Feedback: Another Year Of PlayStation Growth?

[Not Ashley]

Yo homies! Word on the street is that PlayStation Beyond will be running a series of features looking at the future of all things PlayStation, with new 'episodes' on Fridays! The first one is up now; think of it as more of a teaser of what's to come. Please give us your thoughts on each new feature in this topic.

Each week we'll be asking you a question related to the next episode's subject matter, with the best views appearing in the feature. The first one is:

What do you think should be done in the next year to push the online gaming aspects of the PlayStation 3 into a new era?

[rockleex]

Why is nobody replying to this?

Basically for online, Sony needs integration. Just integrate anything into everything else.

Home integration with games, with PSP, with VidZone, etc.
PSN integration with PSP, etc.

I have lots of ideas, but its 2:30 AM in the morning right now and my mind is going blank. So hopefully other people come up with more ideas.

By the way Ashley, you're site staff yet you're only 15 years old?! O_o

[rbrtchng]

I think what's important is to not just cater to big time developers like epic or square enix that may cost a fortune to secure exclusive rights. I think more importantly, we need to cater to the little guys. Some of the most brilliant games are PSN games. Obviously the PS fans have a lot of game ideas in their minds (otherwise LBP wouldn't be as hyped as it is), so why not create a Playstation version of XNA, but easier to use (like Torque engine).

But more importantly than that is to create a full suite of community features. I dont want Sony to play catch-up anymore with Live. I want them to say, "screw it, we're going to make our own thing." I want PSN to be a separate entity. I want Sony to say, "while Live has this, we have this." I want features that aren't on other platforms. I'd rather have PSN to allow universal game replay or video uploads, graffiti Home (or custom paint stuff), Home concerts (create video or music), Home Hall of Fame (universal leaderboards), or anything crazy. I want what's never been done before. If I wanted Live, i would've paid for it (actually..no).

[Not Ashley]

Thanks for the feedback at long last guys. Yes, I'm 15, but there's no problem with that – I've written for various places over the years, including Gaming Target and N-Europe, and I'm serious about writing, so I can't see why age would matter.

[A Plywood Cow]

Originally posted by rbrtchng

But more importantly than that is to create a full suite of community features. I dont want Sony to play catch-up anymore with Live. I want them to say, "screw it, we're going to make our own thing." I want PSN to be a separate entity. I want Sony to say, "while Live has this, we have this." I want features that aren't on other platforms. I'd rather have PSN to allow universal game replay or video uploads, graffiti Home (or custom paint stuff), Home concerts (create video or music), Home Hall of Fame (universal leaderboards), or anything crazy. I want what's never been done before. If I wanted Live, i would've paid for it (actually..no).

If you wanted something original, you probably wouldn't want the console version of Second life, but I digress. I do agree that they need to do more things original to stand out from what I believe, is the best online you can get on a console. Really, what this comes down to, is excellent service, and excellent ideas that are deployed and used well. Again, it is hard to go up against the system that Microsoft has employed into the 360, and in my opinion, it will take a lot to make people go 'Wow' at the PS3's online, rather then the 360's.

[rbrtchng]

Originally posted by Tycoon

If you wanted something original, you probably wouldn't want the console version of Second life, but I digress. I do agree that they need to do more things original to stand out from what I believe, is the best online you can get on a console. Really, what this comes down to, is excellent service, and excellent ideas that are deployed and used well. Again, it is hard to go up against the system that Microsoft has employed into the 360, and in my opinion, it will take a lot to make people go 'Wow' at the PS3's online, rather then the 360's.

Yeah, no argument there. Live has been the defacto of online service across all platforms.

If I was Sony, I'd take PSN through the Wii method. Don't go up against a giant, but be another giant of your own. Wii simply said "we can't compete for the hardcore audience, so we'll go for casuals." Sony needs that. Sony can't remake Live and make it better, so they'll need something new. Well, probably not that they can't, but playing catchup isn't as appealing to me as creating new things.

[Not Ashley]

I'm with you 100 percent rbrtchng. The X360's Live service is the undisputed king of online gaming services for any console, and Sony trying to compete with it (whilst offering it for free) isn't going to work. There's no denying what Sony has with the Network is a great and functional service, but it would be better off realising it should stop trying to compete with Live.

[Mortim]

Wooh... all going well the next (and essentially first) episode will be up tonight. Staff members will know it's already written, but there's a few alterations and additional tidbits I've picked up over the last few weeks.

Plus!

I've already started cracking with the next two episodes, the first of which you'll get a hint at as always at the end of this next episode.

Both new episodes potentially have a large involvement with aspects of online gaming so the poll question is as important as ever. Think tangible, think unique, think awe-inspiring. We want to seem some concepts for development that will progress console gaming on the whole.

Take a look at the likes of MAG's massive numbers, at PixelJunks ability to upload Youtube videos directly, at the rumoured ability to take ingame screenshots and host them instantly. These sort of advancements are logical, desirable, and were probably forseeable some time back. Plus each of them required at least one bright spark to light the fuse.

This next episode should provide much more in the way of thought-wrenching prospects for you to sink your teeth into, and play your own hand at sketching your own future for the PS3.

The most interesting of ideas will receive full recognition in the relevant article!

Mort

A big thanks for the input on Episode 1 too by the way. Although it's been sat written for some time, we kept the question rather open-ended to provide inspiration further down the line. I took that one step further and rewrote large chunks of the article to incorporate some concepts much more than previously.

Episode 2 is now live. Get creative, as always your hint for the next episode is at the bottom of the article.

[Not Ashley]

Thanks for the feedback guys! The new feature is up now; on that note it's question time!

How do you want to tie your PS3 to your PC – where would you like to see progress made to make the two work side-by-side in your home?

[rbrtchng]

Forget about PC integration into the PS3. I think there are much more important things to do than to do that. I think, if anything, update all the codecs plus allow compatibility with all the music files. That would be all that I want. That way, it's more than a PC-centric update. It benefits the PS3 as a whole.

For me, the PS3 is a media hub. To accomplish that, it needs to be able to play all the media. Connectivity with the PC is just an extention of its function. And so far, so good.

If Sony wants to get real creative, they can look into cloud-computing: push emails, calenders, notes, etc. That means, push-friend invites, messages, etc. So that when you invite friends or get messages or want to check people's statuses, you can do it on your PC. It'd be like XMB/PSN on the web. (Like how Live is on the PC and it records all of your achievements, messages, invites, players met, etc.) But this feature is just icing on the cake. Sony needs to get Home/PSN functionalities down first before even touching PC and other extentions.

Speaking of extentions, Sony should look into mobile PCs as a new source for PSN integration. Maybe Remote Play for Iphone?

And yes, a Gamercard-esque integration to show off your trophies on forums would be nice.

[Mortim]

I'm sure you just hit on at least three of the paragraphs I have drafted.

You're right, it's not their next move by far, but we're looking at a years worth of development here and I simply hope that those little increases in services like new codecs will come as part of that bundle.

Good thinking though. I like the push email etc. concept, simply as it would work hand in hand with a lot of other services currently available, and be available for possible features like this weeks Group mechanic.

[Not Ashley]

That's cool, rbrtchng, and we should have made the question clearer. It's not limited to connectivity, but functions your computer has which you'd like on the PS3 as well; being able to play all – or more – music files is a good suggestion.

[rbrtchng]

Oh, my bad. I see what you mean now.

But I believe one of the biggest mistake Sony has made with the PS3 is trying to sell it as a PC. Like I stated before, to me, the PS3 is just a media hub. It should not replace the PC or anything else. Not that replacing the PC is a bad idea, it's just that putting any focus on that would mean less focus on more important aspects: secure more 3rd party titles, help 3rd party with dev by providing better dev kits, price cuts (not necessarily the console, but the games. I have NO idea how SONY could do this tho), marketing, etc.

Nevertheless, if everything else said is done, then Sony can focus on creating a PC experience on the big screen. To do this, one of the most important thing is marketing. Sony must market that linux on the PS3 is easy to create, easy to use, and actually useful. To have these be true tho, the PS3 needs better OS to OS switch, so that a person can easily switch between the XMB for PS3 gaming pleasure, or Linux for their PC fix. With that said, their Linux needs to be better. Sony needs to reach out to the Linux community and actually create a PS3-centric Linux. What that means is, have important bits of the XMB actually appear on the Linus: game launch, invites, messaging, media hub functionalities, etc. Aside from implementing the XMB into the Linux, the Linux needs to be better with better codecs and such so that a person can play any media file on the Linux. Another big thing is the web browser. PLEASE JUST F'ING USE FIREFOX. It's just better.

So that's a start for me with the PC functionality. Speaking of the PC functionality, Sony should advertise and make the media more focused on what PS3 does better than its competitions, instead of saying "we're fixing the PSN" because that statement puts PSN directly in competition with Live, making it very negative. With that said, Sony needs to capitalize on its region-free capability. That is probably one of the biggest selling point of the PS3 that it has better than other consoles. But EVEN THAT'S BROKEN! Sony needs to perfect that in a way that SCEE, SCEA, and SCEJ all provide the same experience. Everyone with a PS3 knows it's pretty much: SCEJ>SCEA>>>SCEE. They need to communicate better so that everyone gets the same PSN content, everyone can play everyone, and nobody gets left behind. That's not to say to make SCEJ or SCEA worse to fit SCEE. It's to say: make SCEE better. Yes, I know there's localization problems, but fuck that. Gamers don't care about excuses. We only care about results.

But I digress: make the PS3 a gaming machine first, then comes the media hub, then comes the PC. And hire Wii's marketing team. And for god's sake, hire Itagaki before he starts begging and cries.

[seedaripper1973]

Originally posted by rbrtchng

Oh, my bad. I see what you mean now. But I believe one of the biggest mistake Sony has made with the PS3 is trying to sell it as a PC. Like I stated before, to me, the PS3 is just a media hub. It should not replace the PC or anything else. Not that replacing the PC is a bad idea, it's just that putting any focus on that would mean less focus on more important aspects: secure more 3rd party titles, help 3rd party with dev by providing better dev kits, price cuts (not necessarily the console, but the games. I have NO idea how SONY could do this tho), marketing, etc. Nevertheless, if everything else said is done, then Sony can focus on creating a PC experience on the big screen. To do this, one of the most important thing is marketing. Sony must market that linux on the PS3 is easy to create, easy to use, and actually useful. To have these be true tho, the PS3 needs better OS to OS switch, so that a person can easily switch between the XMB for PS3 gaming pleasure, or Linux for their PC fix. With that said, their Linux needs to be better. Sony needs to reach out to the Linux community and actually create a PS3-centric Linux. What that means is, have important bits of the XMB actually appear on the Linus: game launch, invites, messaging, media hub functionalities, etc. Aside from implementing the XMB into the Linux, the Linux needs to be better with better codecs and such so that a person can play any media file on the Linux. Another big thing is the web browser. PLEASE JUST F'ING USE FIREFOX. It's just better. So that's a start for me with the PC functionality. Speaking of the PC functionality, Sony should advertise and make the media more focused on what PS3 does better than its competitions, instead of saying "we're fixing the PSN" because that statement puts PSN directly in competition with Live, making it very negative. With that said, Sony needs to capitalize on its region-free capability. That is probably one of the biggest selling point of the PS3 that it has better than other consoles. But EVEN THAT'S BROKEN! Sony needs to perfect that in a way that SCEE, SCEA, and SCEJ all provide the same experience. Everyone with a PS3 knows it's pretty much: SCEJ>SCEA>>>SCEE. They need to communicate better so that everyone gets the same PSN content, everyone can play everyone, and nobody gets left behind. That's not to say to make SCEJ or SCEA worse to fit SCEE. It's to say: make SCEE better. Yes, I know there's localization problems, but fuck that. Gamers don't care about excuses. We only care about results. But I digress: make the PS3 a gaming machine first, then comes the media hub, then comes the PC. And hire Wii's marketing team. And for god's sake, hire Itagaki before he starts begging and cries.

some great ideas here mate (and some well chosen rants)
My current set up is as follows... 47 inch 1080p tv with RGB/pc input and hdmi with picture in picture access , a 60gig PS3, a pentuim 4 horizontal PC, with wireless keyboard and built in mouse..my point is i can still surf the net (via my comp) and still check friend invites or surf the ps3 browser via PiP...now what i did find interesting is the linux side of things,i must admit i was interested when i initially got my PS3 to get it on there (i.e formatting the HD in order to make room) but from what i gather it takes up shed loads of partitioned space, so thought sod it..but in theory with the new 80 gig models and the 160 gigs due out, wouldn't it be cool if the new models came with linux pre-installed (unfortunately alot of 'joe's' on the street wouldn't know how to do it) and hopefully a (as you pointed out) a more streamlined version of linux (not just yellow dog, which is good, just too clunky) an official bluetooth keyboard, and hey presto! good bye pc

[Mortim]

You may be wondering where this weeks episode has gotten to...

Well, me too...

It's complete, but it seems I've left it at work. Provided I can VPN my way into my personal documents over the weekend, we'll be sure to have it up here for everyone asap.

Sorry!

Mort