Gamertell

I just bought a PlayStation 3 console when I read the rumors of a PlayStation 4 coming out soon and all the mind blowing possibilities of the theoretically new console. I could barely afford the PS3 much less worry about what its going to cost for a PS4. But, based on what Paul Holman (Sony Vice President of Technology) told TechEBlog in 2006, the PS4 will not be out until at least 2010…

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The PSP refuses to back down despite some claims of impending doom. Today (September 2, 2008), Sony Japan let loose a few details regarding future firmware updates to the handheld. These updates will focus mainly on the networking capabilities of the PSP instead of adding more trinkets to the XMB. Luckily the update will work on all new and old PSP models.

PSP owners will finally be able to access the PlayStation Store without using the PS3’s remote play feature or a PC. Full games, demos, wallpapers and themes can be downloaded straight on the PSP through a wireless internet connection. While this feature eliminates the need for the PS3, another upgrade to the software further expands…

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A few reports have been coming in from PS3 owners claiming the latest PS3 2.42 firmware is causing some serious problems. The most common problems allege the PS3 has trouble reading Blu-ray discs and staying connected to online games.

Firmware 2.42 was a minor update that provided improved stability on some PlayStation titles and some PS3’s just seem to not respond well to updates. Firmware 2.42 was released on July 29, 2008 and for the most part users have been happy. These issues don’t appear to be…

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Another PS3 firmware update has just been released. PS3 firmware v2.42 is more of a technical update than a flashy one. It doesn’t add any special XMB touches or new features to the system. Instead, it makes some PS3 and PS1 games play better on the console.

Of course after the fiasco known as PS3 firmware v2.40, and its clean-up crew v2.41, I’m sure a lot of PS3 owners are going to wait before making the jump to v2.42. After all, v2.42 doesn’t really add anything special. It just makes the console run better.

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If you’ve been afraid to update your PS3 ever since the hard drive destructor known as v2.40, fear no longer. Sony has made good and released v2.41.

Here’s Sony’s official apology posted on its site by Eric Lempel, PlayStation Network Operations Director, after it was forced to pull the previous firmware update:

“Hi, everyone. As many of you know, we released PS3 firmware update v2.40 last week, but had to take it offline temporarily because, for a limited number of users, the XMB wouldn’t display after the update was installed. We’ve been able to fix the problem, and I’m happy to report that firmware update v2.41 will be released shortly.

We want to extend our apologies to the PlayStation community for any inconvenience. Now we’ll be looking forward to seeing everyone online and racking up those trophies!”

The not-so-buggy update features include all those from the buggy version: an in-game XMB (Cross Media Bar, not yet compatible with all games), a Trophy System, some sound and imaging features, web search from the XMB and turn off the system from the menu.

Read [GameDaily] Also Read [Sony] Also Read [MadShrimps] Download [Sony PS3 Firmware Update]

EDITOR’S NOTE: At the time of this post, the Sony download page was still showing v2.36. Even so, this will be the link to the site where the latest firmware update will be available.

Hope you didn’t all go rushing to update your PS3s to firmware version 2.40, lured in by the promise of the Achievement-esque Trophy System, larger friend list and in-game XMB. There are 73 pages of consumer complaints on the official Sony PS3 forums all report the same thing - the firmware update ruined their hard disks. The XMB will not boot and games will not play. Instead, users will be met by the wave pattern.

Sony has immediately pulled the firmware update, as reported on the official Playstation.Blog. Joystiq writer Randy Nelson surveyed the massive list of complaints to report a possible solution found by users to restore their PS3s. If people with affected PS3s can remove the hard disk and reformat it on their computers. Of course reformatting means losing everything - downloaded files, add-ons and games, your profiles, movies, games saves, music, etc.

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The July 2, 2008 release of PS3 Firmware 2.40 is going to be a major, mandatory update for PS3 users thanks to three crucial features it will include. Sony really listened to PS3 owners, because 2.40 is comprehensive. It ups the friends list count, allows XMB (Xross Media Bar) access in games and a Trophy system.

That’s right, PS3 owners will no longer have Achievement envy. The Trophy system will act in a similar manner, rewarding players for performing certain feats and allowing them to brag about it. So far Super Stardust HD, Buzz!, LittleBigPlanet, Warhawk, Resistance 2, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation and NBA 09 are a few games which will have Trophies.

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If you happened to download the PSP firmware v4.00, then I have to break some news to you. You’re going to have to get out your power cord, charge up your PSP and do a little more updating. Yes, PSP firmware is now at v4.01. I know you all only just updated it on June 16, 2008, and were hoping that it would be a while before you had to update again. Well, sometimes things don’t work out - v4.01 was just announced and released yesterday (June 24, 2008).

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Nintendo has effectively secured the region-protected Wiis. The latest Wii firmware update 3.3, released June 16, 2008, has rendered Datel’s Freeloader discs useless. See, all Wiis are region-protected. They can only play games released in their region, forcing people who want to play import games to either buy a Wii from that other region (too expensive), mod their systems (void the warranty) or buy the Datel Freeloader program (just right).

The Wii Freeloader was a special disc created by Datel which allowed Wiis to play Wii and Gamecube games from different regions without modding the system. People simply load the Freeloader disc, then remove it and insert a game from a different region to play. It costed only $19.99 - a much better deal than a whole extra system.

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Google is everywhere, and it is only growing. Its next step is video game consoles/handhelds - but wait! It’s already on its way! The official Playstation.Blog has announced that version 4.00 of the PSP firmware is on the way, and it will include a Google internet search option in the XrossMediaBar (XMB).

So if you want to search for or see a webpage, you won’t have to go to the PSP browser and type in “www.google.com” or whatever the web address is. You can just go to the Google Search icon, type in what you want to find and then search. For people who absolutely hate having to type in web addresses in the PSP’s browser, this new addition will make things marginally easier. It also remembers your last 20 searches, so you can search through those instead of re-entering information.

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