PS3 firmware 2.7 "in April" - dev sources

By Tom Bramwell Published 25 March, 2009

Confusion stems from Resistance 2 dates.

Sony plans to launch PlayStation 3 firmware 2.7 "in April", according to a pair of developers speaking to Eurogamer anonymously.

Speculation about new firmware intensified overnight after vg247 reported it was imminent, and Insomniac's James Stevenson implied that it would be required for a new Resistance 2 patch to work.

The Resistance 2 update - version 1.5 - had been announced for Thursday, 26th March in a GameSpot video subsequently pulled, and includes the option for two people to sign in with separate PSN IDs on one system for co-op - a first for the PS3 and something the current system software presumably can't handle.

The patch also reintroduces the Meltdown multiplayer mode from Resistance: Fall of Man and a new "Superhuman" difficulty level for co-op.

The GameSpot report said that it would be joined tomorrow by a USD 5.99 premium Aftermath map pack (details TBC, although maps are said to be smaller-scale), and new downloadable skins for USD 0.99 each.

On the firmware, Stevenson had written on a Joystiq thread, "Resistance 2 is the first game to fully log-in two PSN accounts... And it was dependent on a Sony update, hence why it wasn't in when the game shipped."

Sony couldn't confirm the release date or any other details about the 2.7 firmware at the time of writing.

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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 (31) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • mcbi4kh2 #1 3 years ago

    I wish Killzone2 online services were as good as Resistance2's.

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #2 3 years ago

    The big question is will this mean both signed in players get trophies or not?

    The Whoring community demands to know!

  • Goodfella #3 3 years ago

    Cue lame "yet another patch/another chance to brick the PS3* type comments.

  • myiagros #4 3 years ago

    This is not a first, LBP already alows you to login as two seperate PSN accounts for co-op.

  • breedob #5 3 years ago

    I agree but I do prefer killzone's online multiplayer in terms of gameplay.

  • mcbi4kh2 #6 3 years ago

    @breedob
    So do I, which makes it all the more frustrating.

  • breedob #7 3 years ago

    @mcbi4kh2
    Does it take long to load up a match for you?

  • mcbi4kh2 #8 3 years ago

    No not really.
    Just the lack of a party system and not being able to see important server details before entering really piss me off.

  • breedob #9 3 years ago

    That is annoying but for me I find loading up a match just takes too long. Maybe they can patch it soon or release an update to improve it. Hopefully....

  • peterfll #10 3 years ago

    I actually think the steady free functional updates are a great thing, and Sony seemed to have stabilised the situation in the past few months are don't see to be issuing patches every other week.

    I hope there's more to it than just the co-op sign in. What about a fancy new screen saver? I'm so easily pleased....

  • oreillymj #11 3 years ago

    @myiagros Read James Stevenson's comment on Joystiq. LBP logs 2 people in locally on the same PS3. The new update allows 2 PSN logins on the same machine. Something no other game has done.

    [link url=http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/24/gdc09-resistance-2-patch- and-dlc-detailed-dated-for-march-26/comments/17856498/ ]http://ww w.joystiq.com/2009/03/24/gdc09-...[/link]

    Presumably both players can gain trophies at the same time as well as ranking up in multiplayer games.

    Hopefully COD6 will use this.

  • Toadie48 #12 3 years ago

    I got an idea, how about the 2.7 patch comming with the PS3's first must-have title, and also fixing the requirements of certain games manditary installation to optional.

  • jonsaan #13 3 years ago

    Having the option for 2 is nice. Being forced to use 2 accounts sucks arse. Halo3 makes you do that and you can't go online with a guest. As if I am going to buy a Gold account for each of my sons.

  • WiseNail #14 3 years ago

    @jonsaan

    "Having the option for 2 is nice. Being forced to use 2 accounts sucks arse. Halo3 makes you do that and you can't go online with a guest. As if I am going to buy a Gold account for each of my sons".

    You can go online with up to 3 guest profiles on Halo 3, although it is unranked games only.

  • jonsaan #15 3 years ago

    I meant co-op story. Is that possible? That's where it was telling me that my non gold secondary account was no good.
    Edited by 1 at 25/03/09 @ 12:25

  • Navi #16 3 years ago

    @Goodfella
    Even the bricking thing isn't an issue since 2.5. The admin menu lets you retry a patch if it messed up (does need you to have a pc to get the patch again though).

  • zuljin #17 3 years ago

    @mcbi4kh2
    "Just the lack of a party system and not being able to see important server details before entering really piss me off."

    Not seeing options isn't an issue for me - currently finding it annoying though when I play with friends because I always end up in one of two situations:

    1. Autobalance is on, and chances are I'm not on same team as my friends.
    2. Autobalance isn't on and people switch sides because we play, surprisingly, as a team.

  • steoc4 #18 3 years ago

    I'm not entirely sure what does does that LBP lacks.

    While technically it might not register all of our accounts as being online - I regularly play local multiplayer LBP where we all use our own PSN accounts, we can all earn trophies as we play, and we can go online and play as a group with other players online. It might be doing some weird 'faking it' behind the scenes but it's completely seemless.

  • mcbi4kh2 #19 3 years ago

    @zuljin
    The option to see whether autobalancing on is a must for me, when its off it enivatebly finishes 6-0 and is pretty boring which ever side you are on. Auto balance usually end up much tighter.
    Also FF would be nice, as would a ping.

    I would like to add a 3rd to your list if I may :)
    3. My friend cant join me on the same server becase its full and I have to leave and find another.

  • zuljin #20 3 years ago

    @mcbi4kh2
    I guess I see the usefulness of those. To me its always been a friends game I guess, and thats top priority. If that was fixed, then I guess the others you mention would also be an issue.

  • Burkey123 #21 3 years ago

    Can we please have voice chat with friends while we are playing different games sony!!
    Edited by 1 at 25/03/09 @ 14:13

  • Thunderbolt #22 3 years ago

    designerheadache,

    I imagine when that day arrives then two things will happen either MS reduces Live by 50% i.e. £20 as a nominal charge

    or

    More likely Sony starts to charge for the PSN, and this will be out of neccesity to keep up a top-rate online experience.

    I think most gamers won't mind £25 a year for a great service.

    Just my thoughts mind.

  • Rich72 #23 3 years ago

    i think it will be good year before sony catches up to present day live in which time xbox will have pushed further ahead. i don't mind paying for live in the slightest for what i get out of it.

    what i would really, really like is a ps3 pad that is good for FPS's. yes the dual shock is ok but not really anywhere near precise enough.

  • WiseNail #24 3 years ago

    @jonsaan

    I'm pretty certain that you can also do co-op story. However, I think it limits you to only 2 people per machine rather than the 4 allowed in multiplayer.

  • septimus #25 3 years ago

    I wish they would announce a Killzone 2 co-op patch. It would really benefit from it.

  • callum9999 #26 3 years ago

    I would mind, it's one of the reasons why I chose the playstation. I'm not a huge online gamer though, I only really go on about once a week so it wouldn't be worth it for me.

    Although I've never been on live, I'll happily accept its a lot better than the PSN to a lot of people, but when I play a game online, I just want to play a game online, and the PSN is perfectly capable of doing that - so I see no need to spend a load on it and then charge people to use it (I was completely happy with PS2 online though so I'm easy to please!).

  • Ged42 #27 3 years ago

    I hope they intergrate this into the new DLC for Resident Evil 5, that would rock.

  • Thunderbolt #28 3 years ago

    competition = good for consumers!!

    I completely agree.

    Both MS & Sony have had to work to work much harder this generation which has been great for us gamers

  • Rich72 #29 3 years ago

    i see your point Callum but i play regularly online with the same group of people and have a right old chuckle. that is bloody hard on PSN. also, i don't know if it just my headset but the sound quality of chat over PSN is terrible. Mate has the same problem with the official headset.

  • Scimarad #30 3 years ago

    If there was one 360 feature that I'd love the PS3 to support it's the ability to have multiple accounts signed in at once. It really is a basic requirement when having multiple people play on the same console.

  • FrankCannon #31 3 years ago

    I`d like improved voice chat. A browser that works properly without locking up the system randomly. A firewall.