PS3 Downloads

[Flack]

The other day at a friend's house I saw Pain for the first time (a downloadable PS3 game). I thought my son would like it, so when I got home I told Mason to come check out this new game so I fired up the PS3.

When I tried to go to the store, it said I needed the new firmware. That took about 20 minutes.

When that was done I went to get the game and it needed to download ~700 meg. That took another 10-12 minutes I think.

By this point Mason was bored. I told him to hang in there -- we were almost done!

I selected the game and started it. The game told me it needed to install. That took another 10 minutes. By this point Mason was dozing off.

Once it was installed I finally launched it ... and found it needed more updates. Then it downloaded and installed those.

After about an hour of downloading and waiting, I finally got the game up. I went to show it to Mason but he had left and was back downstairs playing DS. Oh well.

[FxMercenary]

cool story bro.

[NayusDante]

Yes, this is definitely a problem. The problems from PC gaming have worked their way onto consoles, and it looks like this is going to be a permanent thing. If you didn't have to update the system firmware just to play/download a game, it might be different, since that seems to be the biggest time waster.

The only real solution is to schedule a "system maintenance" day where you go through the updates and crap. It would make more sense for Sony to just implement an auto-update feature for games, where everything installed gets updated in the background.

[heybtbm]

How can a 360 game/system update only take seconds, while a PS3 update takes 10+ minutes? My experience trying to play BF:Bad Company online is similar. It was about an hour from first puting in the disc to actually playing the game. AN HOUR.

[carlcarlson]

Yeah, and there isn't any noticable install after you download a 360 demo either, you can play it right away. That was my biggest surprise when I first got my PS3.

[aclbandit]

How can a 360 game/system update only take seconds, while a PS3 update takes 10+ minutes? My experience trying to play BF:Bad Company online is similar. It was about an hour from first puting in the disc to actually playing the game. AN HOUR.

Well, the reason my PS3 downloads are slower is something I've always attributed to a rather simple fact: 360 doesn't have wireless, so it HAS to have the wired internet connection. My PS3 (which HAS wireless) is connected wirelessly.

That's why my PS3 takes longer. Or at least that's what I tell myself-- there are likely more reasons.

[kaedesdisciple]

Well, the reason my PS3 downloads are slower is something I've always attributed to a rather simple fact: 360 doesn't have wireless, so it HAS to have the wired internet connection. My PS3 (which HAS wireless) is connected wirelessly.

That's why my PS3 takes longer. Or at least that's what I tell myself-- there are likely more reasons.

You're likely connected to your network at ~54Mbps over an 802.11g (~10-11Mbps over 802.11b) wireless connection, same as my 360 with its overpriced USB wireless adapter. Unless you've stuck a cordless phone, a microwave and a few thick walls between your wireless router and your PS3, the wireless is NOT the bottleneck. Check your Internet connection speed, how many other machines are actively using bandwidth-hogging applications on your connection and if you've tossed your PS3 in the DMZ. My 360 over wireless NEVER lags and downloads are lightning fast since I upgraded my Internet connection speed.

[Flack]

I know what you're saying, and I still ran an ethernet cable to my PS3 just to see if that was the problem. The downloads are huge and tend to take forever. I have several friends who are already biased against the PS3, and it makes it worse whenever they come over and I can't show them anything because I get stuck downloading updates (it happened after the last OEGE, in fact).

I guess I will take NayusDante's advice of turning on the system the day before anybody comes over and download all the updates and hope there are no updates that day.

I hate having to schedule my gaming time around a company's updates.

[The 1 2 P]

That would definitely suck. We get stuck with updates on the 360 too but as others have already pointed out, they don't take very long and demos are playable as soon as they are installed. But there are some demos that take more time than I'd like for them to install(20 minutes or so) but I suppose it all depends on the size of the download.

As for the PS3, I'm sure Sony will eventually work out these kinks, via another update of course. I think they are just super leary of allowing people to find ways to exploit/hack into the PS3 that they've gotten into the same routine as they use on the PSP--"constant updates for the good of gamers", or so their corporate line goes. But I suspect they will find alternate ways to alleviate this in the future.

[Chadt74]

When I get a new game (mostly used) I just pop it into the PS3 and get the updates so that when I want to play the game I can. At least you can turn the system off after the download is updated. Ya you really have to plan the updates to manage the pain.

[Hitman Tyler]

WOW! That was some experience their. If I was your kid I would say "Dad Forget it, quit while your ahead". LOL LOL
Also I find that amazing how long the firmwares take to download, I am seriously My Connection Satus is 100% and it takes like 15-20 mintues. Then about another 15 to install I personally think this should be quicker since all it is doing is intalling.

[NayusDante]

The whole "installation" process is crazy. I'm going to take a wild guess and say that the file you download is a compressed archive, and installation is just the unzipping process. It would make a LOT more sense to just use an ISO-mount format, but heaven forbid Sony add a function that hackers could compromise, because it's oh-so-hard for them to write it themselves.

[Half Japanese]

Yeah, downloads on the ps3 take for-fucking-ever, and Zod forbid there be updates for the game you're trying to play. I was excited to try out Eye of Judgment until I had to sit there for an hour while it downloaded several individual updates before I lost interest and went to bed. It's not a deal-breaker, but it is pretty goddamn annoying.

[gepeto]

That has been my issue from day 1. No matter what I do the downloads take forever. I tried everything nat this nat that. Same issue. Totally sucks. A while ago I got excited and picked up a 320 gd hd cheap for the upgrade then when I got it I realized how much of a pain in the zz it is to get all the downloads back. I took it out. Really one of the major turnoffs for me.

Bigger hard drives mean nothing to me if brother in arms takes 4hrs to download the demo. I am impatient. They really need to quit the firmware crap and start optimizing the network.

[YoshiM]

I had a similar experience of having to wait a long while to play a game. Luckily the only one's time wasted was mine. I had just purchased Warhawk and I had wanted to play it before I went to take a shower and hit the sack. About a half hour or so later of updates my time ran out and I had to skip playing for the night.

The one thing I'd wish Sony would take a page from is the 360's ability to continue downloading in "off" mode. I would download a heck of a lot more if I knew my PS3 would shut down after a game downloaded.

[Half Japanese]

The one thing I'd wish Sony would take a page from is the 360's ability to continue downloading in "off" mode. I would download a heck of a lot more if I knew my PS3 would shut down after a game downloaded.

This would alleviate a huge amount of headache, but the irony of the situation is that not only would something like this probably require another firmware upgrade, but the third-party publishers probably don't want you downloading their demos and such if you're not going to plunk down the cash for them when they hit stores since Sony makes third-party publishers help pay for the bandwidth their demos, add-ons, and such use. Say what you will about Xbox Live, but at least Microsoft sort of has their shit together when it comes to downloads (now if only they'd stop booting you straight to a menu of fucking ads when you start up the console!).

[Flack]

I can see not wanting people to slurp down every single demo (I'm surprised you're not forced to watch ads while downloading as it is) but a scheduled background task that could update all the games I have installed and apply firmware patches would be nice.

[Darren870]

Ugh I remember wanting to play resistance with my little brother. We went out to dinner and still the updates didn't finish. Luckily it only took a few more minutes but still.

I find that turning the network drive polling option off helps a little. Infact I couldn't even update games unless that was turned off.

Its in the options menu

Settings > Network Settings > Media Server Connection

Its enabled by default.

http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/2_60/settings/connectdlna.html

[Neil Koch]

I don't mind the PS3's download speed, but I wish they'd change the way games update.

For instance, for Pain, you're downloading the DLC data (if you buy the DLC you're just getting an unlock key) - that's why the update is so big. Very little of it has to do with the game itself.

Instead of a screen simply saying that you need to download the patch to get online with the game, they should list what is actually on the update and give you the option to skip downloading any DLC-related content if you wish.

Also, when you're downloading a game patch or firmware update, you should be able to do it in the background like other files on the PS3. And they really should put in an option to turn the PS3 off when the file is done downloading/installing.

[Vigilante]

Back in my day I had to carve the 0's and 1's out of balsa wood to play a game.

These kids with their short attention spans... only an hour to get a game

wait, what was I talking about again?....

[Porksta]

Who names their kid after George Mason University? That's an odd choice.

:P

[exit]

And they really should put in an option to turn the PS3 off when the file is done downloading/installing.

They do have an option for that from what I remember, I did it for something not too long ago.

[mnbren05]

If the PS3 had shorter downloads I would consider strongly dumping my 360. Whenever I rent a game though I do it for the 360 simply because I hate waiting for the 10+ min downloads. I hear what Flack is saying and I agree their is no god damn reason to spend the better part of an hour downloading/updating a game. Makes no sense, and even wired connection is still slow.