"Great improvements" ahead on PSN

By Tom Bramwell Published 4 June, 2008

Watch this space, says Ted Price.

Ted Price, boss of Resistance 2 developer Insomniac Games, ducked a question from NickDude in our live interview earlier about his views on PlayStation Network, asking to be quizzed again once "great improvements" he anticipates are rolled out.

"Ask me in a few months," he said. "I know there are a lot of great improvements in the works so I'd rather comment after they've become public."

We might be reading too much into it, but Price's comment sounds a bit too expansive to simply account for what PlayStation Home will offer and the much-vaunted in-game XMB - rumoured to be launching in the PS3's 2.4 firmware soon.

What do you want from PSN, Eurogamers?

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (39) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • MaxiSleep #1 4 years ago



    well hows about not having 40 mins down time frora fricking patch every time the change the store or the os?

    hmm?

    pretty please?

  • alimokrane #2 4 years ago

    What the hell ??? 5 Stories about an interview that's posted on the main Page ?? get a grip eurogamer!
    Edited by 1 at 04/06/08 @ 19:59

  • CannonAnBall #3 4 years ago

    One only has to look at the US PSN to see 'some' improvements! It's not spectacular but it's better than the dross served up in Europe!

    Did anyone ask why European PS3 gamers are treated the harshest?

  • lambtron #4 4 years ago

    "well hows about not having 40 mins down time frora fricking patch every time the change the store or the os?

    hmm?

    pretty please?"

    seconded

  • drumbaby #5 4 years ago

    I want to have to pay to play online.

  • Laika #6 4 years ago

    Er... you can't wait 40 minutes, guys? What, like once every few months?

    Go take your ADHD meds.
    Edited by 2 at 04/06/08 @ 20:11

  • NickDude #7 4 years ago

    I want to have to pay to play online.

    in return for a better service? fair enough, but now its free, it should stay that way.

    and Yay I made the News. Great.

    Hopefully game invites and music in game, video downloads, in game xmb, headset support in every game, a proper reporting system and trophies for every game. niiiice.

  • NoQuarter #8 4 years ago

    European PS3 gamers are treated the harshest because they're buying so many of the consoles already. Why please customers who don't even care what kind of dross they get served up.

  • drxym #9 4 years ago

    My opinion is that Qore heralds the start of Sony's video download service. Qore is test balloon for subscription based video downloads in preparation for TV shows, movies, even season passes. That and Home and the new PSN and trophies and XMB and the other bits and bobs represent the new experience which if Sony are smart will be online and working before the holidays start.

  • xtc92 #10 4 years ago

    i want it to be a unified system like XBL, and no so f*cking slow

  • Frandroid #11 4 years ago

    Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I thought he was dodging the question as he didn't want to publicly criticise PSN.

  • DanWhitehead #12 4 years ago

    They really need to fall into a regular rhythm. The Thursday update is all very well, but when all it contains is trailers, wallpapers and demos that 360 owners had weeks ago, people stop paying attention. Both the 360 and Wii are offering downloadable games, every week, like clockwork. Not always great games, admittedly, but people still check in to see what's on offer. Sony need to ramp up production on more original PSN games to compete with XBLA, and start making better use of their back catalogue (and getting more 3rd party publishers to do the same) in order to compete with the Virtual Console.

  • Widge #13 4 years ago

    Start making use of the back catalogue is bang on the fucking button. And not the button that commences said act. The button that would hopefully prompt the release of all the past PS1 glories before we don't care anymore.

    Bishi Bashi was very welcome however. Loading it with Gran Turismo's, Final Fantasy's etc would be a welcome move... unless they see that as encroaching on potential £50 full title releases.

  • FladgeMangle #14 4 years ago

    Obivion DLC.

    Streaming trailers that don't need to be saved onto the HDD would be nice too. I can live with lower resolution adverts.

    Mostly Oblivion DLC though.

  • Widge #15 4 years ago

    esp as it fixes the vampire bug in the GOTY

  • Rrralphster #16 4 years ago

    Other payment methods then CC... pronto..!

  • Les #17 4 years ago

    "The Thursday update is all very well, but when all it contains is trailers, wallpapers and demos that 360 owners had weeks ago, people stop paying attention."

    Spoken like a true hardcore gamer that's oblivious to the fact that the majority of console owners have but a single current gen system...

    But Sony definitely needs to improve on the store. I haven't checked it out for quite some time (last time somewhere mid april when the update was implemented and with the new layout it became even more obvious how empty it is) and the last time I bought something is probably at least six months ago... On the other hand, saves me from spending money on stuff I don't need and probably won't play (much).

  • DanWhitehead #18 4 years ago

    Spoken like a true hardcore gamer that's oblivious to the fact that the majority of console owners have but a single current gen system...

    Given that I'm one of the more vocal defenders of casual gaming round these parts, it comes as something of a surprise to discover that I'm a true hardcore gamer. Whether people have one console or three really doesn't matter - Sony is in direct competition with Microsoft and Nintendo in the brave new world of digital distribution, and tardy demos is just one of the symptoms of their meandering approach. Even if a casual gamer does have a PS3 and nothing else, a demo that arrives weeks after the game is on sale is not a very effective addition to the PSN service - especially if it's the main thing uploaded that week.

  • MaxiSleep #19 4 years ago

    Er... you can't wait 40 minutes, guys? What, like once every few months?

    Go take your ADHD meds.

    Hmm. Well its a lot more then every few months recently

    I arrive home from work and normally have an hour or two to play games. A psn update means my ps3 is borked for the night. But I am glad you have time on your hands for zen.

  • dudefella #20 4 years ago

    I want localised payment options other than credit cards, as I don't have one.

  • MrGilder #21 4 years ago

    what... erm, i pay with my maestro on PSN

  • tobsen #22 4 years ago

    I want a freaking "invisible" mode so I can play games online without every single one of my friends knowing about it.

    Personal hint: Never put your boss on your PSN buddy list.

  • Bounty_Hunter #23 4 years ago

    I want a freaking "invisible" mode so I can play games online without every single one of my friends knowing about it.

    Personal hint: Never put your boss on your PSN buddy list.


    Just BLOCK him end of!

  • imamazed #24 4 years ago

    PS3z wants XBL(ol) LOLOL

  • David_Snakes #25 4 years ago

    Well, he obviously thinks it's shit.

  • 3william56 #26 4 years ago

    Enough with the eleventy six articles made up of quotes from an interview already on the site!

  • Dizzy #27 4 years ago

    It has potential! Any day now.

  • Darren #28 4 years ago

    What do I want from PSN?

    Well the long overdue Wipeout HD would be very, very nice (even if that is technically the PS Store)! ;)

  • Les #29 4 years ago

    "Even if a casual gamer does have a PS3 and nothing else, a demo that arrives weeks after the game is on sale is not a very effective addition to the PSN service - especially if it's the main thing uploaded that week."

    That gamer wouldn't know that said demo was a week late on his/her PSN compared to Live so it would hardly be perceived as a negative.

  • Steroyd #30 4 years ago

    Well, he obviously thinks it's shit.

    Why?

    Recently devs have more or less confirmed delightful features in the 2.40 firmwire (which is coming soon), so it could be a case of he knows exactly what's coming and if he made an opinion right now and those features were added tomorrow, it wouldn't look good on him especially if he knew about said features in advance.

  • login_name #31 4 years ago

    tardy demos is just one of the symptoms of their meandering approach

    If you're referring to first party demos, then fair comment. If you're referring to second or third party demos, it's hardly Sony's fault if the developer/publisher doesn't submit their software sooner.

  • DanWhitehead #32 4 years ago

    That gamer wouldn't know that said demo was a week late on his/her PSN compared to Live so it would hardly be perceived as a negative.

    I'm talking about demos being used as a promotional tool. A gamer doesn't have to know if the same demo has already been available elsewhere, simply that the hype for the game in question has come and gone. Even casual gamers are aware of what's out in the shops, and are unlikely to see a demo for a game that's been on sale for a few weeks as anything to get excited about. And that's really what the PSN needs - things to get people excited, to keep them coming back, rather than downloading something because there's nothing else available.

    The idea that people will only be disappointed with the PlayStation Store if they have no idea what's available on the 360 and Wii just doesn't hold water.

  • sickpuppysoftware #33 4 years ago

    Demos for the PSN games. Reviews of a lot of them are hard to come by. What are we supposed to do, guess if it'll be good? Even screenshots would be a start!

  • Darren #34 4 years ago

    Well free trials for ALL demos would be a good start a la Xbox Live Marketplace. If Microsoft can do it for all their XBLA games then I really don't see why Sony can't. For example, there is no trial for Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (or whatever it's called) on the European PSN but there is for the US. That is just plain wrong IMO.

  • betahoven #35 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:36:16 17-12-2011

  • exprohound #36 4 years ago

    better content just like the xbox marketplace, trial games would be good and quicker downloads

  • jiggles100 #37 4 years ago

    I hope they separate out the PSP stuff. They need to improve navigation too. Presentation of content. And why on eearth do the images still take so long to populate. I fali to see how these folks can make such a mess out of something so simple. It's as if they gave it to a first year student! WAKE UP SONY!!!
    Edited by 1 at 05/06/08 @ 10:52

  • BobsUncle #38 4 years ago

    Trial Games +1.

    It really pisses me off when I want to try a game but I have to pay 3-5 quid for it first, then find out it's shit (like Pain). Coming from Xbox live I was frankly shocked at how shit PSN is. And why does it ask you when you want to leave the store? On Live it's a simple case of changing tab/blade. It's transparent that you've moved anywhere else.

    BTW, if you download the updates onto a USB drive from the website you get them a lot quicker. Took me around 10 mins to install a new Hard disk and the dashboard. Shame I've hardly used it, what with being shit and all.

  • Les #39 4 years ago

    "The idea that people will only be disappointed with the PlayStation Store if they have no idea what's available on the 360 and Wii just doesn't hold water."

    Which isn't what I'm saying. I only reacted to the "The Thursday update is all very well, but when all it contains is trailers, wallpapers and demos that 360 owners had weeks ago, people stop paying attention." part where you dragged the competition into it.

    But personally, I think the VC is rather crap. Do like the WiiWare stuff though. If only they didn't charge points, the bastards.