'How to improve the PlayStation Network' - Feedback please!

[Caemgen]

Hi there,

I created a 'document', discussing several improvements for the PlayStation Network. I think this will greatly improve the overall online gaming experience. I'm posting this on a few big forums for feedback and publicity, so that (with a little pressure from a lot of PlayStation customers) Sony will hopefully DO something with it, instead of putting their energy in a new 'Photo tool' instead of the highly requested features, such as cross-game voicechat.

When I feel this document is complete, I'll send it to Sony and the team that is responsible for the firmware-updates.



PDF-format:
http://www.caemgen.nl/PSN/PSN_improvements.pdf

Thank you for your time and I'm looking forward to your feedback!
Also: If you find some spelling errors or weird grammar-issues, please correct me. My main language is Dutch.

[Killian]

Great suggestions. I don't think that there will ever be custom avatars due to the massive amount of supervision Sony would have to put in to monitor them, but new ones should definitely be added.

Another great addition would be the ability to place links from your bookmarks into your messages.

[Caemgen]

Great suggestions. I don't think that there will ever be custom avatars due to the massive amount of supervision Sony would have to put in to monitor them, but new ones should definitely be added.

Another great addition would be the ability to place links from your bookmarks into your messages.

That would indeed be a great addition!

Noted. Thank you!

[oldage]

Wait, you can actually divide your demo's into user made "groups"?
O.o
I thought this wasn't possible :d

[Killian]

Wait, you can actually divide your demo's into user made "groups"?
O.o
I thought this wasn't possible :d

Hit triangle and change the name of the "album" for your demo. If it's not dividing your demos then keep pressing square until the "albums" category appears at the top of your screen. It's the same for videos and pictures.

[Astrosimi]

Amazing! Awesome suggestions!

I woukd only say that you send it to a friend to fix up the grammar a bit (I understand you're from The Netherlands, so please do not take offense.) and maybe proffesionalize it a bit. But you are on the right path, my firend! Keep it up!

[Whalio Cappuccino]

Good stuff, it actually sounds pretty professional, what I would suggest is not to use the words "crappy" and stuff like that, it seems to make it seem like it's from a 14 year old (though you may be 14, you don't want that to be shown, more professional.)




Also, section 3, at the bottom. You spelled available wrong.

[Caemgen]

Is there anyone here that has the time to download the PDF-file and fix the grammar a bit? Would be greatly appreciated!

[RangerZero]

You have some good ideas in there and you doesn't sound like some usual BS customer complaining. That's great.

I'd just like to tell you something though. The real and only reason why you see inconsistency in the way the invites are used in games on PSN is explained by the fact those features of the console aren't mandatory in the production guidelines from Sony. They deliberately give some liberties to the publishers and devs out there and this causes the differences. IT IS NOT RELATED TO THE FACT ITS A FREE NETWORK before anyone start shooting this.

Live is very consistant because the guidelines are VERY TIGHT. There's always devs and publishers complaining too, believe me. We should ask Sony to clearly reinforce their TRC (technical requirement checklist) for online. It's too lose and permissive.

I also think every game should feature the Youtube fonction (yes it's there!! You can film yourself while you play and upload to Youtube!!!!) and also everygame should use the screenshot function (like Motorstorm 2 does). Theses are all PS3 functions that are already there and available, it's only up to devs to use it.

If those things were required by the TRC for approval, no game would be marketed without those features!!

.

[oldage]

Amazing! Awesome suggestions!

I woukd only say that you send it to a friend to fix up the grammar a bit (I understand you're from The Netherlands, so please do not take offense.) and maybe proffesionalize it a bit. But you are on the right path, my firend! Keep it up!

You are telling him he has some grammar errors?

thanks killian btw.
and I like the "inbox message amount indicator" idea next to the clock and battery

[Caemgen]

You have some good ideas in there and you doesn't sound like some usual BS customer complaining. That's great.

I'd just like to tell you something though. The real and only reason why you see inconsistency in the way the invites are used in games on PSN is explained by the fact those features of the console aren't mandatory in the production guidelines from Sony. They deliberately give some liberties to the publishers and devs out there and this causes the differences. IT IS NOT RELATED TO THE FACT ITS A FREE NETWORK before anyone start shooting this.

Live is very consistant because the guidelines are VERY TIGHT. There's always devs and publishers complaining too, believe me. We should ask Sony to clearly reinforce their TRC (technical requirement checklist) for online. It's too lose and permissive.

I also think every game should feature the Youtube fonction (yes it's there!! You can film yourself while you play and upload to Youtube!!!!) and also everygame should use the screenshot function (like Motorstorm 2 does). Theses are all PS3 functions that are already there and available, it's only up to devs to use it.

If those things were required by the TRC for approval, no game would be marketed without those features!!

.

Yeah, I know. It really is a shame that those features are left untouched. I would love to play my new LittleBigPlanet-level and record it for YouTube.

You can, however, save the pictures you've taken in LittleBigPlanet... The problem is: They're too small.

In WipeOut HD (even in the demo) you can make 1080p images... With post-production effects (blur, bloom etc). That's awesome!

Anyway, back on topic: It would be a big improvement if Sony would tighten their TRC for invites (so that developers will use the current system that Sony offers) and for the voicechat-quality. There is a HUGE difference in the voicequality in Little Big Planet/Soul Calibur IV compared to COD: WOW. I can just barely understand my friends when I'm in a party. And we all use official headsets.. When using the XMB voicechat, everything sounds crystal clear.

[RangerZero]

LittleBigPlanet isn't even using the screenshot function of the PS3.

It's their own in-game tool that takes the picture and they only added an export to XMB.

The screenshot function simply takes a pic of what was just passing through the framebuffer (aka you don't lose any image detail). I think there's only WipeoutHD and Motorstorm2 using it so far. And If I remember right Motostorm does compress the picture before exporting.

.

[Noremac469]

I think that it should be possible to upload and send more than just pictures on your ps3, maybe vid uploads on youtube would be nice? and a music send message to friend would be nice, just without all the copyright stuff... like you make your own song and send it to someone idk\

[RangerZero]

I think that it should be possible to upload and send more than just pictures on your ps3, maybe vid uploads on youtube would be nice? and a music send message to friend would be nice, just without all the copyright stuff... like you make your own song and send it to someone idk\

Youtube upload function is already there in the firmware. It's only that games aren't using it except a couple in Japan. (like that little Toro game)

.

[Rustbukkit]

How about asking them why they don't support FLASH content!?

Although I admire your intentions and hard work on this, your only going to do it all for nothing. Sony don't tend to listen to their loyal customers. Just look at the last update where they gave us a photo program that does exactly the same thing we could do before with our PS3's... only with ugly borders to put around our pictures.

If Sony was going to take you seriously, they would have already addressed dozens of other problems and complaints from us. You know, simple things like removing the AVS requirement on credit cards so that people who's cards don't support this new system can buy online content and DLC like everyone else out there. Or the fact that PSN cards aren't available in Canada or other places in the world for those who don't have credit cards.

I'm not trying to be negative... just realistic.

Do let us all know if you get a response though. I'd be very interested in hearing just what they would have to say.

Cheers.