PSN Director Talks Firmware Roadmap, Cross-Game Voice Chat

PlayStation LifeStyle writes:

Over the years many firmware updates have come and gone. Some significant, some not so much. Have you ever wondered how Sony plans the release of any new features included with each firmware update? Eric Lempel explains how…

[DoucheVader]

This is really long over due.

[Sev]

I used to feel like it'd eventually come and gamers should just be patient. But I agree it's way overdue now. I can't blame PS3 gamers for complaining.

[Bnet343]

Yeah, we need it now.

[Rockstar]

I wonder if we're ever going to see universal custom soundtracks.

I know a few people have been saying we don't need them because it takes away from the original score of the game and for the most part I agree. But on multiplayer, sports, racing games etc. etc. it would be nice to have the choice.

I know developers can utilize the custom soundtrack feature when they create games on the PS3 but a lot of them don't for whatever reason.

Give me X-game chat and universal custom soundtracks and I'm set.

[nbsmatambo]

finally, 1 less reason 2 pay $50 for xbl

[Noctis Aftermath]

i personally would rather have the option to play music off my HDD while in game, but this feature is good too.

[deadreckoning666]

Does anyone thk that Sony is just following M$'s lead on this one? I doubt Sony would care about Facebook or cross game chat if the 360 didn't have it first.

Edit: 2 disagrees in less than a minute and all I did was state the obvious. I find it funny that no one sees how Sony's announcement of FB integration is right on the heels of M$'s FB and twiiter launch. Thk about it, the first most asked for thg on the PS3 was CUSTOM SOUNDTRACKS and Sony still hasn't delivered. Why is Sony giving us a feature that the majority of PSN users don't care about?

Sad how fanboys are just blinded, oh well, if only logic and reason existed on N4G...

Edit: Thanks Rigmaster! Fanboys are the most irrational animals ive ever come across. People are welcoming a feature that is ALREADY on the PS3, but there fine with the fact that thgs we do ask for like: CUSTOM SOUNDTRACKS,PARTY SYSTEM, BETTER BROWSER SUPPORT still aren't available. Good job fanboys!

[cLiCK_sLiCK9]

Im going to say X-chat is definitely an important, yet useless, feature PSN needs. I for one dont see myself using this feature quite often. But you guys are forgetting the point to this. Many 360 fans (to some extent so do Microsoft)use this excuse to justify their 50 dollars spent each year for what PSN has to offer for free.

So basically, adding this feature eliminates their whole point in the argument. After adding this, they have nothing to brag about. Then we can say Sony surpassed them in many areas, if not all.

[DatNJDom81]

I would rather have the option of playing music from my HDD on all my games whether Im online or not. The only game that I know of that I can do that is SF4, but only offline. I personally dont give a flying f**k about x game chat, but realize alot of gamers want that. Hope Sony does get it eventually, but in the meantime I'll enjoy all these great games PS3 has.

[YLOD Service Tech]

Same old robotic interviews. All we get is static answers I've heard back in 2007.

[Time_Is_On_My_Side]

You can already talk to people using chat rooms - text only - with multiple users, basically that's cross game chat just that it isn't a voice that's dubbed over other voices? lol.

To: Noctis Aftermath

That feature is there - from my understanding - just that Sony allows developers to implement it like the uploading youtube videos directly from the game to the website.

[beardpapa]

Well you can put that both ways. Why did MS decide to put HDMI onto the 360 after saying component was fine? Why introduce netflix, streaming, and 1080p when they originally said the 360 was a gaming machine and implied the PS3 had no identity?

I don't usually sound vulgar here, but to put it bluntly... why let MS have their own way and not allow Sony the same privilege? If you f#ck someone in the ass for being a douche bag, expect to get f#cked back in the ass as a repercussion. That goes both ways. So yea, Sony's probably putting these features in as a big F U.

I don't think Sony ever had any plans for Twitter/Facebook/Netflix/etc integration since they had the browser all along. But to be a media center/gaming console, then being put down as a substandard media center device by a competitor's console whose original purpose was video games, let alone later claiming 1080p instant streaming when it really isn't nor is it anywhere blu-ray quality, you gotta be ignorant to not see Sony become very pissed off about that and more naive to believe Sony wouldn't do anything about it.

Look at Microsoft. Apple made those crazy accusations with their Switch commercials. Absurd and obnoxious, but look at how Microsoft immediately retaliated. Shouldn't Sony have the right to fight back and copy if they have to in order to stay competitive? Microsoft copies too [and a bunch at that] and when they do the majority claims it innovation, but why can't Sony copy back and get away with it?

[Isaac]

OK, Sony integrated capabilities to upload videos to youtube a LONG TIME AGO. Twitter integration came with Uncharted, that was known long ago too. Also, you can do it with the web browser. Microsoft did it because they have no other choice. Sony did it just to keep Microsoft at bay. What did you say when Microsoft released HD-DVD anyway? What would you say if they were to support Blu-ray? Hulu?

Microsoft did most of what they did because the PS3 was already capable; they simply tried to 1up Sony and they couldn't. That's why they reached an agreement with Netflix, because they knew that would be the only way to have something against Blu-ray without going for Blu-ray. I don't think Sony gave a f-ck about it nor it does now, Netflix simply realized that PS3 owners are a much better market than 360 owners for their services for the following reasons:

1. PS3 owners don't need to connect to a PC
2. PS3 owners don't need to pay a fee on top off their Netflix fee
3. PS3 is used for games and movies, not just for Halos
4. PS3 is reliable

Netflix basically came to them. Anyway, Sony is simply keeping Microsoft at bay in the features department, call us when Xbox 360 has a web browser, Home, Reliability, Blu-ray playback, Flash 10, Hulu and Youtube support.

[jut420]

I hope cross-game chat never comes to PS3. I mean I think it is a great feature, don't get me wrong, I think it's awesome. But, I think it's awesome for me, because I don't use the feature in the wrong way (cheating!!!). Games like Socom don't need that kind of stuff going on. I mean it's bad enough that people message eachother now a days in Socom (I see/hear it happen in at least 1 round in every 10 games, which is not a lot but cross-game chat will only worsen the occurances). My own friends cheat on XBL and all I can do is shake my head, and he says well dude I'm not chancing loosing when we have a better shot to win. And all I can think is man, whatever happened to sportsmanship. Anyways, I just hope that you can use cross-game chat, unless you are playing the same game, in which case you can have your own chat, but dead players should never be able to communicate with players still alive. That is all I ask for with cross-game chat. Implement it so that people can't cheat with the feature.

[sikbeta]

The XGc thing is more like everyone want it because xbox owners have it, if they didn't had it nobody will want the feature

Just wait, some day it'll come out and if doesn't come out is not like nobody can't enjoy gaming without this feature

[Shadow Flare]

I couldn't care less about cross game chat. I don't even like using the headset, unless im talking to people I know in real life. Im alot more interested in sony making custom music across all games available

[Sheikh Yerbouti]

Stop giving Microsoft credit for Netflix being on gaming consoles. It is on PC's, media centers, Blu-ray players, DVRs and standalone Netflix boxes. Of course it is coming to gaming consoles...all of them.

Wake me when it is on my PSP or iPhone.

[FrankDrebin]

To Whom it may concern,

Since the launch of the PS3 entertainment system, you have had the chance and opportunity to release the features and functions (via firmware) that your gaming clients have asked for. Years have passed and many core features and functionality are still missing.

If you will, please listen to your clients, give us what we ask for and stop giving us what we don't ask for (photo crap galleries, useless weather and news apps).

Thank you.

Luke

[Mr Logic]

Let's look at this logically. In-Game XMB came after approximately 1.5 years. So the next major feature (XGC) should come after another 1.5 years, which will be 3 years after the PS3's launch. That would be November 17, but since FW updates usually come on Tuesdays or Thursdays. It would make sense that the rumor said a firmware was coming on the 19th.

I will laugh my [email protected] off if the next firmware is FW 3.05 and adds Polish language.

[PopEmUp]

I rather listen to my trance music than cross game chat, but whatever the add is still good

[uie4rhig]

look, you gotta admit x-chat is loooooooooooong overdue, it should have come with the "x-music" which like 1% of the games support the feature (note the exaggeration).. and x-music was implemented nicely but executed poorly, why is it still not mandatory for devs to integrate this feature in order to get the game approved?

however, anyone saying that sony is a c0ck for following MS on features.. what do you exactly expect? its a fight between the two companies.. how do you fight a match between products? by introducing the same features (sometimes with an advantage).. if you were wondering, yes microsoft also does this.. quit complaining, its called strategy.. this is daily life for companies.. MS releases facebook integration for $50 a year, what does Sony do? integrate facebook for free.. Sony says HD isn't HD without a HDMI cable so sony puts HDMI port as mandatory, what does MS do? they make HDMI mandatory AND add free HDMI cable (eventho they removed the HDMI cable later)..
but yeh sony, give us x-chat and make x-music mandatory and you got a free version of Xbox Live, which means that you will shut up more fanboys (yes both ps3 and 360 fanboys)..

[Nemo88]

People complaining really need to get a clue.

Why are Sony giving us these features like facebook quicker than x game chat??

Maybe because they are easier to implement???

If you had a checklist of things to do, 20 of them small and done in a sec, 2 massive ones that take longer.. And yo'u've got competition who have these 2 big features and are adding the small ones all the time and publicising them-- what would you do??

Set aside a small team to handle the easy (and HIGH PROFILE e.g. Netflix and Facebook, which lets face it have much wider appeal to casual consumers than x game chat, which is for the hardcore), while the other team work studiously on the more tech features... so you dont llok like your massively behind. Is that so hard to understand??

And has been said billions of times over, MS probably patented the easy way to do it.. being OS specialists and all. And having had the plan to have this integrated system from the beginning. While Sony is having to patch things up and probably having to re-write large chunks of their OS, hire new people etc. All while doing this free as they committed to from the start, having people moaning about their lack of COSTLY advertising, flagging divisions in other areas i.e. TV's phones, meaning they cant easily go to the board to ask for more investment especially in this downturn...Wake up.

Better yet-- Think the whiners should just sell their ps3, get a 360 then they wont have something to moan about??? Let those who love it enjoy without having to hear this rubbish after every single update or quote.

Simple.

[ico92]

ok im gonna sound fanboyish here, but honestly im not that bothered about cross game chat its a great feature and all but it doesnt render online games un-playable you don't really need it , i only want it so the 360 fanboys can stop braging about XBL and how its worth it because really XBL is all they have and all they have isnt that much better than the free online service on the ps3 so is that $50 a year really worth it?

i mean i have a bluetooth headset and all but i don't even use it what am i gonna say when im playing a game online "AWESOME" "PWNED" "I FRAGGED YOU'RE A$$" "WHAT A SHOT""YOU GOT BEAT DOWN BIACH", "THATS HOW WE DO THINGS IN BED-STUY" i dunno about you guys but thats all i hear when im playing an online game.

[joemayo76]

x-game chat can wait Sony needs to work on multi psn login as a standard FIRST

[Maddens Raiders]

but honestly, I really love my 500GB slim the way it is right now ::hugs slim:: :)

on a side note:

"We absolutely read all the feedback that we see on our blog when we do firmware updates. We have people who look across different forums and different sites."

--- ya hear that..? he's talking about us too!

[Lifewish]

Cross game chat sure would be nice

[MainEv3nt 69]

hopefully it comes with that supposed update coming next week

[Noob]

Besides the forums on PlayStation.com, I wonder where else they look...

[Close_Second]

...cross game chat however, I appreciate why some may want it.

I would love to see a feature where you could copy media files (i.e. music, divx files) from the PS3 to PSP over the wireless or blutooth connection.

[El_Colombiano]

That would be incredibly slow. Plus, if your no more than 30 feet away, just USB it!

[UltimateIdiot911]

Don't really care about Cross chat, I just want mkv.

[PopEmUp]

mkv is a must

[BumBaclaut125]

Sev you havnt heard anything about that update that might come next week? or when XGC will come?

[Raoh]

eehh

i'm one of those ps3 gamers that is not excited over this..

the only excitement when it comes will be from it finally being a dead topic..

cross game invite? yes please

better flash support for the browser? yes please

faster xmb? yes please

xmb support during blu ray movie watching? yes please

working with more websites to deliver better ps3 browser support? yes please

Qore managed via blu ray remote? yes please

better method to download qore? yes please

cross game chat? not so much a high demand for me. with in game invites to a game that has in game chat, there really isnt a need to me for cross game chat.. and if its an online game.. please dont talk to someone else other than your team mates..

[HDgamer]

The 360 fanboys care more about cross game chat than the ps3 gamers. The ps3 fanboys want it to spite the 360 fanboys lol.

[ReBurn]

^^ Not even. Every single firmware thread is full of people whining about cross-game chat and Live users rubbing it in. But there are many more people whining about not having it. I don't even understand why it's that important.

[HolyOrangeCows]

Stuff I can do with my cell phone....worth $50 a year/$20 per 3 months to do exclusively on my console?

LOL

[PeptoBismol]

.

[chrisulloa]

My cell phone doesn't do multiplayer. Oh well.

[wxer]

@1.2
oh wow
for real ??
i can play MP games on my cell phone via bluetooth
i think your phone is so old it even looks like a brick
lol
i think you are used to those old tech stuff
thats why you got an xbox

[Aquarius]

chris got owned.

[Xlll]

poor chris cant handle any tech newer then 2001.

[HolyOrangeCows]

I meant the one feature that LIVE has over PSN (X-chat/party), I can do with almost any cell phone from this century. Multiplayer is free on any PS3, PC, Wii, etc, I don't need a broken device for THAT.

You knew what I meant, and the truth hurts your fanboy feelings.

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

I'm really dying for cross-game voice chat. It's like...killing me.

None of my friends have any idea what Skype is...let alone cell phones. Man...I HATE IT!!!

/facepalm to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!!!

[Digitaldude]

I dont really care about cross chat.
It would be nice but id rather a better feature.

[Odin777]

Cross game chat does not interest me. I don't use it on my 360 why would I use it on my PS3? I guess gamers are too lonely nowadays.

[ape007]

4 playing mw2,someone play halo odst,the other plays forza 3,it's a great experience for sure

[CernaML]

I once played Uncharted on my PS3 while talking to a friend in Party chat on my friend's 360. It was... interesting. Surprised I didn't blow a fuse, hah.

[PopEmUp]

why the hell are you talking to the person who playing the y game while you're playing the x game? and I don't see that a great experience it like the other way around, which it ruined the experience instead lol

[Sophos]

Cross game chat might be nice. I just hope Sony will allow devs to enable or disable it though, (i.e. allow some servers to have cross game chat enabled as well as have some servers that don't have cross game chat enabled). It seems like it would be very unbalancing for certain types of games.

[hatchimatchi]

the psn will eventually have cross game chat but the ps3 won't have custom soundtracks because microsoft owns the patent to it.

[Nemo88]

Patents are less about an idea as in how you execute them. In-game soundtracks is not a new idea.
So MS MAY have one method done, but there's nothing to stop Sony from doing it in other way... will just take time and resources.

[redsquad]

Not a service I'd ever use - The only reason I want 'cross game voice chat' is so that people STOP GOING ON ABOUT IT!!!;)

[ReBurn]

No kidding.

[silverbeld]

“I think it’s incredibly popular. We know users want it, and like lots of other things that work cross-games, technically, it’s complicated. But it’s definitely something we’re looking at.”

I don't think its complicated like that, but they just want to let us wait. C'mon they making more complicated firmware and the video chat is more complicated then voice chat.

[ReBurn]

What makes you think it isn't complicated to implement? If it were simple you probably would have seen it a long time ago.

[Arsenal4Ever]

People say they want it but I bet they're the main culprits who never even use mics during a game.

And to the guy about MKV. Just DL an MKV converter, so simple.

[UltimateIdiot911]

It's annoying using converter, I've done it before but it's a lot more nicer and more useful than cross game chat to me. I much prefer subs that I can turn on and off also.

[Dorwrath]

I hope they do something about streaming movies. Sorry Netflix on the PS3 sucks. I put the Netflix disk in with high hopes of watching movies with my Netflix account and can never finish a 30 minute show without it exiting out and me having to resume.

I don't have issues when I watch Netflix through my PC or 360 so why is the PS3 version so awful.

[ReBurn]

That's weird. I've been watching Netflix streaming on PS3 like crazy and I've yet to see a skip or a hiccup.

[Redempteur]

"We’ve had a very had a very long roadmap that we’ve wanted to roll out"

i'm sorry WHAT ???

[sam2236]

"We go about doing that in a few different ways. We do consumer research..."

Stopped reading there. He's full of crap. We'd have PS2 BC and cross game chat already if Sony had done their "research" properly.

I don't remember anyone asking for those useless dynamic themes, that sparkly background, the grey boxes on the friends list and having the PS Store icon everywhere. Do you?

[divideby0]

I have x chat on Live, which obviously I pay for and I rarely use it...

[ajselectronichelprs]

This is a feature ps3 needs as well as the other features being added but this feature really brings the community together believe me I have it on my 360. PLEASE SONY GET THIS FEATURE OUT!
Heres a list of features i want in order Cross Game Chat, play music off my HDD in any game, xmb wile watching netflix/blurays, do something with those dumb cement blocks on the friends list get rid of them or put pictures for the game the persons playing,vidzone in america that would make my ps3 100% complete but the first two would make for 75% of my feature wants

[liquidus118]

So they're "Looking at" Cross game chat?
So they probably aren't even close to giving it to us.
I just hope whoever at ND said we're getting it next FW was right...
Taking this long for a basic feature is - in my opinion; pretty darn pathetic. Technical issue's or otherwise.

[Dellis]

He called it Complicated, so it won't happen

[KRonicBong]

I've been reading the article and reading the post from people and still don't have an idea what this "cross game voice chat" really is?

[HypnoticMonkey]

It's a feature that allows you to have a voice chat session with one of your friends while playing different games.

People are actually screaming for this feature now and I can understand why, it's not something I would personally use but I really hope they add it in.

[KRonicBong]

All i know is I'm excited for Netflix. I already started my free trial and still waiting on my PS3 Netflix disc.

[gareno]

all i want is cross game chat and i'll be a happy gamer!