Update: Via Sony's online help desk in response to the 2.4 issues:
"The PLAYSTATION 3 system software version 2.40 has been temporarily taken offline and will not be available for download as our engineers examine any possible issues with this update. The Knowledge Center will be updated with information as it becomes available; please check back here for further details."
After countless reports of problems across the Internet (here, here, a... More »
Thanks to reader Ben Torode, we've got a proper translation of this Watch Impress article, detailing a number of new features coming to 2.40 not yet mentioned by SCEA, as far as we know:
1. The way to quit games has also been modified in line with these changes, and a game can be exited by pressing the PS button during a game and selecting "Game" then "Quit Game" from the XMB.
2. On the XMB in general, added functions include a clock displayed on the XMB, a function to delete all entered text in the entry field when using text entry with a keyboard, and a function which displays an icon to indicate when operation of the PS button is disabled.
3. In "Users" under the XMB, an item has been added to power off the PS3 console. Under "Settings", options have been added to automatically power off after a system software update, and "assign controller", "controller vibration fu... More »
The moment that everyone has been waiting for is finally upon us. With the release of firmware update 2.40, Sony will finally add features like in-game XrossMediaBar access, custom soundtracks and Trophies to the PlayStation 3.
Greg and I had a chance to see the update in action a few days ago, and based on what we saw, you should be excited. Read on for details, and look for our personal impressions at the end.
Perhaps the biggest part of the update for some folks is the ability to access the XrossMediaBar while playing a game. We're not talking about a scaled-down version of the XMB here - the whole thing pops up when you hit the PS button. A fair number of features will ask you to quit the game to use them, like hitting up the PlayStation Store, starting a movie or changing your display settings, but everything is accessible.
For stuff that does ask you to quit, the PS3 will take you right to the option when you choose to leave the game. So, ... More »
The latest Official PlayStation Blog entry may have revealed In-Game XMB Music Access, relating to the ongoing question that is "In-Game XMB Access - Will it have Music?"
On the PlayStation Blog, it lists the Burnout Paradise patch update content. To quote:
Plus heaps more, including:
- 1080i support for PlayStation 3 owners with “almost HD” sets
- Improved Standard Definition rendering for PlayStation 3
- Support for Custom Soundtracks on PlayStation 3
One thing stood out from the others.. "Support for Custom Soundtracks on PlayStation 3"
This could mean a couple of things, either each game will have it's own in game custom soundtracks, or Sony have succeeded in making In-Game XMB Music possible by just having the developer update the game to make the game compatible with the PS3's system & settings.
The PLAYSTATION Network will be offline for 5 hours today from 3pm BST (4pm CEST) for maintenance work. It's pretty much all behind-the-scenes work and is, most definitely, not the 2.4 System Software update. Sorry, you need to wait a little longer for that one!
During this maintenance, the following online services may not be available:
- PSN account registration,
- PSN account sign-in,
- PSN account management,
- PlayStation Store purchases,
- online gaming, unless you are already logged in at 3pm
- forum login
In related news, self-proclaimed Sony employee Knight613 from GameFAQs states that PS3 Firmware v2.40 was supposed to come out... More »
According to Jim Cordeira over at Gaming-Age, the long-awaited Firmware 2.4 update for PlayStation 3 will hit later this summer, complete with a universal friends list and In-Game XMB functionality.
While Sony has yet to comment, it's no secret that a major firmware release is due out soon. Back in March, SCEE UK head Ray Maguire made mention of 2.4, but did not provide specifics - aside from confirming that the update would hit in the summer and include “In-Game communication.”
An EA employee who goes by the alias of “evilone” on NeoGAF gave credence to Jim’s report, noting that “there is more then just In-Game XMB coming in 2.40.”
Until it's release, we're still filing this as a rumor, but there is a good chance it's legit... time will tell for sure.
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