Items tagged with PSN
Someone needs to send Sony the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" because the company clearly isn't getting it. We can point to the whole rootkit fiasco, but who needs to look back that far when Sony's shenanigans never seem to stop? Following that big mess with the security breach to its PlayStation Network (PSN), Sony is trying to force PS3 owners to waive their rights to join a class action lawsuit, even if such a request might not be enforceable. Here's what you'll find nestled in the latest mandatory system update: ANY DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEEDINGS, WHETHER IN ARBITRATION OR COURT, WILL BE CONDUCTED ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT IN A CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION OR AS...
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The PlayStation Network outage and customer data thefts from earlier this year cost Sony an enormous amount of lost revenue and have spawned a veritable fleet of lawsuits. At least one of the company's insurance providers has panicked and is asking for a court ruling that would confirm it has no responsibility to cover any of Sony's expenses. The company, Zurich American Insurance Company (ZAIC), filed the request on Wednesday. ZAIC claims: [T]he claims set forth in the Class Action Complaints filed against SCEA and the other Sony Defendants, as well as the miscellaneous claims, arising out of the cyber attacks on the PSN and SOE Network and the unauthorized access to and theft of the named plaintiffs...
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Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play has been on the market in the US for just under eight weeks; reviews of the combined cell phone / gaming handheld have been mixed. The Android experience has been generally good, but the screen is exceptionally dim, certain hardware functions are limited, battery life is lower than average, and the device's game library remains anemic. This last has improved, but evidently not enough. Sony Ericsson has slashed the price of the Xperia Play to $100, down from the initial $200 price (with contract). The dramatic price cut could be evidence that the Xperia Play isn't generating anywhere near as much interest as Sony had hoped. Reviews of the device have been harsh in some...
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A few weeks back, we covered Capcom's decision to limit Resident Evil: Mercenaries 3DS to a single save-game slot. That move was widely condemned as an attempt to hamper the game's attractiveness on the second-hand market, despite Capcom's assurances that being unable to restart the title and log their own achievements wasn't something players would care about. Sony has also opted to pounce on this particular bandwagon. The company has stated that it will include a single-use "PSN Pass" code with certain upcoming titles, beginning with Resistance 3. Sony has yet to explain exactly which features the code activates but notes that "full online access" is only available if a code is given. Ars Technica...
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Sony's had a lot of ups and down lately. A lot of downs when it comes to keeping information private, and keeping their online services online. And while they've been doing everything they can to get things back in order, the days have dragged on and on. When you get used to a service working without question each and every day, a couple of weeks off feels like an eternity. Sony mentioned specifically that users in Japan wouldn't have service until things were swept over with a fine-tooth comb. But now, according to a new report, it seems that the company is finally ready to fully restore PSN services to every region they serve. This week, the company is slated to restore PlayStation Network...
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Stellar news for Sony gamers. For loyal PlayStation users who stuck with Sony throughout their massive PSN outage period, the Welcome Back Program is now available, but you may want to go ahead and grab it soon. Sony first announced their "Welcome Back" program a month ago, but if you happened to be totally preoccupied, you may have forgotten to actually log on and claim whatever is now rightfully yours. If that's you, take heart; you still have a few hours to log on and snag it. You'll be able to download a pair of free PlayStation 3 or PSP games, no to mention 100 virtual games from PlayStation Home. If you need to take care of business, you can login to the PlayStation Store, look for the...
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It's been several months since the massive hack that brought the PlayStation Network to its knees. For Sony, the nightmare isn't over. A new lawsuit filed this past week alleges that the company ignored the warnings of its own staff, made no attempt to address the small break-ins now seen as precursors to the huge assault that followed, and actually fired security personnel immediately prior to the break-in. There are numerous allegations. The company is accused of lavishly upgrading its own corporate security while neglecting to safeguard consumer information. This last is an established fact--while Sony remains the genuine victim of an attack, the company's external-facing servers were running...
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PSN's back! PSN's back! Tell the world! Most of the world has known that Sony's PlayStation Network has been back online in most areas for a day now, but Sony's not satisfied with just bringing things back online. Now, the company's detailing a new plan to hook customers up who are forgiving the company and sticking with 'em. It's a "Welcome Back" appreciation program for users in North America. This package will be made available to all existing registered PlayStation Network and Qriocity users in North America (US and Canada), and will be made available shortly after we have fully restored the service. More specific details about these offers and eligibility requirements will be posted as the...
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Great news this weekend for avid PlayStation gamers. After having the PSN service go down for an unprecedented amount of time following a credit card breach, Sony has finally flipped services back online in the states and internationally. It requires a mandatory System Update, bringing consoles to v3.61, which enables your machine to connect to the revitalized network. It's been weeks since gamers could connect, and Sony has been scrambling night and day to bring things back with a new level of security. On one hand, we feel a bit sorry for Sony. There's no way this has been fun, and it has seriously tarnished their image. But on the other, we're glad that Sony's taking security seriously, and...
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Here we are going on week 4 of the well documented PlayStation Network outage, and as it turns out, some PSN gamers would rather throw in the towel than wait for Sony to restore its network. According to Edge Magazine, PlayStation 3 owners are trading in their consoles for cash or Xbox 360 consoles. In addition, sales of PSN points cards are down, and so are pre-orders for PS3 titles. "In the first week of downtime we did not really see any major change in sales or trades," a store manager at a major UK retailer speaking on condition of anonymity told Edge. “However from the second week onwards we have seen an increase of over 200 percent on PS3 consoles being traded in, split almost 50/50...
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We're actually starting to feel a little sorry for Sony. The gaming console giant is reeling on the ropes from the network hacks that exposed the personal data of some 70 million subscribers, and the hits just keep on coming. Sony had initially planned to begin the process of bringing the PlayStation Network back online today, but those plans have been scrubbed. In a recent blog post, Patrick Seybold (senior director of corporate communications) noted that "we expected to have the services online within a week. We were unaware of the extent of the attack on Sony Online Entertainment servers, and we are taking this opportunity to conduct further testing of the incredibly complex system." Sony...
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Sony has sent an open letter to Congress detailing and defending its actions in the wake of multiple (successful) hack attempts over the past two weeks. The company previously declined to attend a hearing scheduled in the wake of its data theft debacle. The head of that hearing, Mary Bono Mack, tore the company up one side and down the other for its shortcomings; this recent missive is an apparent attempt to save face. Ironically for Sony, the company's data was stolen right around the time period it brushed off any concerns that Anonymous' attacks could negatively impact its security or systems. Faced with irrefutable evidence that its servers were riddled with security flaws, Sony has instead...
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Sony hardly needs any more negative PR. This is the same company that got caught installing rootkits on computers, and more recently, released a bevy of legal hounds on notorious PlayStation modder George Hotz. But folks, what Sony needs is hardly of concern at this point. Much more pressing is the fact that hackers who broke into Sony Online Entertainment's servers may have stolen personal information for as many as 24.6 million accounts. What exactly was compromised? Oh, just customer names, addresses, email accounts, birthdates, their gender, phone numbers, login names, and hashed passwords. You know, pretty much the very information you'd prefer not fall into the hands of bad guys. But wait,...
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Even as Sony continues to struggle with bringing the PlayStation Network (PSN) back online, there are rumours that credit card numbers gleaned in the attack are already available for purchase. According to Kevin Stevens, senior threat researcher at Trend Micro, various parties are already offering sections of the database up for sale. One unconfirmed report indicates that hackers, in a tremendous act of hubris (if little common sense) may have tried to sell the database back to Sony. Sony's Patrick Siebold stated that "there is no truth to the report that Sony was offered an opportunity to purchase the list... The entire credit card table was encrypted and we have no evidence that credit card...
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We've covered the legal case of George Hotz, the Playstation 3 modder, several times in the past year. Hotz recently reached a settlement with Sony and announced he was going on vacation. "It was never my intention to cause any users trouble or to make piracy easier," said Hotz in an interview a few weeks ago." I'm happy to have the litigation behind me.* A few days later, Hotz announced he was joining a Sony boycott: "As of 4/11/11, I am joining the SONY boycott," he wrote on his blog. "I will never purchase another SONY product. I encourage you to do the same. And if you bought something SONY recently, return it." Mild stuff, all things considered, which is why rumors that Hotz is somehow involved...
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Sony over the weekend ensured gamers that it's working frantically to rebuild its PlayStation Network and bring everything back online. PSN was taken offline last week when an "external intrustion" to Sony's system wreaked havoc with both PSN and Qriocity services. "We sincerely regret that PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have been suspended, and we are working around the clock to bring them both back online," Sony said in a blog post. "Our efforts to resolve this matter involve re-building our system to further strengthen our network infrastructure. Though this task is time-consuming, we decided it was worth the time necessary to provide the system with additional security." Sony continued...
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