Main features in system software update version 3.50

• Blu-ray 3D disc playback.

The PS3 system can now play 3D content on Blu-ray 3D discs.

Note:

• A 3D compatible television that complies with the 3D standard and a high-speed HDMI cable are required to watch 3D content.
• Depending on the content, some elements may be displayed differently in 3D on the PS3 system than on other playback devices.

Other new or revised features in version 3.50

Friends

• You can now submit grief reports if you receive unwelcome or harassing messages.

Other

• You can now access public information on Facebook from Facebook-supported games.

The first ‘Move into the action’ ad shows you how PlayStation Move puts you smack bang into the middle of the game. It shows off Move’s amazing precision and highlights some of the new games designed to showcase the motion controller at its best, including Sports Champions and the forthcoming The Fight.

Most of you guys on the Blog will know all about Move and what it can do already, but there are a lot of people out there who aren’t as up to speed on all things PlayStation. The other ad you’ll be seeing on TV is the ‘Move into the Party!’ ad. We have many social gamers out there who love competing with friends on a night in and Move brings loads of new ways to beat your mates while having a good laugh at the same time, with new games such as Start the Party and the soon to be released SingStar Dance.

Look out for the ads on TV over the next few weeks and let us know what you think. I hope you enjoy them – and finally getting your hands on PlayStation Move next week.

Update: Here is the extended UK version of the PlayStation Move launch ad with more gameplay footage to really highlight the fun you can have with The Fight, Start the Party and Sports Champions.

You’ll be seeing this ad in some of the biggest programmes on TV over the next week – look out for it tonight in the final of Big Brother and in tomorrow’s Everton v Manchester United game.

Main features in system software update version 3.42

* A patch has been added to address security vulnerability in the system software.

You can download all four for the bargain price of €29.99 or pick them up for free when you buy a Sony Bravia 3D TV package. Of course, if you already own WipEout HD, SuperStardust HD or PAIN, there will be a free software update, so that you can play them in 3D

Here are a few words from Simon Benson, Senior Development Manager at Evolution Studios, on how stereoscopic 3D works and what it brings to videogames:

PlayStation 3 now supports Stereoscopic 3D, allowing games with 3D features to output two High Definition images at 60Hz when you connect your PS3 to a 3D TV.

As human beings, we see a slightly different view of the world from each of our eyes, and our brains analyse the differences to work out important cues – this is referred to as stereoscopic 3D. As humans, we evolved this ability due to naturally being predators, allowing us to hunt prey far more effectively, judging more accurately how far away things are and how fast they are moving.

We have taken this idea, so that you can now experience these same advantages in any PlayStation 3 game that supports Stereoscopic 3D features.

As you can see, stereoscopic 3D is not just a novelty; it is something that really makes a difference, particularly to games, and can even give you a competitive edge. Imaging playing a racing game such as MotorStorm: Pacific Rift and being able to judge when to break to avoid collisions, just like you can in a real car.

Many sports games are also perfect for Stereoscopic 3D. After all, how many sports can you play in the real world without 3D vision? Try closing one eye and hitting a ball… good luck! In a nutshell, stereoscopic 3D lets you look at games in the same way as you do the real world, taking them one step closer to reality.

Stereoscopic 3D is also the perfect partner to our new PlayStation Move motion controller. Imagine being able to interact with a game using a 3D controller whilst also viewing it in Stereoscopic 3D, effectively reaching into the screen. This is possibly the biggest gaming revolution in many years.

Stay tuned for more news and features on 3D gaming very soon.

• Trophy enhancements –- Now you can more easily sort trophies in the [Trophy Collection] and [Comparing Trophy] sections. Sorting can be done with [Trophy Collection] in the [Game Category] and also when comparing trophies with your friends in the [Friend Category]
  • Trophy Folder (Title List) can be sorted by game name/ by title according to the date in which you earned your last trophy (ascending/descending)
  • Add-on list (Group list) can be sorted by original/the date in which you earned your last trophy (ascending/descending)
  • Trophy list can be sorted by original/trophy name/grade/date of obtaining the trophy (ascending/descending)

In addition, this update preps the PS3 system for some upcoming new features, including 3D stereoscopic gaming, which is coming soon to PS3, in time for the launch of Sony’s 3D BRAVIA TVs.

Let us know your thoughts and as always, we look forward to your feedback.

The philosophy behind make.believe is simple: Believe that anything you can imagine, you can make real. So what does that mean, exactly? Here’s an example that should get you revved up to shave a few tenths off your current best time, or for those that haven’t downloaded the GT Academy Time Trial from PlayStation Store yet, the nudge you need to do it now and make your bid for racing glory before the online competition closes on the 24th January 2010. This is the story of how Lucas Ordonez
went from Gran Turismo player to real-life racer:

The worldwide Live Community Screening (LCS) will take place on December 12th at 8:00PM GMT live from London. The screening will allow PS3 owners to simultaneously watch the movie together with Daniel Radcliffe and director David Yates via BD-Live and hear an interactive Q&A where fans can ask questions about the blockbuster film directly to Daniel and David, directly from their home.

Warner Bros. BD-Live community members who have registered and signed up for the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince LCS will receive an emailed invitation to participate in the event. The first 100,000 members who RSVP will secure a spot for the screening. WB BD-Live registered users from the participating territories who own the Blu-ray Disc and have signed up for the BD-Live LCS event will be able to insert the disc, connect to WB BD-Live and logon to the LCS at this designated time to participate in this ground breaking exclusive event.

I don’t like the “Fizz”. How do I turn it off?

To turn the fizz off, go to the Theme Settings under Settings on the XMB, you can choose different themes from here. “Classic” is the default theme without the fizz.

Where’s the game start chime gone? Why would you remove it?

One of the reasons we removed the PS3 jingle is that it was created to indicate the start of a game, but now we’re offering non-game content such as Vidzone in addition to games. More importantly though, this change makes the loading time a bit quicker than before, which we think will be a noticeable benefit for all game users.

The BBC iPlayer icon hasn’t appeared on the XMB. How can I get it?

There are 2 criteria for the presence of the iPlayer icon on the XMB:

(1) A PSN account or guest account as a UK resident

(2) A PS3 console sold in the UK. If you don’t have either of them, the icon will not show up. You can access the BBC iPlayer without the icon, by using the PS3 browser. The quickest way to get around it, is to type “iplayer” in the Google search shortcut on the XMB and click “iplayer” from the search result. You will be redirected to the PS3 special site of iPlayer, where you can then press “Select” to add to your bookmark.

For a better experience in the future, we are looking at the possibility of removing point (2). However (1) is required to identify your country of residence.

I don’t like the size of the font and the icons. Why can’t I change it back to its old size?

Based on your feedback, we are looking at the possibility of making the changes optional.

The US and Japan have a few Dynamic Themes available already. Where are ours?

The Dynamic Themes were supplied to all three regions at the same time, but unfortunately, due to the complexities of the PAL region’s PlayStation Store publishing process, they missed our publishing window last week. (Remember, we have 29 stores across 25 countries, which require the use of 13 currencies and 8 languages, so it’s more difficult for us to publish last minute content than it is for either the US or Japan). We can confirm that some Dynamic Themes will be made available on the EU Store this week, and we have a little surprise prepared especially for our PAL readers that we hope you’ll agree is worth the wait!

I used to be able to surf the net and listen to music simultaneously. Now I can’t. Why?

The PS3 extended the upsampling capability to audio tracks stored on HDD and storage media with v3.00. Some function on the XMB such as the internet browser and photo gallery outputs with 48KHz only so you need to set audio outputs as 48Khz to enjoy music and net surfing.

The first thing I see when I turn my PS3 on is adverts. What does this offer me?

It’s not just about adverts — the primary role of the “What’s New” screen is to get you into the game more quickly. You’ll be able to jump straight into the last three games or applications that you’ve been using. It’s basically acts as a short-cut to the games that are resident on the HDD, so that they can be automatically booted up rather than having to go via the game selection icons on the XMB. In addition, “What’s New” will give you a chance to discover some of the best deals on offer, read about the hottest stories currently making news across the web or even give you a heads up about some exclusive content our own EU Blog. We’re planning to improve “What’s New” in the future with some exciting content and customisation, so we eagerly await your feedback and ideas.

Uncharted freezes ever since 3.00 was released. Is there a fix coming soon?

We’re aware of the problem with Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune following the latest system software update and have a team working hard to isolate the issue. We’ll update further information here on the blog, as and when we get it. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and appreciate your patience and understanding.

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Well guys, I hope that’s helped answer some of your questions. Thanks to all those of you who have provided positive feedback on 3.0.

As a wise person once said, “You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time” — We love hearing everyone’s opinion so keep the comments coming!