Last week’s Tweak It prompted many more comments than we expected. Asking you how you would tweak the PS3’s GameOS to improve its existing capabilities you all had a lot of great ideas. Having read through all your suggestions here are my top three:
- “Notification display: change so you can have All, Only Messages or Off.” ~ sideshow
- “Automated trophy sync.” ~ Kennykazey, musicmonkey, Awayze, hazelam
- “Game independent screenshot feature.” ~ hazelam
This week we would like to know how you would change Sony’s PlayStation Network Store. From our gamer’s perspective the PSN Store is where we go to access the latest downloadable goodies whether they be trailers, DLC or games. As the key non-retail place where we go to spend our hard-earned pennies and cents the Store should be a welcoming place.
From Sony’s perspective they should be trying to make the Store as easy to use as possible, to make those impulse purchases easier and quicker. Not only that, it is their shop window where they should be doing all they can to encourage us to visit often and linger longer as we browse the virtual shelves.
There were hints back in March that Sony were working on a Store redesign, followed by rumours earlier this month that a new Store design is already being tested. Changes are likely coming then, but it may not be too late for Sony to listen to suggestions. Here are a couple to get you started:
- A page on the Store that lists only the DLC for the games that you already own. The Xbox’s Games Marketplace does this already, but it could be taken one step further and leave out of the list any DLC you already have and any games that you have all the DLC for.
- Dynamic themes on the Store often have a ‘Preview’ button which essentially shows you a ‘trailer’ for the theme. The pages for the games also should feature a preview/trailer button so there is no need to go hunting elsewhere on the Store for them.
Over to you, our readers. We know that you would like to see lower prices, so let’s take that as a given. What else could Sony do to the Store to encourage you to spend your money there and make it a nicer place to visit?
A2J7C
I would love the in-game cross chat, between diferent game just like the Xbox. I have one 360 and it’s pretty good…
Other thing is remove the classification system of the games, DLC and etc. of the store. Because that puts the store a lot slower, mainly when you get in/out of things quickly.
Deathbrin
Yeah, what we need is a working “all games” A-Z system rather than have the categories and that’s _just_ it. The US store has that (i think).
SYY2127
Every category (DLC, Games, Themes & Avatars) has an option of looking at all of the items listed A-Z. At least on the US store, like you said.
tyrant161
forget the cross game chat, i hope sony never do it…..it’s killed online play on 360, play an online game these days on xbox360 and unless your in a private chat with someone, there will be nobody to talk to in the game due to them all being in their own chat rooms. It kills the online experience and makes the game feel like your playing against AI controlled opponents.
Bodachi
Trials for all games perhaps or at least a preview for all.
scavenga
+1, previews should be mandatory.
fattyuk
100% need preview videos, rather than having to go and look on YouTube.
tyrant161
here here, more demo’s and preferably ones that dont fill your trophy list with the trophy set for the game unless you buy the it.
fattyuk
Thats only ever happened with 1 gane hasn’t it? Thought it was SSHD or might have my facts wrong.
Foxhound
Happened to me with prototype…..
m61726b
Games that have a trial don’t tend to have previews. I don’t want to download a trial or look on YouTube for a video. Video preview of games should be mandatory.
Erroneus
And make sure the video’s they upload actually work properly >_> I often run into videos who lag, which is ridiculous. Also the uploaded videos should be in much much better quality and not some SD flash video.
morbo1993
Mandatory gameplay trailers for all minis, seeing as these are games we mostly never hear about
Watchful
Very good point. The minis would benefit from previews more than most of the other games.
hol
Wish they had a proper music store, we’ve got games & video so why not?
Kennykazey
I think they should focus on bringing the videostore to more countries.
beeje13
A bit more responsive, and a return to what came up when you chose ‘latest’ now i just get a page full of sub categories, rather than the latest stuff, hence all I do now is go to PS+, unless I am looking for something specific.
The two suggestions you made above would be very helpful… it’s marvelous that so many things can be found to improve, maybe the PS store and OS should just be run b the community… :P
MrTwP
Pay with PayPal. Join the movement!
Also it would be awesome if you could change the location of where you live
m61726b
Very good idea. Feel safer with PayPal having my card details then SCEE. Plus, maybe international transactions such as using US Store would be easier.
MrTwP
Yeah that was my idea. It would mean you could pay for stuff on the us store without difficulties. id probably buy more stuff on the store if you could use PayPal
fattyuk
You’re not ment to have a US store unless you live in the US mate so that wouldn’t work!
MrTwP
People move countries mate :)
fattyuk
Sure do.
colmshan1990
Meh.
If we weren’t meant to play games from other territories, games would be region-locked.
MrTwP
Wow guys, it was just an option. Making things a little easier to pay. Not taking away other payment methods xD
MrTwP
Shh i’m awkward. Yeah Sony would have to pay PayPal for their services but they pay that to Visa ect.
MrTwP
Oh, i meant to type that under mr fatty uk. Navigating through this is like using a navman…
AG2297
I’ve never had anything go well through PayPal. I’d rather not have a middle man, slows things down and brings in extra costs.
fattyuk
Never thought of it like that, wouldn’t Sony have to pay paypal fees? Thus increasing costs.
Just buy psn vouchers there quite easy to buy on the net and with the instant code emails aswell, eu or us, and some site it costs cheaper than the face value of the vouchers!
Thus everyone’s a winner.
billsmugs
PayPal would be very useful as PSN cards come in large amounts (compared to say a £6.29 game) and I have no credit cards, but I am a member of several paid survey sites that pay into PayPal so I wouldn’t even need to transfer funds from my bank account to buy any PSN games.
A2J7C
Very good point. I’ve changed country in Septembre 2010, and since then, i only buy things of the PSN store when i want to have the work of putting money from the French account to the Portuguese one and then wait a couple of days to have the money. Just because i can’t change the country of my account.
Or that or Paypal.
Peco
Some kind of reward system perhaps? Something similar to what GAME offers as a loyalty scheme.
TheShepanator
Make it work faster! I don’t know if this is just me but when I exit a catagory I can’t move the selection for a few seconds, this is very frustrating!
Darth Newdar
Agree with you there. It is rather slow.
Smallville2106
Yeah, this drives me mad.
Yahavage
Defo! I actually get bored looking through and will just leave sometimes – it really needs to be sped up.
A2J7C
Like i’ve said in the first comment, i think that this happens because of the rating system. I’ve noticed that when you choose a game you press, for example, the Buy button, and you have to wait. Then if you look closely, you can see that the rate system (aka 1 to 5 level Stars) are making Refresh. They disapear and reapear.
m61726b
Get rid of recommended too. Doesn’t work.
‘You bought Toy Home, you may also like Dead Nation’.
Watchful
Ha! Yeah, some (most?) of the recommendations are curious to say the least.
Deathbrin
YES. In reality that would be my only and very utmost wish.
Rocket_345
There also seems to be the same recommendations on most games. I was downloading 3 demo’s one time, 3 different genres and all the recommendations were the same. It’s like they want you to buy those games.