Tomorrow is the day Sony will release its PlayStation 3’s 2.40 firmware. Even though, to many people, this one won’t be as exciting as the 2.20 release it will carry some significant improvements. Version 2.40 will allow users to access the XrossMediaBar (XMB) system navigation menu, as well as introduce ‘trophies’ similar to the achievements system used by the Xbox 360.

Sony posted two videos describing the newest main features:

Firmware (v.2.40) Walkthrough Part 1: the XMB

Firmware (v.2.40) Walkthrough Part 2: Trophies

.

.
XMB seems to be a pretty cool feature and here’s what you’ll be able to do from the in-game XMB:

• Friend category
• View, send, receive messages
• Manage downloads
• Set the vibration feature of the controller
• Sign in to PlayStation Network
• Register friends
• Manage Bluetooth devices
• Terminate the game
• Music category
• Use the system BGM
• Work the system BGM operation panel
• Settings category
• Assign controllers
• View profiles
• Game category
• Set audio devices
• Use the voice changer

The Trophy system will allow gamers to “collect” trophies for their gaming achievements. According to Sony, many online games will have gold, silver and bronze trophies, with platinum available for those who snag all three.

The first games to support trophy system are:

• BUZZ! Quiz TV
• LittleBigPlanet
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift
• NBA 09 - PS3
• PAIN
• PixelJunk Eden
• Resistance 2
• SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
• Warhawk

Bellow is a Q&A posted on the official Playstation 3 blog:

Will voice-messaging/private chat be featured in 2.40 as well? If not, can we expect to see this feature added in the future?

We are evaluating the opportunity to offer voice chat, but for this update, we wanted to focus on text messaging as the key priority for communications that our users have asked for.

Can you use the web browser in game?

No, you must exit the game before browsing the internet.

Will In-Game XMB come up during playback of PS2 games, Blu-Ray discs, and DVDs?

The XMB is an exclusive feature for PS3 game titles. Accessing the XMB during gameplay was the top request from our users, which we focused on for this update. However, we continually engage PS3 owners for feedback and will evaluate the opportunity to offer XMB access during movie playback in the future.

Can we go to the display settings and change anything there in-game (resolution, input, etc)?

No, you must exit the game before changing these settings.

Will it be possible to change in-game the sound output?

Yes, sound output changes are supported.

Will we be able to access the PLAYSTATION Store while in-game?

No, but you can view your downloads in progress.

Will we be able to stream music (either via media server or USB drive) for custom soundtracks or is it relegated to music stored on the HDD?

Currently only music stored on the HDD is accessible in games that support this feature. We’d also like to reiterate that Firmware v2.40 merely enables custom soundtracks. It’s up to developers to include this feature in upcoming games (or to patch existing ones).

Does 2.4 enable cross game invites? Will it down the line?

No, cross-game invites are not available in this system software update. We are evaluating opportunities to expand on the new features delivered in 2.40.

Will trophies be mandatory for all games release here on out?

We are working with developers to ensure that Trophies are supported across the board in the future.

Where is each player’s trophy stat info held? I am going to upgrade my hard drive and I don’t know if the trophies will still be on my account if I earn some and then get a new hard drive.

Trophies will be attached to users’ PSN ID. Trophy data needs to be synchronized to the online account on PSN to be transferred to the new PS3 system.

Will the patch automatically allocate unlocked trophies according to your saved files or would you have to do it again?

No, Trophies aren’t retroactive.

Can we view PSN profiles/Trophies from a PC using a Web browser? Will there be an API for web developers to access the PSN data, so online profiles can be created?

We’re evaluating these opportunities to expand where Trophies can be experienced.

Can you only compare trophies with friends that are online?

As long as a friend has a PSN account, you can compare trophies with them regardless of their online status.

Is there a limit to how many trophies the devs can put set by Sony?

There’s not a limit on number of trophies, but there’s a value assigned to each trophy. Developers must balance out the trophies that are available to stay within an overall value based on whether the game is considered large-scope or small-scope. Essentially, a user that has unlocked every trophy in one game would have the same level as a user that unlocked every trophy in another title, all titles (depending on scope) have the same overall impact on a users’ level.

Will new games have a cool little icon on the back saying “trophy compatible?”

We’re currently working on how Trophy support will be messaged to the consumer on our software packaging.

When you get a trophy, does it make a noise?

Currently, no. How quickly things can change - there *will* be a sound effect when you unlock a Trophy.

You can read more about the 2.40 update here!

Popularity: 86% [?]

Sony has released a list of upcoming games for the remainder of the year as well as early 2009! Some of them we already knew about but… we are still looking forward to trying them out. Many other exciting games are also coming since PS3 is just “getting started” :p The console should have some years ahead before a newer, better and meaner comes out!

Here is just a small list:

x
SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Confrontation - (Available September 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

With the power of PS3, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation will deliver the most intense and authentic high definition modern combat action. Delivering a global-scale combat experience that has been refined over four generations of the SOCOM franchise, SOCOM Confrontation gives players the opportunity to battle against the best and brightest from the U.S., Europe and Asia. Players will be able to modify their appearance through facial and physical customization and battle across seven North African environments, including a 32-player version of the most popular SOCOM map of all time “Crossroads.” Additional themed packs containing new Special Forces, weapons, maps and features will be made available for download via the PLAYSTATION Store. We already covered this game in more detail here!

Little Big Planet - (Available October 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

Developed by Media Molecule, LittleBigPlanet is a new aPS3 title that establishes a new genre called “creative gaming.” LittleBigPlanet allows players to Play, Create and Share inside a glued-together and hand-stitched 3D landscape. Players customize and control their burlap Sackboy (or Sackgirl) character and can PLAY alone or with up to three others, exploring a variety of developer-created levels. Also, using a simple tool system, players can CREATE their own objects and even full levels. Players can then SHARE these creations with their friends or with the world through the online PLAYSTATION Network community.

NBA 09 - (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

NBA 09 builds on the technology and features of NBA 08 with more advanced graphics and gameplay control to deliver an experience catering to hardcore basketball fans and casual gamers alike. For the first time, NBA 09 brings “The Life” mode to PS3, delivering gamers the most detailed and engaging NBA experience both on the court and behind the scenes. Additionally, NBA 09 will feature a full Franchise mode, where gamers can run their own virtual team on every level - from determining salaries, to deciding playing time, to making trades. Progression mode, where players are rewarded experience and attributes during gameplay, returns with players now able to track “team progression” for all five characters. Extending playability, NBA 09 will bring back NBA Replay mode, where players will be able to re-enact highlight performances from the real NBA season to gain additional rewards. Other key features include expanded commentary, a variety of mini-games, and full online gameplay action.

x

About BUZZ! Quiz TV - (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

This fall BUZZ!, the popular quiz showfranchise, makes its way for the first time to PS3 with BUZZ! Quiz TV. It comes stocked with five different channels of questions including Music, Movies & TV, Sports, Brainiac and Lifestyle, combining to deliver over 5,000 questions. Extending the quiz show network beyond the disc, up to four players from anywhere in the U.S. can team up for trivia showdowns in the online multiplayer mode, Sofa vs. Sofa, and new quiz packs to be available for download from the PLAYSTATION Network. Also, for trivia fans wanting to see if they can trump others with their own vast library of knowledge, Mybuzzquiz.com will provide a global community for players to create and share their own quizzes online and make available to download on PS3.

MotorStorm Pacific Rift - (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

The most brutal offroad racing festival is back, with players this time attempting to tackle the diversity and unpredictability of a remote Pacific island environment. Developed by Evolution Studios exclusively for PS3, MotorStorm Pacific Rift revisits the intense racing action introduced in last year’s MotorStorm, this time allowing players to navigate a radically different tropical environment chock full of lush jungle, towering peaks, and crystal-clear water. Players will experience a greater selection of tracks and vehicles to choose, as well as extensive multiplayer options including four player split screen and races with up to 20 players online. Additionally players will be able to utilize a new photo mode to save images within the game and for the first time be able to take music from their PS3’s HDD to create a customized soundtrack.

Resistance 2 - (November 2008 / Not Yet Rated)

On the brink of annihilation, mankind resumes the fight against the unstoppable Chimera on the shores of the United States. Thus the stage is set for Resistance 2, the follow-up to Insomniac Games’ best-selling PS3 launch title. Players will once again step into the war-torn boots of Sgt. Nathan Hale, who not only faces near impossible odds on the battlefield, but also struggles with the Chimera virus raging inside his own body. In addition to an epic single-player campaign, Resistance 2 will offer a truly unprecedented eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign and 60-player online competitive multiplayer built upon a massive battles, greater intimacy mantra. Also, players can expect tightly integrated community support via MyResistance.net.

Killzone 2 - (Available February 2009 / Not Yet Rated)

Developed by Guerilla Games, Killzone 2 is a first-person shooter created exclusively for PS3. Killzone 2 brings a highly detailed, ultra-realistic “theater of war”, where players encounter lifelike and adaptable artificial intelligence (A.I.) from enemies as well as fellow soldiers, destructible environments, and stunningly detailed scenery. Set on the hostile enemy planet of Helghan, players will once again join the ranks of the ISA with a directive to battle through the harsh environment to capture the Helghast emperor and bring the enemy war machine to a halt. With an extensive single-player campaign and thrilling multi-player mode, Killzone 2 delivers a host of new weapons, vehicles, and gameplay elements all wrapped in an intense storyline.

Popularity: 31% [?]

To be released on May 27, 2008, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is the newest game of the very well known series-Quake. The latest game of the “saga” comes nearly twelve years after the first Quake release in 1996. This is a follow-up to Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory but of course situated on the Quake universe. The story is a prequel to Quake II, focusing on the war between the humans Global Defense Force (GDF) and the invading alien Strogg forces. Both races have their own mix of toys which is completely unique to them. Humans have certain classes, vehicles, and weapons to choose from that the Strogg don’t, and vice-versa. When in combat, the game will offer you military-style objective. This time, the fight will take you through several locations throughout Earth and across several continents, fighting for control and supremacy. Set in the Quake universe in the year 2065, this team- and mission-based multiplayer game has distinct classes, vehicles and weapons, letting players decide how they want to play the game.

The game has a new mapping technique technology called MegaTexture developed by id Software. It is used along with Id Tech 4 to eliminate common texture bugs and glitches found in previous games. The technology allows maps to be totally unique, without any repeated terrain tiles. Battlefields can be rendered to the horizon without any fogging, with over a square mile of terrain at inch-level detail, while also providing terrain-type detail that defines such factors as bullet hit effects, vehicle traction, sound effects, and so on. The PS3 version of ET:QW has a noticeable improvement in both bot AI as well as their ability to interact with a human player. Whether you’re practicing your maneuvers in the single-player campaign or using bots to fill in empty multiplayer slots, they feel more like actual teammates rather than cannon-fodder filler this time around.

The great thing about this game is you can first try it with a free PC demo and if you like it you can buy it. So basically you have nothing to lose!

Popularity: 38% [?]

Many peoples’ waiting is over now that the blu-ray game, Gran Turismo 5: Prologue, arrived to store shelves last week. This game is a “lite” version of Gran Turismo 5, it is like a taster for the full Gran Turismo 5 experience to arrive late 2009. Also, let’s make it clear that this is not a “Demo”, it is a full game that gives gamers a chance to experiment with most features of the upcoming GT5. The first Gran Turismo game was released 10 years ago for Playstation 1 and gave us a perspective on what race games could be, GT5 is the first game of the franchise for Playstation 3 and shows us some of the power this console has in storage. The game can be purchased in two different ways: on our beloved blu-ray disc on stores or on the Playstation online store as a download. They are not exactly the same! The Blu-ray disc version will come with some extras such as an additional HD behind the scenes featurette of the GT franchise called Beyond the Apex. The game has 70 cars from worldwide car manufacturers, half a dozen tracks, drift mode, new interior dash view, and online racing with up to 16 players. Read the full story

Popularity: 48% [?]

Not even released yet and Grand Theft Auto 4 is currently the most searched game online. Following the footsteps of its predecessors, GTA IV is creating a lot of buzz and expectations on the game and online community. The core concept of the game remains the same but now with the Blu-ray storage power. The Blu-ray disc allowed the designers to explore and increase the game’s realism to levels never seen on any GTA title. The new GTA IV unleashes the power of the new RAGE game engine along with Euphoria, which are responsible for character animation and the computation of their realistic movements and reactions to events in the game environment. This makes the game’s AI very exciting and better than ever before.

GTA games are always surrounded by controversy due to their violent content but we really don’t care about that! They are really fun games and I am sure this one will be as well! GTA is a game for adults so people should find better things to do instead wasting time trying to stop the game’s distribution. That only fuels people’s imaginations and increase sales! RockStar games probably thanks those people.

Plot

Niko Bellic is Eastern European, between 28 and 32 years of age and has come to Liberty City to pursue the “American Dream”. Niko was persuaded to move to Liberty City by his cousin Roman, who claimed in multiple e-mails to Niko that he was living a fabulous life, with a mansion, women, hot tubs and sports cars. Roman’s claims turn out to be lies to hide his own failures, however, and in reality he only owns a small taxi business, which he wants Niko to work for.

Roman is the only person Niko knows in Liberty City to begin with, and is one of his major connections in the first part of the game. Niko is a tough character, whereas Roman is friendly. Roman is heavily in debt

and a lot of people are after him. He desperately needs Niko’s support, hence the reason he deceived Niko into traveling to Liberty City. They are constantly bickering. It is later revealed that Niko has also been avoiding other, as yet undisclosed, problems at home.

Grand Theft Auto IV is scheduled to be released was released on April 29th, 2008.

Enjoy the trailer below:

[ Javascript required to view QuickTime movie, please turn it on and refresh this page ]

Click here to get your copy of Grand Theft Auto 4

Popularity: 35% [?]

Get ready SOCOM fanatics, the new SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation will be released on September 16th, 2008. SOCOM has been a success since the first Playstation. The new version will have an enhanced online gaming features and HD graphics, which can almost guarantee to conquer new fans but also pleasing the old ones.

In a middle-eastern village, Navy SEALs work quickly and quietly through the streets, tracking their targets. Up in the balconies above, the terrorists begin opening fire upon the SEALs, who take cover and return with a flurry of their own bullets. The game will be available as both a download as well as an in-store purchase, but users will certainly test their broadband connections with content packs that will make their way online after release. These will contain the works - new modes, weapons, maps, characters, you name it. Amazon is already selling and you can pre order your game for $59.99.

KEY FEATURES

• Ultimate 32-player online combat experience featuring stunning high-definition visuals, advanced physics, ballistics, impact and destruction modeling

• Rich interactive and destructible environments supporting multiple game types

• Full support of the SIXAXIS™ wireless controller, offering greater control

• Choice of playing as various International Special Forces

• Advanced voice communication systems and immersive audio

• Comprehensive player customization including fully featured load out, encumbrance and unique uniforms

• Up to seven different game modes are available on each map

• Advanced player matching, players can form a team with their friends and easily join an online game

• Regional combat or challenge teams from around the world

• Additional themed downloadable content packs available post launch

Popularity: 17% [?]

Konami and Sony announced a limited edition PS3 console to celebrate the release of Metal Gear Solid 4 “Guns of the Patriots”. The console will have a very cool steel gray gun-like color. Buyers will have different bundle choices, which in addition to the console, game, DualShock 3 controller, can include video material on Metal Gear Solid 4. The new console is scheduled to hit the market on June 12th but so far only in Japan. What’s wrong with these people? America is not feeling the love!!

(UPDATE: Sony has heard our plead and is also releasing the machine in America in June as well. If you really want one of these babies, you will need to be quick because there will be very few units available!)

Watch the Metal Gear Solid 4 “Guns of the Patriots” trailer:

[ Javascript required to view QuickTime movie, please turn it on and refresh this page ]

Popularity: 15% [?]