Over this past few days, we have notices some strange bugs on our PlayStation 3 which relate to the PlayStation Network. The network has been quite slow over the past few days with downloads taking longer than normal, but this could be due to the release of Burnout Paradise and WipEout HD. However, we have some screenshots below that show some of the bugs we’ve encountered online. These include duplicate names on the friends list, friends list visible when signed out of the network and errors when viewing profile information.

Duplicate Friends:

The below screenshot shows the user “hersi020” three times on the list, which is clearly a bug. The question is whether this a bug related to the PlayStation Firmware version or the network itself.

Online Profile Errors:

The screenshot below is a common occurrence when viewing someone’s profile information. We’ve noticed this error several times over the past month or so. The trophy information also takes far too long to load but this problem is likely to be addressed in a future firmware update.

Offline Friends List:

The strangest bug we’ve noticed so far is the ability to see your friends list when not being signed into the network. Normally, if you are logged in, the first user on the list (under the Message Box) will have a diamond on the side of the avatar indicating the current logged in user. However, when we signed out of the network, our friends list was still visible but our username had disappeared indicating that we had signed off.

When you first boot the PlayStation 3, the [Friends] menu only displays the [Message Box] option. We have not been able to replicate this problem after first encountering it. The two images below show the “before” and “after” shots. Note that the duplicate name problem is also present in both these photos.

If anyone has encountered similar problems, or anything completely different, post it below in the comments section. We are curious to know how many bugs exist and how widespread the problem is.

SOCOM: Confrontation has been patched once again. If you are taking part in the beta, simply boot up the game and wait for the update prompt. The patch addresses several bugs as well as change some aspects based on user feedback. The bug fixes include improved statistics for the team, improvements in load times for late joiners and improved game stability. Game improvements include better accuracy on the first shot, better tiebreaker rules and new HUD animation to indicate reloading. You can find a full list of changes below.

Bug fixes:

• Fixed an issue which was causing an abnormally large number of simultaneous kills.
• Optimized the Armory so that selecting weapons, attachments and general menu navigation are much faster.
• Fixed another issue where you could get stuck in spectator cam when late joining a game.
• Fixed an issue where occasionally late joiners would have very low framerate and crash when exiting a game.
• Fixed an issue where occasionally late joiners would have no audio.
• Statistics improvements. Statistics are now being tracked at the team level and not the player level. This will ensure stats are tracked for dropped and late joining players.
• Further improved load times for late joiners.
• Fixed several stability issues.

Changes based on user feedback:

• Added new burst firing accuracy tuning when moving. You are now more accurate for the initial burst while moving but accuracy deteriorates as you continue to fire more shots.
• Scopes are now accurate.
• The select screen scoreboard is now exited by pressing the select button.
• Improved tiebreaker rules.
• New HUD animation to indicate when you are reloading.
• Crosshairs now turn grey when your magazine is empty.

Existing issues in patch v1.4:

• The select screen scoreboard, round complete and game complete screens appear blank.
• Infrequently, some users loose controller functionality for a couple of seconds.

With the release of WipEout HD today, many gamers are busy playing the game and earning those shiny trophies. Unfortunately, there are problems present in the game that causes the PlayStation 3 to freeze occasionally. So far, the problem seems to be affecting only selected users but the problem is definitely wide spread. We have also experienced crashes with our copy of the game, but found that signing out of the PlayStation Network helps the game run better – but you won’t be able to play online.

Another theory is that if you have a large number of friends, then this also causes the game to crash. If you are experiencing different problems, please use the comment section below to describe them to other users. If you have a solution, please share that too.

Some users can play the game online while are unable to. There are many users on the Official European Forums complaining about similar issues with the game. It seems that WipEout HD has made a mess of things similar to when GTA IV was released earlier this year. So far there has been no official announcement from Sony but we speculate that it won’t be long now before a statement is released.

If you haven’t purchased the game yet you may want to hold off until the problem has been resolved. It is likely that a firmware update or patch for the game will be released within the next few days. If you don’t mind playing offline then go ahead and download the game – it’s great fun and there are lots of trophies to unlock.

[PlayStation Forum Thread on WipEout HD Problems]

The latest issue of PSP M4M: Magazine 4 Men is now available to downoad. We would like to apolgize for the delay in releasing this magazine, but now that it’s finally here we hope you enjoy reading it. Issue 24 contains over 160 pages of content with articles on various subjects – this issue isn’t dedicated to a particular subject.

We will soon be launching an official website for PSP M4M, where you will be able to download the magazine (and any back issues), access exclusive photos and wallpaper (from the magazine) and get access to premium content.

[Download PSP M4M i024]

According to a forum post on the US PlayStation Forum, Home Manager "TedTheDog" has suggested that PlayStation Firmware 2.50 will be released sometime in October to deal with some problems experienced in PlayStation Home. TedTheDog has also suggested that Home v1.0 will also be released around the same time, though it is not know if it will be available to the public as well.

The forum post reads as follows:

"I wont go into the technicalities, admittedly because I simply didnt understand them although they did try to explain it to me, but we are waiting for a system software update to thePS3 to deal with this.

2.5 is what we’re waiting for and "October" is what I’ve heard, later October is my guess.

This should tackle the PS3 freezes and the Network Error problems. Then Home 1.0 will be upon us too and you can read into that what you will."

Until an official announcement from Sony, this should all be considered as a rumor. We will bring you more news as it becomes available.

[Official Forum Thread]

It’s official – LittleBigPlanet has gone ‘gold’, meaning that development on the game has finished. The game will be available to purchase in North America on October 21st, followed by Europe, Australia and New Zealand on October 22nd, and UK and Ireland on October 24th. Japan can expect the game week commencing October 27th. Although development on the game is now complete, Media Molecule won’t be resting anytime soon – the team will now start to work on downloadable content.

The game will feature over 50 levels out of the box which can be enjoyed in single player mode or in multiplayer mode with up to four players. For a limited time after launch, a free spaceman costume for Sackboy will be available for download as well as a rare ‘Week One’ Sackboy t-shirt. Can’t wait for the game to come out? Check out the trailers on the PlayStation Store and download the XMB theme too.

PlayTV is now available to purchase in Europe. The PlayStation 3 accessory allows you to watch Live TV as well as record shows directly to the PS3 hard drive. The device is now available to purchase in Europe (selected countries only, including UK, France, Italy and Germany), and allows you to watch free over-the-air TV, like the Freeview service in the UK. The device is available for £69 and contains twin tuners (allows you to watch one channel while recording another). You also have the ability to record TV while playing games.

Features:

• Watch, pause and record live television on your PS3
• Record one channel while watching another or playing a PS3 game
• See what’s on, now and next, with the easy to use Programme Guide
• Watch TV on your PSP when you?re out and about (via Remote Play)

The PlayStation 3 even turns itself on to record a scheduled program and then shuts down after wards. Users in the UK will be able to access over 40 channels while France will be able to view over 20. Unfortunately, the device does not support HD TV. For more information on the device, visit the PlayTV Official Website.