Day 6: Sony PlayStation Network down due to hackers
[Updated story: Sony admits hackers have stolen user info]
It’s been almost a full week and the PlayStation Network is still down.
The network, which has been down since Wednesday and allows 75 million users to play games with friends over the Internet, went down several times in February and March. The network is also used to deliver downloadable games and other static media. Sony’s Qriocity (pronounced “curiousity”) service, which provides streaming video, music and games, is also down.
Sony has not explained what happened exactly, but hackers are apparently behind the recent outage.
Take that hackers!
Late Friday, Sony said “An external intrusion on our system has affected our PlayStation Network … .”
External intrusion = Attack by hackers.
When will online gaming resume? Late Monday, a Sony spokesman said “I don’t have an update or timeframe to share at this point in time.”
Protecting the network from hackers has been a lot more difficult than Sony first predicted. Thursday night, Sony said it might only take a full day or two.
Saturday, Sony said “we are working around the clock to bring [the network] online. 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.”
The hacking group Anonymous, which some had thought may be behind Sony’s problems, say it’s not them. On the group’s Facebook page someone wrote, “ATTENTION: For everyone coming here complaining about the PSN or inquiring about it, We Do Not Know What Happened. This is not the work of Anonymous.”
Sony’s problems are also unrelated to Amazon’s crash, which has crippled many popular websites and online services including Reddit, Foursquare, Quora and Hootsuite.
This is a big blow, especially through the long holiday weekend. Some games can only be played online, and many of the more popular games, such as the “Call of Duty” series, usually have hundreds of thousands of players logging into online firefights.
So, hang up your M16 there won’t be any “Call of Duty” deathmatches until Sony fixes this thing.
As someone says below, sometimes “you get what you don’t pay for.” Time to fire up the Xbox 360.
* Check the PlayStation blog for the latest updates.
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1,922 comments Add your comment
X--Rayzz
April 25th, 2011
9:03 pm
Why do xbox players have to complain?! It’s free and Its not like this happens everyday, this happens very rarely, plus this has happened to xbox live too so you dont have much room to talk, and it’s not Sony’s fault that there are no-life retards that sit there all day just trying to hack PSN… I don’t see what you get out Of shutting down a gaming network, you guys are so cool! And plus if you have xbox why are you researching the PSN outage and running your mouth about it on the web sites? This has nothing to do with xbox… So go ahead and sit there all day playing video games thinking you have the better deal, when you rally dont… Next time you sitting there playing the same games that PS3 has I want you to think about who is paying money to play and who isn’t… So all xbox players should shut-up about this, its got nothing to do with you! Thanks
Ps3 is Better!!!
April 25th, 2011
9:09 pm
Everyone should read X–Rayzz’s comment… X–Rayzz, you are so right! I’m gonna sell my xbox and get a ps3. I don’t know what I was thinking When i started paying to play the same exact games that ps3 has
X--Rayzz
April 25th, 2011
9:11 pm
Haha thanks
jarfox
April 25th, 2011
9:25 pm
does anyone here remember the good old days when video games meant sitting down on the couch with your best buddy and dukin’ it out for a couple hours and calling it a day? there was a day when the Playstation Network did not exist, nor did Xbox Live and all your sorry SoB’s had to play video games ALONE. The Playstation Network is free, it’s a GIFT from the nerds at Sony. A GIFT it is, and the fact that they taking their time to fix it so that this can’t happen again is a TREAT. You stuck up people with no lives and nothing to do except “switch over to Xbox”, feel free, the Playstation Network doesn’t need your spoiled rotten selves anyway.
X--Rayzz
April 25th, 2011
10:00 pm
I am also a fan of the cox so hit me up guys, I love to chat with young men
old gamer
April 25th, 2011
10:03 pm
Hey jarfox: I paid $500 for my FIRST PS3 four years ago. It died last year (Sony knew the first generation “fat boy” PS3 laser was faulty) and I bought the new “slim” version for $300. So the way I see it, that’s $800 in Sony hardware alone, NOT including purchasing two additional Dual Shock controllers ($50/each), a Sony Blu-Ray remote ($25), and a Sony Bluetooth gaming headset ($50). And for games, I have 12 of them at $50-$60 each and plan on buying three more this year. So don’t tell ME about something “Free” that I should be grateful for – I SHELLED THE HELL OUT FOR IT!!!!!! And I spend a hell of a lot more than that on PC gaming and hardware, which online services are ALSO free.
Ryan67
April 25th, 2011
10:06 pm
Sony is pathetic they have had almost a week and they still haven’t fi
xed the problem PS3 is awesome but i hate Sony right now How Dare They!!!!!!!!
Freightsgrl
April 25th, 2011
10:09 pm
couple of things i want to say….
I dont agree with what the hackers did its wrong and pisses alot of ppl off. Im pissed off because I have two boxes in the house and that is all we look forward to do because a 5 day 40 hour week job stresses us out and we have our relax time killing those we cant kill at work so take it out on someone online, second off ya I agree we cant be mad at Sony but come on they boasted about this product ” Oh its unhackable, and blah blah” and what happens some group or not even i saw on Youtube a 9 Yr. old Jailbreaked it!!! it could be them, the point is you Boast about a product then live up to what it can do, and be more safe with security because if my credit card info would have been stolen this way or anybodies, Sony you’d be major sued. Just get your sh*t together Sony, many ppl believe in using your product so stand by it.
P.S. you Xbox fans stay off the forum if you have nothing better to do, umm you spend good money to play online the be out, im not hating im a huge Xbox fan i have been for 4 yrs now but when you can save money from free internet and better online quality not lagging
speed
April 25th, 2011
10:15 pm
I have both systems and If they start charging like they do with the Xbox I cant afford having both so ill just stick with my xbox 360 besides im at three prestige with modern warfare 2 on the xbox and I have more friends with the xbox then the PS3 also have alot less hackers on the xbox compared to the PS3 my wife uses my PS3 mainly for netflix and ill use it once in a while for modern warfare 2 to play with my brother inlaw but thats very rarely. My option is to go with the Xbox 360
Sammy-kim
April 25th, 2011
10:22 pm
If I dont get to play COD soon Im gonna freak the eff out! Fix the damn problem now SONY! I cant even f%*king watch Netflicks.