The most recent Playstation update added more than the much talked about 3D Blu-ray capability, it also included greater Facebook integration for PS3 games. Which means that game developers will have access to gamers’ Facebook profiles, if they have one, and their social graph (i.e. list of friends), photos and other profile information, which can be incorporated into any game, in many different ways.
What this means is that PS3 games will be able to incorporate your Facebook information into the gameplay (if you give them permission to do so). Eric Lempel(VP of SCE Network Operations) gave a basic example: “maybe you’re driving around in a PS3 racing game and instead of a regular billboard on the side of the road, you see one with a picture of your friend on it. Or maybe you’ll be fighting a boss in a game that looks like your Facebook friend. Or a music videogame like Rock Band might know what music you’re a fan of on Facebook and customize your track list based on that.”
The update already enables much deeper integration that was allowable with the Xbox 360 or the DSi, but also includes features available to both those platforms. Perhaps now you can even check status updates or upload a picture right from the game own menu. Some aspects may be for Facebook evangelists, but it is quite interesting what other possibilities may arise from this.
No specific games or companies have been mentioned as of yet, but don’t be surprised to see EA or Activision jump on this opportunity and perhaps even have a game or two out by the end of the year.
What do you think? I personally would love to see the ability to see my friends avatars from FB in viewable in multiplayer matches of games that we are both playing.
