Sony reveals new PSN store

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Remember that little snippet about the PlayStation Store getting a ?new look?? It?s here, if you want to refresh your memory. Well, it was all (naturally) true, and at a special press reveal this morning in London ? Sony are currently showing it off to us.

Many PlayStation owners have (rightly) voiced their opinions on the current PSN Store ? it?s a little confusing, it?s hard to find what you?re looking for and it?s generally quite slow, with some icons and sections failing to load completely.

The new store, which is apparently coming very soon (there?s PSN maintenance on Monday, which might be pertinent?) takes lots of comments and feedback on board, and aims to create a massively improved experience for everyone.

Source: http://www.thesixtha...ystation-store/

The pages themselves scroll from left to right, on what Sony describes as a carousel set-up, which puts more of the store?s content within easy reach as the user moves through scrolling pages.

It?s from a functional perspective that the store will undergo its biggest changes. The search function is now smart, so provides a reductive list of options as each letter of the search phrase is typed. Abbreviations and mis-spellings will also be covered, allowing users to search for MW3 or Mas Efect.

Search performance will be further refined over the coming months, ?What will be refreshing to customers is that this will represent a new agile programme that will enable us to add new content every month or so, rather than dumping the new content and saying we?re done,? explained PS Store product development manager, Elliot Dumville.

Filtering has also been improved, filtering is now possible by content type, but also by price and even by peripheral support.

In a guided tour of the store, Dumville showed-off grouped content, which brings together all content for any given title in one place, with links to demos, full games, DLC and themes. Searching for Black Ops, for example, shows related screen shots, links to a demo and provides recommendations for other Call of Duty content.

http://www.vg247.com...rom-october-17/

[compl3x]

Looks nice. The current store is a bit meh, and the performace is downright woeful sometimes.

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

It looks great but it reminds me of the Xbox Live interface (which isn't a bad thing).

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

to me, it looks way too much like the xbox store. i never had a problem w/ the current PSN store. there were quirks, i guess, but i liked it.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

So how much is it like the 360 store? I don't think it's as simple to compare from pictures alone...

Anyway, looks great to me.

[ahhell]

Sony being original again. They even stole the font from Microsoft (Windows 8, Phone 7+, Zune, Store, etc.). lol

[TheLegendOfMart]

Stole what, square pictures and thin text??????

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Stole what, square pictures and thin text??????

Of course, MS invented them :rofl:

The new search function looks great for a controller, much more user friendly for the masses.

[TheLegendOfMart]

I'm really looking forward to this, ever since it was rumoured a few months ago, the current implementation is a joke.

I haven't seen the video but any ideas when its coming?

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

I'm really looking forward to this, ever since it was rumoured a few months ago, the current implementation is a joke.

I haven't seen the video but any ideas when its coming?

Rep in the video says the 21st for USA, hopefully worldwide, if not a day later like the EU store updates.

[Blackhearted]

Have to agree with it looking very xbox-y. And also have to agree with the mention of sonys lack of originality that was noted above.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Do people actually watch videos to compare?

and

Besides some shapes and font, how are they identical?

[TheLegendOfMart]

wow just watched some of the video, its NOTHING like Xbox Live. You actually see game content not a page full of ads for other companies.

I love the individual game view now, its not just a small icon and a wall of text and disclaimers like current PS Store, it has inline videos and such.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

I'm really looking forward to this, ever since it was rumoured a few months ago, the current implementation is a joke.

I haven't seen the video but any ideas when its coming?

Just found out it's apparently next week for EU, following week for US. We get something first for once :p

[red.]

Of course, MS invented them :rofl:

The new search function looks great for a controller, much more user friendly for the masses.

I think it looks cool too however i think it could also become quite annoying if the letters are spaced quite far apart. Maybe if you're searching for something like 'haze'. (Although i don't know why you'd want to do that :p)

Overall though, i think the store looks much better than the current one.

[compl3x]

Do we know if Sony is going to improve things like the download list? I just bought a 2nd PS3 and trying to find some games to download in my download list is a ****in' nightmare. No search. All previously downloaded content is jumbled together. Can't sort/filter. etc. sucks ass.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

Do we know if Sony is going to improve things like the download list? I just bought a 2nd PS3 and trying to find some games to download in my download list is a ****in' nightmare. No search. All previously downloaded content is jumbled together. Can't sort/filter. etc. sucks ass.

It is just listed by purchased Date, never really bothered me as I tend to just stick to newer stuff.

Additionally if you know you already downloaded something, you do not have to do it from this list, you can just do it from it's main listing.

[compl3x]

It is just listed by purchased Date, never really bothered me as I tend to just stick to newer stuff.

Additionally if you know you already downloaded something, you do not have to do it from this list, you can just do it from it's main listing.

Problem is it seems to change the purchase date if you've activated the content a 2nd time. I installed a bigger HDD in my 1st PS3 and needed to redownload a lot of my content (I couldn't do a back-up because apparently PS3s aren't compatible with USB 3.0 HDDs, and I don't have any 2.0) So some older content is mixed with newer content. All of those 6kb files you download to turn a trial into a full game are all over the list.

It would just be easier to sort and filter. Filter out demos, avatars and themes, for example. Or go by name or size. I have peak an doff-peak times with my ISP and I'd like to download some of the bigger games during off peak times (2am-10am).

I don't know, I just think they could do a way better job.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Do we know if Sony is going to improve things like the download list? I just bought a 2nd PS3 and trying to find some games to download in my download list is a ****in' nightmare. No search. All previously downloaded content is jumbled together. Can't sort/filter. etc. sucks ass.

You can now search the download list with the new store.

[Billus]

Got the update today. Looks real good. It is quite a noticeable speed improvement to the previous store. Navigation is better but it feels and move exactly like Windows 8/ 360 Dashboard.

Overall, a very welcome update indeed.

Edit:

Launching from XMB does take a little longer. There are also new sound effects. One thing I can't figure out yet is where the PlayStation + Hub is. It's seems to have disappeared, for me anyway.

[AbandonedTrolley]

Got the update today. Looks real good. It is quite a noticeable speed improvement to the previous store. Navigation is better but it feels and move exactly like Windows 8/ 360 Dashboard.

Overall, a very welcome update indeed.

Edit:

Launching from XMB does take a little longer. There are also new sound effects. One thing I can't figure out yet is where the PlayStation + Hub is. It's seems to have disappeared, for me anyway.

Apparently PS+ is hidden away under Games?

I've not installed it yet as I'm in work, just going on what I've read on other boards.

[ichi]

Just got the update today (it's been some time since I logged in the store).

WTF is this crap? :cry:

There are some nice things like screenshots and trailers on the game details page, but navigation is awful. It wasn't that good before but now it's still not really much faster and you have to go through three pages of huge images just to get to the link to the full list, and then you get fewer results per page than before.

I don't care about what visual style they want to go with, but copying the navigation system of the XBox is a horrible idea. Right after installing the update, as soon as I saw the gray background with the monochrome store icon I had that feeling of something going really wrong :/

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

It definitely needs work, I tweet @yosp about it on twitter every now and then and he says improvements are coming. One thing I do like is the new search, so far it has narrowed down the choices to what I need after 3-5 letters.

[shakey]

I like the design, but hate how much more effort everything takes.

PS+ is hidden. And now to get a free game, I have to go through about 5 additional screens of " Buy this for 0.00 " before I can even start downloading it.

They have a whole lot of work to do, because right now, the store is a complete chore.

[Boxster17]

While I definitely prefer the layout of stuff in the new one, it's a bit too slow at times and the amount of screens you see before you purchase something is a bit ridiculous (I don't remember seeing that many in the old store).

Also for those complaining about the download list, I do think they need to fix it but it's easier just to search for the games you know you have and want to download as you can just re-download them from the main storefront as others have mentioned.