PS3 Update Changelog?

[Byte]

Since we all know a PS3 update is incoming to remove the Williams and Bally in-game purchase options, that might be a good time to push out any updates/bugfixes as well. If that's the case, can we get a changelog like we now get on PS4? And please for VITA as well if possible/applicable.

In the PS4 Thread I asked about the Williams/Bally Challenges to make sure they remain available.
[MENTION=1214]Tom[/MENTION]Devaney Tag

 

[ScotchYeti]

Byte, you have been around for a long time so rest assured that FS won't invest any resources into the PS3 version. Seeing how small changes can have a bunch of side effects on the PS4, I doubt that FS will risk major changes.

Or do you remember whenever we waited for the latest season tables? Everyone thought they were busy getting them out until we learnt that they hadn't even started yet.

You own the software for the way it is, not how it could be.

 

[Byte]

...but now we have Tom Devaney who aside from the PS4 has been working on the PS3/VITA as well. Even though both those systems have been placed into "Legacy" status, which means no new tables after Season Six but FS said they would still do bug fixes (I tried to find it on here but no luck).

So hopefully Tom has some bug fixes lined up that he can get in as well, since they have to release an update before June 30th anyway (no choice there), but it's also possible it's the removal of in-game purchase option for Williams/Bally tables only. Or indeed maybe not even that and just let it error out and let customer support deal with it.

We'll know more in 3 weeks time.

 

[Tann]

I really doubt that FS will push bug fixes alongside the Williams/Bally removal patch.

Back in december, I posted a list of the remaining bugs after the last major update (the one which added the ball physics 3.0 on all tables), and Tom answer was:

"For some of the problems you see, I will try and check out those. As for your question, there will be at least one more. I have to do a patch for a bug that Sony wants fixed, and when I do that patch, I will also look at some other bugs like any mentioned in this thread."

Plans have drastically changed since then, so the last PS3 patch will not be to fix stuff, but to actually remove stuff...

Some bugs are pretty glaring and annoying (broken friend leaderboards, 1080p input lag, camera bug on BK2K, jump rope broken on TCP, etc.), and will unfortunately never be fixed.

And I found a new one (highly gamebreaking): Pressing the Start button during a game on POTO makes the console freeze each time, and requires a hard shutdown. :/


This (among number of others things regarding TPA on PS3) finally deters me to purchase S5 and S6 tables, even if the Williams/Bally removal is now a matter of hours...

 

[ScotchYeti]

I don't remember any major bug in S5+6 on the PS3 so feel free to purchase at least Getaway, F14 Tomcat, Eight Ball Deluxe and maybe Indy500.

The exception is Judge Dredd, which slows down heavily during Multiball.

I have decided to buy nothing for the PS4, and even on Steam I only bought season 1 and Addams. For the rest I'll keep my PS3 around.

 

[gameaddict4life]

Still no patch for the PS3 version. I guess you can still buy the Williams/Bally tables on both PS3 and PS4. Everything is still up on the store for both consoles last time I checked. The only difference is the new packs for the PS4 version are also up. I thought maybe the new packs were a better deal but there's too much double dipping going on for only two tables here and there. Better off just getting the table you want for five bucks. I don't think any table is worth five though after getting seasons in the past for 15 or even 5 dollars.

I have seasons 1-3 on PS3 plus Addams Family Gold. I also have season 7 plus the last three tables of season 6 on the PS4. On top of that I have the first pack for Stern Pinball Arcade which also came with at least one table from season 4 of TPA that I didn't have. Looking through all the Williams/Bally tables that were left the only ones that interested me where Judge Dread and Eight Ball Deluxe. I passed on both. Hearing about the slowdown on Judge Dread turned me off and after awhile the voice callouts and sound effects on Eight Ball Deluxe turned me off. I would have gotten these for PS3. I still think TPA is better on PS3.

Looking at the remaining Gottlieb and Sterns....................meh. Guess I'm looking forward to cross-buy with SPA and TPA on the PS4 so I can get AC/DC and Star Trek on TPA. After that I guess Whoa Nellie, maybe.

I think I have 70 or so pins between TPA and SPA on PS3 and PS4. I've only completed the wizard goals on three tables. I think I have enough. Haha.

Hey ScotchYeti I'm not seeing you on the PS3 leaderboards for tables under Friends. Pretty sure we're friends on PSN. I know the friends leaderboards on PS3 are messed up with people on there who don't even play the game but I thought people who did play would be on there too.

One last thing, I've been playing Cue Ball Wizard lately. Never really played it that much in the past. I remember it being in the Windows Pinball Arcade. Pretty nice table and the callouts are a lot better than 8 Ball Deluxe. I also found it neat that they put some stuff from Cactus Jack's in there. Going back to the Windows Pinball Arcade that was my second digital pinball game the first being Pinball Cadet.

Ok end of blog. Ha.

 

[ScotchYeti]

[MENTION=3643]gameaddict4life[/MENTION]: We are still friends and I see you regularely when I look at the weekly or monthly leaderboard. Good luck with the wizard goals.

Well, the friends filter on the PS3 hasn't been working for ages. Random names from your friends list are used, even for your own score. The numbers look correct though. It should be relatively easy to fix it unless the original code is a total mess.

The game is what it is. It's a pity that Sorcerer hasn't made it to the PS3. It provides a good challenge and in the old Williams collection it stopped me more than once in the Challenge mode. At least I have it on the iPad.

 

[gameaddict4life]

Ah, ok then.

 

[Tann]

Thanks for the advice, ScotchYeti.

Actually, I was interested by Getaway High Speed II (because everybody says it's a blast) and Swords of Fury (because I like the 80's heroic fantasy theme in general... and the music is awesome).

I have one more question:

It's hard to find videos about the PS3 tables nowadays, but I found a few ones and I was highly disappointed to see that the nice "darkening" lighting FX is not used anymore in the S5-S6 tables...

For example:
- On High Speed (Season 3): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KvcJgvb9jU&t=4m10s
- On BSD (season 3): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nahGlKSyLb4&t=2m15s (the best light show on a PS3 table, IMO)
Also used on TAF and Cyclone (Season 4).

This "darkening" FX on PS3 is a nice trick to make the lights stand out. I wish it had been implemented on all tables (MM with this, OMG, it would have been awesome).
And in some way, IMO, I find it has a better visual impact than the dynamic lighting of the PS4 version.

Do some tables in S5 and S6 use it? It doesn't seem so...

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For the tables not released on PS3, I was very disappointed too that S7 was canceled on PS3... It had two tables that would have make me buy the whole season: World Cup/Champion Soccer (a pretty fun table I played many times IRL) and Banzai Run.

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The friends leaderboards had been partially fixed with the last major update: they are correct for some tables but totally messed up for others (bad player names mostly).

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EDIT:

Just checked now, all Williams/Bally tables have been removed from the european PS Store. So, maybe the game update is available now...

 

[Rayder]

Just checked.....no update in USA for TPA on PS3 yet.

 

[Tann]

Just checked.....no update in USA for TPA on PS3 yet.

Well, it seems that the PS3 version won't require a game update after the Williams/Bally removal. The non-purchased tables in the game menu are tied with the table availability in the PS Store.
Tables removed in PS Store = non-purchased tables not showing off anymore in the game.

I noticed that before the removal, but I wasn't sure. Because if you are not connected to the PSN, and you go into the non-purchased tables menu, you get a black screen and you're stuck in it (no way to quit this screen). You have to quit the whole game (by pressing the Home button).

 

[Byte]

Cool. I purchased all tables so I wouldn't be able to tell.

I checked but when I log in on my VITA, I can still buy the Pro upgrade for e.g. Indy 500 (both individual and All), it will go to the PSN Store page, but there was no Buy button, just an info page. You can "X" out of it, and return to the game that way.