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PSA: PlayStation Network back online, service restored [Update]
The PlayStation Network appears to be fully armed and operational, according to an update post on the PlayStation Blog. The update confirms that the PSN suffered a DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack on Christmas Eve Day, and though the group that took credit for bringing the service down claimed to have ceased its attack on December 25, it was not until late last evening that service was restored. Sony now reports in no uncertain terms that "PlayStation Network is back online." If you received or purchased a PlayStation system over the holidays, you should be free to enjoy your new console. Update: If you're a PS4 user still having difficulties logging in, the Ask PlayStation Twitter account suggests that age-old fix of restarting your system. A tweet reads, "PS4 users: If you are still having issues signing in to PSN today, please reboot the console and try again." [Image: Sony]
Xbox Live and PlayStation Network both down due to an apparent attack
Merry Christmas, game fans: Both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network are down this morning, apparently due to a denial-of-service attack. The notorious hacking group Lizard Squad -- which already carried out earlier attacks on Microsoft and Sony -- has claimed responsibility on Twitter for these latest outages. While Lizard Squad's role in all of this remains unconfirmed, the group did threaten last week to take down Xbox Live and PSN, according to Business Insider. Regardless of who's behind this, the timing is obviously terrible: Plenty of people surely received one of the two consoles as Christmas presents today, while many more gamers would have happily spent the afternoon in front of the TV. In the meantime, both Sony and Microsoft have acknowledged the problem, with Sony issuing a tweet and Microsoft posting a message on its website: "We're working to address this as quickly as we possibly can," reads its status website. "Thanks for your patience, Xbox members." In an email, a Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment further or say when the company expects to restore service. We've also asked Sony to comment and will update this post if and when it does.
PSN Store Update: Alien Isolation, Diablo 3, more
In a last-ditch effort to get in your wallet before the end of the year, the PlayStation Store has a number of good deals on games this week. Among the many deals for PS4 players at the moment, Alien: Isolation is $35.99 ($29.99 for PS Plus members), while the game's season pass is down to $14.99. Additionally, Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition is $39.59 ($35.99 on PS Plus), Escape Goat 2 is half-price ($5, $4 on PS Plus), Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes is just $6.80 and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is $25 ($20 on PS Plus). As for Vita, players can download Danganronpa 2 for $27.99 ($23.99 on PS Plus), Nidhogg for $10.49 ($8.99 through PS Plus), Thomas Was Alone and Stealth Inc. for $3.99 each as well as Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut for $5 ($4 via PS Plus). A number of games, such as Nidhogg and Thomas Was Alone, are Cross-Buy compatible, so those with multiple systems only need to pay once to access each version. That includes Flippfly's Race the Sun, which is down to $6.99 at the moment across all three PlayStation platforms ($5.99 on PS Plus). Head over to PlayStation Blog for a full list of the current deals. [Image: Sega]
After Burner Climax faces XBLA/PSN delisting this month
This month is your last chance to pick up Sega's arcade-ported shoot-'em-up After Burner Climax on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Digital storefront monitor lifelower reports that the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network versions of After Burner Climax will be permanently delisted on December 24. Buyers will be able to redownload purchased copies of After Burner Climax at a later date, but once the game is delisted, it can no longer be bought or added to a user's software library. Sega Nerds speculates that expired licensing agreements between Sega and the manufacturers of the real-world aircraft featured in After Burner Climax are to blame for the game's forthcoming removal. A similar issue resulted in the deletion of Sega's Ferrari-licensed racer OutRun Online Arcade from digital storefronts in 2011. Starting next year, if you want to legally play After Burner Climax and don't already own a digital copy, you'll need to track down an original arcade machine. Here's a tip: The GameWorks across the street from the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle hosts a pair of Climax cabinets, so you might want to make plans to visit the next time you're in town for PAX Prime. [Image: Sega]
The Last of Us gets weapons, skills, gear in new DLC
Naughty Dog launched add-ons for The Last of Us' online multiplayer Factions mode this week, each piece available for purchase individually or in convenient bundles. The game's new Tactical Weapons bundle ($2.99) features a tactical shotgun, burst pistol, frontier rifle and crossbow, each available for $0.99 separately. The Last of Us' Misfit Head Item pack costs $6.99 and includes eight clothing and gear options for players such as ski goggles and a viking hat, each available at varying prices individually. Likewise, the Risk Management Survival Skills pack ($3.99) includes five new skills that are otherwise $0.99 each. Lone Wolf boosts players that separate from their team, Second Chance grants a bonus health kit to those in danger, Jack of All Trades boosts grab-bag level one skills, Lucky Break increases supply box hauls and the special execution-improving Lethal Efficiency skill. Speaking of which, the game's Special Executions pack costs $2.99 and offers new animation sets for takedowns across nine weapon categories, each one costing $0.99 on their own. Lastly, Naughty Dog introduced two new gestures packs for $2.49 each, with individual gestures going for, you guessed it, $0.99. The developer noted that some of the special execution animations didn't make the cut for the game's PS3 version due to the system's memory constraints. [Image: SCEA]
Metal Slug 3, fan-chosen Neo Geo games coming to PSN
SNK Playmore will port select games from its Neo Geo back catalog to the PlayStation Network starting with next year's release of the classic run-and-gunner Metal Slug 3 for the PlayStation 4, PS3, and PS Vita. Metal Slug 3 saw an upgraded Steam release earlier this year boasting online multiplayer and leaderboard support. An Xbox Live Arcade version was released in 2008. SNK Playmore is polling fans to determine its next PSN release among a list of 15 possible games. Featured candidates include competitive shoot-'em-up Twinkle Star Sprites, acclaimed golfing sim Neo Turf Masters, and combo-driven brawler Sengoku 3, along with classic fighters like Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Samurai Shodown 5 Special, and The Last Blade 2. [Image: SNK Playmore]
Old man Snake goes digital in Metal Gear Solid 4 re-release
If you missed the collection of dramatic cutscenes known as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, you have another chance to grab the stealth action hit in a newly-revealed digital release. Come December 16, Konami will launch a PlayStation 3 download of Metal Gear Solid 4 on the PlayStation Network at a price of $20. While Metal Gear Solid 4 has been repackaged before, Konami claims this digital release will mark "the first time the acclaimed tactical espionage game has been made available as a digital download." That should help alleviate the lengthy installation players face on first starting Metal Gear Solid 4, but those lacking bandwidth be warned: According to Konami, the digital game is a 30GB download. [Image: Konami]
Sony rings in the holidays with four weeks of PSN discounts
Sony wants to make it a bit easier to avoid the hazards of brick and mortar retailers this holiday season with a fully digital, four week-long PlayStation Network sale on television shows, movies and games for each of the publisher's platforms. From now until the end of December, PlayStation Network visitors will find a wide swath of releases available at up to 65 percent off. Those discounts jump as high as 75 percent off for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Highlights include the PlayStation 4's alternate history shooter Wolfenstein: The New Order at $36 ($30 with PS Plus), both crude cartoon adaptation South Park: The Stick of Truth and racing sim Gran Turismo 6 at $20 ($16 with PS Plus) and Capcom's lesser known yet highly addictive action platformer Dustforce for $5 ($4 with PS Plus). A full list of ongoing discounts can be found on the PlayStation.blog. If you can't find anything appealing there, have patience. This promotion adds new discounts each week, with the biggest discounts presumably arriving as we inch closer to December 25. [Image: Bethesda Softworks]
PlayStation Co-Op Sale: Dark Souls 2, Far Cry 3, Rayman
In the spirit of the money-saving holidays (and Thanksgiving, we guess), Sony kicked off a new Co-Op Gaming sale today that discounts games with local or online multiplayer functionality. The deals end on December 1, and PlayStation Plus subscribers get a bigger discount than other PSN users: up to 80 percent off the price of some games. Of the group, there are ten PlayStation 4 games on sale through PSN this week, among which are Awesomenauts Assemble ($5.39), EA Sports UFC ($13.99), Mercenary Kings ($8.99), Rayman Legends ($19.59), Surgeon Simulator: A&E Anniversary Edition ($6.39), TowerFall Ascension ($7.34) and Trine 2: Complete Story ($7.99). Other notable deals include Borderlands 2 (PS3, $4.54), Dark Souls 2 (PS3, $19.59), Rayman Origins ($13.29 on Vita, $9.79 on PS3) and Far Cry 3 (PS3, $9.79). [Image: Ubisoft]
Sony denies hacker group's infiltration into PSN
There has been no intrusion into the PlayStation Network, Sony has told Joystiq in the wake of a hacker group reportedly leaking 2,131 PSN logins. "We have investigated the claims that our network was breached and have found no evidence that there was any intrusion into our network," a Sony rep wrote to Joystiq. "Unfortunately, Internet fraud including phishing and password matching are realities that consumers and online networks face on a regular basis. We take these reports very seriously and will continue to monitor our network closely." According to Cnet, the group leaked these logins in a public Pastebin document. However, both the group's Twitter account linking to the document and the document itself have since been taken down. Cnet reports that the group also revealed 1,473 Windows Live logins, and 2,000 2K Games logins. We've reached out to Microsoft and 2K to confirm network intrusion and will update if we hear back. [Image: Sony]
FIFA 15 among games blocking PS4 Share Play in US
Users are reporting a number of issues with using the PS4's Share Play feature, Sony's online pass-the-controller multiplayer service. Namely, it appears FIFA 15 is giving players fits, as visiting players are unable to view the footage shown on the host's console. Rather, one half of the Share Play tandem sees the screen above, which says, "Viewing the game screen that the host is currently playing is not allowed due to content restrictions in your country or region." In our tests between two US-based PS4 players this morning, the Share Play visitor was unable to view game footage on four separate occasions: In FIFA 15, WWE 2K15, Guacamelee and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Share Play for FIFA 15 was functional once we tested the service with our UK-based editor, Sinan Kubba (albeit with some bouts of lowered resolution and frame-dropping). However, it appears the error message being displayed is entirely inaccurate, as PlayStation noted on Twitter, adding that the support team is investigating the issues. Eurogamer's big list of Share Play-functioning games notes that FIFA 15 "works fine," so your mileage (or kilometer-age in this case) may vary at the moment. Share Play arrived in October as part of the PS4's version 2.0 update, which itself caused a number of other issues for players. Sony issued another update just this week, version 2.02, to rectify some of the console's lingering problems. We've reached out to Sony to find out what might be causing the hiccups with Share Play and which games are affected.
Extensive PSN maintenance scheduled for November 17
Heads up, PlayStation owners: Sony plans to bring the PlayStation Network down on Monday, November 17 to "deploy a series of back-end improvements to the network." According to a notice on the PlayStation.blog, PSN will be unavailable for "approximately 6 hours" from 1PM to 7PM ET (that's 18:00GMT to 00:00GMT, Tuesday morning for our friends in Europe). The good news is that if you've logged into PSN at any time between November 13 and November 17, you'll still be able to play games online and use online apps like Netflix during this maintenance period. However, PlayStation Home, the PlayStation Store and your console's account management features will be unavailable. This is where we cross our fingers and pray to the gods of tech support that nothing goes catastrophically wrong with these backend updates, as they come mere hours before the debut of a number of high-profile PlayStation 3 and PS4 games including Far Cry 4 and the re-release of Grand Theft Auto 5. [Image: Sony]
Towerfall expands into the Dark World on PS4 in 2015
Towerfall Ascension's forthcoming Dark World expansion will arrive on PS4 early next year, developer Matt Thorson revealed via PlayStation Blog. The update adds new playable archers, four levels, power-ups and more to the archery combat platformer. The developer also upped the number of team deathmatch levels per tower to five in the expansion. Thorson announced the Dark World update in September, and has since detailed several improvements to the game via his blog. Dark World will add the Vainglorious Ghoul red archer to the game's roster along with her ghostly ship as one of the levels, The Amaranth. The final tower of Towerfall's expansion, known as Cataclysm, features procedurally-generated levels to keep the action fresh for multiplayer bouts. Dark World will also include power-ups such as Prism Arrows and Trigger Arrows, the latter behaving like remote mines. [Image: Matt Thorson]
The Banner Saga, Armikrog journey to PS4 in early 2015
Four games from independent developers will arrive on PS4 in early 2015, each courtesy of publisher Versus Evil. The publisher, which specializes in assisting independent devs reach new platforms and regions, revealed Stoic Studio's viking RPG The Banner Saga among the handful of games destined for the PlayStation Network. The Banner Saga's first episode launched in January after a successful $723,886 campaign on Kickstarter funded the game in April 2012. Versus Evil will also help another Kickstarter-funded game to reach PS4 early next year, Pencil Test Studios' clay-sculpted adventure game Armikrog. The other two games arriving on PS4 in 2015 thanks to the publisher are Kyn and Toren, the latter developed by Brazilian studio Swordtales. Players guide a "Moonchild" through the stages of childhood while ascending a tower in Toren, solving puzzles and slashing at enemies along the way. Versus Evil noted in PlayStation Blog's comments that none of the games are slated to reach Vita as of yet. [Image: Stoic Studio]
Driveclub deploys server update, PS Plus Edition 'on hold'
PlayStation 4-exclusive racer Driveclub has seen a "significant" server update to address online issues that linger after the game's launch earlier this month, developer Evolution Studios announced. Players should see improvements in Driveclub's competitive multiplayer component starting this week, and leaderboard fixes are also on the way. Many of Driveclub's online features were previously disabled as its developers addressed connectivity issues that cropped up post-launch. "The issues with server performance were never encountered during the past year, in any of the many rounds of testing prior to launch," a reply from Driveclub's official Facebook account reads. "The servers were actually live for over a week before Oct 7 for reviewers and none of these issues were discovered during that time either. "The servers hit their absolute limit soon after the midnight launch on Oct 7 [...] and we have been working around the clock every day since, to get more servers online and improve the way that the servers handle social activity between players." The team is additionally holding back Driveclub's free PlayStation Plus Edition, pending online fixes. "The PS Plus Edition is on hold while this work progresses and we want to get it back on track as quickly as possible, because we want everyone to enjoy the game we've poured our hearts into throughout development," Evolution Studios revealed via Facebook. [Update: Evolution Studios has issued another Facebook update explaining this week's fixes in detail. "Our diagnostics show the majority of you are now able to get online and racing," the developer states. "Today we also released a server update to optimize multiplayer matchmaking so you will now be matched with more suitable players based on the type of internet connection you have, which means matchmaking should be more reliable. This update will also fix some bugs we had with clubs where some players couldn't join or leave a club."] [Image: Sony]
PSN Tuesday: Shadow Warrior, The Legend of Korra
Though the PlayStation gets the bulk of new additions in today's PlayStation Network Store update, most of the biggest releases are available on multiple Sony devices. Koei Tecmo's musou brawler Samurai Warriors 4 and arcade flyer Race The Sun are now available on the PlayStation 4, PS3 and Vita. Battlefield 4 Premium Edition and Platinum Games' Legend of Korra game adaptation are now available on both PlayStation 4 and PS3. Just Dance 2015 likewise graces both the PlayStation 4 and PS3. Devolver's Shadow Warrior and Season Two of Telltale's The Walking Dead adventure game are now available on PS4 as well. For a full rundown of the new games, DLC and pre-orders available via the PlayStation Network, visit the PlayStation Blog. [Image: Koei Tecmo]
PSN Flash Sale highlights heroines across games and movies
Sony is discounting 20 games and 30 movies as part of this weekend's PSN Flash Sale – and it's not hard to figure out the theme. The deals include PS3 games like Bayonetta ($7.99), BloodRayne: Betrayal ($2.49), Portal 2 ($4.99), Remember Me ($11.99), Mirror's Edge ($2.25) and Beyond Good and Evil ($3.49). The sale also features a few games for both PS3 and Vita, such as Hatsune Miku: Project Diva ($11.99 for Vita, $19.99 for PS3), Knytt Underground ($2.49) and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis ($1.49). PSN's discounted movies vary in price based on whether viewers pick up the standard or high-definition versions. Kill Bill Volume 1 and Volume 2 are $6.99 each ($9.99 HD), as is Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and its follow-up, Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life ($10.99 HD each). Plus, Five Resident Evil films as well as four Underworld movies are discounted this weekend to $8.99 each ($9.99 HD). The sale ends at 3:00 p.m. EST (12:00 p.m. PST) on Monday, October 20. [Image: Majesco]
Sound Shapes, Muramasa, and more get PSN Ultimate Editions
If you're looking to catch up on some of the PlayStation Network's best releases to date, a gaggle of new digital Ultimate Editions have launched this week, offering DLC-bundled versions of Sound Shapes, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, and Batman: Arkham Origins. Other newly-collected Ultimate Editions include Dead Island: Riptide, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Toukiden: Age of Demons. Sony is also hosting a sale this week on many previously-released Ultimate Editions, including Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Saints Row 4, and Resident Evil 6. PlayStation Plus members get an additional discount on top of listed price drops. Sale prices remain in effect through October 20. [Image: Sony]
PSN going offline for maintenance October 13
Do you have next Monday, October 13 off work? Are you planning ahead to call in sick for school that day? Do you have that date circled on your calendar with the note "gaming marathon" written on it? If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, be aware that Sony has PlayStation Network maintenance scheduled for that day. The routine maintenance is planned to begin at 1:00 p.m. EST (10:00 a.m. PST) and will last until 8:00 p.m. EST (5:00 p.m. PST). PlayStation's support team noted that those that log in to PSN at any point from yesterday on will retain online play and app access during the maintenance period. However, the PlayStation Store, PlayStation Home and account management services will not be available during that time. [Image: Sony]
PSN Tuesday: Driveclub, Alien: Isolation, Vib-Ribbon
It's a big week for the PlayStation 4, as Sony's newest console adds Alien: Isolation, Driveclub and NBA 2K15 to its complement of big-name game offerings available through the PlayStation Network. The system is likewise well-represented among smaller-scale games, including Dust: An Elysian Tail, Pix The Cat and Spelunky - all of which are available as free downloads to PlayStation Plus subscribers. The PlayStation 3 also picks up Alien: Isolation and NBA 2K15, but the console's most enticing additions are two PlayStation One-era classics: Capcom's 2D action platformer Strider 2 and bizarro cult rhythm hit Vib-Ribbon. Both games can be downloaded for $6. The Vita handheld has received the fewest number of notable additions in this week's PlayStation Network update, but it too now offers access to Vib-Ribbon, as well as Pix The Cat. If your tastes run toward anime-styled action adventures, Bandai Namco has launched One Piece Unlimited World Red - Prestige Edition, an enhanced, content-rich redux of the 3DS' One Piece Unlimited World Red. As with each weekly PlayStation Network update, you can find full details on each of these games, as well as information on how to purchase them, on Sony's official PlayStation.blog. [Image: Sega]
