Hi again! It’s great to see the positive reaction to the unveiling of system software update v2.40. We can’t wait for you to finally go hands-on with XMB access in-game and the Trophy system – and it’s less than 2 days away. Not surprisingly, a number of you have posed questions both here and on other forums. Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions.
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Will voice-messaging/private chat be featured in 2.40 as well? If not, can we expect to see this feature added in the future?
We are evaluating the opportunity to offer voice chat, but for this update, we wanted to focus on text messaging as the key priority for communications that our users have asked for.
Can you use the web browser in game?
No, you must exit the game before browsing the internet.
Will In-Game XMB come up during playback of PS2 games, Blu-Ray discs, and DVDs?
The XMB is an exclusive feature for PS3 game titles. Accessing the XMB during gameplay was the top request from our users, which we focused on for this update. However, we continually engage PS3 owners for feedback and will evaluate the opportunity to offer XMB access during movie playback in the future.
Can we go to the display settings and change anything there in-game (resolution, input, etc)?
No, you must exit the game before changing these settings.
Will it be possible to change in-game the sound output?
Yes, sound output changes are supported.
Will we be able to access the PLAYSTATION Store while in-game?
No, but you can view your downloads in progress.
Will we be able to stream music (either via media server or USB drive) for custom soundtracks or is it relegated to music stored on the HDD?
Currently only music stored on the HDD is accessible in games that support this feature. We’d also like to reiterate that Firmware v2.40 merely enables custom soundtracks. It’s up to developers to include this feature in upcoming games (or to patch existing ones).
Does 2.4 enable cross game invites? Will it down the line?
No, cross-game invites are not available in this system software update. We are evaluating opportunities to expand on the new features delivered in 2.40.
Will trophies be mandatory for all games release here on out?
We are working with developers to ensure that Trophies are supported across the board in the future.
Where is each player’s trophy stat info held? I am going to upgrade my hard drive and I don’t know if the trophies will still be on my account if I earn some and then get a new hard drive.
Trophies will be attached to users’ PSN ID. Trophy data needs to be synchronized to the online account on PSN to be transferred to the new PS3 system.
Will the patch automatically allocate unlocked trophies according to your saved files or would you have to do it again?
No, Trophies aren’t retroactive.
Can we view PSN profiles/Trophies from a PC using a Web browser? Will there be an API for web developers to access the PSN data, so online profiles can be created?
We’re evaluating these opportunities to expand where Trophies can be experienced.
Can you only compare trophies with friends that are online?
As long as a friend has a PSN account, you can compare trophies with them regardless of their online status.
Is there a limit to how many trophies the devs can put set by Sony?
There’s not a limit on number of trophies, but there’s a value assigned to each trophy. Developers must balance out the trophies that are available to stay within an overall value based on whether the game is considered large-scope or small-scope. Essentially, a user that has unlocked every trophy in one game would have the same level as a user that unlocked every trophy in another title, all titles (depending on scope) have the same overall impact on a users’ level.
Will new games have a cool little icon on the back saying “trophy compatible?”
We’re currently working on how Trophy support will be messaged to the consumer on our software packaging.
When you get a trophy, does it make a noise?
Currently, no.How quickly things can change – there *will* be a sound effect when you unlock a Trophy.
What is Eric’s favorite cheese?
Mozzarella
Once again, we will continue to evaluate opportunities to enhance the PLAYSTATION 3’s system software throughout the console’s life cycle. Consumer feedback has contributed greatly to the contents of Firmware v2.40, and continues to be appreciated. Don’t forget, this Firmware will be available for download on July 2nd.
Another thing I forgot; will there be more features in this firmware than previously talked about which are easily under the radar to the average user? For example, some new support for video codecs or anything like that?
@Jeff Rubenstein reply to 114
So what you are saying is that that earlier version of the 2.4 firmware supported system wide custom soundtracks. So basically you have disenabled it for the actual release of 2.4.
How long did it take for this FW to be made from beginning to end? Just curious..
@ 202, it was an earlier version they were going to release, but MS has a patent on in-game music, so sony cant add it as a full music player, devs can add it if they want
Thanks for the breakdown. That puts things in perspective far better than previous announcements have. (I’m a sucker for a well written FAQ!)
Supporting audio override (so to speak) or custom soundtracks for PS1/2 is something that should be considered for the future. There are some older games with great, engaging game play that have boring soundtracks. It’d be great to mute the music and crank up some tunes without sacrificing all the audio or having to re-rig my stereo system.
If I read that right, XMB access is going to be supported by all PS3 titles?
Also, from the perspective of “hey it’s free marketing”, you guys should really consider the cost/benefit of making trophy data available off the system and online elsewhere. It makes for pretty good word of mouth if people can IM/email/post/etc their most recent gaming accomplishments in an official way.
Cheers, guys!
edit @ 204 or else they get sued
@176
ummm… How is Sony going to lose fans for giving you something that you didn’t have before?
Great FAQ. I think it’s a fair assessment to say that if a query makes it to the FAQ, such as voice messaging/private chat, then it’s definitely a feature people want supported as soon as possible. Thanks for listening to your fans.
A quick question about the trophies system:
Though all of my titles probably won’t support it as of July 2nd, will it still be okay for me to start playing the titles even though the game doesn’t have a patch out for it?
For example, I own Super Stardust HD and from what you’ve stated it will support trophies, but what if I started playing Metal Gear Solid 4 on July 2nd from the beginning also?
Will that count towards my trophy score, even though the game doesn’t have a patch yet? Basically will my game progress be recorded as of July 2nd on any game, or until the game releases a patch?
Thanks for your time guys :)
Oh yeah, thanks for the Q/A. Mozzarella FTW!!!
Jeff I was wondering on July 2nd will it be available July 1st the midnight to july 2nd like what timezone or should we expect it during the afternoon please reply to this thanks
Jeff Rubenstein
I don’t like how not all PS3 games will support ingame custom music, and how it’s up to game devs to patch it for games that don’t support it.
Why couldn’t sony just made it a universal thing where you can play your music while playing any PS3 games.
it’s stupid and sony should fix it in a future firmware update so we can play music while playing any PS3 game, instead of having to depend on game devs to patch it for their games.
Great FAQ guys, thanks for being so communicative with your fans, users and the community.
You have earned a Trophy: Being Awesome
I wish 2.40 came with about 50 ps1 games on the store for me to buy, myself. I was looking into emulation for these games but so badly want them on my ps3 to join Crash 1,2,3, Spyro, Syphon filter 1 & 2, Castilevania, Wild Arms, Warhawk,Jumping flash, medievil and a few others.
As for in game xmb, yeah I knew it wasn’t going to be what we all wanted. I was hoping for settings swap in game, in game music across the board. Stuff like that. What we got is alright, but nothing is going to be patched over night so it is a moot point. Super Star Dust pales in comparison to Novastrike and Everday shooter if you ask me. I don’t really care to play SSD anymore. Pixle junk is cool but in game music on that game only isn’t enough for me to go WOW! I like pixle junk monsters music and jamming to THE WHO, U2, Matthew GOOD BAND or ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN isn’t something I want to do on that game. Now Motorstorm or Resistance, yeah. I can see me jamming to Matthew Goods FALL OF MAN while playing Resistance.
All in all, can’t please everyone. Good try Sony, but there needs to be a better consistancy with these updates, I believe. No sounds while getting trophies? That is trivial stuff, man. We should’ve had a Ding or Ting or ching or something.
Hello Jeff
In reply to no sound when you get a trophy, would it be a good idea to get a few sounds together and let us vote on what the “Trophy Sound” should be…could be interesting, no?
I’ve been waiting for diz update for quite sometime now, but it’s a little light. But u gotta give sony credited because they trying. You already kno Xbox’s online feature is up to par, and sony’s gonna surpass that pretty soon. but if anyone wants to play online or chat with me, im at:
PSN: JIN4Z4
I first like to say Thank you Sony for this Firmware update ….good work …
Now for my Q ……when well we see the patches for the old PS3 games ?. i mean most of us gamers on here dont have the games that work with this new Firmware update ….b/c to me its a good update but seem pointless to people that dont have games that work with it .
@ 212 they cant add a full music player, they would get sued by MS
Guys, why are you moaning about no XMB available when watching a Blu Ray? When I’m watching a film, i like to watch it without having to answer messages or requests to join a game! It would be like mobile phones going off in the cinema! Don’t do it Sony!!!
And for people moaning about having to replay games to unlock trohies…If it makes you play your games again from the start its a good thing…its called value for money!
Thanks Jeff & Eric and everyone at Sony for keeping us in the loop, and providing a great addition to a great piece of Hardware!
@gamesblow
at least now you can text your PSN buddies to complain about how sucky Sony is without having to quit your game…
some1 pass on the flash player update idea for a future update.
@218
Do you have you head on straight?
Well, there were quite a few ‘cookie-cutter answers’ in there, but I appreciate how straight-forward you guys were about it.
A little bummed that XMB isn’t available during PS2 games, but maybe in a future update that will be changed. :D Also a little bit of a downer that in-game music can’t be handled regardless of title, but it’s actually quite ingenious in execution, taking out any chance of the XMB stealing memory that the game would need by having the developers figure out if it’s feasible. Bravo. :D
Another question..
Is there some incentive to trophies?
You know.. like OTHER than bragging rights?
Maybe discounts on DLC for the game you got Platinum on?
When will we be able to upload a custom picture for our PSN profile? Plus will our trophies be viewable on the EU PS forums after the update it got a while ago? I heard that it going to happen.
I think it’s kind of bunk that we had in game music on the earlier firmware 2.4 but now they took it away again. What the hell does that mean? Why would they do this? Waiting for developers to patch anything is like waiting for your matenince man to fix your garbage disposal or like not stepping in P*$$ in a mcdonalds bathroom.
Won’t happen.
@195.
Yeah because it is much better to have cheaters with 100% in all games :rolleyes:
LET PRIVATE CHAT BE IN 2.41!!!!!
ALSO PLEEEEEEEASE ADD PS MESSENGER AND RECORD GAMEPLAY SO FRIENDS CAN STREAM!!!!!
evilman279 I don’t believe that, it’s just sony being lazy and half-assing as usual.
@222 im not playing, im really serious, MS copyrighted in-game music. you can find articles online about MS restricting sony on in-game music. thats why sony leaves it up to devs
suggestions for future firmwares:
XMB access for all play functions (BRD’s PS1/2 games)
Display whats doing under the user names for everything (Watching Movie, Playing PS1/2 game etc etc)
some sort of sound to let you know of my messages recieved (sometimes i’m not facing my ps3 but rather watching my pc, sucks leaving your peeps hanging while you check your email)
tying all game saves to your psn account, no saved game shares. “you bought it, you finish it” policy :)
an option to change the viewable area of your ps3 as displayed on screen (some games have it, some don’t. those that don’t have cut off areas on my tele including xmb)
copy/delete/edit all functions for video/audio files and saved games
as for 2.40, thank you. it will suck for those of us that have already fully completed games we currently own that must be trophy patched to have to redo the entire game again. games like Burnout and MGS4 and GTA4 are just to time consuming to completely redo just for trophies. sure it’s optional, but so was going with a ps3 instead of the other guys. we made our choice and stuck by it through thick and thin. with delay after delay and cancelation after cancelation. hoping to oneday have the system that was promised from the start. you’re on the way, don’t curmuddgoen users further.
i also agreed with the sound thing for when a trophy is unlock.but other then that and flash player not being update it all good.
@ THINGG
I don’t have anyone on my PSN list that I don’t know personally, man. I have like 33 friends and I know them all in real life or thru social networking for WGA. I’ll call them if I want to talk to them.
Well seen as the cant make it system wide from a firmware perspective cant they make it mandatory for devs to include it??????
talking about music
Can I switch users without the system quitting the game entirely? Like so me and my roommate can easily go back and forth playing rounds of PJ Monsters or Motorstorm without it taking a minute to change users and restart the game.
evilman279 you keep telling yourself that.
“Will the patch automatically allocate unlocked trophies according to your saved files or would you have to do it again?
No, Trophies aren’t retroactive.”
1)Can a patch ever be capable of retroactivity? (Or is it truly out of the question?)
2)I own but I have yet to play MGS4, should I wait until a patch gets released to play MGS4? (Cuz really, what would be the point of starting it if I’m going to have to start it all over again for trophies(in what could possibly be 1-11 months from now))
3)What if a game I currently own won’t ever support trophies? (Like in the scenario I just mentioned, What if MGS4 won’t ever support trophies?, I might as well start it now then)
4)How will we know when our games have become trophy ready? (Will we have to constantly pop in games to check or simply constantly check dev websites)
Please don’t get me wrong I’m truly grateful for the advancements the PS3 will make with 2.4, but having to start ALL my games over is angering and saddening. So once again I ask…
Can a patch ever be capable of retroactivity? (Or is it truly out of the question?)
@THINGG
But even still it isn’t with Gamesblow as a screen name cause that screen name was taken by the other games blow unfortunately. I might actually have other frineds met off line because I am widly famous ya know.
Excellent job! We’re getting there!
Any idea on the ability to use the web browser in game for future updates?
It will be great to be able to play a game and whenever you get stuck be able to take a quick look at an online guide.
Leveling your gamer-card. That reminds me of Monster Hunter Freedom. :) Anyone catching my drift?
@ 229, DUDE ITS NOT A LIE, sony is not lazy, dont blame them. its microsoft, they copyrighted in-game music, thats why sony couldnt do full integration, they already had ahard time giving us in-game xmb. ps3 had in-game xmb before the ps3 launched, but MS had a patent, so they removed it, now sony found a way around their patent for in game xmb. sony is not lazy on this, trust me. if they were lazy we wouldnt have that eric guy filing a video at 3 in the morning just for us
We all kind of knew Sony wasn’t going to give us in game music, though. Didn’t we? I mean, Burnoout just got patched with their own custom player as did Pain.
It’s like putting good work into bad for these dev’s to do that and then have Sony turn around and blow smoke up their A$$. Don’t you think?
I just can’t wrap my head around the fact Eric showed it off and then they took it out. What the hell is thaT? why is thaT?
@TheChosenOne1
Do a quick search on Google Patents or something like that. You’ll find out that MS has indeed patented it.
Too bad you can’t post links in this blog.
@227 Actually Carl people will still be able to cheat :rolleyes: all they haveto do is download a game save off Game faqs that’s 98% completed and once they beat the game, they’ll get a trophy message popup and wallah you’ve just recieved a trophy for that game.
MS patented in-game music, riiiiiiiiight.
ROFL @ patenting in-game music, that’s the funniest thing I heard.
I really hope the XMB will be available in DVD’s and Blu Rays soon, cause as of now when you start a BD or DVD it logs you off the PSN and all downloads stop. It would be nice at some point to be able to still message friends and keep downloads going as we are watching movies.
im not lying here you go so all of you can stop saying im a liar tinyurl.com/3e4k9d
Reading the last few pages, it is like some people didn’t even read the FAQ, or watch the walkthrough videos! Or asking silly questions like will 2.4 come to PSP… If it took this long for such a powerful system to get this feature, what in the hell would make one think that tiny hand held would ever be capable of such a thing? Come on guys common sense.
Honestly though, I would REALLY just like to see all PSN deleted. Yes, I said it. Just swipe everything, everyone, etc. Get your servers ready, and we all just register all over again, re-play all of our games (with all of them ready for later trophy support), play our online games all over again, and so on.
Wouldn’t it be great! :P I am serious btw… OK maybe just all of our online stats then.
Man, gotta be honest, but this update is MASSIVELY underwhelming considering the amount of time that people have been requesting certain features.
It makes me wonder if the PS3 is a significantly crippled piece of hardware if it can’t support the simultaneous playing of sound files or video chat or internet browsing or voice chat while playing games.
The FAQ makes it seem that you’re still just “considering” how to implement stuff that you should have been “considering” 12 months ago.
Is the PS3 even capable of these features? If not, be bloody honest with your customer base. Don’t string us along for another year and then deliver a fifth of what we asked for and expect us to be thrilled.