Sony has announced today that it will soon begin deployment of firmware version 3.30 for the company’s popular PlayStation 3 console.
The new firmware adds support for 3D stereoscopic games, as well as the Trophy enhancements outlined below:
- Trophy enhancements –- Now you can more easily sort trophies in the [Trophy Collection] and [Comparing Trophy] sections. Sorting can be done with [Trophy Collection] in the [Game Category] and also when comparing trophies with your friends in the [Friend Category]
- Trophy Folder (Title List) can be sorted by game name/ by title according to the date in which you earned your last trophy (ascending/descending)
- Add-on list (Group list) can be sorted by original/the date in which you earned your last trophy (ascending/descending)
- Trophy list can be sorted by original/trophy name/grade/date of obtaining the trophy (ascending/descending)
Firmware version 3.30 is a mandatory update and will begin mass deployment shortly, Sony says.
Reminder
The trickle of PlayStation 3 titles featuring 3D stereoscopy will begin shortly, but a 3D-enabled HDTV and LCD glasses will be required to experience the content in 3D. Gamers with regular HDTVs or SDTVs will still be able to play these 3D titles, but they will be rendered as games are experienced today, with no illusion of depth.
Icrontic’s take
Bobby Miller: Honestly, I’m beginning to think stereo for video games is going to be more difficult to get the public to accept than stereo films or television. When you sit down to watch a movie, you’re locked in for the duration of that film. When you play a video game, you might just jump in for a few minutes before quitting, or you may leave multiple times for different reasons. In the case of multiplayer, you might be passing the controllers around to different people. No one wants to shuffle around controllers AND active-sync glasses to their peers during a gaming tournament.
I think adding support for stereoscopic technology through a mandatory system update will play a large role in bringing the technology forward to a larger audience but, ultimately, its success still depends on developers and whether or not they use it correctly, or at all. Gamers are pretty particular about how they play video games, and they’re going to need a very compelling reason to want to start playing while wearing glasses.
Robert Hallock: I’m not a console gamer, but I do like to jump in and play a few rounds when we’re, say, shredding on Rockband at Icrontic’s world HQ. It’s scattered enough as is when trying to figure out who’s next, where the controllers are and who’s playing bass when 20 people are itching to plow through Black Hole Sun (again). I’m not down with adding yet another peripheral, especially one that’s delicate, like 3DTV’s mandatory active LCD shutter glasses.
Maybe it won’t be so bad for long haul games like Final Fantasy XIII, which plays more like an interactive movie, but I’m not sold on quickplay titles or the bazillionty dollar cost of entry.
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