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.
2ofclubs
A well written article as always but still why this is news is beyond me. It’s a single icon, not the end of the world. Sure a bit more choice would be lovely but seriously saying it’ll stop you from buying the next Sony console is utterly moronic and to be honest I wonder if these people even have the mental capacity to figure out how to even make a purchase.
XisTG
I could care less for the icon, just like with the double store icon, the what’s new icon.
sambucadude
Sony is just stupid tbh, its your console so you should decide if you want the icon there or not….we have payed for it so leave it to us
xdarkmagician
I don’t have the icon, but honestly theres sooo many extra icons already I don’t see the point in complaining about it. The time to start this protest was 2 years ago when Sony added the “What’s New” and decided we needed a PS Store icon under every column. Theres so much pointless stuff on the XMB already, one more isn’t that big of a deal. Instead of trying to get the singstar icon removed, people should be trying to get ALL the pointless stuff removed.
And if people are actually embarrassed because someone sees you play singstar, just man up, and own it. Its not like someone put a gun to your head. In the slightly altered words of Futurama… You played it, you can’t unplay it.
Yahavage
I don’t get why it isn’t removable, but I don’t care either. I didn’t even see it in my XMB after the update, despite glancing over very briefly to see what all the crying was about.
I did think some of that PR-person’s comments were funny. Probably not professional or the image Sony are looking for, but it was funny watching some of the little trolls get burned xD
CdmanJak
i think people are freaking out a bit too much its not that bad jesus
TSBonyman
First thing i usually do when i switch on my ps3 is navigate to the browser so it really won’t affect me.
skibadee
after a few days I do not even care it is there now.
Andy Torr
Is this serious? So we have to press the down arrow one extra time to get to where we want to go. Curse Sony for forcing that extra 0.0001 second upon us! It’s a dashboard, who cares? You’re only on there to get to where you need to be anyway. Nobody buys a PS3 to sit and look at the dash.
Play a game in and get over it.
Kaminari
Something worth mentioning is that SingStar is not only an unmovable icon on your telly. It’s also the very first app displayed on the XMB after booting the PS3. Which tells a lot about Sony’s marketing roadplan.