PlayStation®3 General Discussion

[Scorchio]

Improvement ideas for the PS3 XMB

Since the recent firmware 3.0 update the PS3 XMB is taking a turn for the worse.

Here are some ideas on how Sony could improve the XMB.

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Friends List: Gamer ID card

The current grey gamer cards are pretty horrendous, they take up far to much screen space, especially if you have lots of friends.

A better solution would be to use the card on the chosen friend in the list. The card also contains current trophy information.  

 

This gives instant information on your friends trophy status without having to delve deeper through the navigation.

 

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Friends List: Gamer ID profile

Rather than a small gamer card which shows little information that needs to be scrolled through (L1-R1),

have one page containing all the information including, a full trophy list, messaging and chat buttons etc.

 

Which makes it so much easier to view a friends details.

 

With a press of a button (e.g. square) a mini version of your profile will show for easy comparison of trophies.

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PlayStation Store: Smarter use of space

One of the biggest problems with firmware 3.0 is the new inclusion of the ‘What’s New’ (marketing machine gone mad) section and the extra ‘shortcut’ store buttons.

Now, ok they want more traffic and sales going through, but putting buttons everywhere is not the answer.

So, make the store more of a destination, the marketing people still want the ads, fine, but they do not have to be so large.

Loose the ‘What’s New’ section altogether and integrate it into the store, move the scrolling ads here. This makes it simpler to navigate and means less clutter in every menu.

 

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Photos:

A simple one, stop using panels around images and text, especially when they are inconsistent styles (e.g. current Photos and Store)

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A movie version (link below) helps to get a better idea of it in action

PS3 XMB (Improvement Ideas) Movie 

Cheers

[PILLAI7]

Wow

[Vonboyage]

Quite sick.

I would upgrade to this in a heartbeat.

[Wigster101]

I am liking it. If only Sony could come up with such good design ideas.

However, on the comparing of trophies screen it seems you can't view how many Bronze, Silver etc you have in comparison to your friend in a certain game. This, so far, looks to be the only negative point.

[candystripesdcfc]

Did you do this nice. its got my vote miles better than sonys efforts.

[Wigster101]

How did you make this?

[Paranoimia]

I like the Friends list representation - it does what I've said previously, which is to only put the box around the highlighted friend, and not the whole list.

In fact, the whole layout and design is one of the best I've seen, and fits well with the XMB style.

The only problem is, as great as it is, Sony can't use it because of copyright issues. If the XMB were changed to look like this, you (or whoever created it) would be after them for royalties! but in my opinion... it would be worth paying!

[Wigster101]

Best, first, post, EVAR

Message Edited by Wigster101 on 08-09-2009 11:41 PM

[Paranoimia]

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Wigster101 wrote:
Best, first, post, EVAR

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Agreed.

I fully expected to open this post and find screens of some tacky new interface design, like so many others.

But this is absolutely top quality stuff. It would be great is Sony could do something like this... I guess it all depends how much room they have to play with in the firmware.

[guyvernoid22]

To the OP you have hit the nail on the head! This is how I expected the friends list to look like employ this guy SCE, because who ever thought of the tacky grey boxes must be looking at the inside of cerial boxes all there life its lazy and a poor design.

good work once again! Gets my vote and top marks great first post.

Message Edited by guyvernoid22 on 08-09-2009 11:49 PM