From The ComicBookBin.com
Sony Announces Details For PS3 Firmware V 2.40
By Eli Green
Jun 30, 2008 - 8:45:00 PM
Sony
Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced the details of its
upcoming Playstation 3 firmware, version 2.40. The latest update for
the Playstation 3's firmware will upgrade the in-game experience and
the way Playstation 3 users can interact with each other. With the
update the XrossMediaBar (XMB) will be accessible in-game, enabling
Playstation 3 users to utilize other XMB features while playing most
games. After the update, users will also be able to earn Trophies
throu
gh
a new, integrated system that “enables gamers to tout their
accomplishments via profiles, which also allow users to compare their
skills to other members of the community” – this slightly smacks
of Achievements to me.
“
Today’s
Playstation 3 experience has evolved significantly from what we
debuted at launch, and the 2.40 firmware update will drive the PS3
community experience forward at a time when the platform’s momentum
is stronger than ever, with the launches of several recent
blockbuster titles and other exclusive content on the way,” said
Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing and Playstation
Network for SCEA. “We listen closely to our community, and we’re
proud to deliver new features that have been among the most requested
– XMB access in-game and Trophies. These features provide new ways
for the PS3 community to easily connect, communicate and share gaming
experiences with one another in and out of games.”
Playstation
3 Firmware version 2.40 will be available for download this
Wednesday, July 2
nd
.
More information on the new features in version 2.40 can be found
below.
XMB
Access In-Game
XMB
access in-game will enable gamers to interact with friends using
messaging, view their friends’ online status and profiles
(including their Trophy collection), and add new friends they meet
online to their Friends list – all without interrupting the flow of
gameplay. By pushing the PS button on the PS3 controller, the Home
menu takes center stage over a game in progress. Depending on the
game, XMB access will either automatically pause the game or it will
continue to run in the background. With these enhanced communications
features further connecting the Playstation Network community –
which has more than 9.8 million registered accounts worldwide as of
June 2008 – the Friends list capacity has doubled to 100 Friends.
Beyond
utilizing Friends list features, XMB access in-game will allow users
to sign-in to Playstation Network, manage Playstation Store
downloads, quit a game, and access various options within the
Settings category. PS3 users can also quickly end their game and
navigate directly to other PS3 system features simply by selecting to
view content such as photos or videos stored on the system’s hard
drive. XMB access in-game works with most existing PS3 games.
In
addition to these enhanced community features, the 2.40 update lays
the groundwork for gamers to customize their individual gaming
experience by accessing the XMB during a game and selecting music
stored on their PS3 system’s hard drive. Once a music file is
played, users can access a control panel via the XMB that enables
them to pause, stop, or repeat the track; go to a different track; or
shuffle. The 2.40 update provides developers with the tools that will
enable them to offer personalized background music as an option in
their games, and the supporting titles are expected to be announced
in the future.
Additionally,
the firmware 2.40 update includes Google-powered Internet search
functionality on the XMB, allowing users to input search terms and be
directed to a search results page without having to first open the
PS3 Internet browser. PSP system recently added similar Internet
search functionality through a firmware update.
Trophies
Trophies
offer a new and innovative way for gamers to showcase their gaming
accomplishments. PS3 users can earn virtual trophies, which will be
viewable on the XMB’s Game category under a new Trophy Collection
icon, and will also be touted through individual profiles. These
profiles will serve as virtual representations of PS3 users, allowing
them to personalize their identities and display their gaming
accomplishments within the Playstation community. Gamers will be
ranked on a Level-basis depending on the bronze, silver, gold, and
platinum trophies they earn across all games. They will also be able
to see how much progress they have made toward the next Level, as
well as compare their Trophies to friends.
Super
Stardust HD
,
a Playstation Network-exclusive released in June 2007, will be the
first game to leverage the Trophies system and will offer a variety
of trophies*. The following first-party games are also slated to
offer Trophy support:
BUZZ!
Quiz TV
LittleBigPlanet
MotorStorm
Pacific Rift
NBA
09 –
PS3
PAIN*
PixelJunk
Eden
Resistance
2
SOCOM:
U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
Warhawk*
*Requires
a game update to be downloaded and installed.
PS3
users can expect to see additional first and third-party games
bringing Trophy support to their feature sets through 2008 and
beyond, providing even greater opportunity to showcase their
accomplishments and compete with friends. SCEA is actively working
with developers to ensure that Trophies are incorporated into new
titles in the future.
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