14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that Sony has pulled a magic trick out of its software hat and has transformed the 3.15 firmware update for the PlayStation 3 from an optional to a mandatory one. All the console owners who have not yet downloaded it will be prompted to do so the next time they power up their device.
In a post on the official PlayStation blog, Eric Lemple, who is the director of PlayStation Network operations, revealed that “In addition to the features that were communicated back in December, the update also improves system stability during use of some PlayStation 3 software.”
It's not clear whether the move from optional to mandatory has been made because of the improvement the update brings to the performance of the console or because some element of it is now crucial to the further development of the PlayStation 3.
When it was released way back towards the middle of December 2009, the 3.15 firmware update was optional-only and allowed gamers to get PlayStation Portable Mini titles and play them on the PS3.
More importantly, the update also allows for personal data, like profiles, downloaded content and saved games, to be moved between two PlayStation 3 consoles, presumably in order to allow those who are interested in the newer Slim version of the console, which looks better and uses up less energy while running, to get all of their content from the old PS3 they do not plan on using anymore.
The transformation of 3.15 into mandatory has also prompted talk about what Sony is preparing in terms of upcoming firmware updates for the PS3. Some users of the Sony home console are asking for an extension of voice chat support, others are interested in seeing the device support more video codecs, while another group is asking for easier access to the XMB.