PlayStation Network service has been offline for two weeks, with developers and content providers unable to sell services and games to consumers. Sony has promised to make amends for the downtime but has so far been unable to offer a concrete date for reinstating the service. In the mean time, they are still conducting their investigation.

According to Games Industry Biz, Sony has hired three outside security firms to investigate the PSN security breach that has left 77 million PSN accounts and 26 million SOE accounts vulnerable to hackers. The hardware firm has retained Data Forte, a team led by a former NCIS officer, to work with the FBI agents assigned to the investigation. Security detectives from Guidance Software and Protiviti consultants were also involved after the discovery that personal details, credit and debit card information and online passwords and identities were stolen.

Games Industry Biz reports that an unofficial patch has been released for the PlayStation 3 which adds an enhanced version of the original OtherOS feature, and allows Linux to be installed on the console. The update is named OtherOS++ and according to self-proclaimed hacker Graf Chokolo, “can read/write anything in PS3 RAM” and is “very useful for HV hacking.”

The original OtherOS option was disabled in March 2010 due to security concerns after George Hotz exploited the feature to gain full read/write access to the console. This new software allows for much greater control of the PlayStation 3′s memory and systems than the original, and works by exploiting an older version of the firmware.

When the Silicon Knights adventure game Too Human was released, it was supposed to be the first installment in a trilogy. Plans changed when the developer brought suit against Epic concerning problems with the Unreal engine. Litigation continues, but Silicon Knights founder Dennis Dyack says that the company plans to complete the series. “We intend to finish the trilogy but no comment beyond that,” Dyack told IndustryGamers. Dyack has never been afraid to talk to the media, so it’s a fair guess that more on this subject will be forthcoming once the court case is resolved.

Source: 1Up.com

1Up reports that the June 14 release of Sony Pictures’ Battle: Los Angeles on Blu-ray will include a playable demo of Insomniac’s upcoming shooter, Resistance 3. The demo will let you experience 30 minutes of the campaign. For those that try it out and find themselves wanting more, they won’t have to wait until the September 6 release of the full game. A multiplayer beta is in development, and SOCOM 4 owners may find they have the first shot at it.

Shall we play a game? How about one where you need to dive for cover while unleashing a storm of bullets on the bad guys? Develop Online reports that MGS Vancouver, formerly known as Zipline Studios, may be developing just that, with an FPS title that incorporates Kinect functionality. An online resume for Art Director Shawn Woods suggests the company is working on “a core AAA shooter experience using Kinect.”

Develop Online reports that Mike Kulas, co-founder and president of THQ studio Volition, has announced his retirement from the group. Kulas, 49, said his decision to leave was not triggered by any changes at the studio or THQ, and that he has been considering retirement since 2010. He intends to stay in the Illinois area, where Volition is based, and wants to clear his mind before deciding his next play.

Volition’s longstanding vice president, Dan Cermak, will replace Kulas. Kulas co-founded Parallax Software in 1993, before splitting the firm into Volition. In 2000 the studio was acquired by THQ.

At the end of March THQ laid off 16 Volition employees.

Akella has announced that Disciples 3: Resurrection will be the sequel to their turn-based, RPG strategy title, Disciples 3: Renaissance. In this new chapter in the history of Nevendaar, a new race ascends to power – the ruthless and merciless Undead Hordes. It is a story of selfless love and unfading glory. Heroes of the past, who had lost their lives, but not their sentience, are exacting their revenge in the name of Mortis, the Goddess of Death.

Today Sony disclosed that the personal information of Playstation Network users might have been compromised in an ”illegal and unauthorized intrusion” sometime between April 17 and 19. Although this is certainly a serious situation, experts agree that those whose financial information is used without their knowledge and consent will not have to pay to have the situation rectified. ”In the US, none of Sony’s customers will have to pay for any fraudulent use of credit information,” says Wedbush Morgan analyst (and former attorney) Michael Pachter in an interview with Eurogamer. ”Sony will work with the financial institutions to cover any losses.” Also, Pachter says that Playstation Plus subscribers will have to be reimbursed in some way for the loss of services during the outage.

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The latest development in the Playstation Network downtime situation has drawn the attention of a US Senator. Among those upset with Sony about its handling of the ongoing PSN fiasco—which the company just announced today might have resulted in an unauthorized individual gaining access to users’ personal data—is Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal. In the wake of today’s news, the former Conn. Attorney General has written a letter to Sony Computer Entertainment America president Jack Tretton demanding the Playstation maker do more for its customers.

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This afternoon, PlayStation sent out a letter to all of their PSN and Qriocity customers detailing last week’s events and the steps they’ve taken since.

Between April 17 and April 19, some PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal intrusion into their network. They then took it upon themselves to temporarily turn off these services, and engaged an outside security firm to conduct an investigation. Now they are taking steps to enhance security and strengthen their network infrastructure through re-building.

They believe that the hacker(s) obtained the name, address, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID for some users. It is also possible that some profile data, including purchase history and billing address, and PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have been obtained. There is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, but they cannot rule out the possibility. If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, out of an abundance of caution they are advising you that your credit card number and expiration date may have been obtained.

We’ll continue to keep you posted as the situation evolves.

Kotaku sources indicate that the next Xbox and PlayStation won’t be released until 2014. Both Sony and Microsoft are hoping to wait out the current generation, and extending an already elongated console life-cycle despite Nintendo’s apparent intention of getting their new device out in 2012. Microsoft hasn’t even planned out the components of the next Xbox yet, and is still “wrestling with whether to be profitable on day one.”

Ubisoft has announced that Might & Magic: Heroes VI has been delayed until September 8. According to their statement, the reason is that they want “to ensure that the quality of the game will go beyond your expectations.” Set in the fantasy world of Ashan, the title takes place several hundred years prior to the events of Heroes of Might & Magic V, and concerns the downfall of the Falcon Empire vs. the rise of the Griffin Empire.

Under Siege is set for a North American PS3 debut May 3. Played within the confines of a medieval setting, the leader of the fortified collection of cities known as The Citadel unleashes a monstrous army on the world. A group of heroes from independent villages then band together to thwart his plans. The game is compatible with Move, but it is also playable with a standard PS3 controller. It also features two-player online or split-screen gameplay, and a mode and mission editor.

It hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, but according to 1Up, a new God of War is in the works, with a release date of September 2012. Based on previous statements made by SCE Santa Monica Studio, however, it might not be a direct continuation of Kratos’s story.

“This is definitely the end of the trilogy, but we’re going to continue to do God of War games,” said John Hight last year about God of War III. “We’re going to be very careful about what we do; we’re the keepers of the franchise and we don’t want to see it ruined or polluted.”

Games Radar reports that Alice: Madness Returns will include a download code for a console port of the original American McGee’s Alice. Released for the PC in 2000, the original Alice was a 3rd person action game with a heavy emphasis on platforming. This release marks the first console port of the game.