PlayStation's Most Powerful Problems

[three3-times]

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/06/2...erful-problems

The other day, I was helping Call of Duty expert Bobby Amos get a PS3 hooked up at his desk, and a lengthy firmware update began. He rolled his eyes and said "This is why I hate PlayStation." And... I couldn't argue. I could've pointed out the Xbox updates I sit through or how hard I think it is to find things on the Live Marketplace, but I didn't, because Bobby's right. The PlayStation hardware on the market right now is not player friendly -- it's not designed with the idea of you plugging it in and it being easy to use.That's something that's got to change as we barrel toward the next generation.
For more than five years, I've been fortunate to cover nothing but PlayStation for IGN; with that have come heated debates over XMB/Xbox Blades, Trophies versus Achievements and so on. While I think the PlayStation wins on most counts, that comes from someone whose daily routine is firmware on memory sticks and holding the power button to switch the PS3 from HDMI to component. When you look at your iPhone constantly reminding you of updates for your apps or the 360 automatically updating your Achievements, it's simple to see the weak spots in PlayStation's user-interface.
However, it seems like lots of people are so used to the complicated mess that they can't see the sticky issues. Here are some of the more tucked away problems PlayStation has to address for next time around.
VIDIOTS

A few months ago, I posted the video above lamenting the purchase of Season 4 of Sons of Anarchy on the PlayStation Network. See, I bought the HD episodes fully expecting the ability to transfer them to my PlayStation Vita and watch them whether I be in front of my TV or my handheld. That wasn't the case. HD episodes purchased on the PS3 can't be transferred to the PlayStation Vita.
"Unfortunately, we do not have HD rights for mobile devices, nor do other device manufacturers," said Michael Aragon, vice president and general manager of Global Digital Video and Music Services at Sony Network Entertainment. "The studios have concerns about security and output control for these devices, but we are in constant dialog with them about this topic."
But here's the rub. There are three versions of most videos on the PSN -- HD, SD and an HD/SD bundle. While Sony doesn't have the rights to move the HD file to portable devices, it does for the SD file. So in the case of Sons of Anarchy Season 4, I could've purchased the SD version and transferred to my heart's content. Similarly, I could've nabbed that HD/SD bundle and passed the file around, but no one told me -- a man whose sole job has been to use the PlayStation platforms for years -- that this PS3/handheld relationship was the exact reason the bundle exists.
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The clear choice for an informed consumer is to skip the PlayStation Store.

Why not throw a bone to users and explain this relationship when they're trying to buy just one version? Why not allow the one purchase to unlock all formats? Why not make the HD/SD version the only one to buy?
"We did a lot of consumer testing on these options, and strongly considered pushing the HD/SD SKU on every purchase," Aragon said. "However, our consumers wanted the choice to forgo the SD SKU because hard drive space is a very precious commodity. However, given your feedback, we are going to ensure this is still the right option for all of our consumers."
See, I understand that hard drive complaint, but when I bought all my Smallville episodes off of iTunes, Apple forced me to take both the HD and SD version. I didn't know why, but it was easy enough to opt out of the versions I didn't want at the time. As someone who uses his PlayStation Network download list a lot, I can tell you it'd be a breeze to add that I've purchased each version of whatever video I've nabbed and allow me to pick and choose my downloads from there.

Even outside of this HD/SD issue, PlayStation has included video apps on the platform that now show how outdated the PlayStation video store is. The Amazon Instant Video App launched a week or two after I bought Sons of Anarchy Season 4 off the PlayStation Store. If I had waited, I could have bought the season for $20 from Amazon and watched it on the TV via the PS3 and on my PC. Instead, it cost me $42 on the PlayStation Store and limited me to one way to watch.
"We make money when Amazon makes money, so it’s a very symbiotic relationship," Aragon said. "Our goal is to give PS3 users a choice for which services they use."
That's noble in a way, but the clear choice for an informed consumer is to skip the PlayStation Store. That's not a mindset you want next generation as the digital marketplace becomes all the more important.
(LACK OF) FOCUS ON THE GAMER
When the PS3 was first announced, Sony made a big deal about it being the center of the living room -- the entertainment hub. That sounded great, and for many a user -- myself included -- the system became just that. All my digital photos and music are stored on my PS3, but that focus led to the PlayStation 3 missing the boat on the simple stuff gamers want.
A couple years ago, Sony unleashed PlayStation.Blog.Share, a forum where users could post things that would improve the PlayStation experience. The "most popular" threads haven't changed much since the platformed launched.

I'm not going to beat the dead horse of cross-game chat (the PS3 can't do it because of the way it was built), I know PlayStation Plus automatically syncs subscribers' Trophies, and LittleBigPlanet 2 does allow separate PSN log-ins. But, let's be honest: this stuff should be standard for all users in every game. When designing the PlayStation 3, it's like Sony got way ahead of itself and skipped these simple steps and chose to include "Printer Settings" instead.
I should be able to play with you on your PS3 and earn a Trophy on both our accounts. Your PSN profile should be the start screen of your PlayStation experience -- a constant reminder of what you've accomplished, who your friends are, and the greater online world. Right now, most of the people I know play their Xbox 360s over their PlayStation 3s because they think "that's where my friends are." The clunky problems above are just the tip of the iceberg as to why people are making that choice.
In a way, the PlayStation.Blog.Share has backfired. Initially started to give users a voice, the site now stands as a monument to how unable Sony is to iterate on its hardware. Not only have the items above been at the top of the list forever, an IGN article two years agoendorsed a number of suggestions on the Share site and only two of them them have come true (PS2 games, new avatars). Re-reading the article, many of the items from above pop-up and are joined by similarly cumbersome items like the inability to charge PS3 controllers in standby mode and delete Trophies at zero percent.
Why advertise what the system can't do but fans want?
F*** Firmware
I've already mentioned PS3 Firmware a couple of times here -- that punch-in-the-gut moment you come home with an awesome new game, pop it in, and find out you have to wait another 20 minutes to download and install the latest PS3 OS. Again, Sony has admitted mistakes in designing the setup, but alas, the PS3 is out and this is what we live with.
However, this is where I beg PlayStation to fix it for next generation. You can scoff at me and tell me they obviously will, but they've already dropped the ball on the PlayStation Vita.

The image above is from a flight I was on a month or two ago. After a week of coverage in LA, I downloaded Resistance: Burning Skies the night before my flight and was ready to shoot some Chimera on my way back to San Francisco. I powered up the Vita and found the game completely installed. When I hit start, I was greeted with this screen at 30,000 feet -- a long way from anywhere I could download the update.
"Unacceptable" doesn't even begin to describe it. This was a well known problem with the PSP -- this exact thing happened to me with PSP games and was mocked on all sorts of forums. Back then, we wondered why the UMD didn't have the firmware needed on it. Here -- with my 3G, constantly connect Vita -- I can't fathom why the game I downloaded from the PlayStation Store didn't make me download the new firmware, why it didn't bundle the data together.
When it comes to the next PlayStation device, make automatic updates mandatory for everyone. Let us opt in so that whenever a new firmware is pushed, PlayStation devices turn on and download so that they're ready to do the things we want.
PLUG AND PLAY
I infamously declared that the debut of the PlayStation Move made me sick to my stomach. It wasn't that I was that against motion controls; it was that I could see that Sony had no chance at capturing the casual market the initial reveal was aimed at.
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As much as it broke my Trophy-whoring heart -- I told them to get Xbox 360s.

My mom owns a Wii. She likes it and plays a game on it every few months. Now, I can only imagine the hypothetical phone call trying to walk through setting up her PlayStation 3 to play Sports Champions -- of course this is after the hypothetical conversation explaining she'd need a system, Move controller, game, PlayStation Eye, and possibly a navigation controller.
I have some friends from college who let this generation of consoles pass them by, and when they asked me what system they should get so we could all play together -- as much as it broke my Trophy-whoring heart -- I told them to get Xbox 360s. I didn't feel like trying to explain to them the process of buying a PS3 and then a bluetooth headset of their choosing and then the complicated setup for the ones that didn't buy the official Sony headset and then how not every game has party features.
Casual gamers love the Wii and everyone loves to play multiplayer games on the 360 because these systems are simple. You plug a few cords into the Wii, and you're playing. You buy an Xbox, and it comes with the headset in the box and you can setup groups once you're online.
If you're livid and telling me how easy the PS3 is to do similar things, I'm with you. I know how to setup a headset and game with friends, but I'm objectively telling you, other devices are doing it better than PlayStation.
THE NEXT STEP
This is just a small sampling of the hoops you have to jump through to use a PlayStation device -- devices I honestly love but have to admit aren't user friendly. What are the stumbling blocks you see when you use a PlayStation device? What devices are doing things you want to see in PlayStation's next generation? Let the world know in the comments below.

Mainly putting this here as i wanna see what you all think. Be open and objective. Dont dismiss it cos its IGN (who i dont get the hate for)

Personally i dont use my ps3 for gaming much

[Beast of Bourbon]

Some of these problems affect me more, some less but they are all valid imo.
They shouldn't be that hard to fix either (except emulation / backwards compatiblity).

If Sony can fix those issues with the PS4 we'd be off to a great start

[Ghost-Rhayne]

I can see how these would be issues for some, but none of these have personally bothered me that much bar the FW updates, and even those aren't a major issue for me. Of course PS3 has its flaws, but the strengths far out weigh the weaknesses so I don't really care. No piece of tech will always please everyone. People have different standards and expectations regarding the functionality of the product and how they think it should operate. My PS3 gives me full access to my laptops contents on my TV, and also gives me access on the go to the same content on my Vita. The games have been and will be amazing, so I don't really get my panties in a bunch when I have to update my FW for a few minutes.

[A7MAD]

There are some features that after 5 going on 6 years should have been sorted by now and haven't been, they do not make the system bad but they do make the experience annoying at times.

1. Why is it when I'm in the PS Store if someone sends me a message I get the notification but cannot see the message? What's that all about?

2. Cross game chat... I like talking to friends but do not want to leave the game to do that, having the other console that allowed that since 2005 means I have reason to ignore the PS3 variants of some multi-plats because believe it or not I use and enjoy this feature.

3. Appear Offline, by now we should have had this. Sometimes I do not want message after message when watching a Blu-ray movie, let me appear offline, maybe I just want to use an app without being bothered.

4. Some game updates take way too long to update, it's not 1 update sometimes it's 2 or 3 and instead of it being streamlined for me to only need to update a game from version 1.00.1 to 1.00.4 for example, the console makes me update 1.00.2 and 1.00.3 and then finally 1.00.4. Each with their own installs...

5. Stop the firmware updates so ever closely, have one that gets it right the first time. Sometimes I want to use an app or watch something via the PS Store or just download a demo and bam. I turn the console off and go to the PC.

These things may not matter to a fair few other PS3 owners but sometimes I don't want to be tied up with nitty gritty issues that take time away from my relaxation time and it ruins the experience on my end.

This is my gripe but in no way does this negate the consoles strengths or enjoyment I get once I'm in a game or talking to friends in that same game.

[F34R]

I have some software issues with it but still enjoy the system a lot.

[TGO]

Ummm all PSP games that required firmware had the firmware on disc, I ain't got a clue what the writer is on about :-/
And updates don't take 20 minutes, more like 2 minutes & is automatically downloaded on PS+
And its 1 update regardless how many you miss, I keep hearing this and its BS
"I hadn't had my PS3 on for ages and bought a game and had to download all the updates Sony released before I could play"
No, no, no, no, get ya lieing ass out of here with that shit
And to top it off firmware 1.67 for Vita isn't mandatory and was released ages before Resistance!

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2

[A7MAD]

@TGO

It's no lie (I'm speaking in regards to the PS3 not the Vita however), try updating some of your games. I had 3 updates to do with UC2 after I purchased a new PS3 slim and that F2P game... The name has slipped my mind.

Edit: DC Universe.

[DarkVincent07]

Hopefully all of these, and more can be fixed up for the PS4.... some of these really do get on my nerves. I love my PS3 to death but my god some of the small, simple stuff is just frustrating

[Pedal Bike Pete]

@TGO

It's no lie (I'm speaking in regards to the PS3 not the Vita however), try updating some of your games. I had 3 updates to do with UC2 after I purchased a new PS3 slim and that F2P game... The name has slipped my mind.

Edit: DC Universe.

The multiple updates is a good thing, not bad. If every time a small update came along, users had to download 1 big large update that includes all previous updates, you would have people downloading several GB worth of game data just so they could have 1 new car, or one new character skin. The way it is now is best because users with the most up to date version only have to download one file, the rest have to download each update incrementally.

To be honest, most of the article was a load of crap, some good points, then the rest seems like it was thrown in there just because there really wasn't all the much to moan about. It's like complaining that you need to boil the kettle before making hot chocolate :S

[AaronSOLDIER]

None of those really bother me, but I always wanted ingame XMB for PS1 games, other than that, no problems. Still has one of the best game librarys which is what its all about at the end of the day, what good are features when there's not many games to use them?

[A7MAD]

The multiple updates is a good thing, not bad.

I disagree, mainly because I've seen it work on another console platform over the years with the one update system, it's swift and small in size.

I see no reason why Sony cannot do the same, even if I do not get to see it on PS3, surely Orbis or whatever they will call the PS4 can/will.

[Pedal Bike Pete]

I disagree, mainly because I've seen it work on another console platform over the years with the one update system, it's swift and small in size.

I see no reason why Sony cannot do the same, even if I do not get to see it on PS3, surely Orbis or whatever they will call the PS4 can/will.

That is quite literally impossible. If there is 4GB of update data available, then you will need to download 4GB of update data, regardless of whether or not it's packed in 1, or 8 different files. Downloading an update in a "swift and small size" would be fine and dandy if the update was in fact swift and small, but they are not.

If battlefield 3 has 5 map packs and I have none, and then I download them all it's going to be huge, it's not going to magically be small just cause the last one released was only 1GB. For the users who have stayed up to date it will be a small download. The rest of the people have to download ALL of the data.

[A7MAD]

...but you gave me just one example from the many where games with smaller updates (BF3 is an extreme and rare scenario) could come compact in one update.

I'm not familiar if you've gamed on the other console platform but check out some title updates or some DLC, rather swift.

Anyway this is swaying from the topic a little, and I'd like Sony to consider a more streamlined system for their next console.

Does it matter enough that I'd not consider their next system? Hell NO!

..but these little things being sorted does not hurt.

[Pedal Bike Pete]

...but you gave me just one example from the many where games with smaller updates (BF3 is an extreme and rare scenario) could come compact in one update.

I'm not familiar if you've gamed on the other console platform but check out some title updates or some DLC, rather swift.

Anyway this is swaying from the topic a little, and I'd like Sony to consider a more streamlined system for their next console.

Does it matter enough that I'd not consider their next system? Hell NO!

..but these little things being sorted does not hurt.

I could give more examples, I just though I wouldn't have to since data is data regardless of what game or platform it's on. If companies are allowing users to download the updates in smaller increments so that they need only download the data relevant to them, then that is the most efficient form of distribution.

If anything, I think the Sony are distributing the DLC and patches is spot on. I just think that unless they provide more features, instead of "stability updates" in there firmware, they should space them farther apart.

When was the last new thing Sony actually put in the PS3? 3D? What happened to supporting the music visualizer? The picture slide show? A video export feature for PSP's? Better multi tasking, I can't even listen to my music while browsing the store. I can't surf the net, or view my pictures while in a chat session (even though you can send pictures? o.O) Stuff like that is just half assed and lazy man, those are issues. Having trophies not sync automatically is not an issue lol, hell I love that! When I sync my trophies it comes up "earned 15 trophies on random game" in facebook, quite cool, instead of spamming my news feed every time I get one. Oh Jesus!! I went on a rant >_- need to speak to my psychiatrist again :/

[Soldier 95B]

What size are the updates (not DLC) in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 on the PS3? When the 360 received an update, it's 2mb-9mb in size. It takes about 3-4 seconds to download and restarts the game. I have not played COD on the PS3 yet, so I am not sure what the patch size and process is like.

[Pedal Bike Pete]

Yea patches for CoD are normally pretty small, because it's just a patch with no maps or anything. The map packs bring in much larger updates. Can't remember how CoD distribute there updates, with some games all users download the update regardless of whether they have purchased it, might not be the case with CoD.

[radgamer420]

A few valid points but nothing that has affected my enjoyment of the PS3.

[DreDayDetox]

Software emulation for PS2 games. This is the worst move Sony could have done with the PS3 Slim, take out BC. But I think they did it purposely because the old model ps3's were being discontinued and so they could introduce PS2 Classics to the store....clever bastards.

[AaronSOLDIER]

They took out PS2 BC before the slims, to save money on the production. IMO it was their biggest mistake.

[D3seeker]

As far as updates go, it would seem like some bizarre cases exist where no matter your internet speed, system and game updates would take ages for some users. Certainly not an end user issue. Personally I'm not one of who's suffered this issue.

As far as game updates they can be a bit annoying, IF there are multiple and you got the game far AFTER it's prime. But to be honest unless you have a slow internet connection, or one of the few described above, that really is a petty personal issue. I will say though that IF the case is you bought the game late in it's life it would be nice if the updates were bundled, a dev issue, unless Sony has put some weird system in place, then it's their fault.

Other than that I don't know what's so dam complex about the system, or setting up anything, or what have you. It's not like most people haven't dealt with blue-toothed devices before and the XMB doesn't take an astro physicist to figure out. though I suppose common sense is lacking these days.

[TGO]

@TGO

It's no lie (I'm speaking in regards to the PS3 not the Vita however), try updating some of your games. I had 3 updates to do with UC2 after I purchased a new PS3 slim and that F2P game... The name has slipped my mind.

Edit: DC Universe.

I was referring to PS3 system updates, I wasn't sayin ya a lier mate, developer's need to sort out their updates that's true
And DC Universe can go suck eggs

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2

[keefy]

That is quite literally impossible. If there is 4GB of update data available, then you will need to download 4GB of update data, regardless of whether or not it's packed in 1, or 8 different files. Downloading an update in a "swift and small size" would be fine and dandy if the update was in fact swift and small, but they are not.

If battlefield 3 has 5 map packs and I have none, and then I download them all it's going to be huge, it's not going to magically be small just cause the last one released was only 1GB. For the users who have stayed up to date it will be a small download. The rest of the people have to download ALL of the data.

Patches overwrite each other and fix bugs with previous patches data so downloading them all and installing them all 1 by 1 is wasted bandwidth and time which is why many developers include 1 large patch for people updating form version 1.0.

[Pedal Bike Pete]

Patches overwrite each other and fix bugs with previous patches data so downloading them all and installing them all 1 by 1 is wasted bandwidth and time which is why many developers include 1 large patch for people updating form version 1.0.

No offence, but did you read what you just said? o.O Downloading only certain parts of an update is a waste of bandwidth? And downloading the entire collection of all current updates every time there's an update saves bandwidth? That's not quite right :P

But, the game patching process does normally work that way as you said, patches do include all former patches in each incremental patch, this helps the developers stop bugs cropping up, but it's not to save bandwidth. DLC on the other hand is mostly downloaded in individual parts as they don't modify game code, meaning they can be installed in any order, or even skipped, and it wouldn't cause issues with the game (unless it's online, in witch case the game would tell you to get you ass updated) :P

[keefy]

No offence, but did you read what you just said? o.O Downloading only certain parts of an update is a waste of bandwidth? And downloading the entire collection of all current updates every time there's an update saves bandwidth? That's not quite right :P

But, the game patching process does normally work that way as you said, patches do include all former patches in each incremental patch, this helps the developers stop bugs cropping up, but it's not to save bandwidth. DLC on the other hand is mostly downloaded in individual parts as they don't modify game code, meaning they can be installed in any order, or even skipped, and it wouldn't cause issues with the game (unless it's online, in witch case the game would tell you to get you ass updated) :P

Thats not what I typed and the use of the word ALL is the most important word in the sentence I posted you should learn to read it some time.

No offence

[TAZ427]

Well, I bought a new PS3 (old one bricked - did the reflow fix and backed it up and moved my 500GB HDD from old one to new one) the new restore only restored game saves not install info (like a pier to pier, or a restore to same system would - crap.) I've got PS+ but guess what all my game saves stored on the cloud when I switched it to the new machine went up in flames anyway. Didn't know that was going to happen.

So PS+ is great in that it does pull new updates at night. What sucks is if you install a new game like LBP2 (even the digital download version - yes I tried both the disc and download versions.) To play it it will pull all 14, yes 14 patches sequentially and install them. I'm not sure why the download versions of the games, which appeared to auto install (no longer in bubble state) did not pull the patches, I had LBP2 sitting on there for a week before my son asked to play it.

I hope if I install a game via disc, that I can skip the update and PS+ do it overnight. I will have to give that a try. I realize patches are a PIA for any system today, and while PS+ does reduce the pain for already installed games, it's still a major pain for new installs. Especially over the weekend where inFamous took 36hrs to download, while downloading I did some tests and my phone over my WiFi was getting 16Mbps download speeds, so the bottleneck isn't from my side. I downloaded along with about another 40GB worth of games on my new PS3 starting on a Tuesday evening and it was done in less than a day.

I'm not saying I hate my PS3, or that they haven't done things to make things easier for those of us using PS+, but for those of us who are bringing up a new system even with PS+ things can be a major PIA upfront.