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PS3 OS Wasn't Final at TGS
LifesBlood writes "The PlayStation 3 operating system used at the Tokyo Game Show was apparently not final. Sony confirmed to GameDaily BIZ that the company has been in the process of finalizing it and that just like the Wii's OS, it will be upgradeable in the future." From the article: "We were told that this should not affect PS3 production whatsoever. Moreover, SCEA does not believe that the state of the OS at TGS had anything to do with the system resets or other glitches that some witnessed. Sony reiterated that it was the confined cases and other unfriendly trade show conditions that caused problems with the consoles. In addition, Sony said it has the capability to upgrade the PS3's OS after the console launches through its online network, memory stick files or Blu-ray discs."
Why would we be worried that the PS3 software isn't ready to go when the hardware specs weren't even final until recently? I mean, software is easy, right? Besides, nobody would mind if they had to update their PS3's operating system to get it to work properly. After all, game consoles don't cost that much that we should expect perfection...
Nintendo's controller is better than ours... SIXsux Nintendo's OS is better than ours... um Lets upgrade too!
...or wasn't the entire point of video game consoles to avoid the hassles and pains involved in ensuring everything was up-to-date on your computer? As far as it goes, Microsoft's Xbox update process is pretty painless, and if Sony learns from that, theirs should be as well. That said, I really liked not having to update my Famicom's OS.
Nintendo implies it'll upgrade the Wii OS over time to add new features and ensure that the Wii is part of the whole entertaiment system setup they're selling.
With Sony, it seems the reason they are mentioning that they can update the OS is to deal with bugs they expect to give to consumers in exchange for their hard-earned dollars.
Gee, thanks, Sony.
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Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
It sounds like having usb-stub or network updates supported would make it vastly easier to mod it. All it would then require would be reversing the update formats, rather than opening up the box and such. Ofcourse, it depends on how the patches work / what mechanisms are available.
I'm afraid that while the new consoles brag how adaptable and updateable they are, they'll lose the very advantage of being a console (no need to reiterate, you know the story).
At the same time Vista is going full-speed into unification and standardization of game interfaces, technologies, ratings and even unification of the hardware (you know DX10 is much stricter and there's no "we support 80% of DX10" - you either support all or none).
Xbox 360 has for it media center hub functionality, slick integration with Windows CE mobiles and XP/Vista (Live Anywhere), and sane price.
Wii has a unique approach to gaming and control interfaces.
I wonder what PS3 has. Fast processor and updateable OS? Well I have this on my PC.
The thing that keeps PS3 going (I hope) will be the brand loyalty, and, with some luck, some good exclusive games.
Tough call for Sony, but I wish them good luck with it, if even only for the good old times.
It would be stupid if the PS3 didn't do it. Not only would it mean you'd be stuck with bugs forever, but you never get new features. The PSP got some substantial new functionality such as web browser, AAC playback, location free etc. through firmware. I'd be pissed if a console in this day and age *didn't* offer it.
I know that many game studios have already shipped their final codebase that is untested on final hardware and software. Trust me, they are crossing their fingers that everything works.
1. Costs more.
2. Get to find all the bugs it shipped with
3. Controller may or may not respond the way you expect
4. Game manual may not accurately tell you how to do something, since the OS wasn't final.
but, most importantly
5. PROFIT! (for Sony)
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Microsofts..but they still released it!
Sony mentioned a long time ago the OS was able to be updated, along with its software to add new features.
Lets not forget about Sony's history with firmware upgrades especially as they relate to gaming hardware. When the PSP came out and I started reading about all the homebrew software for it I was really enthused and wanted one but those days quickly came to an end as Sony deployed new "features" in firmware upgrades and while they have delivered new software to users they also have locked down the device far beyond where it was when it was purchased in many user's cases.
For me the lesson is be ware of Sony products promising upgradable software as a venue for delivering more features.
That is corporate speek for playing the arms race between DRM and DRM crackers.
Sure it is - just ask any marketing guy.
All you gotta do is write some code.
Anyone else as excited as I am of having consoles that will likely require patches. Sounds to me that the "upgradability" discussed is just a big opening for same sorts of problems that affect pc games. I guess the good news is that horrible bugs can be patched.
I predict that symantec will magically find the first ps3 and wii viruses about a week after launch..if not before. Luckily with the online stores for all 3 vendors we can buy and download our "virus protection" for a small fee from the convenience of our gamepads.
D00dz! th4t$ s0 t3h SuXx0rz. t3h s0ny is just ripping off Nintendo now... (sorry got too lazy to keep w/ the 1337 speak)
No sig for you!!
I expect the upgrades are going to work just like those on PSP. Select the Update option on the crossbar, hit OK, wait for download to finish, click OK, machine reboots, and you're done. Very simple, very monolithic so even your grandmother can deal with it. No questions about drivers or libraries, it just works.
As far as the games coming out while the OS isn't set in stone, don't worry. Typically games come with all the software they need to drive the hardware directly, so they interact with the OS firmware very little. On PS3, I think they'll just plug-in into the firmware API through standardized calls for networking stuff, like chatting and other online services.
...Xbox 360 OS *still* not finished after product release! Wii OS to be released unfinished also! Linux, Windows totally not finished either! ZOMGWTF!11!1
:)
Imagine the sheer balls on Sony (my employer, disclamer etc.) releasing unfinished software to the masses! How evil of them! I'm astounded, gutted, horrified, etc.
Keep FUDing boys, it entertains us semi-rational folks
Game dev and music blog
Meh, the OS being updated via online updates I can live with. What is really scary are the anecdotal reports that Blu-Ray discs are incredibly fragile. Seems there are two issues, one is that the data is stored very close to the surface of the disc, the other is that the laser has to be held very close to the disc as well. So far all the Blu-Ray owners are the technophiles who by nature treat even the discs with kid gloves, and even some of them have reported that a stray hair or fingerprint leads to a read error. With the data held so close to the surface of the disc, the real worry is scratching. Fingerprints can be wiped off (but imagine a read error 5 hours into a game without a recent save), but a slight scratch could mean death. I'm wondering if all the PS3 errors and restarts at the recent show were more to do with the discs being either dirty or scratched and producing read errors. If that is the case, if Blu-Ray discs are as fragile as some are reporting it to be, then the console has the potential to be the biggest tech disaster of the last decade. Once kids get their hands on games and start being casual with the disc handling then we'll soon hear about if it is true or not.
This comment shows the source of the patch situation: damn programmers are too lazy to do engineering right!
Do you thing hardware is easy?? It ain't, and it's tougher than software by miles. Why is it that hardware has to be perfect at all price points and "low cost" software has no such duty? I'll give you the answer: programmers are lazy. Programmers have been lazy for so long that even users have no expectation of quality for software. And software publishers have been so good at backing lazy programmers that putting a disclaimer inside the software, unaccessible before purchase and binding before it can be read, is a legally accepted way to do business.
I've done hardware, and am now in software. Still, I think that somebody should sue the pants off a sloppy software publisher just like the dumbass that sued Lawn-Boy for cutting off his own limb while using a lawnmower to do his hedge-trimming. Maybe sloppy asses would wake up and stop playing with computers and start engineering products instead.
I'll leave you with a question to answer: what is the lowest price, for a piece of software, at which it should behave as expected and be free of faults? 100$, 1 k$, 100k$?
You're not old until regret takes the place of your dreams.
just like the Wii's OS, it will be upgradeable in the future.
Is that to imply that the 360's OS is not upgradable? I own a 360, and knew there were... updates to be had; game updates, Dashboard updates, so i then assumed that the OS was as well. Is that not true?
Didn't Sony blame Blu-ray for the delay of the PS3's launch? If so, shouldn't the OS have been finished before Spring of this year? Wouldn't they have had everything game related- including online- figured out and functional? All this "extra" time should have just been polishing, right? So far no online games have been shown working (only LAN play on Resistance) and we know Tony Hawk isn't even attempting online play. Mmmmmm. Could it be that Sony was LYING again? Seriously, has ANYTHING Sony said or promised concerning the PS3 turned out to be true? Do any of you Sony fanboys think you are going to get 100% backwards compatability and quality Blu-ray (or is it Blew-ray or even Blu-rry) playback? Do you also wait outside each Halloween for the Great Pumpkin to show up?
Same story, os on new consoles upgradeable. Shock (that's sarcasm in case you don't own an Xbox 1 or 360). Nintendo Wii: It runs linux (according to submitter, it won't)! You can upgrade it to reach the apex of civilization! It's brilliant and never thought of before! Sony PS3: Look at what a piece of crap it is! Constantly fixing bugs! Sony just wants force the DRM on us! The anti-Sony bias has traveled beyond obvious, turned the corner at hilarious, and is now getting on the on-ramp to conspiracy theory land. With Microsoft people trying to sell the Nintendo Wii, I don't have to tell you where the next exit is.
You just kicked me out of my ranting mood. Thanks!
You're not old until regret takes the place of your dreams.