back to article Sony exec confirms arrival of in-game PS3 messaging

The PlayStation 3 will get system-wide in-game messaging and video chat, a Sony executive has confirmed. XMB_screenshot This icon sparked rumours of a messaging update for the PS3 At a trade event held this week, Sony Computer Entertainment UK boss Ray Maguire told dealers that the additional XMB UI feature, which was …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Mark
    Gates Horns

    PS3 already does Video Chat...

    just not currently ingame. I suppose that means in game video chat is coming...

  2. Mark Jones

    PS3 update 2.4 ... in game messaging ... wow

    So no talk of an update to include the DTS-HD codec or the ability to output it via bitstream.. If it doesn't arrive in update 2.4 with a lot of new blu-ray titles now with DTS-HD only poeple who want to enjoy lossless sound will have to buy a standalone blu-ray player... thanks a lot Sony :-(

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Welcome to 2005

    Sony are finally catching up with the 360 in one way then at least, nearly 3 years late.

    What next? global achievements?

  4. Joe K
    Unhappy

    F*ck summer!

    Thats too god damn far away!

    From other articles i've read it sounds like they have it working now, probably have had for ages, and are holding it back till Home is ready.

    To hell with that, i want to chat with a pal while i'm playing a different game to him.

    Phone? Don't be silly, we're men!

  5. OrsonX
    Gates Halo

    PS3 catches up with Xbox360

    ...wot? u mean you CAN'T send messages to your friends on a PS3 at the moment?!!

    Bill, because he can do messaging lying down.

  6. Mark
    Flame

    re: PS3 catches up with Xbox360

    Yes, you can CURRENTLY voice chat, text message and video chat from the XMB, and you can chat and message in most games, as long as the other person is in the same game.

    What is missing is cross game messaging, voice and video messaging.

    As for Sony catching up. Thats pretty laughable, as whilst you may pick this single item, every other respect PS3 blows the 360 out of the water...

  7. Steve Barnes
    Happy

    Re: 360

    "The 360 already does this, and the 360 already does that..."

    Yes, and soon my PS3 will be able to do it... For Free :)

  8. Highlander
    Stop

    @ Mark Jones + others

    Mark, so you need DTS-HD so badly that your life will be ruined without it eh? Well, here's what you do, go buy a stand alone Blu-Ray player that supports it. Good grief, PS3 pretty much does it all. the 80GB model p[lays about 80% of PS2 games, all PS1 games, All PS3 games, CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Rays. You can have MP3s, photos, streamed media, MP4s, DivX, etc... Yet the lack of DTS-HD is going to ruin the party? Whatever.

    'Course Sony might add it in a future update, along with many other features they've already added. PS3 is like the gift that keeps on giving, it's gotten better and better over the months. Best of all, other than the purchase price it's free.

    @AC and others flapping away at the usual flamebait - boring. Let's sum it up. Xboxers say PS3 is only now catching up and is crap because of that. PS3ers say that Xbox is crap because it costs $$ and still doesn't work and besides All this extra stuff is coming for free, it's just taking a little while to arrive.

    Here's what I say. Xboxers - shut up, this is a PS3 article, who the hell cares about how this compares to Xbox? PS3ers - shut up, this is a PS3 article, who the hell cares about how this compares to Xbox? Got it? Good.

    Now, anyone who is still bitching about the lack of in-game cross game messaging so I can talk to my buddy playing Warhawk while I tear it up in Burnout Paradise. My question is this, apart from being able to send a message to each other, for example to tell my friend to hurry up and get himself out of Warhawk so I can cane his ass in Burnout. Apart from that, why would I need voice chat with him? Voice chat from one game to another is simply one distraction too far. If I want to talk to my friend, there's this thing called a phone. It's been around for years and is really quite easy to use and relatively inexpensive to operate.

    Look, it's nice that Sony are adding these features, but there is entirely too much emphasis placed on them. In game chat, in game video messaging, in-game custom music, etc... None of these are life changing. Besides PS3 already supports messaging from the XMB. It also supports custom sound tracks, it's in the OS, it can be done, but the game developer has to use it. People amaze me when they complain that's not enough and want Sony to provide the custom sound track regardless of the game. Most game devs provide a choice of tracks selected particularly for their game. Some games have specific music to set the mood and mark events. Game independent custom soundtracks have just never made sense to me. Some games and some game modes would benefit from custom sound. Great. Now, can the devs please do it? Other than that, let the game creator and director have their artistic license.

  9. mark carlisle
    Flame

    @ anon coward

    If I was posting drivel like that, I'd probably post anon. as well lol.

    go back to your 360 rrod fanboy site and stop posting infantile comments about a subject which you clearly have zero knowledge of.

  10. Andy Bright

    PS3 catching up with XBox 360?

    Where's my flashing lights? I demand my PS3 bricks every 6 months!

  11. Monkey
    Stop

    I kinda get mark's point...

    ...In that DTS-HD would be nice as a proper function. But it is hardly a show stopper. Especially when the PS3 simply converts the DTS-HD to normal DTS if you set it up properly (and yes I speak with authority as I recently set my parent's up for them).

    People need a little perspective on it. When the PS3 was launched it was certainly pitched as a budget way into the BR player market. People criticised it for this because it "wasn't a proper BR player". Or if you quote the knee jerkers "because it's just shit". And now people are sticking the knife in it because it lacks a feature of higher end BR players... Make yer minds up!!

    That's what the budget end means, lacking in certain features, and if you bought a PS3 as an entry level BR player it is something you simply have to accept. So I have to say I'm with Highlander on this one in that surely we have other things to worry about?!

    And talking of Burnout Paradise, if I get an in game message from a friend whilst playing I simply crash! My friends and I don't use the feature on our 360's unless it is a squad game VOIP, and I sure as hell don't miss it on the PS3. Messaging schmessaging. Who gives a toss when we get to play the range of games available to us lately?

    Wake up folks, we have something of a golden period going on gaming wise across all the platforms with what is available to us. If all you can do is moan, sod off and talk to one another on you messaging services....

  12. Andy
    Boffin

    Good lord

    Consoles are the new Apple/PC religious debate.

    What amazing poetry these bonehead gamers will write on their networked PS3 boxes. Their philosophical musings will aspire to explain life in its entirity. Their voices will sing grand anthems and sorrowful hymns over the ether. PS3 is advancing human civilisation by allowing sweaty social failures to chat to each other. Sony is the catalyst by which our civilisation will be born.

    Sony's decision to include video conferencing is just cruel to the gamers though. This will remove any doubt that HotCHick69 is really some doughfaced American boy. You'll be able to see in detail that all of your online pals haven't seen the sun in years and own extensive collections of fantasy role-playing games.

    It will be pretty funny to see that Lord Mordor, slayer of the 13 dungeons, dragonkiller, and owner of many purple items is just some kid with a mouth stained orange from eating chips.

    I would love to say that PS3 video conferencing will be the only one these joypad jockies will ever see a real life girl. But I've never met a decent girl who plays PS3. I once met a pasty faced doughgirl who in the darkened room she plays PS3 in could possibly pass for attractive. Lets hope the video conferencing is grainy. This will allow the console players to use their imagination when fiddling with their joypads in bed.

    Traditional taunts will adapt and evolve. "pwned j00" will become "you fat fucking glob of lard you've been sat on that couch all day" spoken over video conferencing.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    PS3 blows the 360...

    "As for Sony catching up. Thats pretty laughable, as whilst you may pick this single item, every other respect PS3 blows the 360 out of the water..."

    Except the main thing a GAMES console needs... actual decent games

  14. Iain

    Re: DTS-HD

    This wouldn't be an issue if Fox were to use either Dolby TrueHD (which is more efficient) or PCM (well, there's plenty of room now they've started using dual-layer discs at last), both of which the PS3 does support. Instead, they went with a format that until recently absolutely nobody had support for, simply because it's a little bit cheaper than a TrueHD encoder.

    Re: complaining so much about it, I don't think people would have quite so much of an issue if Sony didn't keep making vague noises about being added any day now.

    Monkey: There was a whole load of talk about the PS3 being a poor BluRay player before it came out, not because we were Eeevil 360 Fanboys, but just because the PS2 was so astonishingly poor at DVD playback on release. I think everyone who is vaguely sensible has since realised that it's in fact by far the most feature-rich player on the market, and the only reason for buying a standalone player is because you're either really desperate for the analogue audio output sockets, hate Sony a lot, or can get it cheap through some deal.

  15. Rachel
    Paris Hilton

    One for the Ladies

    @Andy - who are you calling a pasty faced doughgirl?

    I should prob'ly admit to not owning a PS3 just yet, but I got the rest of that s**t, man.*

    *cos it's not cool to list your possessions, even to prove how cool you are. ;)

    Paris, because ladies like to play.

  16. Monkey

    Iain

    The comment about folks moaning about the PS3 as a BR player is that yes, those amongst us who don't read the Daily Mail for educational purposes have indeed realised the machine is the most versatile BR player available, but a lot of people still bitch about the machine simply for the sake of it. Many of those bitches are in complete contradiction to the bitches from six months ago! As I pointed out.

    That's my issue. Having owned virtually all gaming machines from the last 20 years, as well as three arcade cabs as we speak, I don't have any preference or specific loyalty to a machine. PS3 or otherwise. My comment was that we have some stability in the industry again, healthy competition amongst all the platforms and killers games for each. If all people can do is moan about messaging and DTS-HD I simply felt they were missing what is right in front of them and depriving themselves of enjoyment.

    Point taken though about Sony continually saying "coming soon" about DTS-HD.

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like