14 DAY TRIAL // Firmware update 2.40 might be big news for PlayStation 3 users. A few demo versions of the updated console were spotted in the world just recently, and some of the people who used them say there are vast improvements to the gaming experience on the PS3. The main reasons for that consist in the fact that XMB, the media bar of the consoles, is now accessible in-game, and in that a "trophy" system seems to be on its way to implementation.
The Xbox 360 from Microsoft allows users to access the Xbox Live interface from within the games the play, with a simple pause action, and players can then check achievements list, contact friends and even access messages with ease. Meanwhile, the PS3 requires the game to be shut down for the XMB to be accessed.
Firmware 2.40 seems to be about to change that, as a user who has had access to development consoles indicates. He even has a couple of blurry pictures of some screens depicting the new XMB, which is fully integrated.
It also seems that the upcoming firmware upgrade will introduce "trophies" to the PlayStation 3, in an attempt to have an in-game reward system similar to the Achievements on the Xbox 360. Initially, the trophy system was to be introduced with Home, the new social service designed for PS3 users but, as Home has been delayed again to later in the year, it seems that Sony has decided to get trophies in as soon as possible. They might get integrated into Home when it finally launches.
If the feature is introduced in the next firmware upgrade then it means that developers are already creating games with this feature in mind, and we might see that new titles for the Sony gaming console will integrate Trophies in the game with ease. Look out for them in Bioshock, from where the screenshot seems to have been taken, and possibly in titles like Killzone 2 or Resistance 2.
Seeing how the console is now at firmware version 2.35, we might see firmware 2.40, with all its interesting new features, coming out in a matter of days or weeks.