Some PSN functions are restored and the details "Welcome Back" plan are given

     Around 2 AM Sunday morning, after getting home from a late night at the office, I was pleased to find that my Playstation did not give me the usual error message when I turned it on to play some Mortal Kombat.  Instead, the system prompted me to click Sign In and to change my password.  After changing my password, Trophies were able to be synced, I was able to view my friends list, and probably most important of all, online play was enabled. 

     Now while this is a large step in the right direction, there are still steps to be taken to get us back to where we were more than 3 weeks ago.  The Playstation Store and all corresponding functions are still inactive at this time.  That means no Downloadable Content and no PSN games.  There is also a very negative side effect of the Store being inactive- Online Passes don't work. 

     Certain companies will require an "Online Pass" code to be input prior to being able to play online.  This code comes with all new copies of the game, but costs $10 (most of the time) from the Playstation Store otherwise.  This dissuades people from buying used copies of games and still allows the developers to make money off of used sales of their games where they otherwise would not.  Now while this is a great idea, the Online Passes unfortunately are redeemed via the Playstation Store's "Redeem Code" function. What's the implication of this?  Well, those of us that bought Mortal Kombat after the network outage began will be unable to enter our online passes to play online until the store functionality of the Network returns. From the complaints of the online lag for this game though, I don't think we're out too much until they get it patched.

     Sony also detailed their plans for the "Welcome Back" program, which include 2 free downloadable games (out of a choice of 5), a month free of Playstation Plus (and an extra 30 days for current subscribers), among a couple of other freebies.  The full details of the plan can be read here, and the plan will go into effect after the full functions of the Network are restored.

     And finally I can stop posting about the Network Outage and get into the real meat and potatoes of what this blog was meant to be for.

Latest PSN outage update is that there is no new PSN outage update.

I was hoping that my next post would be my joy and elation at the network being back up and touting the new trophies that I have earned since the network went down over a month ago (including two new platinums! ).  I was going to start reviewing Mortal Kombat and its online play and Portal 2's online co-op. 

Unfortunately, even with putting off a new post as long as I could, my next post is another PSN outage update.  What is that update, you might ask? Well the update is that there is no update.  'A few more days' is what Sony has said....again.

Now I have faith in Sony, don't get me wrong. A little network fiasco isn't going to have me hopping off the Playstation 3 wagon, but come on.  Over a month with little to no real updates? Do what you need to to fix the issue, but keep us informed.

For more information on the outage, compensation for the down time, the free year of identity theft protection, etc. visit the Sony Playstation blog. Meanwhile, I guess I will continue to beat the hell out of Mortal Kombat's single player challenges while praying that maybe, just maybe, the network will actually be up for online play at the very least by the end of the week.

"Pigsy? She can hear every word we say...."

     There are some amazing games that just seem to fly under the radar.  Psychonauts was a great example of this for the Playstation 2.  Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a more recent example.  One of my inspirations for writing this blog was seeing a game like Enslaved: Odyssey to the West go unnoticed by the general public.

     Released on Oct. 5th, 2010, developed by Ninja Theory and published by Namco, Enslaved hit shelves to rave reviews from reviewers, with an average score of around 8 out of 10.  For whatever reason, marketing did not do well on this game and it was instantly buried beneath an avalanche of other titles released around this time. I picked this game up from Amazon for less than $17 a few weeks ago. I figured with the great reviews and at a price like that I couldn't pass it up.  I expected a decent game, but what I did not expect was the bright and detailed environments, full and deep characters, and a better than average story.

      Enslaved takes place many years after humanity has destroyed itself with advanced technology that got out of control. Sporadic colonies built from the scraps of society are all that remains of a once thriving culture. The remnants of the war lie scattered across the world in the form of mechs that still desire to destroy all life.  The story opens on a slaver ship with our main character, Monkey, captive. Through events leading to a crash of the ship in the ruins of New York City, Monkey is enslaved with a slaver headband by another captive, Trip. She simply wants to use the strong and agile Monkey to help her get back home to the west. 

Monkey in front of a ruined New York.

     Monkey is motion-captured and voice acted by Andy Serkis.  Serkis has a lot of excellent experience with motion capture, being the actor who played Smeagol/Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.  It took me a little bit to get used to his voice for Monkey, but by the end of the game, I felt there was no one else who could have pulled it off.  The witty banter that goes back and forth between Trip and Monkey really helps to make the game and develop the story and characters.  There are some genuinely funny moments as well as some tear jerkers, and the story manages to stay interesting for the duration with very few slow points. The finale' concisely wraps up with a satisfying conclusion for the time spent playing the game. 

     The game is filled with beautiful visuals as well as a great soundtrack that nicely accents the environments.  The environments and soundtrack also change often enough to remain varied so that you won't get bored, while keeping the post-apocalyptic "earth has taken back" feel.  Game play consists of platforming elements as well as Monkey kicking mech ass with little more than his fists and a futuristic stick. Trip acts as the "brains" in each situation while Monkey provides the "brawn".  You get the ability to upgrade your attacks as well as health and shields throughout the game, as well as purchasing some new attacks. The boss battles make you really feel like you have accomplished something upon completing each one and once again provide a nice variety to the gameplay that keeps each level fresh and interesting.

      Enslaved may have gotten a bad rap as far as the sales numbers were concerned, but all in all I think that this is a game that shouldn't be missed especially for the current price that you can pick a copy of it up for.  With no multiplayer elements, it is the perfect game to help get through the PSN downtime that we have been having lately.  Click here to see this product on Amazon and do yourself a favor.  This is $15 well spent for any Playstation 3 Gamer. 

Sony Posts Q&A #2 for the Playstation Network Outage

      As only the great words of Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth can properly convey: "Good News Everyone!"  It looks like the Network will come back up unaffected.  Prior settings, trophies, friends, saves etc. will be restored without issue.  It also looks like Sony is going to be taking care of everyone affected.  How exactly they will take care of it remains to be seen, but given they are even issuing releases stating that they are considering how to compensate us, I have high hopes that Sony will make sure we are taken care of.  Meanwhile, back to some offline Mortal Kombat for the time being. 

[ORIGINAL POST FROM THE PLAYSTATION BLOG]


Yesterday, we addressed a number of your questions relating to the malicious intrusion into our network. You can find that FAQ here. As we get closer to restoration of service, here are more answers to your questions, many of which are more gaming related:

Q: Will our download history/friends list/settings be affected by the PSN downtime?
A: No, they will not.
Q: Will trophies that were earned in single-player offline games during the outage be intact when the service resumes?
A: These trophies are intact and will be re-synched when the network is once again operational.
Q: Will my PS+ cloud saves be retrievable?
A: Yes, once PSN is restored.
Q: What if we have a subscription to PS3 MMOs DC Universe Online or Free Realms? Will we get compensation for that?
A: From Sony Online Entertainment: “We apologize for any inconvenience players may have experienced as a result of the recent service interruption. As a global leader in online gaming, SOE is committed to delivering stable and entertaining games for players of all ages. To thank players for their patience, we will be hosting special events across our game portfolio. We are also working on a “make good” plan for players of the PS3 versions of DC Universe Online and Free Realms. Details will be available soon on the individual game websites and forums.”
Q: Will there be a goodwill gesture for the time we haven’t been able to utilize PSN/Qriocity?
A: We are currently evaluating ways to show appreciation for your extraordinary patience as we work to get these services back online.

PSN Outage FAQ from Sony Blog

     If you don't know about the Playstation Network outage yet you either live under a rock, don't own a Playstation 3, or you haven't been around me in the last week.  I'm not sure whether I'm the official go-to news source on the outage for anyone who will listen, or if I just like the sound of my own voice at this point.  Probably best not to think about it.

     Rumors are flying around like punches in a Jason Statham flick. I've read things about this costing Sony over $24 Billion, speculation about having to pay for online after the network comes back up, among half a dozen other absurd things that people like to come up with in their free time without the network.

    The only thing that I trust and know for sure is Sony.  I go to the Playstation Blog for all of my info on the network outage and that is what I am going to continue to report.  So without further rumor or speculation, I present to you Sony's first official Q&A regarding the the outage. The link to the original post can be found here.

[ORIGINAL POST FROM PLAYSTATION BLOG]

     "First off, we want to again thank you for your patience. We know that the PlayStation Network and Qriocity outage has been frustrating for you. We know you are upset, and so we are taking steps to make our services safer and more secure than ever before. We sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern this outage has caused, and rest assured that we’re going to get the services back online as quickly as we can.
We received a number of questions and comments yesterday and early today relating to the criminal intrusion into our network. We’d like to address some of the most common questions today.
We are also going to continue to post updates to this blog with any additional information and insight that we can over the next few days.
We are reading your comments. We are listening to your suggestions. Please keep them coming.
Thank you.

Q: Are you working with law enforcement on this matter?
A: Yes, we are currently working with law enforcement on this matter as well as a recognized technology security firm to conduct a complete investigation. This malicious attack against our system and against our customers is a criminal act and we are proceeding aggressively to find those responsible.
Q: Was my personal data encrypted?
A: All of the data was protected, and access was restricted both physically and through the perimeter and security of the network. The entire credit card table was encrypted and we have no evidence that credit card data was taken. The personal data table, which is a separate data set, was not encrypted, but was, of course, behind a very sophisticated security system that was breached in a malicious attack.
Q: Was my credit card data taken?
A: While all credit card information stored in our systems is encrypted and 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. Keep in mind, however that your credit card security code (sometimes called a CVC or CSC number) has not been obtained because we never requested it from anyone who has joined the PlayStation Network or Qriocity, and is therefore not stored anywhere in our system.
Q: What steps should I take at this point to help protect my personal data?
A: 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.
Q: What if I don’t know which credit card I’ve got attached to my PlayStation Network account?
A: If you’ve added funds to your PlayStation Network wallet in the past, you should have received a confirmation email from “DoNotReply@ac.playstation.net” at the email address associated with your account. This email would have been sent to you immediately after you added the funds, and will contain the first 4 digits and last 4 digits of your credit card number. You can also check your previous credit card statements to determine which card was attached to your PlayStation Network or Qriocity accounts.
Q: When or how can I change my PlayStation Network password?
A: We are working on a new system software update that will require all users to change their password once PlayStation Network is restored. We will provide more details about the new update shortly.
Q: Have all PlayStation Network and Qriocity users been notified of the situation?
www.us.playstation.com/support and www.qriocity.com for notices regarding this issue. In addition, we have taken steps to disseminate information regarding this issue to media outlets so that consumers are informed.
Q: What steps is Sony taking to protect my personal data in the future?
A: We’ve taken several immediate steps to add protections for your personal data. First, we temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity services and, second, we are enhancing security and strengthening our network infrastructure. Moving forward, we are initiating several measures that will significantly enhance all aspects of PlayStation Network’s security and your personal data, including moving our network infrastructure and data center to a new, more secure location, which is already underway. We will provide additional information on these measures shortly.
Q: Has Sony identified the party or parties responsible for the PlayStation Network hack and subsequent theft of personal information?
A: We are currently conducting a thorough investigation of the situation and are working closely with a recognized technology security firm and law enforcement in order to find those responsible for this criminal act no matter where in the world they might be located.
Q: When will the PlayStation Network and Qriocity be back online?
A: Our employees have been working day and night to restore operations as quickly as possible, and we expect to have some services up and running within a week from yesterday. However, we want to be very clear that we will only restore operations when we are confident that the network is secure."

Playstation Network outage continues... Girlfriends everywhere rejoice.

 [UPDATE]
     The Playstation blog was updated at about 9:30 PM MST on 04/23/11 to say the following:


"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. 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.
We thank you for your patience to date and ask for a little more while we move towards completion of this project. We will continue to give you updates as they become available."

      It looks like the Network is being beefed up with additional security measures as it is completely rebuilt.  I have faith that Sony is devoting all the time and energy possible to getting this resolved and will continue to update as I hear more on an estimated resolution for the outage.


 [ORIGINAL]
    As most Playstation 3 users are aware, the Playstation Network has been down for a little more than 48 hours, with no estimated time frame as to when it will be back online.  Sony has posted an update on the Playstation blog concerning the outage:

"An external intrusion on our system has affected our PlayStation Network and Qriocity services. In order to conduct a thorough investigation and to verify the smooth and secure operation of our network services going forward, we turned off PlayStation Network & Qriocity services on the evening of Wednesday, April 20th. Providing quality entertainment services to our customers and partners is our utmost priority. We are doing all we can to resolve this situation quickly, and we once again thank you for your patience. We will continue to update you promptly as we have additional information to share." 

      Anonymous, a hacker group fighting for the right of free speech, was thought to be behind the attacks, as they have a previous dispute with Sony concerning their litigation against George "GeoHot" Hotz.  However, Anonymous is claiming that they have nothing to do with the current PSN outage.  Anonymous is a group that wants to own up to what they do in order to get their message across, which suggests they are not behind the "external intrusion" that Sony refers to in their blog.

     I will keep updates coming as I hear more on the outage and the estimated time that the Network should be back up.

I Have More Trophies Than You.

I have more trophies than you.  71 titles logged as played and 2261 Playstation Network Trophies as of the writing of this post, 23 of those Platinum Trophies, and more on the way every day. 

I am Wedge19.  I have an addiction.  Not just an addiction to video games and gaming in general.  I have an addiction to completing every last possible task within a game and milking it for every bit of the $60 that most console titles are valued at.  To say I know a thing or two about video games would probably be an understatement. 

This is a blog for every gamer everywhere.  From the hardcore gamer to the casual gamer.  From reviews of games (Old, new, retail and DLC), previews of upcoming games, trophy tips, and helpful links, with room for change and evolution as it grows. 

I'm really excited to start sharing my knowledge, expertise, and view of something that I love.  Feel free to leave comments, suggestions, requests or any other feedback to help me out.  Oh, and don't forget... I have more trophies than you.