It's good news all round for PlayStation 3 gamers, after Sony revealed that they are hoping to make firmware updates less frequent.
Many fans are getting frustrated by the sheer number of firmware updates seen recently, particularly as many bring just minor updates. Not that we mind when there are major updates, though.
Eric Lempel, PlayStation Director of Network Operations, told MTV: "We're trying to certainly cut down on the amount of times we do it. But on occasion when we've got these good features ready to go, let's give them out to the consumers. Let's get them out there. We definitely understand that it does happen frequently and that can be somewhat annoying to some users."
Although gamers can continue to play their games without the firmware updates, they are unable to sign in to PlayStation Network and therefore are unable to participate in online gaming.
One more firmware update is still expected this year, with the much-desired in-game XMB, custom soundtracks and friends list functionality rumoured to be included.
Source: GameDaily

fIRM WARE UPDATES ARE NOT A PROPLEM AT ALL. IF ANYTHING THEY R GREAT. ADD ONS AND UPDATES BRING NEW THINGS TO THE TABLE. WHICH IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS MADE PSP's SO SUCESSFUL. i WAS HOPEING THEY WOULD GET A NEW FIRMWARE UPDATE TO FIX THAT FREE TIMESHIFT DEMO. IT STILL WONT INSTALL ON MY PS3.
That's a great difference with Xbox360 there, why cut it off?
No-PSN isn't an excuse for frustration, it's not a big deal to let the PS3 download the update, then install it. I like knowing that a new firmware can be released any time soon, rather than hopig to see a new one in the next six months!
well, the recent number firmware updates was never a issue for me .
In-Game-XMB better be in the next update!
awesome!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!! Xmb and friend list with musictracks!!!!!!!!!!
i just cant wait for divx to happen!!!
i just cant wait for divx to happen!!!
If it's needed then bring it, so long as we DO need it!
I hear X360 already has Divx!
i personally get a buzz off firmware updates, no matter how small they are...
damn im so g33ky
The less updates the better.
they are really a pain in the a** for some1 like me
Enough with that "I want in game XMB" thing. It's starting to get anoying.
This is so nice, now the firmware updates can be bigger and with less errors in them! Good!
dude i love firmware updates tho lol
in-game xmb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anyone who sees firmware updates as "issues" or "annoyances" doesnt deserve a ps3...
The article starts 'It's good news all round for PlayStation 3 gamers' but after reading the post in here it seems its not good news as we all want frequent updates.
Recently its been frequent with monir updates but thats for fixes. Firmware updates for add-on and so forth have been far apart. Since the launch of PS3 there hasn't been much added to the PS3 in terms of features.
How can Sony stop frequent updates anyway? There's always going to be bugs for games and network so we would need the patch.
I love firmware updates. They keep me... ah... well up to date. If there is a problem, although there isn't and never will be, I like to know that there will be an update coming to town to fix that small problem. As far as my penny counts, Keep them coming!
i dont mind them at all , actually look forward to them. bring on the next big update with all "supposed " features, and how about a sweet web browser that supports every thing firefox does or something with out having to install linux or buying something to play vids and hear music
Unfortunatly the weak sisters of the world ruin it for all once again! I for one enjoyed new firmware updated bringing new features when they are available instead of waiting several months.
Updates are no problem about 1 a month since i got mine so about 15-20 mins to download and install if that really annoys you LOL GET A LIFE to many moaning faced gits amongst gamers that the real problem!
psn id: gingo... i really like firmware updates except wen its just bugfixes becasue they are boring but i like seeing what features the ps3 can do now
Who exactly complained? Where are these "many fans" ?
The more updates the better. I could care less if they released one everyday. All that means is more free features for me. The people complaining about it need to look at it a little differently. Constant updates shows that they are acctually working on improving there service. IMO why wait for an update to be huge. If only one feature is done, release the update for that feature.
I dont mind the firmware updates. What bothers me is when the update needs to be fixed by another update. All in all I still think Sony is doing a good job.
I agree, I really don't think that the firmware updates should be less frequent, that just means that they'll have great new content but hold it off from us because they only want big updates instead of frequent ones.
I'm glad this has been announced tbh. It annoys me having to download updates so frequently, it's also helping to push my internet limit over every month!
And the hype train begins.... Now just about everyone is going to assume that we will get In-game XMB access from the [read] RUMOURED end of the year update. And if we do get an update, this is a rumor based on a rumor.
In-game messaging (also known as In-game XMB to everyone else [and why some of you seriously think the whole XMB can be accessed in a game I will never know]) is needed, sure. I'll give it that much. We do need the ability to see what the heck our friends are saying and be able to respond without quitting our game to read 2 words. But we don't need everything else. We don't need to be able to switch user, we don't need to access the settings, nor the photos, and especially not the videos. In-game music should have been implimented by the developers since the technology is already there. And not everyone really wants In-game music, so we don't really need it right now. If we all just say In-game friends list access [yea it's a mouth full, I know], or In-game messaging instead of In-game XMB, then maybe we can have the important features sooner rather than later.
"One more firmware update is still expected this year, with the much-desired in-game XMB, custom soundtracks and friends list functionality rumoured to be included."
DAMN IT would you stop fostering the rumor by bringing it up every five seconds, this quote alone will make a hundred PS3 owners think that ingame XMB is comming before the end of the year and they'll end up pissed when it dosent happen because no one knows when it will happen not even Sony!!!
The only problem I had with updates was slow downloading because everyone was sucking the bandwidth dry.
Yes..
Forget in game XMB, I want internal dts-master audio decoding!
There is absolutely no logical reason not to like firmware updates. It makes no sense to wait for them when they are there. This article lacks evidence, and is poor in info. this is a very bad write up. who complained and why don't they like frequent updates. People who write these things please learn to explain things and back your stories.
enough with the "in-game XMB" crap if we get it we will get it in due time. now what are you going to do with it, huh? are you going to tell your 360 having friend that PS3 got in-game XMB; pfft, point less, i say sony is doind a great job with these update.
Firmware updates DO NOT HAPPEN ENOUGH !! Keep churning them out Sony !!
or no we need more firmware plizzzzzzzzzzz
will this next update fix my problems with Tools of Destruction? I mean, the vendors take over 30 seconds to load from the time I press triangle to when the venor screen appears. then its another five seconds before it becomes active. it doesn't even load the avatar in the middle of the screen anymore. Oh, has anyone else had problems with disappearing bolts? I was up to 981,000,000 (yes, thats millions) then the next time I checked i was down to *gasp* 322,000,000!. and i think its 'cause my disk is scratched, but the first time i leave Mukow on each playthrough, the screen goes black and three sets of numbers appear.
Very good news, go Sony/
I am not really sure what I think of this. I kind of like the firmware updates it shows Sony is working continually on improving the system. I am also worried that we get an update once a month or once every two months. How long is it going to take to download these huge updates? I say once the update is ready send them out don't try and put time comstraints on them.
Hmm.. i rather enjoy getting new firmware... :-(
me 2...
What'a the big deal about firmware updates? They take less than 10 minutes and they make the PS3 better. I don't get what people are crying about.