Unless this is the first time you’ve ever visited this site* – you probably noticed that we’ve inverted the color palette on the Blog. The aim wasn’t to save your eyesight (though this configuration apparently is easier on your eyes), and we didn’t just make a change for change’s sake.
Rather, we “bleached” the Blog to match our big brother, us.PlayStation.com. In case you haven’t clicked over to the homepage (and you should right now), we’ve redesigned the site to make it easier for you to use.
There are lots of changes – this isn’t just a re-skinning:
- New navigation makes it easy to find games, TV series, movies, and original shows from any page and browse the entire site from one interface.
- New search is powered by Google and lets you find what you’re looking for, instantly.
- Interactive marquees give you video, screenshots and more info about our most exciting content.
- You can easily share anything from videos and screenshots to whole pages with your friends using the “Share” icons on each page.
- Our new Web platform is keeping everything running fast and smooth.
- Finally, and most importantly :-), the PlayStation.Blog is more prominent. You’ll spot new posts on the homepage and throughout the site.
This is our baby, so obviously we think it’s beautiful and perfect, but there might be some hiccups as we get everything up and running. Please be patient while we iron out the inevitable kinks.
Please note that this is just the first phase of improvements we’re planning to make the site easier to navigate, faster to use, and more interesting to visit. And right now we want your input – what do you love? What do you hate? What suggestions do you have?
As far as the Blog is concerned, we’re currently gathering ideas for a full-on redesign, but in the meantime we hope you enjoy the lighter, more readable PSB.
*If this is indeed the first time you’re visiting the PlayStation.Blog, welcome! We’re not always this self-referential.
I have to say the new design is much harder to read. The system is BLACK, why go away from your branding?
Love the coment saying Plastion was always black (trying to be like the some other system) well to be corected the PS1 was white not black and black didn’t come along tell PS2. =)
Glad I can invert the colors on my Mac, I was so used to a black background! It feels too weird reading the blog w/ a white background!! XD
When I get my eyes to stop burning I’ll be able to finish this post. White on black is a poor choice for a website for how your layout is setup. Asking for studies is a poor choice of words too with so many that already share the same sentiment. So there’s your field study.
From the looks of this blog, we did go back in time from last week, to 1997. Is this the counter measure for next febrary’s leap year?
Just no. Your blog matched the brand and was pleasant to the eyes. If you guys are announcing you’re getting back into business with Nintendo then bravo. I like the WII theme, Nintendo would be proud.
i for one(and probably others) find this black on white harder on the eyes…it’s 2 bright i really preferred the blog.website before…if you wont put it back at least give us a theme option…one thing i do like is that now if you sing in to us.playstation.com you are also singed in here which i thought was lacking before…either way i will still follow the blog cause it’s the best place to get all info on playstation world…just wish it was darker.
@zombie9.
If we are talking console, the Playstation, the original release PS1, was Grey in the US. It didn’t get white until the PSOne was released. The PS2 was black until they relase the PSTwo (Slim) that had a sliver option (white too).
People stuck on the energy consumption argument should really do some research, your concepts are outdated (mine were too, until I actually went looking):
-http://ecoiron.blogspot.com/2007/08/history-in-january-2007-mark-ontkush.html
-http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fact-or-fiction-black-is
—-
PERSONALLY, I liked it better when it was black. But I have to admit it looks very clean like this, the old design was kinda busy with the yellow over black. Congratulations on the new design (both here and there).
Did Sony already think about replace the PS3 browser for another browser that is already in the market (Google Chrome, for example)? It would be great! =D
PS: Sorry about my English xD.
Sweet god, please let us change the forum and blog colors with “skins”. Not everyone likes to be blinded while trying to read advertisements and fanboy rants.
FYI, If you’re going to make someone else prove something by studies, why not share how you did your homework?
Studies of appeal and marketing 101 weren’t your best subjects were they? If the functionality matches your marvelous use of flash plug ins on the ps3 where sites like destructoid and kotaku you put up as links crash the console nearly everytime on visiting then this layout will be win-win.
Btw, why can’t the avatars look better for the layout? Again, if this is only half the layout, blind us with the white when it works. As of right now, I’d rather not visit the blog. Not even John Diamond would make it worthwhile.
oh, just another thing, Jeff (if I may):
the study you point out on the post.. while it does say that Black on White is better, it mentions further down that a badly configured brightness and contrast can cause eye-strain… Most people I have encountered have absolutely no idea of how to configure this (me included).
White background is much more likely to produce eye-strain due to bad calibration of brightness.
Being as White on Black is just as high-contrast as the opposite; it ends up on each users monitor configuration whether the new layout will be heaven or hell.
No No No! On my LCD white page browsing is fine on my fat PS3. However on my slim that’s in my bedroom I have it on a HDTV CRT type and white pages give a strong yellow burn-in on the right side of the screen. My only option for white pages is to turn the brightness way down to prevent that. Since the browser on the slim crashes less, I prefer to use that one. Now this is no good for me.
The white is freaking horrible. Please give us a change skin option so I can have my glorious non-eye-burning black back.
Until then, I’m going to be using Stylish add-on for Firefox (THANK YOU LORD FOR THIS) and having to manually drench the site in black/white.
And I have to agree with the person that says to give the PSN API out. Hell, take it a step further: Give the LBP API out so I can search for levels through Sackbook as MM is taking FOREVER bringing their own “Sackbook” clone out.
And now start using Youtube for your videos now that they have an option to caption things. You have no excuse and it brings your Deaf fans (like me) into the blog more often.
Definitely better for those that work under florescent lights. The old format was very depressing. I’d like it if you offered interactive relax tracks playing in the background. Thunder storms, rain forest, beaches, and running rivers. While scroll or interact things like Thunder, birds, and monkeys become more pronounced.
I for one love the new PlayStation site. It’s clean, well organized, and most importantly, easy to navigate. As for the PlayStation Blog, a full-on redesign to match the new look and feel of the PlayStation site would be a welcome change.
I like it, very sleek and professional, a hair darker font would be much better as well.
I don’t know if I should post this here but you did ask about bugs. I cannot read any posts the official forums from my PS3. When you click on the thread the page loads but only the name of the OP and a space where the text should be shows. Is it a bug or is it my settings?
I definitely prefer this, I’ve always thought the European blog seemed more friendly and bright.
Rather than keep it all white though, I’d throw in some more color, this is almost too bright and seems rather empty, where the black made it seem rather depressing and cluttered imo.
Maybe you could even give users the option of different skins?
That seems the best idea.
Looks good. I like how the posts are white like the Euro PS Blog’s.
OK Jeff I have to get picky about that link you sent.
“other high-contrast, dark-on-light combinations are also acceptable.” From the blu-blurb in the middle. Basically the way you had it was fine for our eyes.
Also, I’m pretty sure the ‘easiest’ to read is neon green on black. Don’t quote me on that one but I’m pretty sure that’s right…I’ll find you a link when I get home.
What old school hip hop movie line is this from? Its so white, its soo cleeean. I hate the new layout. It looks like it didnt finish loading yet. I prefer the older one better. I wish us ps3 fans had a say in the matter like a vote or somrthing. Please give us the option to switch back and forth.
Speaking of Google powered … don’t make a blog specific to the PS Browser but rather get a Google powered browser on the PS3!
A PSN API would rock too!
I work in the design/multimedia industry and I don’t really know about all these “studies” everyone is talking about, but one designs for the intended audience not from what studies say unless they are of your target audience.
Anyway, I like the new design, it doesn’t really match with the hardware design and feels corporately sanitized.
Hoorah for White on Black. Hoorah for quick five minute hacks in stylish.
My eyes no longer burn looking at the site. Hoorah!
Here’s an idea, make a PC to PSN chat option, like i can view my friends are online and such, but how cool would it be to also chat with your friends while you’re on a pc and they are on psn? other than that white looks good
I second the request for Trophy APIs. It should greatly reduce the load on your servers, with an API, you could retrieve the data with a tiny interaction of maybe less than 1k, but without it, you’re having to transfer much more data to get the info. Without an API we can’t setup informal trophy groups and the like properly so that we can compete within smaller groups than all of PSN. Competing with friends rather than the world at large is one major pressure that gets people buying more games and playing them more.
I know that if I’m 5000th place down or worse and I would have to quintuple my points to even get in the top 50 it puts a damper on my enthusiasm to even care about the trophy system. But if you have a smaller group that is of similar skill, then you might be 10th or 15th with the same points, and the person at 30 or 40 would still be able to reach higher rankings easily within that group.
ah after reading a little, on second thought black was a lot better =\
Yeah this is way to bright. I am squinting right now trying to read the comments but I gave up, it hurts.Whenever I am hung over at work (rarely but sometimes it just happens) I always went to the blog and the forum when I was on the computer, but I think I would throw up as soon as the screen loads. Instant migraine!!!
There are a few improvements in the overall look but as a Graphic Designer I really miss a bit of contrast here. also the fonts are a bit hard to read. The AA looks odd here. It can be my Firefox.
It’s always good to evolve and try new things. But I would do something about the contrast here.
Thanks for doing something Sony and Thanks Jeff!.
Another thing:
All the avatar image look a bit jaggie.
It seems the image is bigger then its place holder.
So bright, but I’ll probably get used to it eventually.
This new font is IMPOSSIBLE to read on INTERNET EXPLORER ! Please revert back to arial. Thank you.
I’ve been getting used to the “white” scheme from the main playstation forums but there still needs to be some improvements, like maybe a darker and little bit wider font to make it a bit easier to read. The “white” is very bright on my screen and that’s with the monitor already having the “brightness” turned down a lot.
Mucho bueno guys, mucho bueno lol!!! 8P 8)
I’m diggin the new change. Nice job!
I prefer darker backgrounds. Screens have gotten so much brighter and having a bright color fill makes it uncomfortable on the eyes. Honestly, your best bet is to let the user decide their color/scheme. It’s definitely a clean look but when I think of PlaySation, I think black.
i like it!!
man, ive been reading the blog for a while, (extremely few comments) and i have to say this actually hurts my eyes. to its just way too bright for relaxed reading. it kinda forces me to ¨ wake up¨. OH well, chage is what it is. Change.
Very nice layout for the PS blog and I like the brand new look of the Playstation website, keep it up dudes.
Can you also put another update like on YouTube, whereas if you want to reply to someone (directly), that option is right next to their PlayStation Network ID, for each and every comment, and if you do reply to them, your reply is RIGHT under their comment, and its in italics! XD
I’m with the lot on this one. Add an option to change it back to the black layout. I don’t want to have find a firefox plugin to try and change it back, and possibly bork everything in the process
Folks…there is only so much that can be done at one time with the WordPress engine. It is a great engine and I use it extensively in the websites I build for my clients, but it does take a lot of time and effort to extend and code extras for a site built with it.
Sony most likely wouldn’t use plug-ins to extend as then the code isn’t kept in-house fixable.
As for the white…..not my style. Too bright.
OMG I can finally text again on my playstation 3 browser. Thank you thats what all I wanted. New look looks great!
Ugh, white backgrounds hurt my eyes even more for some reason… The contrast is just annoying. Can you guys PLEASE change it back or at least give us an option for which color scheme we prefer, because if not, I might have to stop coming to the blog….
the text grey background on the reply seems to be easier to read than the text on the white background.
font size does need to be increased so the white background doesn’t over power it. which it is actually doing now. the black level needs to probably increased 2%-4%
Love it…
I like the white but the red for the reply’s are burning my eyes
I originally commented that I liked the change…but after reading through 5 pages of comments, I can safely say:
This new version is very taxing on my eyes.
Darker font please.
But the site is great but do you think you could make it like the EU Blog maybe? Thanks.
OR was this whole color changing a conspiracy between you guys and the power companies to cost us more money!