AfterDawn: News

PS3 firmware update v3.4 will add PlayStation Plus

Sony America has announced that they will be launching the PlayStation 3 firmware update v3.40 "soon," and the update will bring Facebook integration and the launch of the PlayStation Plus premium PSN service.

PlayStation Plus was announced at E3 and will give users access to new applications and features that standard free PSN users will not have.



Plus is free for the first 90 days, and then users can purchase a three-month package for $18 USD or a full-year package for $50 USD.

For the fee, a user will be able to gain full access to certain PS3 downloadable content and PSN titles, such as the PSone archives and Minis, and be able to play them for as long as the PlayStation Plus membership is valid. Some games will only be playable for a certain amount of time on a trial basis before needing to be purchased.

An extra feature that PlayStation Plus provides is the ability to schedule the PS3 console to switch on and automatically retrieve demos, patches or updates at certain times.

Additionally, says Gamasutra, PSP firmware v6.30 will add the service to the aging handheld.

As for Facebook integration, gamers can integrate their PSN accounts with their FB profiles allowing for easier access to checking online statuses and send PSN invites.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 29 Jun 2010 2:08

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• 17 comments

• hikaricor

  How about they just re-enable the god damn OtherOS feature instead?

  29.6.2010 02:16 #1

• KillerBug

  What happened to the crossgame chat!
  
  You know...all those free games would make this a good deal if any of them were worth playing.
  
  Given the fact that sony says basic psn will remain free, and the fact that sonycannot tell the truth, it looks like psn will be pay only soon...or rather, the free version will be like xbox silver.
  
  What is up with sony and facebook...as soon as people start to realize how bad it is, and start closing their accounts, now the add support!

  29.6.2010 04:46 #2

• kikzm33z

  People still care about OtherOS?
  

  29.6.2010 09:08 #3

• mystic

  oh my face book look its going to be replaced by another first my space was all the rage now face book like when I start my ps3 up I want people to see I'm on line .... if it pops up during one single game it will freak out the masses... (aka the hard core gamers) look I bought the unit for its blueray player and the option of games in hd nothing more. maybe Sony should ask or release it as an optional package update before it force something down our machine that will leave it open to some kind of hack or issue this isn't one of their best ideas social networks will spread social virus's if I want to have something like facebook on my machine I'll sign up for it on my pc or mac .. and where is Sony's anti-virus protection... bet they have't even thought that far ahead...or will that be the next charge you get for being on their network
  

  29.6.2010 09:17 #4

• ZippyDSM

  Mmm at least PSN is doing something and its mostly better than what the rest are trying to do....
  
  Live needs to makes MP and in game chat free, then limit how much stuff you can buy and and download if you are a free user. If you pay the subscription there is no subscription and you get 10$ in media and 20$ in games to buy 2 or 3 times a year.
  

  Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy!
  Ah modern gaming its like modern film only the watering down of fiction and characters is replaced with shallow and watered down mechanics, gimmicks and shiny-er "people".
  http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/

  29.6.2010 10:43 #5

• Clownzill

  Originally posted by KillerBug: What happened to the crossgame chat!
  
  You know...all those free games would make this a good deal if any of them were worth playing.
  
  Given the fact that sony says basic psn will remain free, and the fact that sonycannot tell the truth, it looks like psn will be pay only soon...or rather, the free version will be like xbox silver.
  
  What is up with sony and facebook...as soon as people start to realize how bad it is, and start closing their accounts, now the add support! -----------------------
  
  What's going to happen is that Sony will slowly transfer features from the free service to the pay service. It will start with minor features but they will eventually work their way up to the major features. Look at the auto update feature being offered on the pay service. Shouldn't users be offered their game patches automatically to begin with? Doesn't that seem a little odd to have to PAY to be reminded to patch bugs in your games? Even my freeware anti-virus does that!
  

  29.6.2010 11:00 #6

• KillerBug

  How did we get to this point? There was a time when a bug fix was not a good thing! I remember when quake 2 had like a dozen patches, and everyone complained about how terrible it was...now people pay to be reminded to do their constant updates!
  
  BTW...if there is one thing the PS3 does not need it is antivirus software; no one has been able to write any code for the PS3 OS...if someone figured out how to do it, they could make a fortune legitimately.

  29.6.2010 11:43 #7

• emugamer

  Originally posted by Clownzill: Originally posted by KillerBug: What happened to the crossgame chat!
  
  You know...all those free games would make this a good deal if any of them were worth playing.
  
  Given the fact that sony says basic psn will remain free, and the fact that sonycannot tell the truth, it looks like psn will be pay only soon...or rather, the free version will be like xbox silver.
  
  What is up with sony and facebook...as soon as people start to realize how bad it is, and start closing their accounts, now the add support! -----------------------
  
  What's going to happen is that Sony will slowly transfer features from the free service to the pay service. It will start with minor features but they will eventually work their way up to the major features. Look at the auto update feature being offered on the pay service. Shouldn't users be offered their game patches automatically to begin with? Doesn't that seem a little odd to have to PAY to be reminded to patch bugs in your games? Even my freeware anti-virus does that! Auto updates and patches for games are not even available now. Your not paying to be reminded. You're paying to he able to schedule everything be done for you at a certain time. Updates will still be free.
  
  I get pissed when I fire up a game knowing that I only have 1 hour to play, and I get the game update screen. Then there is 10-15 minutes of my time lost waiting for the download and then the install. I'm not saying that I would pay for their premium service, but being able to schedule an update check for all my games while I'm at work so that I can sit down and not deal with it when I want to actually play is a nice new feature.
  
  I do believe that everything that is free now will remain free. I'll still be able to hop on any mp game and shop at the PSN for free. I can't foresee being charged a fee to shop at their store. Only for premium content. Typical game dlc should always be available (map packs, etc..). I'm sure a lot of devs would be pretty pissed if Sony cut off a portion of their customers from accessing their pay-for content. I hope I'm not wrong. It's possible that game devalued may start creating dlc for premium members only. Then I'd feel screwed.

  29.6.2010 12:29 #8

• Morreale

  Originally posted by kikzm33z: People still care about OtherOS? Yea, actually...
  

  *\\\****//\\\***//\\\*****
  **\\\**//**\\\*//**\\\*******
  ***\\\//****\\\ ****\\\****

  29.6.2010 12:33 #9

• Mysttic

  I know I care about the other OS, which is why I haven't even updated my firmware. If there ever comes a time when I need to cause I can't access media I bought; then I will either buy another PS3 or say fuck it

  29.6.2010 15:35 #10

• hikaricor

  Yes people still do, and they damn well should.
  I'll be damned if I would ever allow someone to take a function from a product after I've purchased it..

  29.6.2010 17:32 #11

• jookycola

  Sony really missed an opportunity here.
  
  They could have made the PS Store like a hybrid of the Android app store and itunes. The PS3 and PSP would be awesome with cool apps you could download.Want Netflix without the disc download the free app. Want to play farmville? down load the $1.99 app, Weather channel app that displays the local weather in the info box. Google maps app for both PSP and PS3.
  
  Paid apps and free apps. Sony is missing the bus here, they have basically a computer that plays movies and games that can have direct connection to a mobile device. And most people that one device usually have both...How can they miss this prime market? All they need to do is make a Sony/Ericsson android phone that can download android and Sony PSN apps and they would be the number 2 player in phones almost overnight.
  

  
  

  29.6.2010 18:13 #12

• KillerBug

  Sony makes cell phones, even android phones. Sony makes the PSP. Yet, for some reason, Sony has never made a PSPhone. This is the kind of backassward idiot that runs sony...these are the people who tried to kill the PS1 and then the PS2...yet now ride on the PS3 because the rest of the business has turned to crap.
  
  They push new half-done technologies like 3D and move; and then they try to make money off of things like the bugfixes that the developers write.
  
  BTW...I checked out plus...there are less than $50 worth of free games up there. Only one of the free games is any good, and I got it years ago. The 60 minute trial is rather pointless...it is only for one game, and the game got blasted by every review I read; even the promo video made it look bad.

  29.6.2010 23:15 #13

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by KillerBug: Sony makes cell phones, even android phones. Sony makes the PSP. Yet, for some reason, Sony has never made a PSPhone. This is the kind of backassward idiot that runs sony...these are the people who tried to kill the PS1 and then the PS2...yet now ride on the PS3 because the rest of the business has turned to crap.
  
  They push new half-done technologies like 3D and move; and then they try to make money off of things like the bugfixes that the developers write.
  
  BTW...I checked out plus...there are less than $50 worth of free games up there. Only one of the free games is any good, and I got it years ago. The 60 minute trial is rather pointless...it is only for one game, and the game got blasted by every review I read; even the promo video made it look bad. Because they are stuck deciding on PSP2 or PSP phone, I think they should just make the PSP2 with a phone and put a 100$ connect charge for people that do not buy the X year contract with a reduced or free PSP2....
  

  Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy!
  Ah modern gaming its like modern film only the watering down of fiction and characters is replaced with shallow and watered down mechanics, gimmicks and shiny-er "people".
  http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/

  30.6.2010 13:28 #14

• alexeemo

  Originally posted by jookycola: Sony really missed an opportunity here.
  
  They could have made the PS Store like a hybrid of the Android app store and itunes. The PS3 and PSP would be awesome with cool apps you could download.Want Netflix without the disc download the free app. Want to play farmville? down load the $1.99 app, Weather channel app that displays the local weather in the info box. Google maps app for both PSP and PS3.
  
  Paid apps and free apps. Sony is missing the bus here, they have basically a computer that plays movies and games that can have direct connection to a mobile device. And most people that one device usually have both...How can they miss this prime market? All they need to do is make a Sony/Ericsson android phone that can download android and Sony PSN apps and they would be the number 2 player in phones almost overnight. Great comment. Downloading apps for a fee would make them a killing!
  

  1.7.2010 11:01 #15

• Omen159

  After the re-boot for installing 3.40 my PS3 crashed and now freezes before getting to the XMB, called sony, they are aware of the issue and will fix it for $180. You know where you can kiss it Sony! aware of the issue? still want me to pay for it? I wouldnt even use the new features ( vid/pic editing) I have a PC for that, stop forcing your crap on the people and taking up hard drive space, make it a option and just put out the security updates by themselves.

  1.7.2010 18:12 #16

• eatmorebread (unverified)

  You need to make a correction, guys. Plus is NOT free for the first 3 months. They're having an introductory sale where if you buy a full year's membership, they'll give an extra 3 months for free.
  
  Kinda odd that every other gaming site got this right and you guys didn't...

  3.7.2010 12:19 #17