View Full Version : PSN Outage
dmegatool
2011-04-25, 17:46
Didn't see anybody talking about it but the PSN is still down (http://news.google.ca/news/more?hl=en&q=psn&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ncl=dasfLghC_MP6BBMkG6hQ0LQCEx7sM&ei=mfi1TYCmL8eSgQfQt6TGCw&sa=X&oi=news_result&ct=more-results&resnum=1&ved=0CC0QqgIwAA). We're now in the 5th day of the outage. It is beginning to be ridiculous. Hope they can fix it soon. Me wants compensation !! :)
Netflix is still working though...
I have a PS3 but have never used the PSN. I thought it was free?
I have a PS3 but have never used the PSN. I thought it was free?
It is. Apparently, you get what you pay for. :\
It's confirmed to be an "external intrusion," probably related to Anonymous' attack on the network earlier this month. Anonymous supposedly called it off after Sony made nice with George Hotz, but they're not exactly organized, and a lot of people were apparently calling for the attack to continue.
I wish these people would realize they're not "taking down the man" or "teaching Sony a lesson" or anything like that. They're just annoying a lot of regular people who just want to play their PlayStations. But I'm guessing the timing of the Sony-Hotz settlement made many Anonymous feel that they've got t3h pow3r, or something.
Note to self: don't ever piss of hackers.
dmegatool
2011-04-25, 18:09
It is. But you can also pay for the PlayStation Plus service. I was kidding for the compensation. Still, some people bought some games to play online and they can't. Some games require a monthly fee but they won't be able to play...
dmegatool
2011-04-25, 18:13
It is. Apparently, you get what you pay for. :\
Meh. Let's see how the Xbox Live react if it get attacked. I guess more money is involved so...
But I don't think Sony like it very much right now. There's no games being bought on the store and no movies rented...
I don't doubt that they have engineers working around-the-clock to fix it. The whole thing is pretty embarrassing. I wouldn't want to be a Sony rep right now, especially in the PNW (where a lot of people, most notably Gabe and Tycho, are already fairly loyal to the homegrown Xbox).
torifile
2011-04-25, 18:38
I'm annoyed, but only slightly, because a copy of Portal 2 won't activate the Steam (free) version without being activated on the PSN first. It's one reason I've held off buying the game. I wonder if this is affecting Portal's sales.
I'm annoyed, but only slightly, because a copy of Portal 2 won't activate the Steam (free) version without being activated on the PSN first. It's one reason I've held off buying the game. I wonder if this is affecting Portal's sales.
If you read the comments on any article about the outage, at least half the comments are from Portal 2 owners longing to register their copy to Steam. Pretty bad timing — the launch week of one of the most anticipated games of the year, which happens to include such a significant PS3-exclusive component, which requires PSN...
dmegatool
2011-04-25, 18:56
Speaking of bad timing. Xbox had a free weekend for Xbox Live Gold. Was it planned or they did it on purpose ?
Speaking of bad timing. Xbox had a free weekend for Xbox Live Gold. Was it planned or they did it on purpose ?
It was planned — they were trying to break some bullshit Guinness record, or something. They announced it before the outage.
dmegatool
2011-04-25, 19:05
Yeah I remember hearing about it now. Bad timing indeed :)
dmegatool
2011-04-26, 01:37
Some are speculating that Sony shut down the servers themself due to a custom firmware. It allowed hackers to download everything they wanted on the PSN... Interesting idea. But I think that the "nobody is buying anything" cost a lot more than the "x games have been stolen"... I still think it's Anonymus ;)
bassplayinMacFiend
2011-04-26, 08:37
If you read the comments on any article about the outage, at least half the comments are from Portal 2 owners longing to register their copy to Steam. Pretty bad timing — the launch week of one of the most anticipated games of the year, which happens to include such a significant PS3-exclusive component, which requires PSN...
Wait a tic? If I buy Portal 2 for my PS3, I can download a free copy for my Macs? That would certainly sway me from buying it for the 360.
Wait a tic? If I buy Portal 2 for my PS3, I can download a free copy for my Macs? That would certainly sway me from buying it for the 360.
Yup. Also, the PS3 version supports Steamworks, or whatever it's called, so trophies earned are synced to both your PSN and Steam account, you can see and message your Steam buddy list, Steam Cloud is supported, &c.
bassplayinMacFiend
2011-04-26, 09:40
Yup. Also, the PS3 version supports Steamworks, or whatever it's called, so trophies earned are synced to both your PSN and Steam account, you can see and message your Steam buddy list, Steam Cloud is supported, &c.
Good to know. This may get me to buy my first non-exclusive PS3 title. :D
torifile
2011-04-26, 09:48
Yup. Also, the PS3 version supports Steamworks, or whatever it's called, so trophies earned are synced to both your PSN and Steam account, you can see and message your Steam buddy list, Steam Cloud is supported, &c.
Isn't progress on the game saved, too? So if you play some on your Mac and then go back to your PS3, aren't you where you left off on the Mac?
Isn't progress on the game saved, too? So if you play some on your Mac and then go back to your PS3, aren't you where you left off on the Mac?
I haven't tried it out, but theoretically, yup. That's what Steam Cloud is all about. :)
dmegatool
2011-04-26, 11:12
What about playing the game on 2 different PS3 ? Wold it resume too ? It's kinda bypassing PSN+ cloud storage... awesome.
alcimedes
2011-04-26, 11:46
It is. Apparently, you get what you pay for. :\
It's confirmed to be an "external intrusion," probably related to Anonymous' attack on the network earlier this month. Anonymous supposedly called it off after Sony made nice with George Hotz, but they're not exactly organized, and a lot of people were apparently calling for the attack to continue.
I wish these people would realize they're not "taking down the man" or "teaching Sony a lesson" or anything like that. They're just annoying a lot of regular people who just want to play their PlayStations. But I'm guessing the timing of the Sony-Hotz settlement made many Anonymous feel that they've got t3h pow3r, or something.
Note to self: don't ever piss of hackers.
Hmm, I would think people should be happy. Anonymous just highlighted a bunch of security issues with Sony's online network, who knows what kinds of nasty shit could be done if they didn't patch it. Does the PSN allow for purchasing of items through a store? If so, I can understand why Sony would take it down until it was fully patched.
dmegatool
2011-04-26, 11:54
Hmm, I would think people should be happy.
Yeah, I am. Really...
I ran into this issue the other night when trying to use Netflix on my PS3. It just wouldn't connect, but it did work the next day and so I haven't really been paying attention since then.
Pretty embarrassing fot this to be happening to Sony.
bassplayinMacFiend
2011-04-26, 15:22
Hmm, I would think people should be happy. Anonymous just highlighted a bunch of security issues with Sony's online network, who knows what kinds of nasty shit could be done if they didn't patch it. Does the PSN allow for purchasing of items through a store? If so, I can understand why Sony would take it down until it was fully patched.
Anon is saying it isn't them, and reports are coming out that Sony's dev network was completely unsecured. This was found out by using the ReBug CFW, a proxy server, and a fake CC#. The developer network then allowed everything to be downloaded from PSN / Qriocity.
dmegatool
2011-04-26, 15:39
I ran into this issue the other night when trying to use Netflix on my PS3. It just wouldn't connect, but it did work the next day and so I haven't really been paying attention since then.
Pretty embarrassing fot this to be happening to Sony.
To use netflix, you just have to press X to try to signin (and get the error). If you're pressing O to cancel the signin, it won't work.
Yeah, it worked after I tried to sign in again, but it was having connection issues.
Took me a few times to get it working.
nikstar101
2011-04-26, 15:53
Not sure if anyone has linked to this yet, but it now seems like personal information was stolen as well!
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/26/update-on-playstation-network-and-qriocity/
Great. Nice of Sony to tell us 5 days (or more) after the event! I mean i guess it is misfortunate for the system to get hacked, but it would be helpful for them to spell out the worst case first so people know the risk they have been put at!
So this is what they have taken:
Your name
Your address (city, state, and zip)
Country
E-mail address
Birthday
PSN password and login name
and they are not sure if they have your credit card details. But since the security has been breached so badly it would hazard a guess at yes.
alcimedes
2011-04-26, 16:09
yeah, pertinent paragraph from the page nikstar101 linked.
Although we are still investigating the details of this incident, we believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following information that you provided: name, address (city, state, zip), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID. It is also possible that your profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip), and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have been obtained. If you have authorized a sub-account for your dependent, the same data with respect to your dependent may have been obtained. While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility. If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained.
Goatse'd.
Wow, way to go Sony... maybe I should move back to Microsoft. Well the good part is I don't use the same password everywhere, the bad part is I'm not sure if they had my CC information saved, but I reckon I'll be calling to have a new CC sent my way...
It really makes you think twice though, I'm not even sure if I should let Amazon have my CC number anymore.
ironlung
2011-04-26, 17:33
Wow, way to go Sony... maybe I should move back to Microsoft. Well the good part is I don't use the same password everywhere, the bad part is I'm not sure if they had my CC information saved, but I reckon I'll be calling to have a new CC sent my way...
It really makes you think twice though, I'm not even sure if I should let Amazon have my CC number anymore.
I'm in the same boat. I don't remember if I ever gave my CC to Sony. I normally don't to websites, amazon being an exception. I don't have any unauthorized activity on any of my CCs but I also don't remember which one I gave to Sony. I usually tend to use my amex since their customer service is far superior as compared to their competitors.
I'm in the same boat. I don't remember if I ever gave my CC to Sony. I normally don't to websites, amazon being an exception. I don't have any unauthorized activity on any of my CCs but I also don't remember which one I gave to Sony. I usually tend to use my amex since their customer service is far superior as compared to their competitors.
Emphasis on my situation. Haha.
Not sure if anyone has linked to this yet, but it now seems like personal information was stolen as well!
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/26/update-on-playstation-network-and-qriocity/
I was afraid that it was going to be something like that — somebody who saw how Anonymous successfully brought down the network last month and decided to go for user's personal information, knowing that everybody would think it was Anonymous again.
bassplayinMacFiend
2011-04-27, 08:36
The amount of user data stolen in this breach is crazy. Every account, and every bit of information associated with that account, including the security questions/answers (which are very similar across many banking sites).
Was Sony just arrogant, stupid, or both???
PSN users begin reporting fraudulent charges. (http://bit.ly/fo81Uc) Go change your card numbers if you haven't already. I'll be changing mine ASAP.
PSN users begin reporting fraudulent charges. (http://bit.ly/fo81Uc) Go change your card numbers if you haven't already. I'll be changing mine ASAP.
Holy shit. What the hell, Sony.
PSN users begin reporting fraudulent charges. (http://bit.ly/fo81Uc) Go change your card numbers if you haven't already. I'll be changing mine ASAP.
Wow, this is turning into a huge clusterfuck. I hope everyone can get new cards and don't fall victim to any fraud.
bassplayinMacFiend
2011-04-27, 12:31
PSN users begin reporting fraudulent charges. (http://bit.ly/fo81Uc) Go change your card numbers if you haven't already. I'll be changing mine ASAP.
I bought a Ratchet & Clank game on PSN a few months ago, but have no idea which card I used to buy it. :(
Sounds like I'll find out soon enough though.
On the plus side, my PSN account has my old address. Hopefully that'll save me from bad stuff happening.
I've never bought anything through the PSN, so I should be good.
I'll have to check and make sure that my CC isn't in there when I get home.
I'll have to check and make sure that my CC isn't in there when I get home.
If the service is down, can you even check?
That's what I'm concerned about.
If the service is down, can you even check?
No, you can't. And that's a big part of the problem. To figure out which card you used, you have two options:
1) Wait until someone steals from you.
2) Go through every card statement during a period in which you may have bought something and figure out which one you used.
If you gave them a card number but haven't used it yet, there's no way to know which card they have on file. So you're stuck with option #1.
I know which card I use on PSN, so I just need to change that one.
dmegatool
2011-04-27, 13:27
A total of $300 was taken from my debit card on Saturday. However, my bank called me to notify me of a suspicious transaction and they confirmed it was indeed a fraudulent withdrawal. I’ve had to cancel my card and order a new one which the bank will transfer my previous account’s money into. The thing isI worry that many users who linked their bank accounts with their PSN account are in serious danger; I hope they all call their banks to immediately take action and prevent any fraudulent withdrawals.
How do you use a debit card on the PSN ? And how do you link your bank account to your PSN account ?
But if true for credit card... Sucks.
bassplayinMacFiend
2011-04-27, 13:32
How do you use a debit card on the PSN ? And how do you link your bank account to your PSN account ?
But if true for credit card... Sucks.
I have a debit card with a VISA logo. Works just like a credit card, except I'm limited to funds in my checking account.
dmegatool
2011-04-27, 13:40
I have a debit card with a VISA logo. Works just like a credit card, except I'm limited to funds in my checking account.
Oh I see... Not something I would like to use.
It's annoying, and inconsiderate, that Sony took their sweet time in releasing a public statement on this clusterfuck. Luckily, the debit card I used for PSN purchases has been expired for almost a year now.
SpecMode
2011-04-27, 13:42
I have a debit card with a VISA logo. Works just like a credit card, except I'm limited to funds in my checking account.
Same here. I think I might be lucky enough to have had my card reissued since the last time I tried to use it on PSN (tried being the operative word; it doesn't seem to like me very much, I've noticed, given how much trouble I've had adding funds to my account every time I used the service).
I haven't so much as turned on my PS3 since...probably before the school year started back in August, or shortly after. Even so, I'm keeping an eye on accounts (what little I've got in them, anyway).
It's annoying, and inconsiderate, that Sony took their sweet time in releasing a public statement on this clusterfuck. Luckily, the debit card I used for PSN purchases has been expired for almost a year now.
It's quite possible that your new one (if you have one) has the same card number, with a different expiration date. That part's pretty easy to guess.
Also: If you use the same password for PSN as you do other services, go change those passwords now. Based on the way I'm reading this, these fuck-ups are storing passwords in plain text, which means the attackers have your password now too.
I simply cannot believe that Sony, one of the worlds largest electronics manufacturers, is storing passwords in plain text. I wonder how many other large tech companies that I'm supposed to trust are doing the same?
I trust Amazon, Apple, Google and MS to hash my passwords (and based on their password recovery processes, I am led to believe they do) but now I'm not so sure about basically everyone else. If you'd asked me last week I would have guess that Sony was big and smart enough to get this, but I would have been wrong :\
Actually, I misread it earlier. It's worse than passwords.
It is also possible that your profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip), and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have been obtained.
If your bank uses the same security questions (which wouldn't be surprising), the data they obtained is enough information to steal your identity.
This makes me fucking sick.
Anybody want to buy my PS3?
bassplayinMacFiend
2011-04-27, 14:19
Yea, hopefully you didn't use the "What is your mother's maiden name?" one. ;)
Good lord, did interns design their password security? Or are they just that incompetent?
Looks like I'm never buying a Playstation again :\
It's quite possible that your new one (if you have one) has the same card number, with a different expiration date. That part's pretty easy to guess.
It's definitely not the same. About 2 months ago, the new card that I received last summer was compromised (someone bought $80 worth of Xbox Live shit). ING sent out a new card, and it has a completely different number.
I actually had to change my PSN account password and email changed. I set up my PSN account to use my Gmail account and didn't realize until this compromise that I had in fact used the same password on my Gmail account as I had my PSN account where my username was my Gmail account email address!
I can just imagine the other number of users who have done that. Since really focusing on network security as a career I has been going through my old accounts and fixing the error of my ways. Shame I missed that one though! I've fixed most of the other.
I hope those reading this think to change theirs if they are in the same boat as I was. :\
Oh, and this is also why iTunes, PSN and Wii (whatever they call it) only get gift cards but no credit card registered with them. They can't compromise my card if they don't have it. I "trust" Amazon because it's their business, these other companies it's just additional revenue.
It's a good thing for me that I've only used PSN gift cards to buy stuff through my PS3.
It's a good thing for me that I've only used PSN gift cards to buy stuff through my PS3.
If I keep mine, I'm going gift card from now on too.
I make all my iTunes and (most of) Amazon purchases through gift cards, because I absolutely can't stand having my card info saved anywhere online. This is reinforcing my feeling on that.
I checked my online American Express activity and luckily no usage so far. I use it mainly for things like iTunes, Hulu, Netflix, ect, because AMX and Discovery both have great customer service with stuff like this.
I make all my iTunes and (most of) Amazon purchases through gift cards, because I absolutely can't stand having my card info saved anywhere online. This is reinforcing my feeling on that.
Well, I don't think this needs to be a time to withhold your card from everyone because this company got hacked. I'm sure cardholder data wasn't a priority to them. A company like Amazon, PayPal, or NewEgg would be sure their card security is a step above since it is their livelihood. Yeah, PSN, iTunes etc. all get gift cards from me.
If I keep mine, I'm going gift card from now on too.
Ditto. In a very small way it helps support the businesses that sell the gift cards, too.
Well, I don't think this needs to be a time to withhold your card from everyone because this company got hacked. I'm sure cardholder data wasn't a priority to them. A company like Amazon, PayPal, or NewEgg would be sure their card security is a step above since it is their livelihood. Yeah, PSN, iTunes etc. all get gift cards from me.
I've been doing it for years because I have limited financial means and acknowledge that, and I am also somewhat impulsive, so if I only have $15 in an Amazon gift card, I can't go buy $35 of Kindle books in one day based on impulse one-click purchases. I know what my weaknesses are and I compensate for them by being responsible and limiting how much I can spend at once. It is a side benefit of this habit that it's harder for my personal financial information to be stolen and frauded. (That did not stop changing all my stuff when a college I had applied to had a data breach, of course; you can't protect everything.)
nikstar101
2011-04-27, 15:38
Well i just phoned Credit Card company and they highly recommended that the card was cancelled (and replaced with a card with different numbers). They seem to believe that the credit card details were more than likely to have been stolen.
So that cheered me up. Now the next huge problem is how am i going to pick up my hire car when the card i have booked it with has no been deactivated! Thanks again Sony.
I mean I am no network engineer or security person but I would have thought the PSN network and the system that hold the credit card info would be comely separate. The PSN system would then ask the credit card server to action the purchase without even having to hold the actual card info.
alcimedes
2011-04-27, 16:10
How about giving your Dev. network access to 70 million credit card numbers.
Who in their right mind would even consider that?
Gah! Are they going to get sued for this? Can they get sued for this?
Gah! Are they going to get sued for this? Can they get sued for this?
Yes, they are getting sued. (http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20057921-260.html?tag=mncol;txt)
Yes, they are getting sued. (http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20057921-260.html?tag=mncol;txt)
He's demanding free credit monitoring, seems reasonable. But for how long? Life? I mean once your identity has been compromised, it's been compromised - there's no getting that back. I'd settle for a life time subscription to Identity Guard... :lol:
Just got an email from Sony, thought those not a part of PSN might be interested in seeing what it said:
Add PlayStation_Network@playstation-email.com to your address book
===================================
PlayStation(R)Network
===================================
Valued PlayStation(R)Network/Qriocity Customer:
We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011,
certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account
information was compromised in connection with an illegal and
unauthorized intrusion into our network. In response to this
intrusion, we have:
1) Temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity services;
2) Engaged an outside, recognized security firm to conduct a full
and complete investigation into what happened; and
3) Quickly taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our
network infrastructure by rebuilding our system to provide you
with greater protection of your personal information.
We greatly appreciate your patience, understanding and goodwill
as we do whatever it takes to resolve these issues as quickly and
efficiently as practicable.
Although we are still investigating the details of this incident,
we believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following
information that you provided: name, address (city, state, zip), country,
email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login,
and handle/PSN online ID. It is also possible that your profile data,
including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip),
and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may
have been obtained. If you have authorized a sub-account for your
dependent, the same data with respect to your dependent may have
been obtained. While there is no evidence at this time that credit
card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility. If you have
provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity,
out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit
card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have
been obtained.
For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email,
telephone and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive
information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email,
asking for your credit card number, social security number or other
personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information,
you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. When the PlayStation
Network and Qriocity services are fully restored, we strongly recommend that
you log on and change your password. Additionally, if you use your PlayStation
Network or Qriocity user name or password for other unrelated services or
accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them as well.
To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we
encourage you to remain vigilant, to review your account statements and
to monitor your credit reports. We are providing the following information
for those who wish to consider it:
- U.S. residents are entitled under U.S. law to one free credit report annually
from each of the three major credit bureaus. To order your free credit report,
visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll-free (877) 322-8228.
- We have also provided names and contact information for the three major U.S.
credit bureaus below. At no charge, U.S. residents can have these credit bureaus
place a "fraud alert" on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps
to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. This service can
make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name. Note, however,
that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you,
it also may delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your
identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others
are notified to place fraud alerts on your file. Should you wish to place a
fraud alert, or should you have any questions regarding your credit report,
please contact any one of the agencies listed below:
Experian: 888-397-3742; www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
Equifax: 800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
TransUnion: 800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division,
P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
- You may wish to visit the website of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission at
www.consumer.gov/idtheft or reach the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 or 600 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580 for further information about how to protect
yourself from identity theft. Your state Attorney General may also have advice
on preventing identity theft, and you should report instances of known or
suspected identity theft to law enforcement, your State Attorney General,
and the FTC. For North Carolina residents, the Attorney General can be
contacted at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; telephone
(877) 566-7226; or www.ncdoj.gov. For Maryland residents, the Attorney
General can be contacted at 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202;
telephone: (888) 743-0023; or www.oag.state.md.us.
We thank you for your patience as we complete our investigation of this
incident, and we regret any inconvenience. Our teams are working around the
clock on this, and services will be restored as soon as possible. Sony takes
information protection very seriously and will continue to work to ensure that
additional measures are taken to protect personally identifiable information.
Providing quality and secure entertainment services to our customers is
our utmost priority. Please contact us at 1-800-345-7669 should you have any
additional questions.
Sincerely,
Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment
bassplayinMacFiend
2011-04-27, 21:04
I was going to complain about not getting my email yet, but even at Internet speed it must take time to send out 70 million emails.
lightning_bug
2011-04-27, 21:48
He's demanding free credit monitoring, seems reasonable. But for how long? Life? I mean once your identity has been compromised, it's been compromised - there's no getting that back. I'd settle for a life time subscription to Identity Guard... :lol:
It's rather surprising that Sony aren't offering that straight away. I didn't have an issue with their utter lack of communication as they investigated the "external intrusion", but if they've confirmed that personal information (and possibly credit card information) has been compromised, offering free access to credit monitoring services is the least they can do. Other companies have done it in the past; Sony needs to take the initiative and do it now.
torifile
2011-04-27, 22:39
I got a letter from Amex (the card that was on my PSN account at one point) telling me about the potential problems. They said that there has been no unauthorized use or fraud detected but they're stepping up the monitoring. Good. But it sounds like it was quite serious.
Looks like Sony will soon be putting PSN back online in phases.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/sony-details-this-weeks-limited-psn-and-qrirocity-return-welcome-back-program/
dmegatool
2011-05-01, 10:40
Yay for being back online soon.
I really don't care about the Welcome Back program though. PSN+ for a month isn't worth it. All the games that I would download free won't work at the end of the month. Don't know about games that you buy at reduced price. Guess they won't work either. Hope that their "Selected PlayStation entertainment content will be free for download" include something useful that will last more than a month.
Their compensation for a major outage and security breach is a 30-day free trial of PlayStation Plus? Something they should probably offer anyway?
That would be like hackers getting the personal information of AOL's customer base, and then AOL sending their customers a "500 Hours Free!" disc to make up for it. :lol:
As lightning_bug mentioned, in other cases where personal information "got out," the company gives their customers a free year of credit monitoring. Yes, Sony has more customers than most companies who do that, but they have more customers — they're larger than the hotelier that leaves their server in a dumpster, and if they can't monetize their 70 million users enough to make up for it, they deserve to lose money on the deal.
In cases like this it's critical to communicate clearly and often exactly what happened and what is being done, to avoid losing customer confidence. Compare Sony's handling of this with Apple's response the (much less severe) iPhone "location tracking" thing.
The Most Triumphant Example of this sort of thing is, of course, Lexus's still-famous recall for their first ever cars. It could have sunk the brand, but their response impressed people and they came out swinging, with a reputation for above-and-beyond customer service. Huge but beleagured Sony reminds me a lot of huge but beleaguered Toyota, and let's be real, the $599 PS3 was positioned as the Lexus of consoles. But so far, Sony's acted just sort of cluelessly and bumbling.
If it were iTunes getting hacked, you can bet that Apple's response would be much different.
I don't always mean to agree with Gabe and Tycho, who are, predictably, having a field day with this. But the commentary for last Monday's comic, which actually went up the previous Friday because they wanted to comment on the outage and they were sure it'd be over by last Monday, still rings true:
An issue like this should, in practice, be an argument against a monolithic service. For example, if Xbox Live were down, you wouldn’t be able to access Netflix, which is still available to users even though the PSN is down. This should have been an incredible first showing for Portal 2, seeing as its richest functionality exists on a robust and venerable parallel network. But Steam access is gated via their warped-ass oculus for some reason, even though other partners aren’t held to the same standard.
The thing to say on your web is that since PSN is free you can’t really complain about it, and that’s pretty dumb. Maybe you could have said that if you couldn’t play Ratchet and Clank online with your Playstation 2, but that era is fucking over. By “that era,” I’m referring to the one where chains of appliance “islands” exist in millions of discrete universes across the globe. The store, your friends list, these aren’t perks. By 2011, they’re bedrock assertions of the medium. The deal they made with users - one which, for years, was the justification for a gruesome price disparity - was “free Xbox Live,” not “shit happens.”
They have a serious problem here, and as serious as their technology problem might be, it’s not the biggest one they have. Their problem is that they don’t know how to communicate about anything but their legendary prowess. They simply don’t have it. I mean, genetically. They need to find a human being, or hire one, and start an actual dialogue with users.
They need to do this last Friday.
I think there might be too much information about the PSN Incursion now, apparently there’s something going on with SOE [ed.: Sony's PC gaming service] now, and there was a press conference or something. At this point, I already shredded the card; they can’t really get my goat, as the goat has been obliterated. Unless another shoe drops in the form of a comma delimited file full of plaintext credit cards or something, it may be over as a news concern. I want to give you a heads up, though, for the next round of Sony defense material which is typically indistinguishable from what they’d buy from a PR company.
- On the collapse of the Playstation Network:
“I’m a PS+ subscriber, and I don’t even care about this. I’m too busy enjoying the richness of this incredible, exclusive single player content.”
- On the revelation that the Playstation Network had been cracked open and the guts slurrrrrped out of it:
“What. The. Fuck.! Just move to a new city, cancel your credit cards, and then form new social bonds, beginning life anew in a faraway land!!! This is a gift.”
- On the discovery that the intrusion has resulted in the dissemination of an infectious Hrungnir neocyte:
“All you people who wont submit to the mindpulse are f’ing morons. It’s like one parasite and you guys are talking about it like it’s some big thing or like “oh i don’t want to be a subjugant.” FFS, you guys. Just quaff the fucking Dominus Flask. Yield to Her. Yield, and be whole.”
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Of course, Tycho and Gabe are Xbox People (tm), and I haven't really seen many people actually defending Sony on this. But it's still funny :D
Things just aren't going well with Sony. Seems there was a slightly earlier, separate attack on Sony Online Entertainment.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/02/sony-hit-with-second-attack-loses-12-700-credit-card-nu/
Although, the PSN being down does have an up-side.
http://cdn.raywj.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/tumblr_lkkvlfmLpU1qbnpp0o1_500.jpg
bassplayinMacFiend
2011-05-03, 08:44
In cases like this it's critical to communicate clearly and often exactly what happened and what is being done, to avoid losing customer confidence. Compare Sony's handling of this with Apple's response the (much less severe) iPhone "location tracking"
To be honest, it took Apple a week to respond to the location db issue. Yes, their response was more cogent (here is our solution) than Sony's, but they took the same amount of time to respond to the allegations. I think that customer satisfaction is more in Apple's court than Sony's which is saving Apple's butt in the court of public opinion (although they are being sued too).
Sony hasn't helped itself with its condescending attitude towards its users (like the root kit fiasco).
PSN is starting to get put back online.
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/05/14/play-on-%E2%80%93-psn-restoration-begins-now/
dmegatool
2011-05-16, 13:32
Feels good to be back online :)
Store is still down though. Too bad, I wanted to try/buy Trine...
For me, Trine is okay. I've started it, but I'm waiting to finish other games first before getting back into it.
torifile
2011-05-16, 21:27
Sony's giving away (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/05/16/details-for-playstation-network-and-qriocity-customer-appreciation-program-in-north-america/) some good games to compensate for the downtime.
For the PS3, pick any 2:
InFamous
Dead Nation
WipeOut HD
LittleBigPlanet
Super StarDust HD
For the PSP, pick 2:
LittleBigPlanet
ModNation Racers
Pursuit Force
Kill Liberation
I've got Wipeout and Stardust, so I'm going for InFamous and Dead Nation (already got LBP2, so that's good). Considering I've had Infamous on my want list for a while and I've heard good things about Dead Nation, I'm happy. Those are some quality titles to give away.
Can I get those for my new Xbox360?
Can I get those for my new Xbox360?
I think they're all Sony-published titles...
You got an Xbox 360 for effectively the price of a DS lite. I think that's enough of a deal. :lol: :p
Well, phooey! I've already got Dead Nation, Super Stardust and WipeOut. Didn't care for LittleBigPlanet, so that leaves me with just InFamous.
I've thought about getting InFamous, so now will be a good time. I might give LittleBigPlanet one more try since it'll be free.
dmegatool
2011-05-17, 07:40
Already got 3 out of 5 here so it's Stardust and Dead Nation for me... That's cool.
For someone that doesn't have any of them, what's the best 2 to get? I was thinking LBP and inFamous.
For someone that doesn't have any of them, what's the best 2 to get? I was thinking LBP and inFamous.
I have the same question.
bassplayinMacFiend
2011-05-17, 09:22
Well, phooey! I've already got Dead Nation, Super Stardust and WipeOut. Didn't care for LittleBigPlanet, so that leaves me with just InFamous.
I've thought about getting InFamous, so now will be a good time. I might give LittleBigPlanet one more try since it'll be free.
I didn't get into LBP until the Uncle Jalapeno levels. From there on it got better.
I'm thinking I'll get InFamous and WipeOut. Hey, if I have a PSP too, can I get two of those on top of the PS3 games?
I have the same question.
inFamous was pretty fun, had good story, and moderate replay value (it's good to to play through at least twice). If you can get past how cutesy LBP is, that game has endless replay value.
dmegatool
2011-05-17, 11:03
WipeOut is AWESOME ! My favorite in this list. When you get to the harder levels (Phantom/Elite), it goes so fast !!! As I always say, it's Mario Kart for adult... on steroids.
InFamous is great too. It gets repetitive after a while but with the new power ups, you always get something to play with...
LBP shine in (local) multiplayer. But it still a good platformer if you're doing it alone.
Hey, if I have a PSP too, can I get two of those on top of the PS3 games?
Yes. Kotaku calculated the maximum value of the Welcome Back is 104$ (inFamous + Wipeout HD + LittleBigPlanet(PSP) + Modnation Racers(PSP) = $82.47... + 2 month of PS+ and Music Unlimited Premium if you're already a member)
bassplayinMacFiend
2011-05-17, 11:38
Guess it's time to recharge my PSP. I have Killzone: Liberation already and that game is excellent! If you have a PSP and like to shoot things, you need this game. :D
Thanks for the input guys. I'm thinking LBP for sure because I might be able to get my wife playing with me. WipeOut and inFamous are the other two I was thinking and now that choice isn't easier. Now to make the "hard" choice. :p
:lol:
Oh. My. Fucking. God.
PSN compromised, again (http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/05/report-playstation-network-passwords-exploited-accounts-compromised.ars).
Either Sony is just completely incompetent when it comes to network security or they pissed off the wrong people.
So now there's an update on the Ars article saying that Sony is saying that there's no "hack" just some kind of residual "URL exploit" that they've fixed.
I'm assuming that Sony, at this point, is going to be completely straightforward regarding any further compromise (I mean, might as well go all in given they're at a low point of public trust) but who knows? Really can't afford to have even the implication that the "new" PSN is anything but 100% rock solid.
From what I've been reading, the PSN store will be back up tomorrow.
http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/219495/playstation-store-back-on-may-24-according-to-memo/
From what I've been reading, the PSN store will be back up tomorrow.
http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/219495/playstation-store-back-on-may-24-according-to-memo/
Good. I need a PS1 RPG I can play with just a NaviCon. :)
Oh, because I didn't have anything better to do, I unified my login across all gaming services. So I'm werejack on PSN now. I won't really be on much, though...
Sweet. On Wednesday I start 8 days of vacation, with nothing to do. Looks like I'll be trying out the games I get from the Welcome Back offer.
dmegatool
2011-06-02, 11:53
PSN Store is up but no word on the Welcome Back.
Still can't redeem codes yet. I have some pre-order bonuses I'm itching to use.
PSN Store is up but no word on the Welcome Back.
It's live now. I'm not at home to verify, but the Playstation Blog says it's up. There's a new section on the store where you can go to select your games & other freebies, any time from now until July 3.
I just got through picking my two free games. Picked inFamous and LittleBigPlanet. Had to go through a few error messages, since I'm sure the servers are slammed right now.
lightning_bug
2011-06-03, 15:36
Do you have to enter in any codes or anything like that to redeem the two free games, or do you just go to a section on the PSN Store and click "Download"? I'll give it a go this weekend (probably inFamous and LBP), but just was curious in the meantime.
No codes. There's a section called 'Welcome Back' on top. When you go in there, they have it in sections with PS+, PS3 Game 1, PS3 Game 2, PSP Game 1 and PSP Game 2.
dmegatool
2011-06-03, 18:04
On my parents PS3, I tried to login in my account. Didn't remember the new one I entered when PSN got back online... Clicked for a password reset. Email is in. Click the link "The server is down for maintenance". FUUUUUU
inFamous is a monster download. 7 gigs. That one will take awhile.
dmegatool
2011-09-21, 15:21
PSN has been down all day.
We’re aware that some of you are having issues trying to log into PSN. We’re working to resolve the issue, and we’ll update you here.
OMG OMG OMG they've been hacked again !!
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