They say change is good. As a man that remembers going through puberty and the embarrassments that came with it quite vividly, I’d normally have to disagree. In this instance, though, I think I could give a nod of approval to whoever “they” are. Despite current rumors that the Playstation 4 could find its way onto the market in 2014, Sony had made the conscious decision to apparently revamp its online store. A set of reports from online gaming websites Eurogamer and VG247 have divulged information into the apparent changes that Sony will be making to the Playstation Network.
Launched in 2011, the Sony’s online store for the Playstation 3 has yet to change its look from the arguably drab and somewhat confusing layout that it holds now. The new layout should pose to be far more user friendly than the current design. Where the network’s current layout relies heavily on many different submenus, the update aims to divide things up in a more user friendly way by creating two subcategories for locations like the “Games” menu. According to Eurogamer, the Games category will be divided into featured content, which includes Playstation Plus items and Top Sellers, and regular content, such as PS3 Games and demos.
Within these new subcategories, gamers will be able to filter their searches based on specific attributes. If you’re looking for a game within a certain price range or within a specific genre, searches can be modified to filter out your undesired options. The online search option has also been improved to include predictive text and much more accurate results. Searches will filter through all categories to ensure that any potential results are pulled and displayed in a streamlined fashion.
Snapshots of the new layout also feature a smoother looking layout. There is something about the current layout that just looks outdated when compared to Microsoft’s online design. The difference comes across as if you went from working on an iMac only to have to revert back to Windows ’95. The network’s color scheme will also find itself straying away from the bland aqua blue and will feature a moodier gray/black combo, accented by larger picture displays of featured titles
VG247 reports that Sony will be rolling out this new layout in North America in the October 23rd update of the Playstation Network. While Sony confirmed that the layout would carry over to the Playstation 3 consol, there has been no confirmation as to whether or not PS Vita owners would be seeing the fresher look. Those satisfied with the Playstation Network’s content can rest assured, as the update will not remove any features beyond page layout and menu design.
