Sony announces PS3 firmware 3.10 with Facebook integration, updated Friends list

[spaceballl]

The guys at Podcast Beyond had it right this week. Sony is always one step behind Microsoft in terms of system software.

The new Facebook integration seems half-baked.

How would you fully bake it? Are you looking to browse your facebook on your ps3, write on walls, look at photos, etc? For me, that seems way better suited to a computer. I don't use the 360 facebook app - I just use my computer's. What would you like?

 

[jaw04005]

How would you fully bake it? Are you looking to browse your facebook on your ps3, write on walls, look at photos, etc? For me, that seems way better suited to a computer. I don't use the 360 facebook app - I just use my computer's. What would you like?

Exactly that. It should be a fully functional Facebook app for the PS3 similar to Facebook’s iPhone app and the 360’s app.

There’s so much they could do with it.

1. Game invite system.
2. Integration with Facebook chat.
3. Initiate voice/video chats with your Facebook friends.
4. Allow you to post your PSN gamer card on your Facebook.
5. Allow you to upload game screenshots or videos to your Facebook.

And they should add options to only post certain things to Facebook (for example post only if I get a Platinum trophy, etc).

If you’re going to make a big deal about integrating with Facebook, do it right.

 

[spaceballl]

First off, i'm only halfway defending their current implementation - i don't really care much either way, since it's not that core to the product, but some thoughts...

1. Game invite system.

I agree with you 100%. Unfortunately for PS3 owners, Sony doesn't even half a good game invite system within their own PSN.

2. Integration with Facebook chat.
3. Initiate voice/video chats with your Facebook friends.

I guess... I'd just rather do that on my computer. I don't use chatting / video chatting on my PS3 right now. Facebook integration wouldn't change that.

4. Allow you to post your PSN gamer card on your Facebook.
5. Allow you to upload game screenshots or videos to your Facebook.

That would actually be pretty sweet, but i bet it's a pretty big technical hurdle to get it done. They have to make a whole screenshot / video recording UI, and then integrate that w/ fb.

 

[jaw04005]

That would actually be pretty sweet, but i bet it's a pretty big technical hurdle to get it done. They have to make a whole screenshot / video recording UI, and then integrate that w/ fb.

The API calls are already there. They were both a feature of one of the previous firmware releases. For example, PixelJunk Monsters lets you record gameplay footage and upload to YouTube and Wipeout lets you post screenshots to the XMB.

All it would require on Sony’s end was an option to upload to Facebook via the Photo and Video XMB menus, and to encourage game developers to allow video and screenshot posting to the XMB. If developers wanted to do what Pixeljunk did (integrate it within their game), that’s cool too.

And the backend for the PSN gamer card is already done. It’s called “portable ID” and it’s been available on SCEA’s Web site for a while now including their discussion boards. All they would need to do is develop a “portable ID application” for Facebook’s Web site to integrate that.

 

[IgnatiusTheKing]

I just installed 3.10 this morning and now my PS3 won't recognize discs of any kind. I also can't get it to recognize a flash drive, so I'm holding off on doing a restore because I don't want to lose all my game data. Any ideas?

 

[rezenclowd3]

I don't know why people fail to realize contacting the manufacturer for an issue should usually be ones first line of action...ESPECIALLY if its still under warranty.

 

[IgnatiusTheKing]

I don't know why people fail to realize contacting the manufacturer for an issue should usually be ones first line of action...ESPECIALLY if its still under warranty.

I did contact the Sony. They are claiming it's a hardware issue and want me to pay $150 to get it serviced (it's out of warranty). I know it's not a hardware issue because the drive was working perfectly immediately before the firmware upgrade, and I'm not the only one this has happened to. I was just wondering if anyone has had any luck trying methods other than the $150 screw job.

Thanks for chiming in, though. Your post was quite helpful.