XMB
From PS3Wiki
The PlayStation 3 version of the XrossMediaBar {pronounced Cross Media Bar) includes ten categories of options; four more than the PSP. These include: Users, Settings, Photo, Music, Video, TV (Only if PlayTV is installed), Game, Network, PlayStation Network, and Friends. The dynamic lines on the background are more condensed into a 'ribbon' rather than the PSP's large waves, unselected icons shrink slightly and every selectable background color has been made a shade darker.
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Features
The PS3 includes the ability to store various master and secondary user profiles, manage and explore photos with or without a musical slideshow, rip audio CDs, rip iTunes Advanced Audio Coding protected files, play music and copy tracks to an attached storage device, play movies and video files from the hard disk drive, an optional USB mass storage or Flash card, or an optical disc (Blu-ray Disc or DVD-Video). It also has compatibility for a USB keyboard and mouse and a full web browser supporting incompatible file download function. The Friends menu allows email with emoticons and attached picture features and video chat which requires an optional webcam (although the PlayStation Eye is the official webcam, most USB webcams will work). The Network menu allows online shopping through the PlayStation Store.
Also, the PlayStation 3 adds the ability to multitask in ways such as listening to stored audio files while surfing the web or looking at pictures. The PlayStation 3 XMB supports a variety of file formats (see System Firmware). Because the PlayStation 3 is capable of running Linux, other formats can be played through the operating system, assuming the correct codec is present. In a separate demo Sony presented the "Marketplace" where users can buy and download music. The PS3 reserves 48MB of RAM at all times for XMB functions.
In-game XMB menu
In-game XMB was debuted before the launch of the PS3 by SCEI and was omitted due to technical reasons from the official launch. In-game XMB, a much-wanted feature similar to Xbox 360's in-game guide, was added to the PlayStation 3 on 2 July,2008 via system update 2.40. However, roughly eleven hours after its release, download of the system update was disabled amidst isolated reports of problems reported by small groups of users since installing the update. Users that had not already downloaded the update were only able to download the previous version, 2.36. On July 8, 2008 System Software version 2.41 was released for the PlayStation 3 which restored the in-game XMB functionality of version 2.40 and addressed the problems Sony had found in 2.40]][[. Demand for the feature stemmed from the fact that unlike the Xbox 360, music stored on the console's hard drive could not be played while playing a game, and if a message or game invite was received during play, the game had to be exited before they could be read. All of these issues were addressed in the 2.40 system update. Although the capacity to play users' own music in-game was added with this update, the feature is dependant on game developers who must enable the feature in their games, or update existing games. Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) and many other sources state that in-game XMB is the single most requested feature for the PS3 in the last year (2007).
Sony handed out "In-Shirt XMB" t-shirts on February 19, 2008 at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) held in San Francisco's Moscone Center.
Basic forms of In-game XMB friends lists can be found in many modern (August '07 or newer) PS3 games including; Resistance: Fall of Man (Since the 1.1 patch), Warhawk, Rock Band, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Burnout Paradise (also includes In-game XMB headset accessory menu). In addition, custom soundtracks, taking on the user interface of the XMB has been implemented into a few games such as Mainichi Issho, Super Stardust HD, Burnout Paradise (ver 1.3), MLB 08: The Show,Wipeout HD, High Velocity Bowling, Pain, and software such as Folding@home (1.2). These partial functions of XMB (friends lists and custom soundtracks) have been up to the developer to implement the function.
XMB color schemes
The XMB's default background color changes depending on the current month of the year, and it changes brightness depending on the time of day. A major color change occurs on the 15th and 24th of each month, the color gradually changes between those dates, but the major change is during the three days before those dates in each month. However, a later firmware revision (1.90; released July 23, 2007) allows users change the background of the XMB to display any image saved on the console's hard drive.
Colors During the year (At Noon)
| Date | Jan 15 | Jan 24 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 15 | Mar 24 | Apr 15 | Apr 24 | May 15 | May 24 | Jun 15 | Jun 24 | Jul 15 | Jul 24 | Aug 15 | Aug 24 | Sep 15 | Sep 24 | Oct 15 | Oct 24 | Nov 15 | Nov 24 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Color |
Example of brightness changes during the day (Times in 24-Hour)
| Time | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturation |
PlayStation 3 firmware 2.00 added the ability to select the background color of the XMB (from the same choice as the PSP), and the brightness of the color. The same update also added extra font choices, and the ability to use custom themes that change the icons (wallpaper, color, and font can also be changed by themes. The XMB "click" sounds can also be changed in official themes distributed by Sony, such as the PAIN themes).
Developer
Q-Games Ltd, a small development company based in Kyoto, Japan, developed the graphics technology behind the XMB, its stylized background, and the built-in music visualizers. The PlayStation 3 uses a version of the NetFront browser by Access Co. as its internal web browser. It is the same browser used in the PlayStation Portable (Sony-branded NetFront 2.81) with the same interface, menus and virtual keyboard. Sony has also collaborated with Stanford University to bring the Folding@home project to the PS3. Once downloaded, the program can be configured to run when the system is idle or executed manually from the XMB.
