Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Console Post of the Week: Updating

I decided that I wanted to try out Flower on Sunday night. It's a downloadable PS3 game.

I booted up the PS3, and once the dust settled (it's been quite a while), I went to the Playstation Network.

Oh.

I need a software update, it says. Sony pushes new versions about every seven minutes, it seems, so I always need one.

Fine.

After what seems like an extremely long download (5 minutes at least, and with a cable modem connection tested at 770 KB/s just yesterday, that's a a big OS update to drop), it's done.

Assuming that the Playstation network is running at that speed--I mean, surely it is, right?

So the download finishes and the PS3 reboots itself. Now, on to downloading Flower.

Oh, wait. Now the download needs to install itself. That takes another 5 minutes, at least.

I can't remember if the PS3 reboots itself again. Eventually, the update is done, adding thirty-seven new features, none of which I will ever use.

I'm off to the Playstation store. This should be easy, because Flower was just released and has been getting quite good reviews, so I'm sure it's featured prominently.

Hmm. Can't find it.

I can't remember where I looked, but it was in one of the new content options, and it wasn't there. I do find it (after 5-10 minutes of looking, and why does every step take 5-10 minutes?).

That's foreshadowing, by the way.

I purchase Flower, then begin the download. It's 628 MB, so if downloads at even 2/3 the max speed of my modem connection, I'll be done in about 20 minutes.

Or I'll be at 20%.

Or not, because I was at something closer to 10% after 20 minutes. I suspend the download at 18% after over half an hour.

Three hours later, I pick it up again (if I had let it download the entire time I was gone, it would have theoretically been just about finished). This time, I'm able to download the remaining 82% in only 35 minutes.

Man, this has really been a grind. Finally, though, I can play this great game.

Oh, wait. Now it has to install the download.

I think it's safe to say that, at this point, I generally feel that all flowers can go fuc* themselves. After nearly four hours, my hatred has blossomed beyond a game called "Flower" and extended to all flowers as well as angiosperm as a whole.

Then, after, oh, 5 minutes, the game is installed. And after over four hours, I can play the game.

Flower is quite a short game, according to the reviews I've seen, with players saying that it can be completed in 2-3 hours. This means I spent more time trying to download this game than I'll spend playing it.

Summary:
I'll be checking the Playstation Store frequently from now on. Their ease of use and high-speed network have turned me into a loyal customer.

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