Some PS3 owners have been discovering yet another surprise that was rolled out with the console’s recent firmware update. It appears that Sony has implemented a new notification system to communicate messages directly to PSN users.
Mike Hartnett, a contributing editor for PlayStationLifeStyle.net, reports that while in the XrossMediaBar he received a message from a user identified as PSN. The message contained update information regarding a game that Hartnett had previously downloaded and also an attachment that linked to that game’s area in the PlayStation store. Messages were previously limited to image attachments.
This is the first time that Sony has used this type of direct communication with users in the PSN system. Previously, users have had to rely on news websites, blogs, and word-of-mouth for information regarding games and hardware.
While the notification system will be useful for system update information, Hartnett speculates that Sony may also try to use it for advertising purposes. Spam-like activity would surely not go over well with PSN users.
Hartnett’s discovery is just another in a series of discoveries made by PS3 users since the latest firmware was pushed out to consoles. A new patching system for downloading small updates was discovered last week, and a new DRM to prohibit playback of pirated Blu-ray discs was also found. It also seems to be causing problems for those looking to upgrade the hard drive in their PS3.
While I’m sure that PSN Terms & Conditions state that Sony is allowed to update customer’s consoles any way they please, this doesn’t seem like a good way to roll out updates. I’m sure that users would appreciate at least knowing what a firmware update contains when they push it out to consoles. Maybe in the future Sony could use their new messaging system to give PSN users a complete list of the updates contained in their firmware.
Also, Sony should want to keep the trust of their customers who helped push PS3 software sales up 40% over last year while the rest of the industry is experiencing a downward trend.
