Firmware 2.00: The Thoughts of PS3 Owners

There has been quite some controversy over the recent detail release of tomorrow's 2.00 firmware update. If you've been keeping tabs on comments over at the official PlayStation.Blog post for the update, you'll notice a lot of unhappy faces.

This post is dedicated to the comment gathering showing what the PLAYSTATION 3 users really want. Lets start.

THE GOOD

Commenter #42 writes:

"Well, that was certainly disappointing.

I like the idea of the PLAYSTATION Network XMB group, but thats not the way to do it.

Remove Friends, under PLAYSTATION Network, add in Friends under there. We need game invites as well.

Under Game, add categories, such as Demos, Games, and then the Blu-Ray Disc icon stays right above those.

Under Video, add categories, such as TV Shows, Movies, Trailers, and Game Videos.

Add in-game XMB so that we can use the game and cross game invites so we can actually have a good online experience.

You’ve had in-game XMB in the prototype so I don’t understand why it would be so hard to incorporate into the system.

Add support for video files such as WMV and AVI, nobody likes converting to MPEG4 all the time.

Add real profiles to the games, like how gamertags work on the 360. Add those entitlements that you were talking about a while back."

Those are all some really great features that would make the PLAYSTATION 3 a good choice for buyers and would attract them much to the console.

Commenter #100 writes:

"It’s not like I personally want 2.0, I just need my in game XMB. I could care less if that feature was in update 1.95 or whatever. But if they say that 2.0 would be different, just put whatever we all are asking which is access to the Cross Media Bar while playing games…that’s all"

It seems the basis of all these comments are about in-game XMB. Sony has been promising it for a while, and like #42 said, if it was in the prototype, why take this long for now?

Commenter #105 writes:

"No in-game XMB? Sony you lose… this one was really hard to screw up, you even have a GAP poll going yet you still manage to miss the easy one. All we need was in-game xmb or custom soundtracks and we got neither. No home, no xmb and no soundtracks…..2.0 BLOWS!"

Another in-game XMB post. I guess it will come sooner or later.

Commenter #108 writes:

"1. In-game access to PSN messaging

2. Ability to play my own music from the XMB while in-game

3. Larger buddy list and buddy-list features such as categorizing

These are the things we want the most sony in that exact order."

These were all featured in a G.A.P. poll yesterday. Thing is, they are asking to add one, if you include in-game XMB, you can do all of those.

Commenter #209 writes:

"I gladly pay $60cdn on XBL, because it’s a true online experience. It’s not any of this incomplete BS that is PSN. It’s voice chat across all games, it’s messaging or voice chat across any interface(games, HDD, DVD, or HD DVD movies, basically where ever you are), the music across any interface, the constant flow of downloads instantly when they’re available, not days(in some cases weeks) after. That’s expansions, demos, trailers, XBLA games, etc.

Some may say that they are small features and Sony is working towards them, but honestly, you’ve been saying that since November 06, and what’s the date today? November 2007. A year after Sony hasn’t grasped what the true online experience is, and if the keep going at this pace, Im afraid they never will. Sony, please charge if you have to, but Im tired of using this half @$$ed experience. I was one of the few that paid $660cdn + tax at launch for my console, so Id gladly pay for online if it meant a DECENT service."

Commenter #247 writes a lengthy post:

"All I want for Christmas is In-Game XMB!
In-Game XMB!

All I want for Christmas is In-Game XMB!
In-Game XMB!

Seriously the last serious firmware update was almost 2 months ago I think everyone would have waited another month or two if In-Game XMB was included in this so-called 2.00 firmware update. Maybe I am way off but I have to assume Sony knows the importance of this to the PS3 and gaming community. I certainly know the importance and feel everyone’s pain that it is not implemented yet, when it should have shipped in firmware 1.00 along with a Touch sense DualShock 3 but that’s another story all together.

Anyway I think Sony need to be more open with us, this blog started out ok with nice lines of communication and candid dialog but now it is just a bunch of PR.
Come on Sony be open with us let us know what’s going on we are gamers we can take it, be candid with us, obviously we are very candid with our comments and suggestions, return the favor.

For example the firmware 2.00 rumors for months have hyped everyone up to unreal expectations, a nice post or news release telling us what you’re up to what’s fake what’s real is a nice start. Also try to stop this denying thing, like the DualShock 3, when the info is leaked before it is supposed to be announced it doesn’t do anybody any good for you to deny everything, then you look like a liar and a company that doesn’t care what we say, and no one is excited or surprised by the announcements when you finally do make them. If it is leaked then come out and confirm or REALLY deny it with your PR babble if you must but whatever it is tell us the truth.

Back to firmware, we understand you can’t tell us everything that goes on during firmware update work but major things like a feature that is being worked on for a later firmware is nice perhaps a status report with tentative release date of upcoming firmware. We understand dates might not be exact but I am sure we all like a quality product even if takes a little longer than release date, that’s one reason we bought the PS3 over other devices. I would rather have a release date that’s really far out and end up with an earlier release than expected.

To know something is going on with features we want would be incredible. I just think there should be a better system for us to get some better feedback some acknowledgement that you hear us. With this firmware 2.00 post and no mention of In-Game XMB is irresponsible and not acceptable for the #1 most requested firmware feature update, and makes Sony look like they don’t even care about all the people that spent so much on the P$3. I think there should be some better system for submitting requests for firmware updates and a way to see which features have a lot of support which ones are absolutely impossible weather forever or just at this point in the PS3’s life and which features are being worked on based on popular support or Sony’s vision for the PS3, because let’s face it not every idea we have is good, and Sony has implemented some nice features including the features in firmware 2.00 that we haven’t thought of.

I guess what I am trying to say is Thank You for the support you give the community and PS3 as well as the great games from Sony Studios around the globe. Thank You for the FREE firmware updates although I am sure some of us would pay to get In-Game XMB. Just be more candid with the PlayStation community we can take it. One final note I love the new PSN Logo if all the icons on the XMB could be styled to match that would be one beautiful XMB but don’t make it so beautiful we can’t have In-Game XMB."

Well said. But then, we have people who will suck up to Sony no matter how bad the update really is.

THE BAD

Commenter #218 writes:

"COMPLAINERS GO PLAY WITH THE RROD, GUARANTEED YOU’LL BE RIGHT BACK TO YOUR PS3 HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Okay, weird.

Commenter #132 writes:

"AWESOME UPDATE! I cant wait. I for one DO NOT want in-game XMB so please dont add it."

As you can see, they are fanboys in their prime. Personally though, I agree with all the rebels, bring whats posted on the good side, and bring a new PLAYSTATION Store with constant updates, thats not a web page, but a program built into the PLAYSTATION 3.