagax112 (421)
– I know! I ripped like 3 CDs & copied all music from my media server to PS3, and now I learn that we can’t use them. BS!
Does it have anything to do with Micro$oft’s patent? http://www.google.com/patents?id=mx93AAAAEBAJ
@ ChvyVele (425)
You keep on buying that excuse. And while you’re at it, I’ve got some magic beans for sale.
Seriously, have you ever heard the saying, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat” ? Just because Microsoft has a patent on one way to do it, doesn’t mean there aren’t others. Why doesn’t Sony just make that little snippit of code mandatory ?
Like gamesblow said earlier, the only thing Sony knows how to mandate are 5 GB installs.
Quit your [DELETED] and be happy about this update already. You can go and complain to Microsoft for [DELETED] Sony from IG music for all games. Do you seriously want to look at pictures, videos, or browse the internet while playing a game? . . .
@TouchyEd
I would think that more of the in-game soundtrack issue is due to a patent Microsoft has.
“Hell, if they can’t do it in 18 months, they likely can’t do it at all.”
Seems like it. Once between the launch of the 360 and the PS3 and no one at Sony seemed to scout the competition.
ms do not have the patent to in game music go to herre
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN%2F6981918
great update sony. just one thing mack in game music required!!!
Most game developers will more than likely jump on the band wagon . We will see . A new trophy system . Games can benefit a lot from adding the code .
Gamers will more than likely keep playing a game to get all the trophies . Rather than just playing the games for a few days, then just put the game on the shelf and forgetting the game .
Seeing the trophies that we haven’t achieved
will keep us playing the game to achieve all of them. The game developers can only win by adding the code for trophies .
Some of the peopel here are just kinda.. I don’t honestly know how to put it. Everyone is dying for in game messaging to come. So Sony gives it to us. they give us messaging in game. Now everyone is mad there is no cross game chat yet. First of all Sony never said it would be in 2.40. Also, do a chat with your friend BEFORE the game, talk, than go into your game and just send messages. Yes the update doesnt have EVERYTHING we want but honestly… We didn’t have any of this before. And we all wanted this. So you guy should be happy Sony stuck through with their promise ( To bring in game communication and trophies. ) And if you read the FAQ, you see that Sony is looking into voice chat/cross game invites and XMB during movie playback. Sony will deliver on these, and it will be faster than it took this. So how about you guys actually play a game and enjoy what we got?
( Im not trying to be hostile, it just annoys me alittle how people in general can be. )
A continuation of my post on #433 cause i just thought of something else i wanted to ask. I’m sure you guys can’t really reply on this or not. But do you think the companies making the 3rd party game titles for both PS3 and 360 might just use the same trophies they’re making for 360 to use on PS3? You know, instead of having to come up with all new trophy ideas. Just a thought.
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).
My question about ingame music is still a little unclear. I need a straight foward answer on this one.
Are you basically saying that yes you can play music from the XMB with any PS3 game (that’s compatible with in game XMB) but if you want options of playlists/customization or to change ingame sound levels such as lowering/muting BGM this is all up to the dev’s?
or are you just saying that 2.40 gives dev’s the abilaty to implament access to music from the HDD? Wich would be puzzeling since I know of atleast one game that already has this abilaty. PAIN.