PS3 Fanboy

Surely most of you have downloaded firmware version 2.40 and have been avidly collecting trophies on Super Stardust HD like us. But why did it take so long to get this stuff? Why are some things still missing? Eric Lempel spoke with Next-Gen on just that and we'll summarize the answers to those questions, since you've probably heard enough about what 2.40 does.

To start, Lempel says "some of the [features of 2.40] people have been requesting for some time, some of them are a bit newer. We have a roadmap and there were a lot of other things on the roadmap that we had to deliver prior to these features." They won't release features until they are completely ready and have developer support and interest behind them -- this may be implying that it's difficult to get developers on board for custom soundtracks (the ability is already on the PS3 and it's up to developers to support it). Cross-game invites are also on this 'roadmap' for the future.

He promised gamers that the PlayStation Network will remain free, stating that it's "nice for consumers who want to try out the online experience, those who may be new to it and may not be ready to commit to spending dollars, and that's a really good message for us. Being free also gives them the opportunity to spend the money that they may have spent on a subscription on online items or online games instead." He also says that he'd like to see more games on the PS Store -- like PS One titles. Whether or not these things will come in the next few months is anyone's guess ... but for now, we're pretty happy with the direction the PS3 is taking.

See the guy in the video above? That's Eric Lempel and he's about to show off the number one requested feature for the PlayStation 3; in-game XMB. This feature is only half of what we can expect in firmware 2.40, which is due out "soon." Watch as Eric effortlessly receives and responds to messages whilst playing a game, swaps immediately from GT5:P to PixelJunk Monsters, switches in some background music from the PS3's HDD and ... searches on google.

There's more to come in another video later today, which will show off the trophy system. Not only that, but keep your eyes peeled right here for more detailed, exclusive info on what's to come.

The interview includes mentions of an upcoming digital distribution method for providing PS3 owners with TV shows and films. Lempel also talks about some "very exciting programs planned to recognize our consumers gaming skills and loyalty in new ways that go well beyond a single score." Sounds good to us. This should arrive when Home finally launches. When is that? We haven't a clue, but Lempel says it's now coming along very nicely, as opposed to the disappointment it apparently was late last year.

We're looking forward to seeing more of these "features in different stages of development that users will be very excited about." 2008 should be an interesting year for the PlayStation Network.

Eric Lempel, director of operations for the PSN, answered questions about the Network. Here's what he had to say.

As we've heard before, in-game messaging and other XMB features are on the way, though no timeline has been announced officially. The developers, not Sony, are in charge of whether or not a demo is released on the PSN. Especially for smaller downloadable titles, the group behind those games might not have the manpower to release a demo as well as the full game. It's their discretion, but Sony absolutely encourages them all to toss a demo up. Speaking of demos, download times for some of the demos can be atrocious, even on fast connections. This is probably due to so many people trying to get it at once, putting a strain on Sony's server, implies Lempel. They're working on some solutions.

A final note was added about the PSN consistently getting content later than the competition. Lempel denied this, saying "as it relates to Network content I hear the exact opposite from developers ... While the process may seem as simple as a developer sending us a piece of content and the PlayStation Network department posting it for download, this isn't the case." They've got an efficient system, he says, and the Quality Assurance process is very important to them. If there's any lag between the PS3's and the 360's posting of certain items, over time we're sure the difference will diminish and eventually disappear. Microsoft knows what they're doing -- Live isn't new. Sony is still trying to really wrap their minds around this and they've caught up pretty well.

Faster and fewer -- that's apparently Sony's plan for 2008 regarding firmware updates. In an interview with MTV Multiplayer, SCEA's Eric Lempel talked a bit about the old firmware strategy and outlined what we can expect in 2008. He said that "We're trying to certainly cut down on the amount of times we do it ... We definitely understand that it does happen frequently and that can be somewhat annoying to some users." We haven't been particularly bothered by it, but a few times it has hindered our ability to satisfy an urge to play a game online.

For those who got the PS3 around launch in November of 2006, you will have experienced the original PlayStation servers -- those things that were really slow and irritating? Things have sped up since then and things are planned to continue to speed up, says Lempel. In addition to little things like no longer having to connect the controller via USB during updates, "we'll continue to work on other ways of making it easier and faster and we'll probably roll those out some time next year." We look forward to hearing what's in store for us. In-game messaging and a possible soundtrack customization option is really all we need. Nobody can honestly care about watching a streaming video while their game is paused, right? Or viewing a slideshow of pictures? Let's be reasonable.