PS3 Firmware 3.40 Revealed

"After reading through a couple press releases, TheGamerAccess.com found something very interesting in the PlayStation Plus press release."

-TheGamerAccess.com

[Philaroni]

I fully expected this. I bet it comes with some features users have been wanting. I could be very wrong but it makes too much sense for them not to. Just wish they would redo the XMB or make a new interface.

[Razmossis]

Okay, hidden features ftw

[gtamike]

yeah always is

[Hideo_Kojima]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh

NEWS OVERLOAD
NEWS OVERLOAD
NEWS OVERLOAD

*HEAD BLOWS UP*

[Elimin8]

YOu can blame or thank sony for that..

[InfectedDK]

Yes new interface would be awesome with the opportunity to choose between the current XMB and a new one from within the settings.

[WhittO]

Ye, not really the XMB, more the PSN part of the XMB.

Like Friends lists, gamer cards, store integration etc.

[nunley33]

It's good and it's on sony tvs and bluray players too. I agree w/ whitto about the PSN parts of XMB needs more work and expansions,options. The recent change to the trophies is a good start and this fall a PSN update to the XMB should be incoming.

[Christopher]

X-chat part is kind of iffy, but cool if true. Think it would calm a lot of people who are complaining that it's missing from PSN+ service.

[sikbeta]

The Only Important Thing Now, is that those that wanted that feature so freaking much will have it and some crew will stop making that feature look as Awesome as they were claiming it was...

[execution17]

theres just a few times i wouldn't mind using it, is when me and my cousin are playing different games, be easier sending msgs

[Kleptic]

well the window for X game chat for me is probably gone...I needed it a lot a long time ago, would have made things a lot easier with games that had no invite system...but now I can't say I'd really use it...most of the friends I play PSN/PS3 with set it up before we are actually home from work/school or whatever...

it would be convenient at times...but I honestly don't even care anymore...it 'should' have been there long ago, but the price was right, so I am not really complaining...

just hope they do it right though...which is if they actually do bring it...bring it for free to all PSN accounts...if they segregate it to only PSN+ members...its dividing the field...and it never works right...I know most of my gaming friends aren't going to care about PSN+...and i'm not sure I will bother with it yet either (the beta thing, as well as game trials does sound cool though)...so we'll see...

[nunley33]

Yeah but people will find something else to complain about though.

[twostep18]

i like the xmb

[ThanatosDMC]

XMB is just fine as it is for me too.

[WhatARump]

The X game chat is probably fake

Can't be certain but it's rather peculiar that only one sentence out of the entire website is in English and it happens to be about an in demand and unmentioned feature!
Secondly, it's just the same picture circulating around the web creating the effect that it's true.

Although it's possible that the picture is legit, it's highly unlikely.

[mushroomwig]

I saw the link myself on Sonys offical website, of course it's legit.

[SonyOwnsNextYear]

always evolving, always pushing us forward and forever providing premium exclusive content.

im still drooling from the twisted metal article......

[Philaroni]

Might I ask what people are disagreeing with? I'm confused. If it is the update of the XMB it is something they will need to do down the road as more content and services like PSN+ are added.

[vhero]

So cross game chat is coming.. I think it will be free too and not for only plus members but its such a minor feature people only talk about it as its the only feature 360 has ps3 don't now. Everything else the 360 does the ps3 can do.

[Dylantalon1]

i would love cross game chat option in that fw 3.40

[Fishy Fingers]

Indicates it's only for PSN+ users:

"even if they aren't members of PlayStation Plus"

So if your not willing to pony up, better hope one of yours mates has. Sucks really, pretty basic feature and one all but promised years ago, well before any of this PSN+ business, hopefully they rethink that one and just give it to all.

[mrv321]

I personally believe that to invite you have to have PSN+... but anyone can join.

[Tony-A]

What?

"even if they aren't members of PlayStation Plus"

So even if you don't have PSN+, you still get the feature. You won't have to pay. Or am I reading it wrong?

[Christopher]

Yeah, sounds like in order to initiate you'll have to be a PSN+ subscriber.

[Fishy Fingers]

Yes, read the full quote:

"Cross-game Voice Chat: invite your friends to chat online no matter what game you're all playing, even if they aren't members of PlayStation Plus"

Reads, to me, x-game comes with PSN+ but you can invite anyone to your "channel", even if they're not PSN+ users.

Edit: cgoodno said it quicker and better :)

[skrug]

why is everyone saying PSN+ when it's PS+?

[DiLeCtioN]

http://de.playstation.com/p...

Translation

If you do still register for PlayStation Plus, you can make the most of your PlayStation 3 system: Getting There you will find many premium and exclusive features such as games and content for a total of at least 200 EUR per year * and PSN features specifically designed for Members of you.

* Games: Get countless PlayStation Network games, minis and PS one classic and premium avatars and dynamic designs for a total of at least 200 EUR * per year. You also get the PlayStation Store to enjoy exclusive, especially cheaper prices and given the chance, early access to demos and beta test versions. The offer in the PlayStation Store is updated monthly, so there is always something new to discover.

* Test full versions: try before you buy one-hour trial versions of selected titles, PlayStation Network and Blu-ray Disc releases from.

* Automatic downloads: Receive, without lifting a finger, the latest PS3 system software, game updates, and even game demos.

* The approximate value is based on the recommended retail price in the offer of discounts and was using the current exchange rates calculated in May 2010. The actual value may vary. Certain offers, not offers with discounts, following the expiry of the subscription is no longer available.

[KyRo]

http://nl.playstation.com/p...

''Cross-game Voice Chat: invite your friends to chat online no matter what game you're all playing, even if they aren't members of PlayStation Plus.''

[Parapraxis]

http://uk.playstation.com/p...
I don't see it here....

there is an error somewhere, x-game chat may be plus only or they decided to make it for all users.

[fire23]

The last part is saying that if you do have it, you can start a chat with someone who doesn't

[Nitrowolf2]

they fixed it
it must be true

[Nick212004]

They are saying that you will need at least one person with PlayStation Plus to host cross-game chat. Everyone else is not required to have PlayStation Plus.

[TheJudgement]

How Sony giving us EXTRA content with the premium DLS of full games that we can try not demos before purchase and the trophies carry over if we do decide to buy the game. The auto dl is nice feature think xbox does that too and cross chat finally is going to be a killer I think Sony put that in there because they need a big reason for people to want to buy the subscription and thats the feature that would do it. But at least they make their service seem more worth it then just Pay to play on 360.

[nunley33]

Sony has said you will keep the trophies you unlock during play of the full game trial after you buy the full game.

[PS3XBOX360WII]

Psn + members can invite friend but none user can only join

[gamerzBEreal17]

hopefully this will happen but its only 3.40? arn't we at like 3.30? a big update like PS plus would seem to take up the 10 whatever u want to call it right? idk i think if it had cross game chat it would be bigger but im not all techy so if not someone correct me

[exnihilonihilfit]

The number doesn't really mean anything, they just pick what they want.

More than likely, the reason why we're still in the 3's is because they planned all of this stuff at the same time to be released over time.

[jerethdagryphon]

actually version numbers refer to the size and type of modification

forinstance,
adding a new sound for the buttons would be a .01 modifier but adding or removing a major feature, is a .1

the only time you would use a whole number ie 1-9 is if the modification has pushed the .x to beyond .9 by incremnts or the modification was grounbreaking enough to cause that sort of shift like bringing back ps2 compatibility would shift it from fw 3.x to fw 4

thats all there is meaning and reason behind the numbers

[exnihilonihilfit]

Agreed, but the conditions for determining what is significant are more or less arbitrary.

You may think that adding PS2 BC is of major significance and therefore warrants a whole number switch, but someone at Sony may not think so. All in all, the numbering of the update is not important enough to really care about.

[nveenio]

There's no numbering rule. They could completely redesign the XMB and still call it 3.35.7, if they want.

Based on your BC example, then removing OtherOS should have bumped us to 4.0. I would consider those features equal on the "feature weight meter", wouldn't you? But they didn't bump it to 4.0 because they didn't want to.

In reality--at least, this is what I do when I develop for the iPhone--your version numbers look something like this: v1.0.1.8457, where the 8457 is the build number for that version iteration. You have your system archive each build iteration so that you can look back at previous code when a new bug or glitch is found. This helps you find those problems. But the version number? Completely arbitrary. Let's say you fix a bug. Your next release would be v1.0.2. Let's say you enhance or redesign something small. Your next release might be v1.1. My last update added several features. I didn't release each one independently, so when I finally did release, I went from version 1.5 to 1.8. Before that, I went from version 1.0 to 1.5. And that's generally how it works. They just release the build number they're on. They don't really care what we think about the numbers.

[ThatArtGuy]

I think it's a reference to the last "huge" update which was 2.40. (The trophy/text chat update.)

[SuperStrokey1123]

Liknk doesnt work

NM, does now

[Socomer 1979]

Hi, I remember you!

Yeah, you was here in 2007 on a different account same picture. Wsup now ?!?! HA HA AH HA! Pre-ordering your Kinectimals or what? Taking miming classes? Ready to pay hundreds of dollars to play charades? youve got NO GAMESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSS.

[SpLinT]

stop being a lil bish. what are you, 15? cant afford both consoles or what?

[killajd]

1. Playstation Move 2. Playstation Eye 3. PSN+

[crazyclown]

Same here bro!

Im buying 2 normal move controllers, 2 subcontrollers, 1 camera, and PSN+

Did i mention all the game I want? Id be here for ages...well ill be broke but ill have the best time of my life playing all these games!!!

[TKCMuzzer]

Even though i did see the original page it seems someone at Sony may have realised they jumped the gun on this one. Only reveal when your bosses say

[Fishy Fingers]

Haha, disappeared already, that was quick.

[earthdome]

yeah. thought so that they will edit it once it's all over the net

[chase167]

great find

[Nick212004]

Thanks man! I may not be allowed in E3 due to age restrictions, but that does not mean I cant break gaming news for E3!

[astar123456789]

this is to get psn plus in the ps3 and maybe cross chat and hiding things for later in the year

[PS360PCROCKS]

Awwwww! What??? I have to play for PS+ to have cross game chat? :( dammit!! I guess odds someone has it are pretty good.

[JackBNimble]

1)Don't most PS3 games with voice chat have an open mic feed?

2)So if we do get X-chat and we are playing a game with an open mic feed are we going to have to listen to half of someones conversation?

I really don't know anything about x-chat so can anyone fill me in please?

[zeksta]

X-Game chat is pretty much your own private chat room between you and your four other freinds, you'll only hear them unless there is an option to switch between the game's voice chat and the private server's voice chat.

[JackBNimble]

thanks for the info.

[oguzsasi]

I want my,

Custom soundtrack!
Cross game chat!
Voice messaging!
I wanna plug and play my creative webcam and have video conferance with friends!
I wanna capture ingame pics/videos to HDD with a XMB software for all games!
I want nothing more!
Im sick of waiting for 3.5 years for this features!

Oh yeah! It only does everything!
But nothing for real gamers!

Bye the way, my ps3 cant read discs! Fix that first. My warranty out and why do i pay for 150 dollars to fix this? I dont do anything! It just cant read discs anymore!

[kerrak]

Funny how you mention you want things for real gamers, and make a list with the features you would like to have with nothing being strictly related to gaming: voice message, custom soundtrack, video conference, captures...
lol troll

[nunley33]

Assuming you ever left it lol.If you want to video cam so much,go buy the Sony cam and you'll have a better experience with it than the one you have and you "say" you want to use. Nice 360 trolling there bud ha,now back to the 3 red lights district to ya.

[maverick1191]

i can see this being the odd menu bar for options for members using PSN+ for example

a bar showing who your in a party with during cross chat etc

[sam2236]

Why do we have to pay for cross game chat?! It doesn't make a bit of sense.

[TheMrMadzen]

OMG totally forgot what our current firmware was.
I saw it too at the danish site for PSN+
This is gonna be awesome

LINK: http://dk.playstation.com/p...

[Dellis]

^Its PS+

Anyways I see this as a big fail, mainly because sony didn't have the guts to take away free online play.

What is the point of paying 50 bucks if I can play for free?,
sure perks and what not, but that's not why XBL works and is successful is because you can't play without paying.