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I never knew Playstation had an online community, I really didn’t. Call me ignorant, but I thought the only rabid and active online world was located on the Xbox 360. I never saw myself writing this kind of article. So what if the PSN is down for a few days? Aren’t the only games worth playing on that console single-player games?
Well, it was only when I saw the hundreds of comments online and the complaints from all those PSN users that my view on this changed. My allegiance, as you all know, is with Microsoft, but this past month I have enjoyed the extra media features PSN has to offer. Features that the 360 doesn’t have. So yes, I have also been hurling expletives at my PS3.
“Error code 8002A203” was the dreaded message that PS3 users saw over the Easter weekend. No matter how many times we tried to sign in, we were faced with this error code. At first, it was thought this was a temporary maintenance issue that would last a day. Then that day turned into days, and those days turned into uncertainty. Sony released their statement blaming the Anonymous group, they denied it, and the hours with no PSN continued to flow. Apart from the obvious frustration of the service going down, I want to look at the real effects this problem will have. These come two-fold, one being security, and the other, competition.
There has been talk of credit-card information being compromised by this external intrusion, which could be a major problem with a capital M. Let’s take the worst case scenario: millions of users lose money to an unknown person(s), as well as having other personal details compromised. The result would be lawsuits the size of Kilimanjaro, and Sony’s image being crucified. Not a good look.
There is also the trust issue. Those who forked out the cash to buy their PS3 and took full part in their online service will feel betrayed. After all, they chose Playstation instead of that other money-hungry machine. At the very least, they expected a high level of security from a large and respected company such as Sony.
The second issue is competition. Secretly, Microsoft are jumping up and down with joy with two fists raised. They acted quickly when this happened. After spewing their “sadness” for what happened to Sony, they offered their free Gold membership weekend. A chance for PSN users to try Live and see what their money buys. Xbox Live costs money. It is not free. That’s the reason Playstation users keep hurling at me as to why PSN is superior. Well, the age-old view is, you get what you pay for. If Xbox Live was a security risk, then people would get angry and ask for their money back. With Playstation, because it’s free, all users can do is get frustrated. They can’t ask for their money back or expect Sony to provide a flawless online service. Again, it is free.
That trump card of the service being free gets nullified when personal details are no longer safe and the server proves to be fragile. PSN users have to wonder if this might happen again, and how many times. It did happen to Xbox, way back in 2007 when the machine was still finding its feet. No such problem has occurred recently. Security is very important, and I already know people have taken their details off the PSN and are considering getting an Xbox.
To end this little analysis, I want to talk about the real future of gaming. I, like most gamers, love my GTA, Mass Effect and other single-player adventures. They are great and will always have their place. But when you put on your headset and compete against your friends or others in the online world, it’s a whole other level of gaming. It’s a gaming experience that promotes communication, teamwork and lots of fun. Unlike a single-player game, it has no end. That, my friends, is an argument for Xbox Live and why PSN users should really think about switching. Don’t fool me, fellow Playstationers. I know you love your online gaming, and that error code is killing you. Hackers have their eye on Sony’s server, and I won’t be surprised if this becomes a regular occurrence.
Xbox Live is one payment a year for a service that has proven to be secure and functional. I say it’s time to put petty rivalry aside, jump ship, and join good old Microsoft.
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I have a PS3 and I have Netflix. I pay for netflix. I can’t use it on my PS3 because being logged into PSN is _required_ in order to use netflix. I bought the PS3 because it was a blu ray player and netflix device in one.
Now I can’t view netflix on my 60″ hdtv because my PS3 won’t let me. I don’t have hulu plus, but that is a paid service as well and I don’t know if logging into PSN is required for that. Also, Playstation Plus is a paid service. People who pay for services and don’t get them should be compensated. I want to see how Sony handles that. I guess we’ll wait and see…
@ marco – PC + HDMI cable = netflix on your tv.
Yeah it’s annoying and it’s a work around, but at least it works. Best of luck to you.
Our equivalent is Lovefilm, and I can’t get through to the streaming movies on there…VERY, VERY annoying
Netflix is still working..
I am pretty angry at Sony for what has happened. In fact, I just got off the phone earlier with Discover Card and reported my card stolen (the one I registered with PSN) as a precaution. I don’t want anyone to have my personal information either. But , that said…..
I don’t agree with your analysis. You can’t assume that Microsoft’s security is better just because you pay for it. Like you said, this happened before to Microsoft in 2007. Guess it takes a breach for a company to fix their security. Sony will take measures to fix the problem just as Microsoft did. When/if PSN remains free, it will be as secure as if it wasn’t free. I too wish PS3 Netflix didn’t require the PSN login as there is no need. It didn’t used to require it when it ran from disc.
I can see the logic behind the conclusion that XBL security is likely to be tighter than Sony security, but I think it’s just a matter of degrees of “bad” as far as who has more to lose by a major security breach. I don’t know how the PS3 works, so I don’t know how easy it is to hack the console or the network. I know next to nothing about hacking of XBoxes, although I suppose it’s possible.
At any rate, it’d be bad for either company, simply because of the bad press and likelihood of losing customers now or in the future. That said, I’ve actually BEEN the victim of identity theft. Full-on identity theft, I mean. As in I was told at the Verizon store that they’d need a $2000 deposit for me to get a phone from them, which led me to check my credit report and discover that my info had been hijacked. It was a simple if annoying process to cancel my cards, get new ones, and get the offending info off my report. So, it’s not the end of the world if PSN users’ info gets hacked. It’s a giant pain, but it’s not like you’re gonna be stuck paying off someone else’s boat or footing the bill for their “Kristal ‘n’ Strippers” weekend.
It’s an unfortunate fact of modern life that your credit card info can be snagged at any time and that “secure” companies are just as likely to get hit by an inside job as an external hacker. Possibly more likely. You deal with it. You get new cards, life goes on.
I have a ps 3…. Got it for games and blu-ray and netflix…. I can still play all my games…. Not like any of them really need the net anyway…but I don’t play online outside my pc… Ruhr blue ray its still great…and I don’t understand why you are not able to use netflix…newscasts yea its annoying but even without being able to log into my psn account..aftet a few seconds of burton mashing I have zero.problems using my netflix….
i need friends on ps3 psn or crysis 2 after the outage id like new friends so any one leave there ps3 online id ill add u
i have a mic if needed (optional)
Well, still can’t get into the Uk’s version of Netflix (Lovefilm), and the said company has even informed us that they are in the dark with the problem as it is Sony’s to deal with.
As for the Xbox hack, that happened way back in 2007. Hacks such as this one which looks like it will be even longer has happened during the mature stage of the console’s cycle. That’s really not a good look.
How about if I dont want to have a PSN account anymore, but still use Netflix? Is that possible? These two things needn’t be tied together (as I said before, when Netflix ran off disc on the PS3, it didn’t log in to PSN).
There are other options for watching Netflix streaming on your TV besides PS3/PSN. Tivo allows it if you have the right hardware. Some TVs, I think, even have the capability built in. XBL Gold membership allows it too.
LOVEFILM IS STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIL DOWN
Netflix still works fine on the PS3. Simply keep attempting to sign in (you will get the usual error 2 or 3 times) and eventually it will stop asking for credentials and drop you to your Netflix queues. I was watching some shows on it earlier today, so hopefully this will help someone.
I don’t normally post to A-vault, but I must agree with the author here. What really grinds my gears is that Sony’s “compensation” will be giving you a taste of a paid service. (Playstation Plus). So basically they will give us a free month of a lackluster service that really has very little to offer. Too bad for those of use who already tried Plus’s anemic service and wish we could get our money back.
50$ for playstation plus (A free game or two a month)…or $50 for a year of Xbox Live which allows party chat in or out of game, partying within Netflix (Multiple users watching the same show with voice chat) and a load of other features that Sony will never implement.
Does that sound like reasonable compensation for thousands of people’s personal info and potentially their credit card info now circulating the web’s underground?
While I equate the PS3 vs 360 to the ever burning Mac vs PC debate, the simple fact is that Microsoft has a much more mature gaming platform, has had very little downtime, and continues to mature every year as M$ adds, or reorganizes new features. When was the last time anything substantial was added or upgraded with PSN? Playstation Home is the last “enhancement” I can think of. And all it is, is a front end for micro-transactions. “Here’s a brand new feature…so we can further suck your wallet dry!
”
Thanks Benji for saying what needed to be said, I know it is like stirring a bee’s nest, but frankly Microsoft is not only giving more features per dollar, they are also keeping my account secure. Microsoft secure? Who’d a thunk it?
Ha, excellent final line.
Do you know how many swear-words I have thrown at my Vista and my XP before it? But for some reason, touch wood, the 360 has been pretty secure. Let’s hope it stays that way.
Do you people have a Twitter fan page? I looked for one but could not discover one, I would really like to become a fan.
So I’m sitting here thinking that my Xbox account was all good, and while feeling sorry for my Sony brethren, there was that slight sense of superiority floating in the back of my mind…until tonight. I just got off the phone with a VERY helpful Christopher over at Xbox Live after my Xbox purchased a game for itself. Apparently, I’m not alone, and this can be done remotely (although usually for far more nefarious purposes than a $30 purchase of a 5 year old game), and there’s little that can be done except to refund the sale. Keep an eye on your emails folks (even the ancient one you no longer use that’s attached to your Live account). There’s more to this story, and I hope to share the details shortly. If you’re a 360 Call of Duty player – please be vigilant.
Ha, I am a Halo man, thankfully
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