Sony recently provided their 2.0 update on the PS3, and while many owners of the next-gen console welcomed the features it provided, such as enhancing the PSP support to make it possible to turn on and access music, photos and videos from your home console, to the portable, anywhere you have wifi access, others were hoping for one particular feature. As we have seen with some Xbox games, it is possible to listen to your self-made playlists in game. After the release of the new system update for the PS3, many gamers posted on blogs, and in game forums, such as the CAG forum (and was mentioned in the latest CAG Cast) that the Cross Media Bar (XMB) needed to at least be available in game in some form. I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.
It is probably in the best interest of Sony to stray from that tactic. As we could see with the Xbox, the support for that was offered by Microsoft, but it was up to the game developers to utilize this function. It is also possible with the Wii, and while I have not had a chance to see this is action, Excite Truck is said to use music found on the SD card to play your own soundtrack. Obviously, the next gen consoles support this function, but as said before, its up to developers to place the function in their game.
Sometimes, developers just don’t want this. It is not a quick and easy process to make a game. Time is spent deciding what content goes into the game. From characters, levels, story, visuals, controls, game development is many pieces coming together to create an interactive movie (sometimes), but always interactive content. It is said that the soundtrack to movies is often one of the most important part of the film making process. If the music isn’t right, then the feeling that is trying to be conveyed to the audience is lost. The same is true for games, and may be even more important, as you are part of the action itself. Composers create music to enhance the game play, time and money is poured into it, and its no longer unusual to see a soundtrack for a game itself. Audio is obviously important to game studios.
It has recently been suggested that Sony has had to beg developers to stick with them, and continue support for their behemoth of a gaming system. While this may not be true, it is obvious that the PS3 is having trouble with the software aspect of their system. Because of this, if they provided a system update that would allow your own music to be played during any game, the hard working people who made the game for you, might feel cheated. It would be like theaters offering an ipod to you as you go watch a movie; the theater has cheated the movie industry on letting their art come across as it was meant to, and you have cheated yourself of enjoying that art. Sony does not want to distance their selves any further from game studios, and allowing the XMB to be used anytime in game, could do just that.
As for all the other features that would come with the inclusion of the XMB, they’re just a bonus, save for the messaging on the Play Station Network. That would definitely be something that any gamer would welcome, even if its only to see the instant someone messaged you, and who it was. Everything else really isn’t needed in game, but would be nice to know you could do. So, while I’m sure the in game XMB will come eventually, it may not be for some time, but demand is high, and Sony is realy looking to please. And when it does, keep in mind the functionaly may fall short of expectations due to system limitations. Sony could also make it possible for developers to turn off access to the XMB. Mainly, I can see it as another, in a long list, of bad moves on Sony’s part, if they don’t play this card right.
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