I don’t doubt that the PlayStation 3 will ultimately be highly successful in the electronic entertainment space.  Sony have built in some future proofing hardware such as the Cell Processor and Blu-Ray drive, and once these hardware features are utilised, there will be no stopping the shiny black machine.

Still, the only way they will be utilised is by software, and to date there has not been much out there that pushes the PS3 hardware.  Early titles especially seemed to suffer from long load times and unspectacular game-play.

You could blame the propensity of cross platform titles as holding back developers from unleashing the PS3 potential, but this would not be completely accurate.  It is not really the case that games such as GTA IV or Call of Duty 4 would have been vastly different if developed solely on a PlayStation Platform.  And the games that have, in many cases, are not much for Sony fanboys to write home about.

But after a little over eighteen months of ups and downs in the market, price woes, backwards compatibility back flips, and controller “rumble” disappointments, Sony and developers are starting to get a handle on things.

Though many Developers are shirking the PS3 platform *cough* Valve *cough*, and many find the platform difficult to work with, games such as Metal Gear Solid 4 and the older Uncharted:Drakes Fortune are allowing PS3 owners to puff out their chests, and shoulder there way to the front of the gaming fraternity.

It seems no longer are Sony’ites continually pointing to the future to justify their purchase, finally the future is coming to loyal PS3 owners.

And so it is with the release of firmware 2.40 for the PS3, bringing the Cross Memory Bar (XMB) in game and Trophies.

More, including Sony Trophies video on Page 2 

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Xbox 360 owners will watch the video attached to this story with varying levels of intrigue, ranging from ho-hum to ‘those bastards are copying Microsoft Achievements!’  All of which are true, and an understandable reaction.

The Microsoft interface from the get-go was superior to any of its peers, and remains so today.  The next PS3 upgrade will need to improve background downloads amongst a smattering of other features before it truly challenges the Xbox 360 experience.

But with improved XMB integration and the introduction of Trophies/Achievements, Sony are catching up to the Xbox 360 interface.  Microsoft will need to dig deeper to stay ahead of the PS3 in this area. 

Competition is good, both manufacturer and consumer benefit from the advances made in software upgrades.  Please Sony, keep them coming, improve the download experience and though we are still waiting for PlayStation Home, we will no longer feel the need to point our calloused fingers to the future.