New Feature + Webby Honors for PlayStation.Blog

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Day in, day out we come into work, and it’s heads down trying to crank out a post or two about something new to the world of PlayStation. We know we’re doing a decent job when we pull in a couple hundred comments, or when that post rating inches close to 5.00. But it’s nice to hear it from the outside – which is what happened today. This here PlayStation.Blog is an official Webby Honoree in the Games-related category.

“Of the more than 8000 entries submitted to the 12th Annual Webby Awards, fewer than 15% were distinguished as an Official Honoree.”

So the way I see it, that’s an 85 or so – a solid B. Not bad for a blog that’s less than a year old (other Honorees include Destructoid, GameSpot, GameDaily, GamesRadar), but certainly there’s room for improvement. Next year, it’d be great to see PlayStation.Blog in the more prestigious Nominees group (best of luck to this year’s noms: Wired Game|Life, Gamasutra and Zero Punctuation‘s home, The Escapist).

So how can we make that happen? By serving you, the readers, better. In the past months, we’ve introduced a number of new features to make this site more useful: in-line commenting, faster loading, post tagging, and the aforementioned post ratings. I’d also like to officially introduce another new feature today: tag feeds. Here’s how it works:

See the tags at the bottom of this post (“awards, psb”)? They can be used to find all the posts this blog has ever put out there on specific topics – pretty standard in the blogosphere. But here’s something that isn’t: you can now subscribe to any of these tags. So say you only want to be notified when new Resistance info is posted. Just click on the Resistance tag, and all the Resistance-related posts will show up.

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Now go up to the address bar, and just add the word “feed” at the end. You’ll be given the ability to then add a Resistance feed to your RSS reader (I use Google’s reader, but they all pretty much do the same thing). Now any time we post something with the Resistance tag, it’ll show up there.

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This works with any tag on our site: Gran Turismo 5, THE EYE OF JUDGMENT, Firmware Updates, anything. Perfect for finding those title/topic-specific posts when your RSS fills up with hundreds (or thousands) of posts per day.

We’ve got some other nice features on the way in 2008. What would you like to see implemented?

Comments are closed.

94 Comments

6 Author Replies

  • @jeff

    What will be a wow is that we can link or PSN id here in the blog and I know you want that too. This blog is getting better and better and with the communication of you guys even better.

    @rojo7

    Yeah sometimes I use the PS3 browser to check the this blog but without the most recent flash support I can’t watch the videos so I use the PS3 browser more to watch Youtube videos and when I don’t want to go to my computer to check something on the web.

    • The idea of a \’single sign on\’ is totally on our radar. It\’s just a monumental task, so stay tuned for updates.

  • @Jeff

    What is Sonys official stance on people downloading Home via a XML exploit and trying to access the servers? Instructions to do this is spreading over gaming sites like wildfire. Is Sony taking steps to stop this?

    People are being lead to believe if they download Home in this manner they will have a ‘head start’ once the service goes live.

    Thanks in advance for your reply.

  • I use Firefox…No PROBS..works great with all things Sony…You ROCK@!!

  • @Jeff Rubenstein

    Yes there are other browsers.

    Netfront: Slow, prehistoric, clunky.
    Opera: Fast, feature packed, secure, and comes on the Wii.

    If only PS3 had Opera. I would be in Heaven. Opera is everything Firefox wants to be.

    • I didn\’t mean to start a browser flame war. I use Firefox 90% of the time (100% of the time on my Vaio), and occasionally press Safari into service on my Mac with good results. But that\’s just me. Use whatever works best for you!

  • just tell your colleges at the PS3 browser Dev Team to make it Flash compatible, please :)

  • @ Jeff

    Great post. Updating the blog is always appreciated. This is my new account name, but I’ve been following the PlayStation.Blog site since the week it launched. Great information and always great additional features. As you have already stated, you blog team is hard at work on new ideas with the hope of eventually implimenting them. I can’t wait to see those ideas go live. Until then, keep it up! :) It is wierd…

  • PlayStation.Blog space in Home.
    Live camera feed (photo updated every 10sec) from the location.

  • A browser . . . flame war. Ladies and Gentlemen (pun fully intended), now I’ve heard everything.

  • Yeah FireFox ftw!

    It would be cool if there were some way to link our PSN accounts with our blog accounts. Or even with our PLAYSTATION.com accounts.

  • “It would be cool if there were some way to link our PSN accounts with our blog accounts. Or even with our PLAYSTATION.com accounts.”

    *chuckles* Yeah, that would be nice, wouldn’t it? If only something like this was to happen……

  • linking this site to the PSN would be cool. maybe show people their trophies once home comes out. (or accomplishments if they are real)

    wouldn’t like it to link to playstation.com though because i don’t like my username there but cant change it damn it lol.

  • Jeff Rubenstein replied on April 9, 2008 at 12:29 am
    Jeff Rubenstein

    I didn’t mean to start a browser flame war. I use Firefox 90% of the time (100% of the time on my Vaio), and occasionally press Safari into service on my Mac with good results. But that’s just me. Use whatever works best for you!
    ___________________________________________

    The only reason i even have IE7 on my computer is updates if i could use browser update check with Mozilla i would remove IE7 from my computer. IE7 just uses too much memory,loads to slow and has too many issues. I have used Mozilla since i got my 1st computer in Feb. 2004 it’s just so much better to me.

  • “wouldn’t like it to link to playstation.com though because i don’t like my username there but cant change it damn it lol.”

    Well hopefully the forums will get ‘PSNed’ which will mean we will have the same account for the forums, PS3 and blog!

  • My suggestion would to make the blog more International.

    What i mean by that is drag some people kicking and screaming from sony Europe etc on here.

    Oh also a google desktop widget would be nice i notice you have it for mac and yahoo already.

  • And being able to edit posts perhaps only for 5 mins or something would be nice.

    There was something else but its completely gone out of my mind again

  • @Jeff

    Any idea when we can expect some more info on why some stores are not placing the Dual Shock 3 up for sale, and others are? They can’t all have that few of them in stock right?

    Some GameStop stores lack any knowlage of the release of a new controller or the fact that the Metal Gear Solid bundle was announced so they tell people the fallowing:

    The 80GB PS3 was discontinued and will not be back.

    There is no such thing as the Dual Shock 3 for the PS3 system.

    We need these stores to stop giving false info to people and tell the truth. My local Best Buy tried the same crap with me a few weeks ago. But my local GameStop has confirmed they are selling them, and that they have over 1500 in stock at the moment.

    So what is the deal? Are some stores trying to clear their stock? Or is it an attempt to steer PS3 owners away from the system and instead sell us the “hot” systems like the Xbox360, and Nintendo Wii?

  • I’d like an “Ignore” button so I could filter out comments from users I didn’t want to read.

    It gets tiresome reading through comments on thinks like firmware updates when the same user ends up complaining 20 times about why this update doesn’t have in-game XMB or whatever their current gripe is.

  • *offtopic*
    Dear Sony, the email contact form is not working!!! There is a javascript error (with IE7.0 or Mozilla Firefox 2.0)

  • Hi Jeff thanks for the update about the blog. It’s really coming along nicely!

    I do have one question though. A few months ago you asked for opinions/suggestions about a Official Playstation Podcast. I was wondering whatever became of that?

    Thanks Jeff! :)

    • What we figured out is – if we\’re going to do it, we\’re going to do it right. Idea *not* abandoned, it\’ll just take some time.

  • @Jeff: Has anyone in SCEA considered or would consider partnering with Mozilla (firefox) or Opera to enhance the PS3’s browser?

  • Just thought of something. I know this is probably hard but allow us to DL the videos right off of the blog site onto our PS3s.

    People hear have great suggestions. Jeff, thanks for reading all our posts

  • I too would welcome any PS3 update that made the web browser like what the Wii has. Opera or FireFox I could care less about which it is. I just want to be able to check out sites like IGN.com, GameSpot, and this site from my PS3 and post things with my USB keyboard as well as be able to watch You Tube videos, and of course have free access to insider info I can only get on my PS3 on this site.

  • Jeff: Any news on sony promoting a PS3/GTAIV bundle here in the US? There are still a mass amount of people who have no idea that it will be available on the 360.

  • I’ve always thought it would be cool to have a Playstation.Blog icon in the PS3 XMB, and maybe when theres a new post a little envelope shows up next to it or something, then goes away when you check it.

  • http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/2871.html

    I figured this was worthy of a story. Keep it up, Sony bloggers!

    P.S. We gots our Crisis Core review up, too. ;)

  • @Jeff

    I’m trying this again. I ask this question just about every time I see a post from you (since you seem to be the only person at SCEA who actually replies to reader queries – thank you for that) and I’m still hoping for a reply. I would like my PS3 to recognize my Mac-formatted iPod. I would also like to create PS3 themes with my Mac. What about a Playstation Store for Mac? Any chance of that happening?

    I know you’re a Mac user (you mentioned it in this very post!), so I’m counting on you, Jeff!

    I’ll say this again: My desire to NOT use Microsoft products should not work against me with my PS3!

  • can you make a 1080 support tag
    thanks

  • nice work

  • @ #78
    get a life

    Nice job with the blog guys. You guys deserve more than that credit, but its still cool you got what you did. Keep up the good work.

    Also, FF is open source right? could you just grab the code and rewrite it and put it on the PS3? That would be really cool. (c’mon guys, everyone knows opera and safari can’t touch FF. ;-) )

  • Jeff (Playstation.Blog) – congratulations on the recognition!

    You haven’t replied to anyone since post 55, so I hope your still reading :-)

    My Gravatar Avatar doesn’t work because when I registered on the Blog I used capital letters in my email address. Aside from re-registering, is there any way you can correct this? I know it may seem trivial, but I am Thwip on PSN and numerous other websites as well.

    Please reply :-)

  • dear lord, your job is to come into work and upload 2 posts in a workday of about 8 hours?

    i bet the tabblefootball (futsall) gets used alot.

    where can i send my resumé :D

  • thatsmartguywiththefro

    Jeigh’s ideas (@36) cover just about everything I would want, but I want to add that all feedback is greatly appreciated.

    Furthermore, I’d like to see more consistency with the replies and maybe more staff on hand per post, since some members (notably Noel Silva) have done a great job of responding, while others only get in a few responses if any.

    It’s always nice to know that someone in charge is listening especially when a great idea, question, or suggestion comes to somebody.

    (P.S. While Firefox is awsome, I personally think Safari looks a whole lot better and is faster) :)

  • So, can ThreeSpeech do as well as this?
    No.

    Can Europe please get some kind of attention then?

  • Congrats Jeff! PS blog is dominate like a young Brian Dawkins.

  • Thanks Jeff! Would it be possible to run a mobile version of the blog so I can read this on my PSP as well? If this already exists, what’s the URL?

  • can any1 tell me what is jeff job at sony i think he a p.r. guy am i right i dont keep track of every1 job so if u did say it sorry i may have miss it!

  • jeff what is ur job if this a double sorry mines first one didnt go in when i type this one.

  • I am enjoying that our comments are being heard and respected as well. RIGHT ON GUYS!!!!

  • Thanks for the reply Jeff! Can’t wait for the Official Playstation Podcast whenever it launches :)

  • Once again: The email contact form is not working! I wanna write you an email please!

  • The European version of SEGA’s Armored Core 4 for the PS3 doesn’t allow to play online. It refuses to download updated game rules from the servers and so online playing just doesn’t work.
    SEGA doesn’t care about providing a patch and they are going to release a new Armored Core game instead, showing no respect towards customers who purchased the product.
    Could Sony do anything to oblige SEGA to respect PS3 customers and release a patch that could be installed like any other patch for PS3 games?

  • @ChrispyCritter

    Ever heard of IE Tab? It makes it possible to view non-Firefox allowed pages with Firefox:

    https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419

    I find it quite handy ;)

  • thatsmartguywiththefro

    Is it possible that every once in a while (say, a month) we get a blog post about how a few major projects are going?

    I haven’t heard anything official on LittleBigPlanet, PlayStation Home, or the PlayStation Eye Technology underway, and was wondering how these and other developments were proceding.

    Even if all the information talked about in the post is estimates, possibilities, and generally murky, it’s still nice to know that we will be getting all of these AWSOME things on our PlayStation 3’s in the near future.

    As always, your feedback is welcome. Thanks in advance.

  • the6one………

    All I can say is wow!!! Wow, wow, wow!!!!
    Is this like the takeover or something?!!! I mean everything seems like it’s finally back to “Sony” again within SONY. Let me clarify that, everything seems to be getting back to normal for this great establishment of SONY Corporation. Our Vaio line of computers are “now” becoming viable competitors to the competition. All I can say is wow Sony, wow!!!! This is truly a leading company in the business of entertainment. BTW blu-ray absolutely rocks, and I only see it becoming this generation’s new DVD of the last generation. PS3 rocks!!!! and will only continue to get better as developers begin to unlock the monster inside this beautiful, elegant piece of hardware. Our competition is soon going to be no competition at all. Let’s never become boastful or “big-headed” again. We have learned our lessons from that and have become a better company overall as a result. The dark days that surrounded the PS3 and Sony was really a blessing in disguise. All I can say is, Goooo!!!! Sony, Goooo!!!!!!!

    SONY…….like.no.other.

    the6one……..

  • not-buying-incognito

    How does this HELP ME … the USER

  • “hey jeff bout that firefox comment,
    i use the ps3 browser more to look at the blog :]”

    “As do about 10% of you. I we’re exploring options to help people like you see our video stories.”

    That is great news to hear! I love using the PS3 browser for your site!

  • cool!!!

  • @42

    good idea to have an in home blog room!

  • If you ever want someone for that whole podcast thing, hit me up.

    MrDaBucket@techandgames.com

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