0
images/news/ps3.jpgWhile the PlayStation 3 has gone through an impressive metamorphosis since release, the social aspects of the system still leave much to be desired: there is no good way to communicate to people on your friends list across different games, and inviting people to join you while playing online can be a pain. There is also nothing that comes close to the 360's innovative "achievements" system to get people to try new ways of playing, or simply enjoy the bragging rights of having the highest gamerscore. That changes on July 2, however, when Sony launches the firmware 2.40 update that adds in-game XMB support and trophies to the system. The importance of these two updates is hard to underestimate.
The XMB, or Xcross Media Bar, is the menu system on the PlayStation 3 that allows you to choose what game to play, watch a video, or send a message to people on your friend list. These options are now only available on the home screen of the system, but this update allows you to access all these features from inside any game you're playing. If you are setting up a round of Call of Duty 4, you'll be able to bring up the media bar, fire off a message to a friend to join you, and then go back into the game seamlessly.
While the ability to interact with friends, as well as browse their profiles, is welcome, the in-game XMB support will also allow you to access the music stored on your hard drive, with developers now given the option of adding in-game custom music to their titles. The XMB will also offer Google-powered Internet search from within games, so if you get into an online argument about how often your in-game firearm would have jammed in real life, the answer is a few clicks away.
Read more @ Arstechnica
The XMB, or Xcross Media Bar, is the menu system on the PlayStation 3 that allows you to choose what game to play, watch a video, or send a message to people on your friend list. These options are now only available on the home screen of the system, but this update allows you to access all these features from inside any game you're playing. If you are setting up a round of Call of Duty 4, you'll be able to bring up the media bar, fire off a message to a friend to join you, and then go back into the game seamlessly.
While the ability to interact with friends, as well as browse their profiles, is welcome, the in-game XMB support will also allow you to access the music stored on your hard drive, with developers now given the option of adding in-game custom music to their titles. The XMB will also offer Google-powered Internet search from within games, so if you get into an online argument about how often your in-game firearm would have jammed in real life, the answer is a few clicks away.
Read more @ Arstechnica
