Microsoft issues statement regarding PSN outage

A Microsoft representative has issued a statement to Electronic Theatre regarding the ongoing PSN issues, which are plaguing users worldwide. The representative of Microsoft’s distribution network said they felt bad for gamers, but at the same time, expects it to be of some benefit to Xbox Live. “Of course it’s regretful that Sony is encountering issues at such a busy time, and Microsoft takes no joy in the problems gamers are having playing their favourite games online,” said the representative. “That being said, we are expecting Microsoft’s robust online network to see an increase of traffic from those gamers who own both systems. Being able to play their games via the Xbox Live network could make all the difference for some gamers, and the Xbox Nations event will allow all of them to do just that – whether they have a Gold subscription or not.” When asked if Microsoft would see an increase in sales of the Xbox 360 console or game titles, such as the recently released Portal 2 or Operation Flashpoint: Red River, due to the issues faced by PSN users, the representative refused to offer comment. Microsoft’s launched its Xbox Nations online event yesterday, which brings along a free Xbox Live weekend, and has various games, music and movies and avatar items on discount. The Playstation Network has been down for more than 48 hours now, with Sony recently issuing a statement, which confirmed it has taken it offline due to an “external intrusion” belived to be the hacking group called Operation payback sony altough they deny allegations.

 

if they promoted a bit more during this PSN downtime i think they would get a LOT more gamers on their side

 

I think PSN should be offer crazy deal's/free things for all us people that haven't been able to get to PSN or play online, I think it bothers me more that my PS3 will still download game updates and I still have the banner for the store saying check this stuff out and can't get to anything

 

So this is what I got from Sony today about the outage
Add PlayStation_Network@playstation-email.com to your address book =================================== PlayStationNetwork =================================== Valued PlayStationNetwork/Qriocity Customer: We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network. In response to this intrusion, we have: 1) Temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity services; 2) Engaged an outside, recognized security firm to conduct a full and complete investigation into what happened; and 3) Quickly taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our network infrastructure by rebuilding our system to provide you with greater protection of your personal information. We greatly appreciate your patience, understanding and goodwill as we do whatever it takes to resolve these issues as quickly and efficiently as practicable. Although we are still investigating the details of this incident, we believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following information that you provided: name, address (city, state, zip), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/ Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID. It is also possible that your profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip), and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have been obtained. If you have authorized a sub-account for your dependent, the same data with respect to your dependent may have been obtained. While 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.

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. We are providing the following information for those who wish to consider it: -U.S. residents are entitled under U.S. law to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll-free (877) 322-8228. -We have also provided names and contact information for the three major U.S. credit bureaus below. At no charge, U.S. residents can have these credit bureaus place a "fraud alert" on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. This service can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name. Note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you, it also may delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on your file. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, or should you have any questions regarding your credit report, please contact any one of the agencies listed below: Experian: 888-397-3742; www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013 Equifax: 800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 TransUnion: 800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790 -You may wish to visit the website of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission at Deter. Detect. Defend. Avoid ID Theft or reach the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 or 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580 for further information about how to protect yourself from identity theft. Your state Attorney General may also have advice on preventing identity theft, and you should report instances of known or suspected identity theft to law enforcement, your State Attorney General, and the FTC. For North Carolina residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; telephone (877) 566-7226; or NCDOJ. For Maryland residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; telephone: (888) 743-0023; or Maryland Attorney General - Home Page. We thank you for your patience as we complete our investigation of this incident, and we regret any inconvenience. Our teams are working around the clock on this, and services will be restored as soon as possible. Sony takes information protection very seriously and will continue to work to ensure that additional measures are taken to protect personally identifiable information. Providing quality and secure entertainment services to our customers is our utmost priority. Please contact us at 1-800-345-7669 should you have any additional questions. Sincerely, Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment ===================================

LEGAL "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks and "PS3" and "PlayStation Network" are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. 2011 Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC

 

So looks like Sony is saying that there network will be down for while. "Quickly taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our network infrastructure by rebuilding our system to provide you with greater protection of your personal information." Still not as good as Microsoft UNBANNING all the Xbox 360's lol

 

Looks like sony is getting sued Sony Sued for PSN Security Breach - PS3 News at IGN