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NonBorn
09-01-2008, 04:41
Wish List 2008: What We Want From Sony

Gamers are a fickle lot. As good as things are now on the console front, there is definitely room for improvement. With that in mind, we¢ve compiled a list of our biggest peeves, potential tweaks and suggestions for each of the three console manufacturers. From interface additions to in-game features, nothing was off limits. It¢s not like we have to foot the bill, anyway. Read through them, think it over and then let us know what you¢d like to see. Send us your suggestions, and we¢ll incorporate them in a future readers¢ wish-list feature.

What would we like to see from Sony in 2008? Frankly, a lot. In the age of online connectivity and gaming, Sony seems to be lagging behind in a few key areas. While its online features are available out of the box at no cost to users, the old “You get what you pay for,” saying applies in a lot of disappointing ways. Fortunately, things are looking up for PlayStation 3 owners, with a host of new things heading their way in 2008. Here¢s our wish list for 2008, in no particular order.

PlayStation Home
Our biggest wish for Sony in 2008 is for it to get PlayStation Home up and running. While we¢re a little concerned that it might be a little too ambitious for its own good, the idea of having a unified area that combines friend interaction, media capabilities, games, Trophies and more is something PlayStation 3 owners—and all gamers, really—should be excited about. It¢s a pity the thing isn¢t available now—it was originally slated for release before end of year 2007. Sure, it might be a little silly spending time decorating a virtual apartment while real-world homes stagnate, but customization fiends probably wouldn¢t have it any other way.


http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/rdonlyres/3B943F8C-DBE2-4FF5-B024-EBCDD04B52C0/14463/home.jpg

Trophies
There¢s no denying that Microsoft¢s Achievements have changed the way a lot of people play their games. Whether used as an incentive to try new things in games (would anyone have thought to play Fuzion Frenzy 2 otherwise?) or just as an overall barometer, Achievement points have been a great success for Microsoft. Sony is following suit with its Trophies, though we¢re still not exactly sure how they¢ll work, and most of the developers we chatted with in the past year are interested in implementing them, but they haven¢t gotten the tools – and this includes first party developers. Having in-game awards pop up in the Home interface is a slick idea, and the potential is great. Imagine beating a particularly tough boss, then finding a shirt with his picture on it in your avatar¢s closet. Better yet, picture that boss as a statuette suddenly appearing in your Home trophy case.

Points for trophies
As cool as that functionality sounds, we¢re hoping that there¢s a point value attached to each trophy, too. One of the reasons Achievements have taken off is their simplicity. You can see at a glance what your friends and rivals have been up to, and a number is a simple and effective benchmark. It¢s easier to compare numbers than trophies—having both could definitely elevate Sony¢s gaming reward system ahead of its competition.
Points or no, the Trophy system seems like it could be a great opportunity for Sony to take user profiles to the Web at large. Part of the fun of Achievements is being able to log in at Xbox.com and compare scores with your friends. If Sony¢s serious about this new functionality, it needs to step up.

Crossbar in game
The Cross Media Bar is a triumph in simplicity and functionality. Unfortunately, it¢s as good as gone once you put in a game. Unlike the Xbox 360, which maintains the same blade interface through all levels of its user experience, the PlayStation 3¢s XMB is only a front. Pressing the PlayStation button on the Sixaxis gives you the option to quit the game off or turn off the controller, for example, but those options are only presented in boring old text. We¢d love to see Sony not only do those things with the familiar XMB interface, but also have complete access to our audio files and other system goodies. Why not, Sony?


http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/rdonlyres/3B943F8C-DBE2-4FF5-B024-EBCDD04B52C0/14462/pause.jpg
Here's what we think an in-game XMB might look like.

Cross-game chatting
Sure, if your buddy is playing Ratchet & Clank and you¢re busy exploring the jungles of Uncharted, you can always pick up the phone if you want to chat. At this stage, however, you shouldn¢t have to. Sony obviously believes in Bluetooth communication—the PlayStation 3 has supported headsets from day one, and Sony packed one in the retail version of Warhawk. Unfortunately, without much of an overarching online strategy, each of the games on the PS3 feels like a separate island. Why not build a little bridge and at least let people talk to each other while playing different games?

Redesign the XMB
We¢ve already stated our love for the Cross Media Bar—so why do we want to mess with a good thing? Simple. The thing is almost too naked for its own good. Firmware version 2.00 let people tinker with themes, and while it¢s a step in the right direction, it¢s definitely only a step. What do we want to see? More. More options, more bells and whistles, more things to tinker with. All PS3s shipped now support wi-fi Internet, so having a handy signal-strength indicator seems like a no-brainer. Once Home ships, people might want to have easier access to their accounts—especially if Sony listens up and adds a Gamerscore-like tally. The Information Board is a nice idea, but it needs to be expanded. We propose a floating box with RSS feeds, weather reports, friend status and store updates. Of course, we also want it to be strictly optional. If you¢re a fan of vanilla, have at it.


http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/rdonlyres/3B943F8C-DBE2-4FF5-B024-EBCDD04B52C0/14461/homepage.jpg
We'd love to see the RSS reader expanded and have even more features added.

Text-size options
Hey, Sony—not all HDTVs that support 1080p are the size of billboards. It seems strange that users can tweak the brightness and typeface of the PS3¢s on-screen text, the size is apparently off limits. Some of us aren¢t as young as we used to be. Help us out.

Faster patch implementation
While we¢re happy Sony continues to have necessary updates and constantly adds new features, when there¢s an update for the console, we know we¢re in for a long night. Downloading the updates alone takes quite a bit of time, and we¢ve heard from a few folks (this is unconfirmed) that it¢s because you¢re not actually downloading a patch for the current system software, but you¢re downloading the entire system software package. Uggggh. After you¢ve finally downloaded the file, you have to then install it – which takes enough time to make you ask – is the PS3 really the super powerhouse Sony says it is? What about getting the option to auto download system updates in the background? Is that too much to ask for?

Downloading and installing games, demos, videos
Background downloading seemed like a no-brainer when Sony finally added the feature to the PS3, but it is still clunky. When you download a file in the background, it puts the file in a weird capsule, which has to be manually installed afterward. Call us crazy, but where¢s the auto-install process? Why have it gift-wrapped with a post-download installation step? The PlayStation 3's Cell processer is powerful enough to be used in the fight against disease, but it can't install software in the background? Really?

Fix Bluetooth drops
People have been reporting problems with the Sixaxis¢ Bluetooth controllers since the day the PlayStation 3 launched. There are fewer things more frustrating than heading toward the finish line on the last lap and suddenly, inexplicably veering sharply into a wall because the controller crapped out. Unfortunately, the best we get from Sony is a tepid, “It¢s not us, it¢s you,” excuse.

“There are always going to be environmental issues that we cannot completely control,” Phil Harrison told us earlier in the year. “I don¢t know if it¢s something that¢s going to go away for everybody forever. Having said that, there are always improvements to the handshaking and the protocols that maintain communication, and I¢m sure that they are being worked on to be as good as they possibly can be.”

As long as the problem still exists, these excuses aren¢t good enough. We wish you¢d fix this in 2008, Sony. And while we¢re at it…

IR remote support
We don¢t expect Sony to cry “uncle” on the Bluetooth front, but it would be great if they¢d wiggle just a little. For users looking to consolidate their remote controls, having a PlayStation 3 in the mix is a pretty good obstacle to complete freedom. While Bluetooth-capable universal remotes do exist, they¢re far more expensive than their IR counterparts. If Sony doesn¢t want to manufacture yet another PS3 rev.—and who could blame them, at this point—why not do what it did when the PlayStation 2 launched? Give users a plug-in IR receiver that could stick into one of the system¢s myriad USB ports? It¢s not the most elegant solution, but neither is duel-wielding remotes.

Better store layout
Shopping in the PlayStation Store is like going to a mall designed by Nick “can¢t comb his hair” Nolte. Kicking people to a Web site may seem like a great idea, but having the same interface for both computer and console users doesn¢t work all that well in practice. The site is needlessly complicated and confusing to navigate, it¢s hard to tell what¢s new and it¢s just an overall mess. You have a few nickels to rub together, Sony. Hire someone to make a store interface designed for people who are using the controller you designed.


http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/rdonlyres/3B943F8C-DBE2-4FF5-B024-EBCDD04B52C0/14465/store.jpg

Allow more PS2 peripherals (all of them)
Speaking of the PlayStation 2, that system had a lot of great peripherals, didn¢t it? Unfortunately, Sony seems to bear a grudge against many of them. While some of them work (The Guncon 2 does, provided you¢re using composite cables on a CRT), a lot of others simply don¢t. We understand that companies want us to buy new controllers—some shaped like guitars, for example—and that hardware specs and technology has changed with the times, but why not officially support legacy peripherals? Sony could release a PS2/PS3 dongle with an accompanying firmware update to get things rolling. Of course, with the shift away from backwards compatibility, this is probably going to remain a wish.

Fix the PSP store
The PSP is a pretty nifty little piece of hardware. You can watch movies on it, play a ton of great games and even use it to remotely access your PlayStation 3. If you¢re particularly patient, you can play PSOne games on it. We¢re not the most patient crowd here. If you¢re a PSP owner, there¢s no good reason why you shouldn¢t be able to download things from the PlayStation Store without using your PS3 or PC as a go-between. When you have enough storage space on your Memory Stick and a solid wireless connection, that should be all you need.

Whew. That just about wraps up our major Sony complaints. By this time next year, we might be up to firmware version 3.00 and many of our nitpicks could be long-forgotten. We¢ll believe it when we see it. Don¢t worry—Nintendo and Microsoft are coming soon. What do you think? Did we miss anything that drives you crazy? Send us an e-mail at feedback@gameinformer.com. We¢ll take the best ones and use them in an upcoming readers¢ choice wish-list feature.

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