Well, apparently people have been having problems with the new update, and as a result Sony has taken the update offline for further testing.  They are promising to get it released as soon as possible once they pin down the cause of the problems.  Sony has this to say,

“As has been reported on many gaming blogs and websites, we have temporarily taken Firmware v2.40 offline. We’ve received a limited number of calls from consumers experiencing an issue with installing the system software update on their PS3. While our consumer services department has seen a low volume of calls on this topic, we are committed to providing the PS3 community with XMB access features delivered in the v2.40 update. We are working diligently to isolate the problem for those few consumers and to identify a solution before we put the firmware back up.”

Hopefully they will sort this out soon so I can play around with the new features.

With update 2.40 you now have XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) access in-game. This means that you can access the PS3 menu at any time while playing most games, simply by tapping the PlayStation button on your controller.

With 2.40, you can also check if any of your friends are online, read and send messages, change some settings for games, all without having to quit the game you are playing. While you can’t pause an online multiplayer game involving other people, you can rejoin play at any time when you’ve finished browsing. Along with these enhanced communications features, the Friends list capacity will double to 100 Friends.

Another addition to 2.40 is “trophies”, Sony’s version of the Xbox achievements.

Super Stardust™ HD will be the first game to leverage the Trophies system and will offer a variety of trophies. The following first-party games are also slated to offer Trophy support:

• BUZZ!™ Quiz TV
• LittleBigPlanet™
• MotorStorm™ Pacific Rift
• NBA 09 - PS3
• PAIN
• PixelJunk™ Eden
• Resistance 2™
• SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
• Warhawk™

This package is perfect for those who decided not to buy SimCity Societies.  Heah, you not only get SimCity Societies, but also the expansion pack, another copy of SimCity 4, and the Rush Hour expansion pack!  Not a bad deal for only $39.99.

“For nearly 20 years, SimCity has made building, managing and sometimes destroying cities a fun, cultural phenomenon,” said Rod Humble, Head of Studio for The Sims. “By offering The SimCity Box at such an extraordinary value, we give current fans and an entirely new generation of players countless hours of city-building exploration, strategic challenge and fun. This is certainly the greatest value SimCity has ever brought to players.”

NCAA Football 09 All-Play
Release Date: July 15, 2008

NCAA Football 09 All-Play debuts on the Wii in July with stylized gameplay that is quick and easy for fans to jump in and out of great head-to-head action. The game features All-Play controls, a multiplayer social experience that allows novice users to compete against advanced players and still enjoy success. All-Play controls are designed for the more novice fans, but also feature a traditional default setting for the more seasoned veterans. NCAA Football 09 All-Play features nearly 200 schools, making it the most authentic college sports gaming experience available for the Wii.

Madden NFL 09 All-Play
Release Date: August 12, 2008

Madden NFL 09 All-Play features fun, approachable and innovative gameplay by unleashing the power of the Wii Remote through the all-new EA SPORTS Call Your Shots feature. Call Your Shots allows the player to create his or her own plays on the fly and direct receivers where they should run. Gamers of all skill levels can also enjoy an all-new fast paced 5on5 mode which has a reduced field length and big head NFL players. Experienced Madden players or rookies to the game can utilize the all-new play calling system. No matter the skill level, players can be competitive with three playbooks to choose from, ranging from Easy to Advanced.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 All-Play
Release Date: August 26, 2008

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 09 All-Play features personalized coaching from Tiger Woods’ personal coach, Hank Haney and all types of gamers can pick up this game and have a fun and challenging experience. Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 09 All-Play features new graphics and user interface while also incorporating interactive and social mini-games. The standing swing control, the most “true to life” golf mechanic you can find in any videogame, truly takes advantage of the Wii console’s unique control scheme. The game will also feature online play for the first time with Simultaneous Online Play that allows up to four players the ability to play each hole at the same time.

NBA LIVE 09 All-Play
Release Date: October 7, 2008 (North America); October 14, 2008 (Worldwide)

Step onto the court and into the fun with a unique basketball experience designed exclusively for the Wii. NBA LIVE 09 All-Play offers more action, more often, with an over-the-top basketball experience designed with everyone in mind. Improved responsiveness and more control options make this game easier and more fun to play than ever before.

FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play
Release Date: October 14, 2008

Step onto the pitch and play a unique soccer experience exclusively for the Wii. Enjoy FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play one of two ways—a Wii-specific take on the classic ‘11 vs. 11’ simulation or over-the-top ‘8 vs. 8’ arcade action. Play with your Mii™ alongside your heroes Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney and other soccer stars created as customized characters in an arcade version of the beautiful game. Steal the ball and make outrageous shots by simply waving your Wii Remote. You’ve never played soccer like this before! Plus, play Footii Party Games called Table Soccer and Boot It for more great fun with family and friends.

Today Sony has released a special download for Metal Gear Solid 4, a so-called “Database” featuring the history of the Metal Gear story. The Playstation Blog has this to say about the content of the Database,

“The MGS4 Database is a free, downloadable interactive application that contains the official knowledge base of everything that is Metal Gear, reaching all the way back to the very beginning of the franchise. Including complete storylines, character profiles, relationship diagrams, and much more! The MGS4 database is a great way to catch up for someone new to Metal Gear, as well as a useful resource for any veteran of the series, with complete official details on every aspect of the intricate Metal gear lore.”

The download size is 77mb. Also, check out the Extras menu in MGS4 for free download updates.

The Playstation Blog has not given much details other than “improved system stability”. Never the less, Sony is promising a step up in firmware version 2.40. The Playstation Blog had this to say,

“We’re also happy to officially report that the 2.40 system software update for PS3 will include “XMB” access in-game. The update will also include “trophies,” an exciting new feature that we’ll be providing more details on soon, as well as some other new enhancements. We’ve talked about some of this on the blog previously and know that many of you can’t wait to get your hands on these features. You can expect us to share all of the official details shortly.”

Hopefully we will see 2.40 fairly soon.

Electronic Arts has released the PC system requirements for their upcoming title SPORE. It looks like if you have a moderately decent PC, you will be fine playing this game. It does however take up a massive 6GB of disk space.

System Requirements:

WINDOWS XP
- 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
- 512 MB RAM
- A 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
- At least 6 GB of hard drive space

WINDOWS VISTA
- 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
- 768 MB RAM
- A 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
- At least 6 GB of hard drive space

MAC OS X
- Mac OS X 10.5.3 Leopard or higher
- Intel Core Duo Processor
- 1024 MB RAM
- ATI X1600 or NVidia 7300 GT with 128 MB of Video RAM, or Intel Integrated GMA X3100
- At least 4.7GB of hard drive space for installation, plus additional space for creations.

On June 20th, Sony will be releasing a limited edition CRISIS CORE Final Fantasy VII PSP bundle in Europe. The bundle will cost 189.99 Euros.

Developed by Square Enix Co., Ltd., CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- ups the action from previous FINAL FANTASY titles with an all-new dynamic battle system with real-time action, while retaining the immersive storytelling expected from a game with such heritage.

Now it is your chance to discover the events leading up to the destruction of the metropolis of Midgar and the downfall of the ruthless Shinra Corporation. Following the story of young Shinra solider Zack Fair, CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- revisits a classic world populated by celebrated characters including the heroic Cloud Strife, tragic Aerith Gainsborough and the villainous Sephiroth.