PS3 firmware update adds Xbox 360 features

July 3rd, 2008 by admin

globeandmail.com: Controller Freak - PS3 firmware update adds Xbox 360 features

Sony’s System Software Update 2.40, released Wednesday, adds to the PlayStation 3 several features originally popularized by the Xbox 360, including long-awaited “trophies,” which function much like Microsoft’s achievements, and in-game access to PlayStation 3’s XrossMediaBar (XMB) via the PS button, which can be roughly equated to the functionality made available when Xbox 360 players press the Xbox Guide button.

PlayStation 3 trophies are awarded as players accomplish various feats in certain games. They’re added to a user’s profile, which can be viewed and evaluated by other players. Ten first-party PlayStation games will support the new trophies functionality this year, including the upcoming MotorStorm: Pacific Rift and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, as well as some currently available PlayStation Network games, such as Pixeljunk Monsters: Eden. In a press release, Sony stated that many third-party game developers plan to include trophy support as well, which is only to be expected, given that cross-platform games are already designed with Xbox 360 achievements in mind.

Meanwhile, in-game access to the PlayStation’s XMB lets players scroll through and open any item on the bar, including music, videos, and games, as well as view their friends lists and check out other player’s profiles, all without exiting from their current game.

After downloading and installing the new firmware, I booted up the PlayStation Network game Pain—one of the existing games Sony noted would support trophies—to see how things worked.

Following a quick software update that added trophy functionality, I pressed the PS button to call up the XMB. I was able to check out my trophy collection and view my friends’ profiles, though I was disappointed that I still couldn’t see what games they were playing or request to join them, as Xbox 360 players can when they bring up the Xbox Guide.

However, I was able to select and open videos, view photo slideshows, and start other games stored on the PlayStation 3 hard drive without first going back to the desktop, which is something Xbox 360 owners can’t do.

I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that I didn’t have to begin playing through Pain again from scratch in order to earn trophies awarded for such basic achievements as finishing the tutorial. If I had accomplished a trophy-worthy feat before installing the new firmware, it was already registered.

Written by Alfred @ Zune MAX - Visit my Zune Card in the Zune forums now!No tag for this post.