Report: PS3 Trophies, In-game XMB Functionality Arriving Around E3

An anonymous source told CVG that the upcoming PlayStation 3 version 2.40 firmware update is expected to launch in about three weeks, coinciding with next month's E3 Media and Business Summit.

Regarding the recently revealed Trophy achievement system coming in the firmware update, the source added that the platinum-level trophies would only be awarded when users collect the all other the other trophies—bronze, silver, and gold—in a game.

Unlike the Xbox 360's Achievement system, the new PlayStation 3 format does not assign a flat points score; users will "level up" as they obtain more awards.

The source also detailed many of the functions available to users via the in-game incorporation of the PlayStation 3's XMB operating system interface. While playing a game, users will be able to register friends, send and receive messages, manage Bluetooth devices and change other system settings.

The 2.40 firmware update will allow users to play back their own music while playing a game, though the report notes that it is unclear whether the new feature will be compatible with all games or just titles released from the update onward.

Sony has previously promised that official details on the new firmware features would be unveiled prior to the firmware's release.