SCEA’s CEO Jack Tretton took to the stage today to talk about the PSN outage that has effected the gaming platform’s online play for the past weeks. Tretton thanked the PS3 supporters and reported that network activity was at 90% and that the company is “committed” to the PSN experience. He described the PS3 and new NGP platforms as dedicated to network play. He gave no… → Read More
Sony just announced that the Playstation Network is back up for almost everyone. People in Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea are, sadly, still SOL. → Read More
Another day, another PSN hack. This time we face a problem with the password reset page that users must face in order to log back in. However, given that the hackers stole everyone’s user accounts in the first place, the security measures put in place to ensure that no one can assign you a new password – namely entering your email address and birthdate – are nullified. Therefore, anyone with that… → Read More
Howard Stringer, Sony’s CEO and the most visible target for criticism regarding the recent PSN data breach, has gone on an interview rampage, speaking with major news outlets to get word out that no network is fully secure and Sony went above and beyond the call of duty in its response. I don’t think users will agree, and though it may not be fair… well, tough. → Read More
According to Sony, the Playstation Network is back online in North America and the US. You will need to upgrade your firmware to 3.6.1 and change your password to play. Our long national nightmare is over. → Read More
If anyone was on the fence about whether or not to trade in their PS3, the last few weeks seem to have caused them to make up their minds. The continuing PSN outage and security breaches are causing trade-ins of Sony’s console to blow up, say a number of retailers interviewed by Edge. PS3 trade-ins have doubled, and more people are going straight to a 360 instead of getting cash. → Read More
While gamers around the world are pining for their online play and PSN store access, the companies that rely on the service to sell games are really feeling it. Capcom is one of many PSN-reliant companies that’s losing a ton of money in lost sales. VP Christian Svensson posts on their forums: “as an executive responsible for running a business, the resulting outage obviously costing us… → Read More
Sony is performing the old salt-in-the-wound trick by informing Bloomberg that the PSN/Quoricity outage should last another 22 days with an expected return date of May 31. This came from an interview with a Sony spokesman in a Bloomberg interview. Security is the key here. Sony is adopting new techniques and practices to beef up its online services and apparently that takes some time. → Read More
As the initial hysteria (mostly justified) surrounding the Sony PSN breach subsides, more measured estimates of the damage are appearing, but more serious questions are becoming relevant. It’s still too early to be sure what the extent of the damage is, but the early and sensational estimates (propagated before Sony announced relevant numbers) seem to be giving way to a more complex, nuanced look… → Read More
The PSN debacle is continually evolving as the extent of the damage is made clear, though it should be noted that we’re still in the early stages and a lot of what’s out there is guesswork and hearsay. The good news is that the FBI is on the case, and a number of more local authorities are taking action as well. The bad news is that the hackers may in fact have the credit card numbers and, despite… → Read More
This is really too bad; I was looking forward to this game, despite the unpardonable offense of getting jumping in my Bionic Commando. It turns out that Rearmed 2 has DRM that, like a few other games we’ve seen, prevents you from playing when you’re offline. Like, for instance, if there was a blizzard and your internet was down. Or you have metered internet and turn it off. Or you just… → Read More
December 21st is looking to be a big day for the PS3. Well, also a short day if you’re talking about duration. Unless you’re in Australia. But I digress (from my digression). Not only is Echochrome II coming out then, but a bundle of retro gaming love from SNK will be hitting the ground in the form of a gaggle of NEO-GEO games for PSN. Oh hell yes. → Read More
You might want to hold off on jailbreaking your PS3, particularly if you spend much time online. Turns out that Sony can detect the software ID used by the program used for jailbreaking, and then ban your PS3 remotely. What’s the solution? Either don’t use your hacked PS3 on the Playstation network, or don’t use the hack on it in the first place. TGDaily reported that some of the… → Read More
There’s always a hardcore market. But $50/year may be too steep for what they’re offering. Early access to demos, special themes, and a handful of mini games? I don’t know. And it all disappears when your subscription ends. Sketchy! It’s like a Zune Pass except you don’t get access to like six million tracks, just the same stuff as everyone else a few days early, plus… → Read More
In my lower moments I can be found browsing various message boards, watching mere children argue over what video game console is superior, the Xbox 360 or the PS3. No, I’m not lying, sad as that may be. Eventually the PS3 supporters whip out this gem: “Yeah, well at least we don’t have to pay to play online,” which is a clever dig at Xbox Live’s $50 price tag. Don’t tell them this rumor, then… → Read More
This machine translation is a little rough, but I think a PSP/PSN Store just launched (or re-launched, depending on your point of view) in Japan. Gamers there can buy, with actual yen (and not “Space Bucks” that you need on Xbox Live), all sorts of videos. I spy music videos and anime. → Read More
Namco, creators of such classics like Pac-Man, Galaga and Dig Dug, have announced Museum Essentials for the PlayStation Network. Now you can play the aforementioned games along with Dragon Spirit and Xevious on your PlayStation 3. There’s even Xevious Resurrection with co-op gameplay. This can be all yours for only $10. I know what I’m doing this weekend. → Read More
Get ready to throw down $15 Capcom’s Marvel vs. Capcom 2 via the PlayStation Network on August 13. Xbox 360 owners will get the downloadable title two weeks before on July 29. That is all. → Read More
Yup, there will be a PSN App Store of sorts. Sony admitted as much, saying that it will focus on “snackable” games. Presumably “snackable” means short, fun games that you’d play while on the elevator, waiting in line at the bank, etc. Think Brick Breaker for BlackBerry. That game is great in a pinch. → Read More
While we’re all thrilled to see Google throw a new coat of paint onto the Linux kernel, there are, in fact, other things going on Out There, like, say, the quickly evolving PSP. Yesterday’s exotic rumor suggested that Sony is working on a full-fledged PSP2, a system with Xbox1-level graphics. Today I spy an interview with a Sony so-and-so that attempts to explain the company’s rationale for the… → Read More
Quick and easy: Sony says that “that just about everything hitting after October 1 will be available for download.” That’s for the PSP Go!, mind you. → Read More
It’s time to get excited, friends. Not only will Capcom release Marvel vs. Capcom 2 on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network this summer, but it will release demo this Thursday. That means you only have to wait two days till you’re unleashing 100+ hit combos and trash talking like you never thought you could. → Read More
Go go downloado! PlayStation Store! Go! Hot lady! Play games! Pretend you’re not a lonely middle-aged gentlemen who enjoys hentai and ogling nurses at the medical school! OK! GO! → Read More
Can you imagine a world where the Sony PSP is actually relevant? Should Sony follow through with any of the actions that have been rumored in the past few days, it may be able to rescue its little system from obscurity. Today’s evidence: SCEA is working extra hard to bring over as many PS1 games to the PlayStation Network, so that you can play them on your PSP. (Japan has tons of PS1 games… → Read More
In this great interview with Hironobu Takeshita at Gamasutra, the producer of the hotly anticipated upcoming Mega Man 9, the hardships and fun bits of developing an 8-bit game in the modern era are discussed. It’s as clear from this conversation as from all the shots and details leaked before that the dev team is in love with the old games and interested in exceeding them in ways that… → Read More
The demo for Madden 09 is now—or will be in the next few hours—available on Xbox Live. (PS3 owners: a demo is salted to appear on PSN around the same time.) Go crazy, football fans, playing the same game you’ve been playing for the past 20 years. That’s two NFL stories in as many days. Clearly something has gone wrong here. → Read More
Oh yeah, baby. I’m going to beat this mother in one sitting no matter what. I’m really glad they went back to about the Mega Man 2 era in terms of skills and enemies since that’s the era I rock. I’m going to play some Mega Man tonight with “Eye of the Tiger” on in the background to get ready for this. → Read More
There we go. Was that so hard? Was it so hard to make a totally awesome Mega Man game and then release it on all three consoles at once? They are doing so many things so right here. 1. Cross-platform love like never before 2. Retro graphics like — before 3. The Blue Bomber 4. Robot dragons History will look kindly on Mega Man 9, which I’m hoping is going to be every bit as hard and… → Read More
Sony today released the best Playstation (One) game available to mankind on the PSN store. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night can be had for the extremely low price of just $9.99. If you’ve never played this game, your credibility as a video gamer just got shot down. You play as Alucard, Dracula’s son, hellbent on destroying your father’s castle, etc. The game is massive… → Read More
Austin, TX
Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA
Menlo Park, CA
Boston, MA
Disrupt Europe: Berlin Hackathon
Berlin, Germany
