PS3 Informer

Prepare for the PS3 Facebook Onslaught

Sony today launched its firmware version 3.10, and the update includes software support for Facebook. The social networking site is accessible as of today through the PS3's XMB, and allows a number of different abilities including the possibility of broadcasting your earned trophies to people on your friends list. We worry that these automated updates may quickly become tiresome -- what happens when our Facebook feed gets overwhelmed with trophy announcements?

Sony seemed pleased with the partnership, with the PSN's senior director Susan Panico commenting that it represents a big marketing opportunity for the company:

"Launching Facebook for the PlayStation community is a natural fit for our goal of delivering unparalleled connected experiences -- from connecting our community to each other to connecting our customers to great entertainment downloaded from the PlayStation Store. As we pass the third anniversary of PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Network, we're excited to deepen the social experiences of PlayStation Network and kick-off the first phase of our integration with Facebook," she wrote in a press release.

Specifically, the new Facebook update includes the ability to share trophies and recent game purchases with friends via status update. Presumably this is information that your friends will want to receive, otherwise you might find your personal feed on the end of a blockade in short order. Of course, it is up to the individual user to choose what information gets shared with their social network.

While we applaud Sony for getting on board this whole web 2.0 train, we hope that their aggressive posture doesn't backfire. What do you think about the new Facebook functionality? Will you be broadcasting your gaming achievements to your friends list, or will you be keeping your gaming exploits private for the time being?

To share or not to share?