Firmware 3.0

[BenSkywalker]

Saw that 3.0 was available, has anyone updated yet and if they have are you forced into that gawdawful new XMB or is their an option to keep the old style interface?

 

[UpgradeFailure]

I updated. While looking for the setting to turn off the damn clock on the upper right hand corner (I couldn't find the option, anyone know how to turn that stupid thing off?) I saw options to change to classic themes, and disable some of the new stuff, so you should be ok. It looks pretty nice though. I like the "Whats new" area that pops up when you hover over the store

 

[destrekor]

I actually like the new "Original" theme. Will see if I like the dynamic time colors (i think this was in the original?), but it's basically the classic theme with just some more light flair.

It has the floating crystal like things - breathes some appropriate life into the sterile XMB style (most functional of the consoles, but has no flair, at least not to me after having seen it and similar menu styles everywhere).

It has a background blur effect when getting into menus - this helps what your looking at pop out. This could upset some people, I personally like it.

What's New: Great little tool. With it being the first focus upon boot, it gives you immediate access to what you have in the drive (i think - at least the game in the drive was one of my last played), and any PSN games if recently played. And if you're going to advertise, this is the best way. It's not obtrusive. There is more advertising when hovering over the Game and Video store access sections under the appropriate category. There if you want to see it, and that's it.

However, while requiring an X button press to access for the specific category PSN display groups, it's slightly annoying to have to press a button to access the What's New section when you start hovering it. Unless I missed this and it does do that. It'd be super quick access to what you want to see. A small gripe but it's usable elsewhere.

That Info Box in the top-right - it's... not going to be everyone's cup of tea. I don't mind it, because I can see message and friend online immediately, and keeps the time always there in a not completely but slightly obtrusive manner. The time... that's gonna be what makes it an eye-sore for some. Plus, the box's style is kind of meh - couldn't have been a better way to display it.
However, I'll definitely take that info box's style over the box's around the Friends under the Friends category. Looks terrrible, but oh well. I was expecting it to eventually load up mini player cards for each friend, but they just stayed blank gray boxes behind the player's name and avatar.
Or... did mine bug out and those boxes do fill in?

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

yeah I updated and as soon as it rebooted....it can't get an IP address....wired. I tried everything. I don't know what else to do.

 

[fr]

I hate that scrolling message box under the clock. I don't see an option to disable it in the new XMB.

 

[Thraxen]

Definite mixed bag. I like the new default background. Apparently you can shake the controller and get a snowglobe effect. I also like that animated themes are now available. My friend list seems to populate much faster now too. But there are a lot of things that need fixing:

1. Why is everything so damn big now? The font is huge and for some reason the icons look bigger, though maybe that's just an illusion due to the text being bigger. Give us the old font back! Or at least make this one scale properly with resolution.

2. Get rid of the fucking boxes on the friend list. What a terrible decision. Who actually looked at that and said, "Yeah, that looks good, let's go with it"? That person needs to be slapped.

3. Get rid of all the damn PSN store icons. The one we had was fine. I don't want the XMB turning into NXE. At least they had enough sense to default their location to the top side of the XMB.

4. Let us turn off the ticker in the info box in the upper right hand corner. It's annoying. I saw someone in the PS blog suggest to have the notification messages appear there instead of in those big gray boxes. That's a good idea. So let us turn off the damn ticker and put notifications there instead.

 

[Blayze]

Not sure if its related to firmware 3.0 or not. Started playing Uncharted on the PS3 a few days ago. After the update the game freezes (4 times in Chapter 7, once in Chapter 8). I haven't had any freezes before this at all (1 week old PS3 Slim).

 

[JackBurton]

Installed firmware 3.0 last night and it looks fine to me. I like the clock and the friends count at the top right, but I have to agree, the big box friends list is kind of retarded.

 

[Baked]

Gonna wait a little bit and let them steam out the kinks before I do the update.

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

Oh, so firmware 3.0 is out now? I turn on my PS3 maybe twice a week to watch a movie or two, so I wouldn't have even known.

Thanks for the heads up! :thumbsup:

 

[darkrisen2003]

so the rumors saying that 3.0 had a BC add in patch are wrong yet again huh?

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

Updated last night after watching True Blood. Seems busier than it was before, hopefully it's not a trend. One of the big selling points for me over the 360 is that the XMB has been pretty minimalist. I'd like to not see Sony change that too much.

Also, the boxes around the friend names are pretty hideous. It does load up faster tho.

Overall, doesn't seem to be a lot there to improve their online gaming infrastructure, which is where they continue to fail. This seems to just be an update to improve the way they sell us stuff. Even $3 for that damned LBP dymanic theme, that they should honestly be giving away for free to hype the dynamic theme system, then charge for other themes down the line.

Another fail in the PS3 column IMO.

 

[R Nilla]

Yay for in-XMB ads! At least you can disable the What's New feature in the XMB (supposedly) unlike the Spotlight channel on the Xbox 360 dashboard.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: darkrisen2003
so the rumors saying that 3.0 had a BC add in patch are wrong yet again huh?

Sony has essentially come out and said that don't expect BC to come back. Ever.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

I really think this is mediicore and needs to undo some changes

GET THE STORE ICON OUT OF THE GAMES TAB
I want my black XMB theme back.
Made the Icons small again.
Get rid of the boxes around friend list. Ugly as all hell
That grey box needs to lose that ticker thing. I vastly prefer the Information Bar over that

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: darkrisen2003
so the rumors saying that 3.0 had a BC add in patch are wrong yet again huh?

Sony has essentially come out and said that don't expect BC to come back. Ever.

Oh, it'll be back.

In 2-game BD discs that they charge $40 a pop for.

 

[erwos]

Originally posted by: Krakn3Dfx
In 2-game BD discs that they charge $40 a pop for.

I had actually predicted that they would only allow PS2 games via digital download, so, yeah, I suppose I wasn't far off. I still don't think the GoW HD pack is using emulation, though...

 

[Krazy4Real]

Overall, I like fw 3.0. I agree though that the boxes around friends in the friends list is hideous.

 

[raystorm]

oh lordy..ugly ass grey boxes on the friends list, multiple playstation store icons (one is enough sony), big font (any bigger and its like looking at a psp), no game names under the game list until the game icon is highlighted, stupid ticker..etc. Not a good first impression. I sure as hell ain't paying 3 bucks for a premium theme though the Little Big Planet theme does look very nice.

At least you can disable the "what new" portion of the menu. I don't need that myself.

 

[Sadaiyappan]

I really like that they got rid of the "playstation 3" that flashes before each game starts. That was really annoying me and every time it would flash i would think it was stupid.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: Krakn3Dfx

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: darkrisen2003
so the rumors saying that 3.0 had a BC add in patch are wrong yet again huh?

Sony has essentially come out and said that don't expect BC to come back. Ever.

Oh, it'll be back.

In 2-game BD discs that they charge $40 a pop for.

If they're like God of War and rendered in 720p instead of upscaled 480 there are many titles I'd be happy to buy or re-buy.

But yes I :heart: my 60 GB with hardware BC.

 

[hans030390]

Originally posted by: Sadaiyappan
I really like that they got rid of the "playstation 3" that flashes before each game starts. That was really annoying me and every time it would flash i would think it was stupid.

They did? Wow. I didn't even notice.

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

Hmmm coincidentally or something, my router stopped working as soon as I updated to 3.0. It was just coincidence...the upgrade didn't wreck my slim

 

[Reckoner]

Tried popping in californication season 2 on dvd, but when I hit play it sent me back to the XMB. Then I tried braveheart on blu ray which worked fine.

 

[mmntech]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: darkrisen2003
so the rumors saying that 3.0 had a BC add in patch are wrong yet again huh?

Sony has essentially come out and said that don't expect BC to come back. Ever.

Why spend $50 adding BC to a PS3 when they can charge you $120 for a new PS2.
I just prey to the computer gods that my 60gb never goes beyond repair. That will be the day the last PS2 is sold knowing my luck. lol

I'm in no rush to install it today. From what I've heard, none of the new features are really exciting. I just wish Sony would add a Go To Time feature for playing music. It has it for movies, and the PSP has it for music.