xmb - Kotaku

posts about #xmb more →
Sony Love The XMB Just The Way It Is
PSP Firmware Update Adds Much Needed Googling
Report: In-Game XMB for PS3 is OTW
PS3 "Trophies" On Their Way?
Sony's Wise-Ass XMB Shirts
PlayStation.com Shows, Then Pulls New PS3 Network Features
PS3 Regional Icons Sort Accounts, Combat Xenophobia
Xbox 360 Fall Update Video Walkthrough, XMB Anyone?
Create Your Own Custom PlayStation 3 Themes
PSP Getting 7 Downloadable Games

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

fuchikoma
07/08/09

In reply to Sony Love The XMB Just The Way It Is
I love it. It's fast, simple, and efficient. The complicated stuff is always kept at the leftmost icon, and the games are kept to the right of media.

The only real enhancement I'd add is the ability to create user-made folders for photos and movies.
Reply

fuchikoma was starred fuchikoma was unstarred

Guard
07/08/09

In reply to Sony Love The XMB Just The Way It Is
Seriously? I can't find any settings I need in the XMB for the life of me. There's far too many options around, especially when you go into settings.

Also, I downloaded a demo not too long ago, and it ended up appearing 6 times in the game tab. Annoying as hell.
Reply

Guard was starred Guard was unstarred

exion
07/08/09

@Guard: no doubt you downloaded it 6 times then. XD
Reply

exion was starred exion was unstarred

SagiMewtwo
07/08/09

In reply to Sony Love The XMB Just The Way It Is
The only thing I wish you could be able to do is rearrange the Games part of the XMB. As it is now, it's just a mess when you download a lot of stuff from the PSN. You should be able to at the very least have the PSN games, PS1 games, and demos in separate sub-menus and then be able to arrange those either by name or put into genre sub-menus. As it is right now you have to trudge through a ton of stuff to guess where the game or demo you want to play is in the mess of things.

The only thing doen right is that the PS1 games are all the way at the bottom, so they're not lumped all together with demos and full PSN games.

That's really my only gripe about the XMB, the cluttered Games menu.
Reply

SagiMewtwo was starred SagiMewtwo was unstarred

Tom Clancy's Samuraidino
07/08/09

@SagiMewtwo: You can create seperate folders for games,demos etc ya know....
Reply

exion
07/08/09

@SagiMewtwo: sort by album (square button) then assign albums to each of your downloads (under information when you press triangle on the game)

Job done.
Reply

exion was starred exion was unstarred

Inzoum
07/08/09

In reply to Sony Love The XMB Just The Way It Is
shouldn't the emphasis be on "why" rather than "would"? that just seems odd. I love how emphasis can really change the tone of just about any sentence, but it doesn't really make much sense here like that.

I entirely agree the PS3's XMB is easy and fun to use and shouldn't be radically replaced, though some improvements could be nice. My #1 gripe with it is that it uses the MP3 files' ID3 tags to grab the title, and uses those to sort an album alphabetically. There's no option to either sort by track number, or just screw ID3 Tags altogether and sort them by the filenames, which I always neatly organize with "01-", "02-", "03-" etc in the begining. It would probably make loading and displaying the files a lot faster since no further analysis would be necessary, and damn, I hate those ID3 Tags
Reply

Inzoum was starred Inzoum was unstarred

exion
07/08/09

@Inzoum: Im afraid you're mistaken... if they arent being organised by album and track number then the ID3 tags are wrong... just press triangle on the offending song and go to info... from there you can assign a track number and they'll organise properly...

I recently put my entire music collection on my PS3 (custom harddrive) and spent a day cleaning up my library....

it's a tedious task, but it's doable.
Reply

exion was starred exion was unstarred

RuneX21
07/08/09

In reply to Sony Love The XMB Just The Way It Is
Am I the only one who hates the XMB on the PS3? I find its aggrivating to look for things, too small in terms of the space onscreen that it takes up, and overall its just really really boring. Granted, Im a fan of the original blade system, but I prefer NXE over the XMB anyday. Mainly because I like my screen being used by something other than a cross bar. XMB feels great on the PSP, like it was meant for it, but I feel sony got lazy and just threw it on the PS3, where it just doesnt fit all that well on a large screen.
Reply

RuneX21 was starred RuneX21 was unstarred

elmorepow
07/08/09

@RuneX21: You are the only one. NXE is just glorified XMB (read messy).
Reply

elmorepow was starred elmorepow was unstarred

FP_slomo788
07/08/09

@RuneX21: Different strokes, etc.

The thing you hate about the XMB is exactly what makes it popular with the fans: the calm, the fact that nothing is happening. No bright colors, no ads, nothing about X and Y. All of this has its own place, the XMB is merely a lobby. You don't feel pressured in any way.

You should try listening to some music without a screensaver, and watch the wavy thing move. I've sat there looking at it for the duration of albums.

Two design ideologies, really. Microsoft wants you to rush to your wallet as soon as you press the power button. Sony is more laid back, and I like that. I won't even get into how customizable (for free) the XMB is.
Reply

FP_slomo788 was starred FP_slomo788 was unstarred

FP_slomo788
07/08/09

@FP_slomo788: Also, the fact that it changes colors every month and gets darker as the day goes still amazes me to this day.
Reply

FP_slomo788 was starred FP_slomo788 was unstarred

m3rcer
07/08/09

@FP_slomo788: The "Earth" music visualization is IMO the best visualization period! It looks great with any song. And I've put over 20gb of music into the PS3 so far, with at least another 20gb of my collection to go.

Have you ever put episodic television shows on your ps3. It's stunning to see the vertical wave of animation as the 10sec animatic representation of each episode is played a split second apart.
Reply

m3rcer was starred m3rcer was unstarred

ShadowOdin of dubious snowiness
07/08/09

@FP_slomo788: Never noticed that it gets darker during the day. Are you sure? Or is not the light surrounding it just playing tricks on you?
Reply

exion
07/08/09

@m3rcer: heh, I upgraded my harddrive to a 500GB one, 250 of which is filled with music!

And for the sake of being different I'm going to show some love for the other visualisation... the one with randomly generated waves and vistas of colour... its really intense and visually stunning!
Reply

exion was starred exion was unstarred

exion
07/08/09

@ShadowOdin isn't american:

It was one of the first things I noticed...

Every month the colour changes (and it does so gradually, so at the end of the month it might be mid transaction between pink and green (some muggy brown) but mid way through the month it'll be an intense emerald green....

then the colours are effected by the time of day, and any console with a sunrise and sunset gets a thumbs up from me! (to test it, try mucking around with your clock settings)
Reply

exion was starred exion was unstarred

m3rcer
07/08/09

@exion: I just put in a 160gb hd and between music and video, I'm already running out of room. I'll probably get a nice 500gb like yourself soon. Why is it the more space you have the faster it fills up? Ha!
Reply

m3rcer was starred m3rcer was unstarred

fuchikoma
07/08/09

@FP_slomo788:

I love that dimmer - I play close to a big HDTV, so at night, it kindly holds back from searing my eyes out of their sockets like so many white-background websites...

@evilweevle:

PS button's for quitting the program, toggling power, and doing controller reassignment... Messages are a function of the XMB, which you can't quit - the cancel button works fine though. To me, cancelling a message with the PS button would be like putting your car in park and shutting it off at a red light...

They've also tried to redesign the controller - but the outcry from fans led them to go back on that. They wanted to alter/update it a bit, but like they say, if it's not broken, don't fix it...
Reply

fuchikoma was starred fuchikoma was unstarred

Koztah
07/08/09

@m3rcer:

Just use media server software and stream from your PC. 3.5" drives are cheaper than 2.5"s, and so my PS3 has access to terabytes of music and movies.
Reply

Koztah was starred Koztah was unstarred

robinandtami
07/08/09

@elmorepow: That's ironic since the XMB is a glorified Windows Media Center interface.... well accept the XMB goes right to left for main categories then up and down for subs, and the MCE goes up and down for main and then left to right for subs. Even the background is quite similar.
Reply

robinandtami was starred robinandtami was unstarred

(Zombie) NitroAML
07/08/09

In reply to Sony Love The XMB Just The Way It Is
[boardsus.playstation.com]

This would look waaaaay better than the current XMB IMO.
Reply

(Zombie) NitroAML was starred

exion
07/08/09

@NitroAML: truth be told, I do like this design... it retains the functionality of the in-game-xmb without the clutter of the unusable stuff (like videos, network, pictures, etc)... Plus it works in some nice new practical features like displaying a players level right from the friends list, the clock not being hidden by the battery charge icon, etc...

Truth be told the aesthetic reminds me more of Steam than of the NXE... and thats not a bad thing.

Currently the in game xmb is good, but theres a lot of room for improvement... this fan-made mock-up is on the right track, in my opinion.
Reply

exion was starred exion was unstarred

exion
07/08/09

@exion: man, I said "truth be told" twice... I need some coffee.
Reply

exion was starred exion was unstarred

FrancisEdwood
07/08/09

In reply to Sony Love The XMB Just The Way It Is
blah the XMB is bland. The store should be more integrated. Xbox has it right. Everywhere you go are links to buy more, see more. There aren't ads anywhere. How do they even make money?
Reply

FrancisEdwood was starred FrancisEdwood was unstarred

FP_slomo788
07/08/09

@FrancisEdwood: Most people love it for that very reason, it's ad free. Want ads? Go to Home. And the PS Store is organized in a fashion that invites you to buy, there is no reason for it to jump at your throat as soon as you start the console. Everything is just neat, and not a clusterfuck. I didn't even know some people liked being bombarded with crap.
Reply

FP_slomo788 was starred FP_slomo788 was unstarred

exion
07/08/09

@FrancisEdwood: Dear god, I hope that was sarcasm...

Also, if you care THAT much about the absence of ads on your (presumably imaginary) PS3, turn on the info widget that periodically advertises stuff on the store, new releases and promotions... and if that's not enough, download a mcdonalds theme.

Gin Gan - fucking - goo.
Reply

exion was starred exion was unstarred

ShadowOdin of dubious snowiness
07/08/09

In reply to Sony Love The XMB Just The Way It Is
I absolutely love the XMB. I find it aesthetically pleasing from a designer-standpoint, and I would love it even more to see it featured on more Sony-products, which that are planning.

Hell, I could consider buying more Sony-products if they featured the XMB, because there's just something about that red thread flowing through it all that really talks to me.
Reply

( shake cows, win a ) Milkshake!
07/08/09

In reply to Sony Love The XMB Just The Way It Is
Agreed, XMB is so damn sleek, simple and sexy...makes me salivate....to hate it is sacrilege...no this is not satire...im serious!

Sssssss
Reply

cwbys21
07/08/09

@( shake cows, win a ) Milkshake!: just don't drool on your ps3
Reply

cwbys21 was starred cwbys21 was unstarred

Koztah
07/08/09

@cwbys21:

If it can survive a sauna and a freezer, it can survive some drool.

[www.ps3vault.com]
Reply

Koztah was starred Koztah was unstarred

Adnoz
07/08/09

In reply to Sony Love The XMB Just The Way It Is
The XMB is probably the PS3's best feature, in fact it's probably the only reason I use the ps3 over my 360 for streaming movies to my TV.
Reply

Adnoz was starred Adnoz was unstarred

FP_slomo788
07/08/09

@Adnoz: 0/10.
Reply

FP_slomo788 was starred FP_slomo788 was unstarred

Last Face
07/08/09

@FP_slomo788: Wha? what's wrong with preferring the XMB over the NXE? ..I don't think you can rate opinions.
Reply

Last Face was starred Last Face was unstarred

FP_slomo788
07/08/09

@Last Face; Two douches don't make an awesome.: The XMB is probably the PS3's best feature

I don't mind the opinion, I prefer XMB myself. I do mind the not so subtle trolling though.
Reply

FP_slomo788 was starred FP_slomo788 was unstarred

ttocs
07/08/09

In reply to Sony Love The XMB Just The Way It Is
I like the XMB, but I like the NXE even more. It may be a little more confusing, but I think it adds personality to the xbox. I love my PS3, I just wish there was more of a community feel to it. When I log into live, I see all the current happenings, bright ads showing upcoming events, new downloads, etc. PS3 on the other hand, just has the basics. I'm sure some people love it, and it works just fine, I just wish it could have a little more personality. On the PSP, this is perfect, but on the PS3, I would like to see just a little more community feel.
Reply

ttocs was starred ttocs was unstarred

robinandtami
07/08/09

@ttocs: I agree. I love being able to go to the friend's section of the NXE to see exactly who is in a party, and what that party is doing BEFORE I decide to accept a party invite. It's way better than joining a party only to find out that annoying guy you can't stand is already in it, and they're playing a game you wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.

Yeah... it may LOOK like kiddie land.... but it is really very functional.
Reply

robinandtami was starred robinandtami was unstarred

MiltonZep
07/08/09

In reply to Sony Love The XMB Just The Way It Is
The XMB is cool and all....but if it came with custom sounds,(built in the console) I'd like it more.

What they really need to do, is make XMB loading(in game and otherwise) much faster.
Reply

MiltonZep was starred MiltonZep was unstarred

Black-Dog-Howls
07/08/09

@MiltonZep: Custom themes covers that. I've had a Beck: Mongolion Chop Squad theme on mine for a while before I switched back to the regular theme.
Reply

Black-Dog-Howls was starred Black-Dog-Howls was unstarred

MiltonZep
07/08/09

@Black-Dog-Howls:Can I get that one and others from allps3themes.com?

Because some of the themes on there don't have allocated sound.
Reply

MiltonZep was starred MiltonZep was unstarred

ShadowOdin of dubious snowiness
07/08/09

@MiltonZep: It depends on the theme. The Calvin and Hobbes theme I used for a while had comical sounds all over it.
Reply

supo
07/08/09

@MiltonZep: All you have to do is download a custom Theme.. mine right now is the Pixeljunk monsters theme and it plays the sounds from the game. My MGS4 theme did the same thing.

@Ferkner: Yeah NXE is much better. I mean, New XBox Experience, yeah! Cool name!

Seriously, who cares?
Reply

supo was starred supo was unstarred

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

SUBSCRIBE TO Kotaku

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment