Re: PS3 firmware 2.40 officially confirmed!
Yeah, Madden and NCAA are too far in. NBA though is a while so I'm pretty sure they will have it.
Also, here is a Q&A with Eric Lempel from GameSpy.
Yeah, Madden and NCAA are too far in. NBA though is a while so I'm pretty sure they will have it.
Also, here is a Q&A with Eric Lempel from GameSpy.
We rope in the PSN Director of Operations for a quick Q&A on the new update.
Earlier today, Sony unveiled the release date and other information regarding PlayStation 3 firmware update 2.4, which will implement in-game XMB access and the trophy system, the PS3's answer to Xbox 360's achievements. Since our news article was published a few hours ago, we were able to speak with PlayStation Network's Director of Operations, Eric Lempel, in a brief phone interview to get a little more information about what we can expect in this Wednesday's update.
Earlier today, Sony unveiled the release date and other information regarding PlayStation 3 firmware update 2.4, which will implement in-game XMB access and the trophy system, the PS3's answer to Xbox 360's achievements. Since our news article was published a few hours ago, we were able to speak with PlayStation Network's Director of Operations, Eric Lempel, in a brief phone interview to get a little more information about what we can expect in this Wednesday's update.
XMB: Not Just For T-Shirts
GameSpy: We saw in the video that you pulled up messages in-game. Will gamers also be able to initiate voice chat with buddies as they play?
Eric Lempel, Director of Operations, PSN: No, they won't be able to yet. This is phase one of our project, and we'll be rolling out even bigger plans for the future.
Eric Lempel, Director of Operations, PSN: No, they won't be able to yet. This is phase one of our project, and we'll be rolling out even bigger plans for the future.
GameSpy: Will in-game XMB be compatible with PS2 and PS1 games?
Lempel: Not yet. Gamers wanted it for PS3 first, so we want to ensure that we cover PS3 titles first and foremost.
GameSpy: Are custom soundtracks restricted to music on the hard drive, or can players stream music from their PCs?
Lempel: It's only music stored on the console's hard drive.
GameSpy: Are there future plans to implement an automated pause in the game to access the XMB?
Lempel: Some games will do that, but others won't. It's not really our decision to make, as much as it's a developer's choice.
GameSpy: Would developers be able to incorporate such a thing into a patch down the line?
Lempel: It's definitely possible.
No, Avatar's Not Coming to PS3.
Lempel: Not yet. Gamers wanted it for PS3 first, so we want to ensure that we cover PS3 titles first and foremost.
GameSpy: Are custom soundtracks restricted to music on the hard drive, or can players stream music from their PCs?
Lempel: It's only music stored on the console's hard drive.
GameSpy: Are there future plans to implement an automated pause in the game to access the XMB?
Lempel: Some games will do that, but others won't. It's not really our decision to make, as much as it's a developer's choice.
GameSpy: Would developers be able to incorporate such a thing into a patch down the line?
Lempel: It's definitely possible.
No, Avatar's Not Coming to PS3.
GameSpy: Is there an official list of available games slated to patch with trophies on or around Wednesday beyond Super Stardust HD, PAIN, Warhawk, and PixelJunk Eden?
Lempel: The only game that will officially be patched on the day of the firmware update is Super Stardust HD. The other games announced on the PlayStation blog will eventually update. We can officially confirm that besides the titles we've already announced, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune will also receive a patch at some point in the foreseeable future.
GameSpy: It's been mentioned that currently existing save data won't be eligible for trophies, due to concerns about someone taking a game save from a friend and cheating to level up. What about currently available games with award systems, like Burnout Paradise or Devil May Cry 4, that have save data that's locked to a single PSN ID?
Lempel: We're currently not allowing that data to roll over into the trophy system.
GameSpy: You described the breakdown of trophies and leveling up. What's the XP of a bronze trophy versus a silver or gold? Is a platinum an automatic level-up?
Lempel: It's worth noting that platinum isn't a definite level-up. The value is a behind the scenes quantity. You won't level up just because you hit platinum on each game. The higher you level up, the tougher the criteria for the next level becomes. It depends on where you are in experience points and what game you're playing.
GameSpy: We imagine that smaller downloadable games would equal lesser trophies. What are the suggested benchmarks that differentiate a downloadable game from a disc-based title in regard to trophies?
Lempel: A smaller PSN game wouldn't carry the same weight as a retail release. There are guidelines that we've got here to point developers in the right direction. In our conversations, with them, they seem to "get it" in regard to how to distribute trophies for their titles. Ultimately, it's in their best interest to get it right.
GameSpy: What is the current level cap as of the 2.4 firmware launch? What's the team's schedule for raising it?
Lempel: The way it's set up, there's no way for anyone to hit the current cap for quite some time. In the amount of time it would take someone to reach that height, we'll be watching players' levels closely. The system is built to scale, so we'll monitor the overall progress and adjust level caps accordingly. Ideally, no one will ever hit the level cap due to our adjustments over time. We have some real long-term plans in place for this.
GameSpy: Does Sony have a deadline, loose or rigid, for developers to implement trophies into existing titles?
Lempel: We're working with developers to hit a deadline. It's not something that we're trying to force on them, since it eats into their development schedules. Many of them want to do it. It's just there's some additional work on their end; someone has to create art and assets, and we don't want to interfere with what they're currently working on. Ultimately, we'll have trophies for every game, but we didn't want to force it on them immediately.
Lempel: The only game that will officially be patched on the day of the firmware update is Super Stardust HD. The other games announced on the PlayStation blog will eventually update. We can officially confirm that besides the titles we've already announced, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune will also receive a patch at some point in the foreseeable future.
GameSpy: It's been mentioned that currently existing save data won't be eligible for trophies, due to concerns about someone taking a game save from a friend and cheating to level up. What about currently available games with award systems, like Burnout Paradise or Devil May Cry 4, that have save data that's locked to a single PSN ID?
Lempel: We're currently not allowing that data to roll over into the trophy system.
GameSpy: You described the breakdown of trophies and leveling up. What's the XP of a bronze trophy versus a silver or gold? Is a platinum an automatic level-up?
Lempel: It's worth noting that platinum isn't a definite level-up. The value is a behind the scenes quantity. You won't level up just because you hit platinum on each game. The higher you level up, the tougher the criteria for the next level becomes. It depends on where you are in experience points and what game you're playing.
GameSpy: We imagine that smaller downloadable games would equal lesser trophies. What are the suggested benchmarks that differentiate a downloadable game from a disc-based title in regard to trophies?
Lempel: A smaller PSN game wouldn't carry the same weight as a retail release. There are guidelines that we've got here to point developers in the right direction. In our conversations, with them, they seem to "get it" in regard to how to distribute trophies for their titles. Ultimately, it's in their best interest to get it right.
GameSpy: What is the current level cap as of the 2.4 firmware launch? What's the team's schedule for raising it?
Lempel: The way it's set up, there's no way for anyone to hit the current cap for quite some time. In the amount of time it would take someone to reach that height, we'll be watching players' levels closely. The system is built to scale, so we'll monitor the overall progress and adjust level caps accordingly. Ideally, no one will ever hit the level cap due to our adjustments over time. We have some real long-term plans in place for this.
GameSpy: Does Sony have a deadline, loose or rigid, for developers to implement trophies into existing titles?
Lempel: We're working with developers to hit a deadline. It's not something that we're trying to force on them, since it eats into their development schedules. Many of them want to do it. It's just there's some additional work on their end; someone has to create art and assets, and we don't want to interfere with what they're currently working on. Ultimately, we'll have trophies for every game, but we didn't want to force it on them immediately.
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