Grab Your Free Afrika Animated XMB Theme Now!
It's free, and way better than the LittleBigPlanet one.Published 01/09/2009 at 8:15 by nofi
It’s true, I might not like most of the changes to the XMB since the latest firmware, but animated XMB themes could be a huge plus point for me. I don’t really like the LittleBigPlanet theme, and as an introduction it really should have been free, but thankfully Sony have seen sense and given us a stunning Afrika one for absolutely nothing. Yes, you’ll need a Japanese PSN account, but who doesn’t have one of those these days?
So, anyway, just log on to the Japanese PSN Store and it should be right there under “what’s new”. It’s completely free and only 5MB, so grab it and then head back to your normal PSN account, unless of course you’re Japanese in which case you can skip that step and feel particularly smug with yourself. If you don’t have a Japanese PSN account then you can try to follow the instructions in this blog from IGN, but it’s really quite straight forward.
Go to the Theme options under “Settings” on the XMB, and scroll down to the new Afrika one, and apply. Yes, the icons are white and get lost a little bit amongst the zebras, but you can use the Background settings to dial down the brightness a notch to make things easier to read. It’s really, really impressive – the zebras are nicely animated, the grass moves in the wind, it’s like having a real life safari park right inside your PS3. Well, it’s not, but it’s certainly cooler than Sackboy running ad infinitum on a little globe.
Let us know if you find any other cool stuff like this, especially if it’s free.
Comments
Please note that all comments are the opinion of the individual author and not TheSixthAxis.« Previous 1 2 3 Next »
« Previous 1 2 3 Next »
Jazzak | 01/09/2009 10:29
Member
252 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
Thats excellent thanks!!!! I have wanted to check out the animated themes. (Without paying overpriced MM fees). I’m wondering if anyone has thought that with this feature it may lead to animated game desktops? e.g. when you go to the game disc instead of getting a static image they will display animated screens?? (fingers crossed)
djdustb | 01/09/2009 10:40
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1308 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2008
am I missing something? Where do I get the LBP or any other themes from?
Cort | 01/09/2009 12:03
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348 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
You’re a customer of SCEE, remember? We’ll probably get it in November after they’ve waded through that towering mountain of ‘localisation’ work.
benny boy | 01/09/2009 10:50
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812 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Where is the LBP theme. Everyone keeps talking about it but I can’t find it anywhere!
Jazzak | 01/09/2009 10:57
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252 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
I’ve only seen it on the US servers
SpikeyMikey23 | 01/09/2009 11:06
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899 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Kfm0gCTX0 is the link i used for hassle free jap account creation, just downloaded afrika theme, was going to buy the LBP one on the US account but i have $3.05 in my wallet, but the tax takes it to $3.19, bloody yanks! (no offence to actual americans
)
bunimomike | 03/09/2009 10:10
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4777 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Change your address to a Connecticut address. They don’t apply tax on digital downloads.
tinytim01 | 01/09/2009 11:13
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231 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
from the lick to make a jap acount is no good now as from 3.00 the format of the signing up is diierent i try this morning and can not make one any help be good or can it be run from a usb stick like old themes,,, if so some post it up please ……
SpikeyMikey23 | 01/09/2009 11:19
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899 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
try the link i just posted, it works, i just did it
tinytim01 | 01/09/2009 12:27
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231 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
cool just done it and can you really make them do a poo
SpikeyMikey23 | 01/09/2009 12:38
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899 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
lol i dont think so
Ed the Penguin | 01/09/2009 11:23
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342 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2008
Is this not on the HK store? If not I’ll have to add my JP account back on the system.
Bilbo_bobbins | 01/09/2009 11:42
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1406 TSA Points | Member since: Jun 2009
Guys if you set up a Hong Kong account, it’s all in English when setting up. They get all the same stuff as Japan on their store too.
Cort | 01/09/2009 12:00
Member
348 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Goes off to find a random HK postal address…..
iNsAnE_gAmInG | 01/09/2009 20:42
* Banned *
-1930 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Whoah, so wait. Hong kong have all of the Japan content on their store? Is the store in English???
SpikeyMikey23 | 01/09/2009 22:49
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899 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
result!
Cort | 01/09/2009 11:58
Member
348 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Animated themes for everyone except SCEE customers. Now there’s a surprise.
/sarcasm
BryOnRye | 01/09/2009 12:49
Member
814 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009
Well this’ll be the kick up the butt I needed to set up a japanese account.
Erroneus | 01/09/2009 13:24
Wanted "Trophy Hunter" but was too late.
2978 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
So have anyone measured how much power it draws, when running one of these animated themes?
Shrui | 01/09/2009 14:06
Member
261 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
Very pretty but as previous posters have noted totally useless with white text!
I’ve worked in a global corporation which has had its own share of design mistakes and what you have to ask yourself is how many layers of testing did this have to go through before being released? How many people in positions of authority had to sign that off as being perfectly acceptable?
There are a few games that make you ask the same question.
PoisonedMonkey | 01/09/2009 15:02
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86 TSA Points | Member since: Jun 2009
Set the brightness to -4 and the text stands out quite nicely, giving you a subtle background at the same time.
Great find though, looks ace!
CaptainMurdo | 01/09/2009 16:40
Team TSA: Writer
1861 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2008
This theme is awesome. Had to make it slightly darker though.
endlesscupsoftea | 01/09/2009 16:52
Member
277 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
yep, with new fw 3.0, getting a jap psn account was a bit tricky but all done now! thanks for the heads up
Erroneus | 01/09/2009 17:41
Wanted "Trophy Hunter" but was too late.
2978 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
What has changed? Why is it more tricky now?
I’m to lazy to check my self, as I have accounts for pretty much every store
CaptainMurdo | 01/09/2009 17:56
Team TSA: Writer
1861 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2008
Was there not rumours of in-game XMB themes? Don’t really see the point but it just sprung to mind.
iNsAnE_gAmInG | 01/09/2009 20:43
* Banned *
-1930 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Can’t remember ever hearing such rumours, but that would have been cool (but pointless I guess).