• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Multiple Game Patches/Updates on PS3...

Now I know this is probably well documented, but it's absolutely insane that Sony still haven't addressed this.

I decided to boot up Starhawk (felt the itch for some space battles) and I was greeted with not one, not two but four damn separate patches/updates.

RCMR7v6.jpg

Why haven't Sony addressed this so you only need to download one patch instead of 4.

This is probably an extreme case, but it's bloody ridiculous. I hope this doesn't make it over the PS4. Just copy MS and have it so you download one damn patch instead of multiples. Is it really that hard?
 

MavFan619

Banned
With PS+ I wake up to these things dealt with. That said yes it's pretty annoying especially for that game you bought a while ago and didn't touch and it's updates for long time till you can play.
 
Don't play Little Big Planet 2 then....crazy stuff

I doubt I'll be playing it any time soon, but how many are there?

With PS+ I wake up to these things dealt with. That said yes it's pretty annoying especially for that game you bought a while ago and didn't touch and it's updates for long time till you can play.

This is my main issue, but the time it finished downloading and installing the patches, I had already moved on to playing on my Vita. Ridiculous that this is still an issue.
 

Marvel

could never
I hope this trend doesn't follow onto PS4 also. But now that I have just got true Fiber Optic internet I'm not going to have to wait ages for them to be completed.
One hopes...

Updates and patches were so slow for me on PS3.
 

Kandrick

GAF's Ed McMahon
Gran Turismo 5 is one of them. I think there's like over 10 patches, totaling about 3-4 GB ? At least with the original release disc.
 

Ovek

7Member7
It is frustratingly pants on head retarded but then most things about the ps3 are janky and awful. I'm guessing the os developers were to busy updating home than actually improving the os.
 

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
The PS3 is simply a badly designed system in terms of user-experience. The PSN Store is still a janky piece of shit 7 years after launch despite several updates.
 

Joni

Member
I really don't get this problem. You want them to hide the number of updates by boxing them all in one? It is not like it will make them smaller of faster to install. You know why the system works better on the Xbox 360? Because there is/was a size limit meaning the patches you download and install are way smaller.
 
I guess you don't have PS+? Or does automatic updates only work with recently played games?

I have plus, had it since launch. Not sure why it didn't download the patches.

Gran Turismo 5 is one of them. I think there's like over 10 patches, totaling about 3-4 GB ? At least with the original release disc.

Holy shit. That's even more insane. What the hell.

Lets just say, they still release DLC for it consistently.

27 updates, around 2.5-3gb worth

Jesus Christ. Glad I don't feel the need to play this ever again.
 

gogogow

Member
PSN Store 2.0 was actually pure bliss.

I take it that was the version before the "PS4 like UI/tiles version"?
Yes, that was basically instant in and out experience, very fast. So unfortunate they had to force us to use a new interface which the PS3 apparently can't handle. I only use the PSN store on my PC, even then, it's not exactly fast.
 
lol OP must not have Gran Turismo 5.

I'm more an arcade racer, but I have been tempted by GT5 in the past. Glad I didn't bother...

SOCOM 4 was horrendous also if you get round to playing it late. I gave up on updating it.

Ugh. Glad there's Unit 13 on Vita to scratch this itch if that's bad.

I really don't get this problem. You want them to hide the number of updates by boxing them all in one? It is not like it will make them smaller of faster to install. You know why the system works better on the Xbox 360? Because there is/was a size limit meaning the patches you download and install are way smaller.

It's a problem because if I play a game that's a few years old on 360, it will only need to download one patch. regardless of the number of patches that have been released in the meantime, it will only download the latest patch. That's the issue, why can't Sony mandate developers do the same on PS3?
 

Bradach

Member
I hate that they have old versions of games on their servers. I downloaded dragons dogma and when I started it up for the first time I had to download patch 1.02 before I could play. That doesn't make sense to me.
 

womfalcs3

Banned
I couldn't play Resistance 3 multiplayer because of this issue. I had to download 3 updates, and the first one was very large (100s of MB If I remember correctly). I kept getting errors somewhere along the first download.
 

Tizoc

Member
The PS3 is simply a badly designed system in terms of user-experience. The PSN Store is still a janky piece of shit 7 years after launch despite several updates.

That's why we just use the webstore then go to our download lists to get the games ;)
Now all we need is a search function for our download list, but I doubt Sony would add that to the PS4 =V
 
You could always just press circle, cancel the update and play the game if you're playing the single player. It's a real hassle with multiplayer though.
 

Shahed

Member
The worst is when you download something off PSN, and there's several patches already. I mean what the hell! Surely they could have patched it server side?
 

Iacobellis

Junior Member
I take it that was the version before the "PS4 like UI/tiles version"?
Yes, that was basically instant in and out experience, very fast. So unfortunate they had to force us to use a new interface which the PS3 apparently can't handle. I only use the PSN store on my PC, even then, it's not exactly fast.

Yeah. Was insanely quick and gave me little errors.
 

gogogow

Member
That's why we just use the webstore then go to our download lists to get the games ;)
Now all we need is a search function for our download list, but I doubt Sony would add that to the PS4 =V

Isn't it the "same" if you just do a general search? The game you bought will have the shopping bag item and you can download it from there.
 

Shahed

Member
Isn't it the "same" if you just do a general search? The game you bought will have the shopping bag item and you can download it from there.
Doesn't help with some DLC or random other stuff you get with the game for a pre-order or limited edition
 

S¡mon

Banned
You could always just press circle, cancel the update and play the game if you're playing the single player. It's a real hassle with multiplayer though.
Seriously? When I did that, I just couldn't play the game.

That said, with PS+ I've never had any trouble with updates again. And PS4 will download everything in the background, even if you aren't a PS+ member, so it should be fixed on that platform :)
 
The dreadful download speeds for the PS3 are easily among its biggest failings. I'll fire up the PS3, and be greeted by a 5 minute+ download, at which point I'll switch it off and go do something else.
 

Sethos

Banned
it's not that bad unless you have a shit internet connection. wanting to play GT5 then realizing there's a 500mb patch is a little annoying.

Rubbish. The entire Sony network has massive routing issues at places across the world. Has fuck all to do with your connection. I'm on a 150Mbit connection and struggle to get 30 off of my Playstation ( Wired ). So many of my friends has the exact same issue.
 
You could always just press circle, cancel the update and play the game if you're playing the single player. It's a real hassle with multiplayer though.

Yeah, I could and normally I would but Starhawk is a great game
You could always just press circle, cancel the update and play the game if you're playing the single player. It's a real hassle with multiplayer though.

Yeah, I could and normally I would but Starhawk is a great online game. Not as good as Warhawk, but still great.

Sadly I didn't get to play online as I gave up and ended up playing Stealth Inc on the vita...

Sadly I didn't get to play online as I gave up and ended up playing Stealth Inc on the vita.

it's not that bad unless you have a shit internet connection. wanting to play GT5 then realizing there's a 500mb patch is a little annoying.

Indeed it is. I felt that annoyance first hand. The thing is I have anything but a poor internent connection and it still took more than an hour to download and install the patches whereas 1.5 for TLoU downloaded in just a few minutes.
 
It's up to the developer, some do merge them, but the easier answer is that, it's too much trouble to do right.

Developers would need to provide updates for each version combination.

1.00 -> 1.04
1.01 -> 1.04
1.02 -> 1.04
1.03 -> 1.04

It would mean one update download for each. Many do provide with a 1.00 -> Final one, but not the ones between.
Also I've seen some do 1.01/02/03 -> 1.04 so that they could have a single one for 1.04 -> 2.0 (gran turismo comes to mind, although not with those exact same versions)
 

kadotsu

Banned
It's up to the developer, some do merge them, but the easier answer is that, it's too much trouble to do right.

Developers would need to provide updates for each version combination.

1.00 -> 1.04
1.01 -> 1.04
1.02 -> 1.04
1.03 -> 1.04

It would mean one update download for each. Many do provide with a 1.00 -> Final one, but not the ones between.

I have a cheaper solution. Just display multiple patches as a single one on the UI to satisfy the OCD crowd. And add a big red arrow pointing to the circle button icon and change the text to "Skip updating and start game".
 

gogogow

Member
Doesn't help with some DLC or random other stuff you get with the game for a pre-order or limited edition

I'm not sure why DLC wouldn't show up, but i'll take your words for it. But I agree that there should be a search function as well as sort options, like sort by DLC, Platforms (PS3, Vita, PSP etc.), Videos, Avatars, Themes, sorty by date of purchase ascending/descending, alphabetical order and so on.
 

Steroyd

Member
Really? I didn't know this, but this does explain why certain games seem to have so many individual patches. Is there any specific reason for doing this and not putting the DLC on the store?

In LittleBigPlanet's case I think it's so you can play the DLC creator packs that people bought and used in ther created levels.
 

sono

Member
Completely agreed, it must also put a significant additional load that could be otherwise avoided on Sony network, what is even worse is if you do an initial install from PSN that the initial install is not a fully patched up version.

However the worst part of this Sony policy is that it impacts your precious playtime cumulatively in a non trivial way, (and even if you have PS+ which only automatically downloads some updates automatically in my experience ..)
 

Joni

Member
Really? I didn't know this, but this does explain why certain games seem to have so many individual patches. Is there any specific reason for doing this and not putting the DLC on the store?
So that everyone has it and so that they don't need to separate the content from the patch to allow for the content like on the Xbox 360. Criterion had problems with that on Burnout Paradise.

It's a problem because if I play a game that's a few years old on 360, it will only need to download one patch. regardless of the number of patches that have been released in the meantime, it will only download the latest patch. That's the issue, why can't Sony mandate developers do the same on PS3?
Developers don't like that because it costs extra, and the patch will still have to incorporate all content to support online play meaning it will still be huge. If you want to release multiple patches, you'll also need to devise options for people who have downloaded patch 1, but not 2 while you're on 3 which can become a problem if you like supporting your game with a lot of patches.

It does not let you, if you're connected to the internet, which is still stupid.
Yes it does, it logs you out at the same time.
 
Completely agreed, it must also put a significant additional load that could be otherwise avoided on Sony network, what is even worse is if you do an initial install from PSN that the initial install is not a fully patched up version.

However the worst part of this Sony policy is that it impacts your precious playtime cumulatively in a non trivial way, (and even if you have PS+ which only automatically downloads some updates automatically in my experience ..)

On the contrary, it'll reduce the load. You'd be downloading stuff redundant updated content if you game is in any version other then 1.0 that way.
 
It's up to the developer, some do merge them, but the easier answer is that, it's too much trouble to do right.

Developers would need to provide updates for each version combination.

1.00 -> 1.04
1.01 -> 1.04
1.02 -> 1.04
1.03 -> 1.04

It would mean one update download for each. Many do provide with a 1.00 -> Final one, but not the ones between.
Also I've seen some do 1.01/02/03 -> 1.04 so that they could have a single one for 1.04 -> 2.0 (gran turismo comes to mind, although not with those exact same versions)

I figured it would be down to developers. Would be nice if Sony mandated a similar approach to that on 360. I normally don't mind patches, but the number of patches here and the time it took to download them was really bloody annoying.

In LittleBigPlanet's case I think it's so you can play the DLC creator packs that people bought and used in ther created levels.

Ah, compatibility updates. I know them well after playing Borderlands 2 recently. would be nice if they were optional, but I guess you can't have everything.
 

StuBurns

Banned
I don't understand this at all.

You only know because it's telling you. It could just be one bar and you'd never know the difference.

Preparing lots of different patches is ineffective. What if I patched twice, then didn't for three years, they need to have a patch ready from 1.03 to 1.08, and every other possible variation. I bet the 360 and Steam work exactly like this, you just don't know because they don't surface the data.
 
I've had all my patch updates via PS+ since its inception so it isn't much of a hinderance. Wonder how they'll the issue with PS4 however.
 
Top Bottom