SCEE's Maguire lets slip 'firmware 2.4'

by Andrew Yoon { Mar 3rd 2008 at 10:30AM }

Ray Maguire, chief of the UK division of Sony Computer Entertainment, let slip a few details about an upcoming firmware when speaking with MCV. "Achieving one million PS3 sales faster than both PSOne and PlayStation 2 is even more gratifying considering PS3 is a premium product introduced at a premium price," he told MCV. "Our momentum will continue with the introduction of in-game communication in the summer, firmware update 2.4 and the strongest line-up of games through our third party partners and our own studios. I'd personally like to thank our trade and business partners for helping us on the start of the PS3 journey." [emphasis ours]

Remember when Sony's official site leaked in-game messaging, only to have it mysteriously disappear? There's only two conclusions we can get from this: first, in-game messaging is definitely coming this summer. The other? Maguire is going to disappear as well. We'll miss you.

[Via NeoGAF]

Tags: in-game-xmb, ray-maguire, scee, xmb

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Hyams @ Mar 3rd 2008 10:36AM

Cool. Not being able to read a new message whilst playing a game is really annoying.

Schoolimangooli @ Mar 3rd 2008 10:59AM

Maybe it's summer for the UK, poor chaps always get everything late.

davey @ Mar 3rd 2008 10:40AM

good news but i would like to have it a bit earlier. Not being able to message people in-game is really annoying

AnyColourYouLike @ Mar 3rd 2008 10:38AM

Lol.

well thats far away to me =(

Haiddasalami @ Mar 3rd 2008 10:42AM

Wait so video chat while playing? I guess someones going to be hid in the closet.

Marcus @ Mar 3rd 2008 10:46AM

Until the summer.

That sucks.

emaxximus @ Mar 3rd 2008 10:46AM

Now that he's told us, he's going to have to kill us. But seriously, why does all the cool stuff have to come out in the summertime? Its wintertime and I'm bored NOW.

djRidz @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:02AM

He's from SCEE...

Thats summertime for THEM...

That means its at least 4 months earlier for America...

Hyams @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:41AM

Firmware updates are a world wide simulatanious thing, I believe.

gooftroop @ Mar 4th 2008 5:12AM

"Hyams said...

Firmware updates are a world wide simulatanious thing, I believe."

yes pretty much (few hours difference)

aarongardner85 @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:11PM

You do know that the US and the UK have the same seasons right?

Dehshizknight @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:15PM

The season thing is not the point. He means that, since America gets everything early, we might get in-game XMB sooner than the summer.

djRidz @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:52PM

thank you... that was exactly my point...

proog @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:03AM

Some whiners never stop. There are always something bad they can point out. No in-game messaging: boohoo. In-game messaging coming, but not right now: boohoo. Just be happy that they finally got around to officially give out a release time.

Hyams @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:40AM

People who whine about whiners are still whiners.

Popfrogs @ Mar 3rd 2008 3:18PM

@Hyams:

Yeah, you gotta be a complainer to complain about complainers.

ultrasur1 @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:03AM

we need something that will save draft messages every few seconds or so, as it can be frustrating trying to write a message with the dual shock only to get booted offline temporarily and have to start all over again.

ryan @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:42AM

just get a usb keyboard, only like $20 bucks

stirlo @ Mar 4th 2008 8:15PM

what do you mean booted offline? mebbe you need to look at your router / network first, that sounds really annoying!

Jason B. @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:06AM

Firmware updates usually occur for all regions at the same time or around the same time.

Dougal @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:25AM

Current firmware - 2.1
Summer firmware with in-game messaging - 2.4

Either they already have months and at least three firmware revisions mapped out or MCV story has got it wrong. Who'd thought Sony really had a grand plan? Why the heck don't they share at least some of it with us?

Jason B. @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:57PM

Just because versions 2.2 and 2.3 aren't released doesn't mean that they were never considered. Some things could have been added/changed or they might not have worked with the PS3. Afterall, we never got a version 1.4. You never know why some versions are never released.

Tranando @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:22PM

PlayTV needs firmware, I'm sure. And it launched in a few weeks...

That might explain one of the missing version numbers...

chris.westermann @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:30AM

The argument about whether in-game XMB is necessary boils down to the fact there are two types of people in the world. Those that have to stop what ever they are doing just to read a text message, and those that have a life.

Dahk @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:41PM

Helps with game guides and stuff too (for those in the latter category =P), if the browser is accessible. Unfortunately with the limited amount of RAM especially when IN a game, I'm not sure if this gonna be part of the in-game XMB.

And there's also a grey middle ground I think... which I think I fit into =P.

stirlo @ Mar 4th 2008 10:26PM

you really want to run a browser the same time you're playing? how about a laptop, ipod touch.. even a phone with wifi to do the same thing.. then you won't have to keep flipping between screens, you can read the game guide as you play..

p.s. i want in game XMB only for the messaging feature, i don't understand people who want to BROWSE while playing?!?!

Tony @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:45AM

DTS MA HD SUPPORT PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Ty @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:49AM

Dare I predict Home gets released with that same firmware update?

emaxximus @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:13PM

No, you don't.

lollipops @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:51AM

The argument about this argument boils down to the fact there are two types of people in the world. Those who slam every feature not on their console, and those who want it to get better.

I'm sure some people said that rumble sucked sand was a last gen feature, since the sixaxis didn't have it. The people who wanted it regardless, now have the DS3...which is better than the sixaxis.

Lars @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:45PM

I wouldn't say rumble sucks (or sucks sand, hehe). It's kind of a hit or miss thing for me, sometimes it adds a lot, sometimes it's annoying. But one thing is for sure, that I don't really miss it when it's gone. A lot of people were freaking out about a lack of rumble, but it's not an essential feature to me. It can be nice touch sometimes, but I don't even notice not having it.

Golds @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:14PM

I was told yesterday on the phone by a sony rep that the new update would be here around june. I was trying to get remote play working on my 20gig via a wireless home network. After he told me the release date of the new firmware, he quickly told me that remote play would be updated as well, so that 20gig and 40gig units could do remote play from a wireless home access point.
He also said that, Home, and ingame xmb features, as well as dual shock, would all be included in this june update.

I still cant get my psp to work via remote play on my home network...

Nonhippyhippy @ Mar 3rd 2008 4:02PM

where did u get that it will add dualshock? i have a DS3 and it works.. and its being released in the US in april, wouldnt it be wise for it to work then, and not in june?

biggrapp @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:24PM

it's cool that update is coming. I wish I didn't have to wait til Summer but, eh... big deal. what's 3 more months? I do wish, though, that I could at least listen to music saved to my hard drive while I play until that particular update arrived. all the other stuff ain't as important to me.

Jason @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:25PM

I get a total of 0 messages every time I play a game, so this update means nothing to me. But if will be nice that everyone will shut-up about in game messaging...now for XMB...

lollipops @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:59PM

i get few messages also, but because it's a sucky message system. I got tons of messages on Live, and when I had a 360, I could be playing a game, see my friend come on, and send him a message or invite to come join me.

Didn't have to quit my game, or even take time going to the dashboard. It was right there at a touch of a button. It's utterly annoying that the ps3 lacks this.

glenn @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:07PM

IM WILLING TO BET THAT IN-GAME XMB WILL BE OUT NEXT WEEK, MAYBE EVEN THIS WEEK. AND I BET IT WONT HAVE FULL MESSAGING SUPPORT. IL ALSO PUT MONEY ON V2.4 BEING THE RELEASE OF HOME. SOMEONE SAVE THIS COMMENT CAUSE I KNOW IM RIGHT.

erico316 @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:12PM

bye bye Maguire thanks for the info atleast

Dan @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:51PM

I'm not so sure about the benefits of this...its annoying enough hearing a 5 yr old talk and yell about things he knows nothing about

www.pieceofapplepie.com

Emophia @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:59PM

Jesus, we have to wait till summer?

Tranando @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:05PM

PlayTV enabled firmware will be out soon for PS3....

kentuckyfried @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:11PM

Why would Macguire lose his job over a the possible contents of a firmware update? It's not like the rumors haven't been running rampant already.

And for the people who don't know why XMB is important, try playing COD4 and trying to coordinate a game with friend for about 30 mins. You'll soon see why it's desirable.

Andrew Yoon @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:16PM

LOL. That line was meant as a joke. Don't worry about it, folks.

Popfrogs @ Mar 3rd 2008 3:20PM

How is it hard to coordinate in COD4? Actually it's stupidly easy. You form a party with your friends, then join a game. Wow, that was so hard. I wish they would improve that.

Clans do this every single day.

parkd @ Mar 3rd 2008 10:50PM

@ Popfrogs.

It's hard to invite them to your party in Cod4 because...you don't know when your friends are playing a game or not. Also, you can't coordinate if you don't plan ahead. What if you just see your friend online, in-game? I hate it when I get invited to a game but can't join because I don't receive it until I finish my game...That's why it's hard to coordinate.

blue69corvet @ Mar 3rd 2008 9:31PM

SUMMER???? u gota be f ing kidding me, I really hope thats in the UK, all the best games will be out by summer. Ill hardly even play ps3 durring the summer, i mean come on sony winter is the dullest season of the year all people do is video games, get in game xmb NOW

stargateheaven @ Mar 4th 2008 11:07AM

What do you mean summer will be dull? MGS4!!

kentuckyfried @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:18PM

Ok, let me qualify that. Let's say you want to play with a clan and not your other buddies. Or if you want to leave and don't want to be rude about it. Or if you're leaving but coming back at 12 a.m. and want to let your friends know. I'm just saying that it improves communication. Not a straight necessity, but still helpful.