The Day We All Abandoned Sony

nofi 125 Comments

Adding SingStar to the PS3’s XMB was a genius move. But we’ll come back to that.

Yesterday, when the latest firmware revision rolled around, people excitedly jumped onboard and updated their PlayStation 3s, largely blissfully unaware that their XMB, the user interface at the heart of the console, would be invaded, corrupted and systematically destroyed by an icon. It was, if you believe everything you read on the internet, a disaster for Sony.

Up in arms, the PlayStation faithful claimed conspiracy, SingStar’s content manager went on a PR-ruining rampage and, incredibly, decisions were made over some gamers’ choice of next generation console. Because of this icon, you can surmise, whatever Sony were to bring out next (let’s assume for obvious reasons it’s the PlayStation 4) it wouldn’t sell, because they wouldn’t buy it.

Ludicrous, right?

Well, that depends. Whilst there were (literally) hundreds and thousands of comments on the official channels that hated the presence of the new icon – which was, in case you’ve been asleep for two days, for family friendly singing game SingStar – there was something approaching an element of reasoning behind the rather barbed (and frankly ridiculous) complaints.

A reasoning that needs just one extra factor to make it hold any sense: the icon should be deletable. If it was, all the issues with people shouting that it “shouldn’t be in the Game menu” or that it’s “on top of all my other games” would be moot – it could just be hidden, or even moved into another folder out of the way. But it can’t – it’s fixed there, and that’s what the issue is.

There’s literally no need for Sony to lock users into having the icon (and its accompanying background screen) right at the top of the other games you might have downloaded – that’s just silly. It’s not that it’s automatically part of the XMB, that in itself would be fine if it could be moved – it’s simply the fact that it’s another click down to get to your games, or it’s something you need to skip past if you’re embarrassed to have a singing game on your console.

Wait, what?

Yep, I’ve seen it. We live in a world where everything has to be instant and everything has to conform to our own ideals. Of course, everyone hates change, but if that change can’t be moulded into something more akin to our current preferences, we rebel. In the age of the internet, this means voicing our opinions everywhere, and those opinions spread.

They’re not entirely invalid, as I’ve said, but complaining about having to tap down twice to get past it should really have been levelled at the fact that Trophies are now way over to the right – getting to those in a game takes more effort than dodging SingStar.

[drop2]But, and here’s where we come back to the statement at the start: SingStar represents Sony’s push for the casual market at this twilight stage of the PS3’s life – much as it did with the PS2. It’s the casual, family market that’ll now continue the sales of the console, something that’s evidenced by the massive attention the platform holder is giving to Wonderbook.

The PS3 is no longer just about the core gamer, the priorities are shifting.

To a family, seeing that icon on the XMB won’t be a thing of disgust or disdain, it’ll be a curio, that’s clicked and explored. It’ll open up something that they might not have discovered before, and, coupled with the new option to sing via a PlayStation Eye (a device bundled with the equally casual friendly Move) they can jump in and start singing immediately. Playing. Clever, right?

And SingStar is a brilliant game, easily the most refined in the genre and boasting some pretty good tracks. My own circumstances mean it’s seldom used these days, but we, as a family and with friends, spent many a night blasting out the hits until the wee hours, and Sony are now hoping to attract a new group of people that won’t know the game exists.

That, clearly, is genius.

You might not like the icon, and chances are Sony will backtrack in a future update and let you remove it for good, but whilst it’s true that its placement could have been tweaked (at least once loaded) or even hidden, if it means more people get involved and the market for potential future games increases, surely that’s a good thing?

Me? I’m now indifferent. Although I’ve slept on it.

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125 Comments

  1. The problem is not that it’s one click mor to get to the games I bought on the PSN store. The problem is that this basically is spam in a very obtrusive position on my XMB. “Hey you, play SingStar. Make micro-transactions. You might enjoy it!”. I know SingStar and I don’t enjoy it, so please let me delete it or at least move it to a spam-folder.

    It’s obvious that they try to bait new casual players with this icon, but Sony also should take care not to alienate their existing customer base too much. I don’t think anybody will decide their next-gen console based on one icon, that’s a bit of an overreaction, but if you get more and more the impression that a company has a “yeah, tough luck! we don’t care”-attitude, you will think twice before spending a lot of money on one of their products again.

  2. Good piece of marketing by Sony, crap PR.
    I don’t recall there being a huge fuss about all the other icons (Netflix being one that I never use) being forced on us.
    Does seem a bit daft that you can’t hide it or move it out of the way though – but I won’t lose any sleep over it.
    I can’t be embarassed about having a singing game on my XMB when I have Eye Pet on there (for my 7 year old son obviously…)

  3. It’s just an icon, people need to get over it.

  4. Another forced app in the long list of bloatware peddled by SCEE or SEN or whatever acronymn they use these days, i doubt the average playstation gamer is interested in catching up on ’emmedale’ or ‘towie’.

    I also doubt the average playstation fan is compelled by artsy black and white indie films consisting of a french guy in a beret smoking a tab. Likewise those with an interest in singstar will already own one of the many versions since the PS2
    I havn’t switched my playstation on for two days for fear or being bombarded by useless apps that frankly have no value besides the cost of a tv licence.

    Last time i checked it was playstation not watchstation

    • …So is the Xbox, Watchbox…? therefore the Wii U is only the existing system with no noticeable media apps, oh wait.

      Really, I don’t the harm of the these apps, the TV channels can be hidden which is good and you know with stuff like 4oD and iPlayer its rather handy to watch an episode of HIGNFY or Mock the Week. Don’t like it? tough, its there for somebody.

  5. I think all the ragers need to catch a grip… for gods sake, the icon is only adding an extra click to the Playstation experience and you know I have like 30 games on my HDD, I don’t see why Singstar would be a nuisance. You Know, I’d love the same thing to happen to Littlebigplanet 2…. they must.

    • Yes you may have 30+ games on you xmb but like me i’m inclined to think your games are sectioned into folders (ps1, ps3, demos etc) if i could place it in a folder called spam I would, i chose the playstation for its sleek xmb and the philanthropy of life with playstation (a noble cause imo)

      It not rage its frustration I can’t fathom why they dont create an ‘apps’ section like on the vita store for all of this. I miss frankie boyle on mock the week made it worth while now I just watch Dave

  6. Guys this is serious. This Singstar icon has ruined my life. I’m a hardc0re gam3r – I have over 70 Platinums including Hannah Montana, and all the Disney and Lego games – so I know what I’m talking about.

    First, my girlfriend saw it and left me cos apparently real men don’t sing or something.

    Second, now every time I turn on my console and want to play a game that isn’t on disc I have to push ‘down’ on the d-pad an extra time. This has caused me big problems because I have ADHD and change games every 2 minutes. Plus, I’m too cool to quit to the XMB – I turn my console off and on again. This means I have to keep pushing down. I now have RSI and my doctor says I can’t work. Still, this gives me more time to play games.

    I emailed Sony and told them to give me access to all the Singstar back catalogue or else I’m not buying any more games after the next Call of Duty comes out.

    I was going to get a PS4 but cos of this I’ve told my mum to preorder a Wii U instead. Sony sucks!

    • Hey hey hey – Nothing wrong with Lego games! :)

    • Brillian! :D

    • Parody genius. Really some gamers wonder why there is a lack of respect for them and people take the **** and then whine on like this when one icon is added to the PS3. Get a grip.

    • Comment of the week. I don’t care if Tef has discontinued it for i shall include this in the round up! And you may end up with MJB trying to have lunch with you. :S

    • Great comment! :)

  7. When did it ever sound like a good idea to invade people with an icon, half of which will detest? They can’t be hoping to appeal to ‘core’ gamers, as they will most likely already know about SingStar, so if they don’t already own it, then they probably don’t care.

  8. I love bandwagon’s especially jumping all over them but I totally missed that one.
    I’m gonna find a forum that tells me what to think. 8)

  9. Do I get a prize for being the 100th commenter?

    • oh crap someone just snuck in there and stole my prize :(

      Give them a free sing star :)

  10. I honestly cant believe some of you are making your buying choice based on a none issue its just a icon ,its not f’ed and jeffed at you its hasn’t jumped out of your screen and murdered and raped your household.

    If a icon pisses you off that much ,go have a look at the 360 dashboard , actual don’t the UK as seen enough riots.

    I don’t mind the icon its quite quick to load it finds all the songs you have bought and if you have your move plugged in you don’t have to get the mics out.

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