That recent firmware update for the PS3 did a little more than Sony said. It added the YouTube API for allowing in-game uploads to your YouTube account. This is one damn cool feature that I hope a lot of games start to take advantage.
Imagine coming up with a really cool level in Little Big Planet or having a crazy moment in Resitance 2. Instead of just telling people about it, you could immediately upload a clip to YouTube to share with the world.
Right now, the only game to take advantage is Mainichi Issho, a free Japanese PSN title that was released way back in November 2006. No official word on what other games will take advantage of this feature. We’ll keep you posted.
[via Joystiq]
Sony released a minor firmware update last night bringing the PS3 to v2.35. Just what does this update do?
This is a relatively minor update to improve stability of some PS3 titles.
Ok, got it. So don’t go crying that there’s no in-game XMB. This also, apparently, is not directly related to the freezing with GTA 4. According to a Sony PR rep:
I just want to clarify that this upcoming firmware update isn’t related to GTA IV. For those of you who may still have an issue playing the game on your PS3, we have identified a solution that should resolve the issue. You can contact SCEA Consumer Services for support — their contact info and hours of service, as well as more information on this issue, are available in our Knowledge Center (http://playstation.custhelp.com/).
Interesting timing for this firmware release and it having nothing to do with GTA 4. And if they have a solution, why not post that solution instead of making people call into the support line? Just my 2 cents…
Sony released firmware v2.30 this morning, bringing the new PlayStation Store to everyone in the world. We also get DTS-HD audio support, which is nice.
I spent a good deal of time playing around with the new PlayStation Store and, I must say, I’m very impressed. The store loads up quick and is very snappy. The new layout works great and things are very easy to find. I like the way Sony laid out the categories and sub-categories for the downloads. You get audio feedback for all movement and button presses, which is a nice addition.
I’m surprised they left the exit confirmation in the store. When you’re at the Store Top and hit the Circle button, you’re asked if you really want to exit the PlayStation Store. Just let me back out if I want to. It’s not that hard to go back in if you made a mistake.
The other thing I wish they would have changed with this new Store is demo and addon installs. It shouldn’t be that hard for these things to get installed automatically as soon as the download finishes, even when you perform the download in the background. I hope Sony adds this as a feature sometime soon.
Overall, I’m very happy with the redesigned PlayStation Store. Like I said in our podcast, I think it sets the table for a lot of things coming down the line for the PS3.
April 11, 2008 – 12:00 pm
You’ve seen the walkthrough video, now clear your schedule for April 15th. Sony will be releasing the upcoming v2.30 firmware for the PS3 next Tuesday that will be bringing you the PlayStation Store as a native application.
To go along with the new PSN Store, audiophiles out there will be happy to know that Sony has added DTS-HD support to the PS3 for BluRay movies. Hell fucking yeah. If you have a receiver that supports HDMI 1.3, you’ll be basking in some amazing audio next week. I know I’ll be firing up a ton of movies to hear the DTS-HD soundtracks.
[via PlayStation.Blog]
Sony dropped a small firmware update on the PSP, bringing their pocket rocket up to v3.95. Not a whole ton here has changed.
- While playing PSone games on your PSP, you can now customize how the buttons are assigned by going to [Controller Settings] > [Assign Buttons] and select [Custom].
- You can now quit Remote Play and choose to turn off your PS3 or leave it on after quitting. This is useful if you are performing a download and want to quit Remote Play, but still want your download to continue on the PS3. Select [Quit and Turn Off the PS3 System] or [Quit Without Turning Off the PS3 System] from [Quit Remote Play] when you press the HOME button on the PSP system.
Even though there’s not much here, we’re getting dangerously close to version 4.0, which should bring some major changes to the PSP. Hopefully we’ll get a native PlayStation Store or integrated PSN support. I’d love to have my friends list and messaging on the PSP.
[via PlayStation.Blog]
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Remember that PS3 firmware update we told you about? It was released early this morning. If you fire up your PS3, you’ll be prompted to download the update.
Right now, the servers are getting utterly hammered and the download is taking forever. So you might want to wait a few hours before giving it a shot.
In case you forgot, the new v2.20 update brings BD-Live capabilities as well as Resume Support for movies and the ability to play DivX files larger than 2gb, amongst other things.
Nintendo pushed out another firmware update for the Wii, bringing the system up to version 3.2U. The last update was v3.2. Why not go to 3.3? Who knows.
Anyway, the newest update brings some behind the scenes tweaks to pave the way for Wii Ware, which is set to hit the States in May. Japan is getting Wii Ware very soon and Europe should be getting the new features around the same time as North America.
Go download the update and make your Wii stop blinking blue.
March 20, 2008 – 11:00 am
The PS3 will be getting a new firmware update in “the next few days”. The major change in this update is Blu-Ray Profile 2.0, otherwise known as BD-Live. The PS3 will be able to connect to the internet and get new, cool things to go with your Blu-Ray movies. Sony’s console will be the first Blu-Ray player to support BD-Live. No in-game XMB in this update, so don’t get your hopes us.
Other changes include:
- The ability to copy PS3 Music and Photo playlists to a PSP system. We introduced the ability to create Music and Photo playlists on the PS3 in firmware update v2.0. Now you can easily export your playlists to your PSP.
- You can now play DivX and WMV format files that are over 2 GB.
- Resume Play - begin playing a DVD or BD disc from the point where you previously stopped it, even if you eject the disc and insert a different movie or game.
- Use your PSP as a remote control to play back your music files on your PS3 without turning on your TV.
- The Internet browser now displays some web pages faster. In addition [Save Target] has been added as an option under file. This option lets you save a file that is linked to a web page to your PS3 hard drive or storage media.
There’s a few other tweaks and upgrades in the firmware that Sony has yet to announce. We’ll keep you posted as the firmware is released. I’m liking some of the secondary features in this firmware, notably the 2GB cap on files removed as well as resume play.
Sony dropped a minor update for the PSP today, bringing the system to version 3.93. In terms of gaming, the only news here is expanded support for PlayStation Network titles. Basically just paving the way for more downloadable games and Remote Play Support.
The bulk of the update revolves around new Internet Radio channels. For those of you who use this feature on your PSP, and I know everyone here uses it oh so frequently, you’ll now have an enhanced selection of stations to choose from.
Nothing monumental to see here. Maybe v4.0 will bring the PlayStation Store and your PSN friend list to the PSP?
March 13, 2008 – 12:00 pm
Don’t go jumping all around in excitement. This firmware update isn’t going to bring your in-game XMB or any new cool features. It’s a maintenance release looking to improve stability.
The operating stability of some online PS3 titles has been improved
That’s all folks. Nothing more, nothing less. It looks like it’s probably a BC update for the 80GB PS3 bundled in with a bunch of bug fixes. Either way, progress is progress.
