Official Playstation Website Accidentally Confirms In-Game XMB?

omg_monstaxmb.jpg

The infamous missing in-game Cross Media Bar. Some want it, some don’t. But with the sweet news of a possible positive implementation of universal in-game messaging, who’s to be upset about that?

The eagle eyed few spotted an update on the Official US Playstation website, which has now mysteriously disappeared. The mention of in-game messaging is what excites, and its removal only adds to the intrigue.

One savvy individual managed to take a screenshot of the offending new PSN section before it went down, so we can read exactly what was said:

Friends & Messaging: Talk to others during game play, say hello anytime you’re online, or have a video chat with an Eye camera, USB Camera, or headset.

The wording appears to be very much deliberate, with “during game play” and “anytime you’re online” being the highlights. We all know it’s possible, with many games taking up the in-game XMB gauntlet, some with in-game soundtracks (High Velocity Bowling, MLB 08) and others with in-game messaging (TimeShift) or alerts (Devil May Cry 4). We will just have to wait for Sony’s announcement, presumably to come at GDC.

We’ll keep you posted on any further developments. For evidence of this news, feast your eyes on this screenshot (click to enlarge.)

ingamexmbmessagingps.jpg

Source: Neogaf

Update: The original webpage can now be viewed as a google cache screenshot at this address, in addition to the messaging paragraph appearing on the Official Australian Playstation Website.

Are Sony mixing up their words and giving us false hope, or is this a positive reveal just before GDC ’08?

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  • http://www.gripfootwear.com Rockwallaby

    We know it’s coming

  • cell

    I wish this was true, Im tired of playing Call of Duty 4 with my friends and having to set up party invites before before a start the game, its freaking annoying, having to quit the game to set up parties with your friends and starting the game again.

  • Aaquib

    It’s not happening! I’ve seen this before and its pretty obviously Sony is just playin us with their words.

    “Talk to others during game play”

    - Basically means that you can voice chat in a game.

    “say hello anytime you’re online”

    - Means, in the XMB

    “have a video chat with an Eye camera, USB Camera, or headset.”

    - No where does it mention during gameplay.

  • josh

    they should put music player and invites and stuff

  • http://www.gripfootwear.com Rockwallaby

    Why quit to set-up a party? just invite them

  • Patrick Steen

    Aaquib – Interesting theory. But we know it’s coming. It’s just about when. I’d expect it when Home is finally released.

  • John Kershaw

    In game XMB is coming.

    I just wish they had it at launch, I guess they thought it wasn’t current-gen enough, like rumble.

  • shamon

    i hope this happens also being able to check the internet is up there for me

  • LC

    I hear its a memory footprint issue. If they can optimize it to work with a low memory imprint then fine but if not, I hope its not implemented at the cost of current or future game performance.

  • Patrick Steen

    Shamon: I believe that might be very hard to impliment…the memory of supporting an internet browser would reach 20mb.

    LC: Of course it’s memory, but Sony put a lot to the side (now reduced to about 80mb) for future updates. The keyboard is said to take up a lot of memory (rumoured 20mb), so if they can reduce that then it will easily fit in the memory they’ve put aside for the OS.

    Nothing they implement will be a problem with future or past games, since they won’t increase their OS memory, they will only reduce it. And as all the features they want are implemented, they’ll be able to bring the memory down over time (like Microsoft).

    Remember at the moment they are hardly using any of that OS memory, I expect it’s so high for Home.

  • Discombobulator

    Congrats to Ripten, this story is the third hottest on N4G today!

  • Patrick Steen

    Thanks Discom, but what’s n4g.com?

  • Krispy Demon

    News for Gamers

  • Discombobulator

    Patrick, if you didn’t know what it was (and its linked on this site) why did you add the .com? Well done though, this site is gaining momentum really fast. Kudos.

  • Occam

    Wait a minute…

    In game messaging…
    Voice and Camera Chat…
    Game invites…

    Sounds a lot like what Xbox Live did more than 2 years ago. If they can do it, what’s taking Sony so long to implement it??

  • Patrick Steen

    Discom: You caught me out ;) i was being sarky.Anyway thanks for the kind words on this day of love!

    Occam: Who knows. Home maybe?

  • LC

    someone give ocam the “I’m a stupid fanboy gold star achievement award” 50 points.

  • Occam

    LC:

    How about instead of bluntly bashing someone who is making a valid, rational point, you take a hint and come up with at least a half-decent, half-articulate response defending the point that you so greatly care about; It’ll probably work out better than blindly allotted the argument to fanboyism.

    Just a suggestion.

  • LC

    valid and rational? you know it was a pot shot and my response was more then fitting it’s manner.

    However, maybe Sony were more worried about delivering functional quality hardware, the likes of which microsoft still is unable to do.

    Regardless sonys online is free and improving. microsoft service not only cost money, but the quality of live and its dysfunctional drm are proving to be a nagging canker sore that will not heal.

    But hey lets have a point out the obvious contest. How come sony can deliver quality hardware, and services in less then two years while microsoft fails to do so after two years? “Rhetorical”.

    Thanks for the suggestion, though, you may keep it.

  • Sab – K

    I hope something is coming.
    If it is, it may be announced tomorrow, which I am REALLY hoping.
    I can see that Sony is taking a while so that it is amazing in quality.
    Everything is being Delayed, but they are making better products.
    Sony as i have always known, had, and still has the best quality products. Bravia’s are amazing, the psp is amazing, all playstation products are amazing.
    But I hope it doesn’t take TOOO long, it’s nice to talk to a friend in-game.

  • leroy

    ps3 in game xmb is coming june 18 its a confirmed date CANT WAit

  • Condor

    IT IS COMING. 2.40. IT IS COMING.

  • http://babkamed.ru Babylya

    Да,несогласен с предыдущими блоггерами
    ) :-)

  • http://egosts.ru Gostixel

    Вот так,согласен с предыдущими высказываниями
    ^..^ Bye

  • mfarney

    Having the option to communicate while playing sounds intriguing. Why did they remove it? I don't get it.
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    Mathew Farney – Web Hosting