Exclusive: the first images of PS3 firmware 2.00

That logo for the Playstation Network looks familiar...:




http://playstation.joystiq.com/2007/10/03/new-playstation-logo-patented-but-will-it-exist/

I am happy with this. I can live without the ingame stuff for a bit longer, but this firmware is definatly much better than what we have now

How big a deal is this? Answer: it isn't. They've made a few substantial improvements. Other things that could be done haven't been yet, and might be in the future. Once you're playing a game it doesn't really count for a great deal anyway.

Did anyone see that episode of South Park when the nursery class and infant class were competing over who could do the best school play? If you have, you'll know why I mentioned it here. If you haven't, carry on.

The only thing I am dissappointed in with this update is the reaction to it.

The worst thing about the gaming community is the immaturity.

This update is making the PS3 better. That is a fact. Why are we all complaining?

Oh yeah, because the 2.0 update wasn't what we thought it was going to be and that is Sony's fault.

ok so the theme features are cool and i will enjoy them like i enjoy the ones on my PSP but i dont think thats enough to merit the 2.00 moniker. ok there is some other stuff like the playlist but its still very lackluster. im disappointed in Sony once again...

Can someone do me the kind favor of coming up with a reason other than "because Xsloth 360 has it" for features such as in-game XMB or in-game messaging? As far as I understand it games with online components implement in-game chat, so why does anyone still blither on about not having it? For that matter, in-game messaging is the same way, devs can choose whether to support it or not. It's not automatic.

One feature that people constantly bitch about that I would love a good explanation for is the ability to play your own music whenever you're gaming. I'm sorry, but if you're so caught up in your own personal world to the extent that you have to supplant the artistic decisions made by the game designers then tough crap. In-game music is chosen much like that in movies, to enhance the mood. Games such as Ratchet and Clank are perfect examples of this. For other games, perhaps racing or some sports titles, I can see that you might want to add some personal music, after all most such titles give you control over the playlist anyway. But I don't see how it's Sony's job to implement something when it would be perfectly possible for any game developer to hook into the local HDD music and offer those tracks as additional choices for the in-game music.

So many of the features that are being bitched about here require one thing, more overhead in the OS. If you want to have quick in-game access to the XMB then you have to recognize that some of the system memory will be used by the base elements of the XMB. The same goes for anything that the OS provides as a standard service beyond what the game has. For example if the PS3 gave you in-game chat and messaging for games where the devs had not implemented it, the OS has to be running constantly and using memory to provide those features. Reducing the resources available for the game. The same is true for OS provided custom music.

It seems utterly illogical to make the PS3s OS chew up resources for features that a tiny but vocal minority find so life validating. Far better to provide APIs to developers to let them implement in-game music, in-game chat, messaging and so forth. hell, even in-game XMB as long as you don't mind your game pausing while the OS pages it out to the hard disk. That would be a bit of a pain in the rear in multi-player games, as several people have pointed out.

People would be far better served by expecting developers to make better use of what is there than whining at Sony for not fixing it for everyone.

But hey, if someone can come up with some good reasons for these features to be provided in the PS3 OS by Sony, I'd love to hear them.

I still think the 1.8 update a while back was the biggest update the PS3 has had... you know, the one with the DVD upscaling and Media Server support?

@11,
I know one feature far too many 360's have that the PS3 doesn't. It makes me feel better about MY investment.

I agree HAAS599, some people will always be spoiled, ungrateful, knuckleheads. Constructive criticism is, for the most part, welcomed. But to just rip on everything must make them unhappy people, while adding nothing to the conversation. I'd be curious to see how they would react if people constantly blogged negative about the quality of their job skills...they'd fetal up!

I'm disappointed but more so because all of the hype surrounding 2.0 and less with what we actually got. Not a bad update at all just not what random people commenting on internet forums were saying it was going to be. I was hoping home would be a surprise and actually show up considering all the new commercials are showing it. I didn't figure it would but still I had hopes.

All I want is to simply output 5.1 audio from the XMB, is that too much to ask? It should be simple to code!

Now this is nothing but bull**** (yes i intentionally put stars so sum people dont complain), they just skipped to the highly unimpressive 2.0 update, and this is what it features. Truely sad!!!!!!! I think everyone should just sell there ps3 and get the 360.....btw b4 anyone calls me a fanboy i dont have a 360 i have the ps3. In doing so will prolly be better for us and make sony get there game on cuz it really is a nuisance not having just a couple simple features like the 360 already has. i mean come on Sony, Ingame XMB and Custom ingame music should of been here a long time ago, prolly in one of the first couple of updates. why is it still not here???? heck even the whole buddy list thing sucks!!!!!! that needs major approvement, which could benefit majorly from ingame XMB. On top of all this i got one more thing to say..... well all of us loyal ps3 fans are now screwed!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yea the 2.0 update is now here but sony done went and skipped over 5, excluding 1.94 updates........just to release this p.o.s. update called 2.0. no we are not disappointed sony, we are p*****!!!!!! something to think about is now how long do we have to wait for ingame XMB.......let alone for the next update? another month, maybe 2 months, 3..4..5..6..7..maybe a whole year!!!!!! seriously this whole releasing firmware updates with huge time frame gaps is ridiculous, we should be gettin atleast 1 every month, if not 2. i just cant help but wondering when 2.01/2.1 is gonna be available lol. anyways the whole thing about ingame XMB needing more work, well i'd say so, just let us have it already, atleast we have it, and sony can still work on it while we can play around with their current progress. if we had the ingame XMB already we wouldnt be complaining anymore. we would be making suggestions on how we think it could be better, giving advice, tips, support, etc. but noooo sony wont give it to us yet......really sumthing to think about sony, good luck in one day making us happy PS3 owners..... however on the bright side, i have been waiting for the whole music playlists......probably the nicest future in the new update. yea and now that i think of it, maybe update 3.0 is to ship with Full Home!!!!! maybe that leaked list of futures was indeed for 3.0, but mistakenly reported as features for 2.0. looked good to me, and sumthing to think about.....go search for it and check it out!!!! Sony if that's truly 3.0 features and 3.0 is coming real soon, like around christmas or n like feb/march, then well sony i love and worship u lol....

I would've liked to see the Sony music store "connect" put in the XMB. Maybe something planned for in the future along with HOME. Any thoughts on that?

ok I have a 360 and a ps3 I love my ps3 but just get prvt chat like 360 and in game xmb then the psn will be set 4 me

oh btw i heard sumthing about alerts, like sounds u can set for new messages and stuff like that.....hope its true cuz that would also be a nice lil feature to include. i hate having to keep a constant eye on each of my friends just to see if i got a message reply from them, kinda annoying especially when trying to multitask on my computer. anyways i guess good job on a more feature rich update attempt, just do a lil more better with the futures included in each new update and we'll be happy!!!!

hey JT since your selling your PS3 let me know how much you want for it.

No divx support? FFS i like to be able to throw away my old xbox 1 (XBMC)!

im so disappointing
i will not upgrade
why should i there no
reason to

Highlader,

since the beginning, the PS3 has 64meg of reserved RAM for exactly the OS things you are talking about.

every PS3 game so far is developed around this. recently its been reduced to a 48 meg footprint, but consider that the 360's OS allocation is 32 megs and is much more capable.

also, when people say "in-game" chat it doesn't just mean speaking to someone playing the same game, it also means "CROSS-game" chat, where inside a game you can chat to someone playing another game or doing some other activity in their console.

I agree Highlander

Ps3 users dont NEED to access XMB while in game.

I can understand viewing your friends list and inviting people to play what your playing but thats really it.

I think HOME is going to take care of this issue.
you and your friends meet up in home, go into a game together. All your friends in home can see what your playing and if they want to join you they can. You dont need to bug you friends with invites.

and custom in game music? that can be solved multiple ways.

turn off in-game music and then use

1. ipod hooked up to sounddock or reciever

2. tivo hooked up to A/V reciever streaming music from cpu

3. a boombox in the same room as your ps3

4. your computer playing music (if you have good speakers)

and to the cross game chatting thing.

ever heard of cell phones?

if it isnt important enough to call someone then it pobably isnt worth talking about

The only reason this is a letdown is because...well for a few reasons.

1. The first birthday of the PS3 is on Nov. 17th. This is its happy birthday present. You figured it'd be something special.
2. We've been begging for in-game XMB and other features all year. Still don't have it.
3. This update doesn't add a whole lot of functionality, just some paintjob stuff and more PSP integration. The PS3 now looks/acts nearly identical to the PSP, at least from the XMB standpoint. Themes and all that jazz.

Sony knew there was alot of hype behind this update. Shame on them for naming it 2.0 instead of 1.95 or 1.99. It's almost like they are staffed with sadists.

cross game chatting = cell phones

in game music = boombox, ipod sounddock, computer (if you have good speakers)

Haas599,

i'm sorry, but is a boombox next to you and a cellphone seriously the solution you're proposing?

Is it me, or does that screenshot w/ the rainbow look like someone in a Sprint commercial just waved a pen across the screen?
Lame commercial, too.

thats one of many i proposed.

whats the difference really?

Haas - the PS3 was expensive enough without adding a cellphone (and a headset i imagine) and a boombox to the equation. even having these already, the cellphone bill would likely be greater than the $50/year for XBL.

regardless, i think its safe to say that's not what PS3 consumers like myself should expect from an expensive next-gen console like the PS3.

the cell phone was a solution for cross game chat

most people already own one

if you need to get ahold of someone and say something, call them.

if you just want to sit and chit-chat then I feel sorry for you.

Im trying to help people by giving answers to their problems.

or we can all sit and chit chat about our problems

dont buy a ferrari if you cant afford to change the oil in it.

dont buy a PS3 if you cant afford a cell phone. sounds like you need to get your priorities straight

Ferraris i know come with a built in sound system and phone compatibility in-dash Haas.

but by all means, using your analogy, give us a "luxury" solution to inviting a friend playing another game on their PS3 who isn't in your "favorite 5" and who's number you don't happen have.

HAAS, you've obviously never played online with teamspeak for example.

People want to chat online to COOPERATE better against the other team in Warhawk for example.
We don't talk to other people online to ask what they are having for dinner or something...

That's the reason why people attack you for proposing to use cellphones while playing online, you've
got to see how ridiculous that sounds...?

There sure are alot of anoyed people on the PS Blog, so many I think it's starting to have a problems. I just got a DB error :S

another disappointing blow to the PS3 believers.

the 360 fans will still rub it in our faces.

why have i spent £425 on a machine that gathers dust super sonic fast and gets delay after delay after delay.

this update is just to make it prettier-like its a Barbie doll.... rather than a actual games console.

yes I use team speak when I play DoD and that is yet another solution to the problem of chatting.

I'm just trying to help and get through to you anyway I can.

I dont sit and cry when a problem happens. I use my brain and figure out how to fix it.

If your solution to your problem is to wait for sony to fix it, well, have fun waiting. its gonna be a while.

I really don't see the big deal. AS long as Sony begins to release great games who cares if you can chat with your friends? I mean the PS2 didnt have in game chat and it was an amazing console, same goes for the Super Nintendo. I believe that gamers now are blind to the real concept of having a console, its for the games not the features. So, cry me a river build a bridge and get over it.

The only people yelling of ingame chat etc are xbox users...the MAJORITY of PS2 owners (and now PS3 owners) don't have a fricking clue what you are talking about...nor do they care.

Features will roll out with time I could care less about Xbox's features...I own a PS3.

Now...

Somebody please answer...is the Remote start Wake on Lan or Wifi...if it is on Lan only why the heck did they push the wifi as a feature.

Dear Mr

I am having problems to access the wireless Internet from my PS3. I´ve updated my firmware from 1.10 to 1.92 by the game Heavenly Sword and then I´ve updated again by the internet from 1.92 to 1.93.
After that The PS3 not more flashes the green light of wirelles and every time I try to locate the network it gives an error 80130128. It strange because i´don´t have any problems to access my wireless network from my PSP.
I do not know what to do!
I´m waiting for your support.

Best regards

Fabiano Leal

"was supposed to"

I look up, and of course, as I suspected, it's Yoon writing.

Remember, Andrew, most of the hype was generated by salivating fanboys.

Still... I am coming to believe that it's good to have you on the team. It creates a counter-balance, where there might have been a vacuum (gives reluctant thumbs-up to Yoon)

I think the theme edit function is pretty cool, so I'm happy with this update.

WHY DO YOU PEOPLE CARE WHAT THE 360 HAS? DITCH THE INFERIORITY COMPLEX AND GROW UP. I always see people here whining about something, if it's not at a third party for going multi-platform- it's about Sony not giving you something the competition has! If you want all these features the 360 has, NEWSFLASH: BUY A 360!!! Some of these self-righteous whiners annoy me more than the 360 and wii trolls.

YOU KNOW WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE PS3?

IT'S ABILITY TO PLAY THE GAMES I WANT.

That's the feature that was most important to me when buying the ps3 and when buying any console in general- I paid $500 for my ps3 and would do it again in a heartbeat, it's the best console I've ever owned and it's backed by a company that gave me one hell of a time last generation. I'm not gonna whine because my ps3 isn't a 360 clone with better graphics and more storage space.

hear that everybody?

instead of people saying what they all want, we should only care about what Shattercross wants. and what he liked last generation.

good to know. thank god you used ALL CAPS for that important announcement.