Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Can I just say... Why does the PS3 firmware update experience suck so hard?

I use my Xbox 360 pretty much all the time. It's a no-brainer for me given my social network (mostly Xbox gamers) and desire to compile most of my achievements on one platform.

But, I do enjoy a number of Sony exclusive titles. Just finished Uncharted 2 and am about to start Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. It seems like each time I install another Sony first party game, I need to update my firmware.


The thing is, I get updates all the time when I'm using my Xbox 360. And I never really even think to complain. Downloads are small. The UI is clear, easy to read, and pretty much pain free.


PS3 updates? Not so much.

  • I have to do a button tap dance to even start the download process. It feels like I'm trying to enable "Big Head" mode on NHL Hitz
  • Text is almost impossible to read against the dashboard background. The 360 dash does, essentially, a lightbox treatment where they bring clear focus (with no distracting background) to the updater window.
  • The text I can read is filled with tech and jargonistic terms... I just want a "yes to accept" option so I can complete the transaction and get into my game.
On the plus side, I just heard the PS3 reboot sting, so I think the process has completed.

Now, on to Ratchet & Clank!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I prefer the XBox experience too, and only recently got a PS3 for some exclusives, especially The Last Guardian when it comes out.

But, if you are playing PS3 exclusives you should REALLY be playing Demon's Souls, not Ratchet and Clank!

Anonymous said...

Ah - Its not that bad and the last time you updated you got sparkles.

IMO UnChartered 2 is the best game made in the history of consoles so for the odd bit of firmare update (3 in 2 years ?) its not a bad price.

Jason Schklar said...

@Anonymous #1: Yes. I've heard. Demon Souls is the game to play. I just don't know if my pain threshold can be set high enough in terms of default difficulty settings. We'll see.

@Anonymous #2: Uncharted 2 is a pretty darn good game. Best console game ever? Pretty extreme claim :)

Anonymous said...

Demon's Souls is hard, but not as hard as they say. The key is you have to play very smart, cautious, and deliberate, and you will make regular progress without any extreme frustration. The moment you get full of yourself and try to run through swords blazing however, and the game will make you pay.

The great thing about the game, and the reason I love rougelikes as well (Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup is awesome), is that there are real consequences to your actions. You can't just jump of a cliff for fun and then reload 10 seconds before and try something else. Playing with your life really on the line, without the crutch of todays homogenized grandma-can-beat-it reloading mentality, really adds to the tension and excitement in a way that you won't find in most games out today.

Anyways, I obviously recommend it.