If You Love/Hate Sony's Xross Media Bar, Blame This Guy

[wraggster]

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/03/xmb.jpg

We're not sure if this is true, but Yasuhiro Yamanaka of Sony Computer Entertainment claims that he "designed PSP and PS3 User Interface all by myself." You can blame him for everything.

In a regular company, it would be very difficult to believe that one man designed the entirety of any UI, especially one as large, complex and important as the PlayStation 3. But we're talking about Sony here. They're the people who designed the hardware for the PS3 first, then dumped the components onto the software guy, saying "do something with it."

If you're like Mark (and many others), you'll congratulate Mr. Yasuhiro Yamanaka on a job well done. If he really did create all of that by himself, it's quite an accomplishment. If you're like me, and think the XMB is pretty, yet functionally horrible from a UI development standpoint, you'll think this guy should hire a few more people to help.

http://i.gizmodo.com/5187233/if-you-lovehate-sonys-xross-media-bar-blame-this-guy

[Aryn]

OK, I will admit that I do not mind the XMB as an interface, everything seems to work alright and get the job done irregardless.

HOWEVER, even though the videos and sounds for the XMB game icons are cool, I believe that an optional format that simply lists the games in text and displays the picture after the game is selected instead of scrolling through every 5 icons and waiting for them all to load tos ee what they are (similar to IRShell's listing format) would be a better approach. If downloading games via Playstation Store is to be successful then players should be able to scroll through a whole collection of games.

[Zargon]

It's not bad, but I do hate the fact that unless its labeled with the proper extension and in the right folder, it cannot be touched. This is annoying. Took me half an hour to figure how to put a picture on my ps3. I may have just not been able to find the manual, but this shouldn't need a manual.
Other than that, no real complaints except what Aryn has already mentioned.
I do really like the fact that things are sorted out so as to be easily located. Make things fast.